Imageless

Ever since Hadrian--otherwise a patriot king--built his imageless temples, in imitation of this barren and lifeless worship; ever since the weak Alexander and his superstitious mother filled the imperial palace with their statues of Christ, with preachers and teachers of his religion; ever since the Philips openly and without shame professed his faith; ever, I say, since these great examples have been before the world, has the ancient religion declined its head, and the new stalked proudly by.

Other dream-fears, or strong dream-impressions, may be almost imageless. There may be a great terror, for example, of a purely geometric figure—a figure from pure geometry, or an example of pure mathematics.

In this diptych, a grid of 15 blue-and-black electric-chair images occupies the left panel, while the right panel is imageless, filled with the same shade of blue used in the left.

Blessings that are imageless to all mortal fancyings, these shall be thine for this.