A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder James De Mille

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anguish beyond expression--anguish so severe that the heart will often
break under it."
The Kohen clasped his hands in new bewilderment.
"I cannot understand," said he. "A madman might imagine that he loved
life and desired riches; but as to love, why even a madman could not
think of requital, for the very nature of the passion of love is the
most utter self-surrender, and a shrinking from all requital;
wherefore, the feeling that leads one to desire requital cannot be
love. I do not know what it can be--indeed, I never heard of such a
thing before, and the annals of the human race make no mention of such
a feeling. For what is love? It is the ardent outflow of the whole
being--the yearning of one human heart to lavish all its treasures
upon another. Love is more than self-denial; it is self-surrender and
utter self-abnegation. Love gives all away, and cannot possibly
receive anything in return. A requital of love would mean selfishness,
which would be self-contradiction. The more one loves, the more he
must shrink from requital."
"What!" cried I, "among you do lovers never marry?"
"Lovers marry? Never!"
"Do married people never love one another?"
The Kohen shook his head.
"It unfortunately sometimes happens so," said he, "and then the result
is, of course, distressing. For the children's sake the parents will
often remain with one another, but in many cases they separate. No one
can tell the misery that ensues where a husband and wife love one
another."
The conversation grew insupportable. I could not follow the Kohen in
what seemed the wildest and maddest flights of fancy that ever were
known; so I began to talk of other things, and gradually the Kohen was
drawn to speak of his own life. The account which he gave of himself
was not one whit less strange than his previous remarks, and for this
reason I add it here.