The Sacred Fire (act Vii, Scene 1)

(The World-soul, the soul of England and the soul of America in the Abode of the ever-transcending Heights.)

World-soul: My sweet daughter, England-soul, are you not happy now? Possession is not happiness. Renunciation is happiness. And if renunciation is God-ordained, then it is perfect happiness. It was God who wanted you to renounce your possession-authority. Look, now your daughter America is happy and you are happy. Needless to say, I am happy too.

Soul of England: Mother, once I was temptation-possession, but now I am illumination-oneness. And I unmistakably and gratefully know that it was all your doing.

World-soul: My daughter, what we need to know is not so much whose doing it was, but whether the thing is done. I am glad beyond measure that the thing is done, the right thing is done.

Soul of America: Grandmother, Mother has taught me many nice things, and two things I treasure most: her mind's lofty nobility and her life's non-sentimental, or non-emotional but measured and confident progress along the road of Eternity's perfection.

World-soul: You are absolutely right, my granddaughter. Now I would like both you and your mother to do me a big favour. Please sing me the song that says, "My Captain says go on."

(The souls of England and America sing:

"There was a time when I stumbled

and stumbled.

But now I only climb and climb beyond

And far beyond my Goal's endless Beyond.

And yet my Captain commands:

'Go on, go on!'"

And then they sing:

"America, America, America,

Great you are, good you are,

Brave you are, kind you are.

O my America, America,

Your Heaven-freedom

Is earth's aspiration-choice.

With you, in you

Is God-Hour's Victory-voice.")