A Lexicon of Alchemy by Martin Rulandus the Elder tr by Arthur E Waite

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.This man approached me, and said: I am the Genius of the Sages; fear not to follow where I lead.Then, taking me by the hair with the hand which held the key, he raised me up, carried me away,and caused me to traverse the three regions of the air, the fire, and the heaven of all the planets.Beyond even these did he transport me; then, having enveloped me in a whirlwind, he disappeared,and I found myself on an island floating in a sea of blood.Surprised at finding myself in so remotea region, I walked along the bank or shore, and contemplating the said sea with profound attention, Iremarked that the blood of which it was composed was all warm and living.I remarked also that avery gentle wind, which continually agitated it, maintained the heat thereof, and did excite in thissea a bubbling and movement which caused the whole sea to vibrate with a scarcely perceptiblemotion.Ravished with admiration in that I was gazing on things so passing strange, I was reflecting on allthese marvels, when I looked up, and lo! many persons standing by my side! I apprehended at firstthat they would seek to molest me, and I passed quickly into a bush of jasmine to conceal myself;but the odour of the said flowers did so speedily cast me into a sleep that they found and tookpossession of me.The tallest of the gang, who seemed to command the others, required of me in ahaughty tone what had made me so rash as to enter from the Low Country into this most exaltedempire.I described to him after what manner I had been transported thither.The personage did thenimmediately change his deportment, manners, and accent, and he said unto me: Be thou welcome, 0stranger, who hast been here led by our most high and powerful Genius! He thereupon saluted me,as also did all the others, after the fashion of their land, which is first of all to lie flat upon the back,then in like way upon the belly, and so rise.I returned their salutation after the custom of my owncountry.After this ceremony, the commander notified unto me that he would present me toHagacestaur, who is their emperor.He solicited me that I would excuse him in that he had nocarriage by which he might transport me to the town, from which we were distant one league.Heentertained me by the way with an account of the power and grandeur of the said Hagacestaur,telling me that his dominion extended over seven kingdoms, and that he had chosen that which wasin the middle of the other six to establish his ordinary residence.As he remarked that I found it difficult to walk upon the lilies, roses, jasmines, carnations,tuberoses, and a prodigious variety of other flowers, most beautiful and curious to behold, whichblossomed even upon the road, he inquired, with a smile, if I feared to harm those plants.Ianswered that I was well aware they were devoid of a sensitive soul, but, seeing they were most rarein my own country, I shrank from trampling them under foot.Then, noticing that the whole landseemed to be nothing but flowers and fruits, I asked him where grain was sown therein.He repliedthat they sowed nothing of the kind, but the sterile portion of the Kingdom abounded in grain, andthat Hagacestaur caused the greater portion to be thrown down into the Low Country to give uspleasure.As for the rest, it was devoured by the beasts.For themselves, they made their bread of themost beautiful flowers, kneading it with dew, and baking it by the rays of the sun.As I beheldeverywhere an abounding quantity of the finest fruits, I had the curiosity to gather some pears that Imight taste their flavour, but they would have prevented me, saying that these also were only eatenby animals.I, nevertheless, found that they were of delicious quality.The commander presentlyoffered me some peaches, melons, and figs, nor ever has Provence, nor yet all Italy, nor Greeceitself, produced fruits of such surpassing excellence.He swore unto me by royal Hagacestaur thatthe said fruits grew wild, that they did nothing to cultivate them, and that they ate nothing else withtheir bread.I inquired of him after what manner they preserved their flowers and fruits during thewinter season, but he answered me that they knew no winter, that their years had three seasons only,to wit, spring and summer, and that of these two there was formed a third, which was autumn.Thelatter contained in the bodies of the fruits both the spirit of spring and the soul of summer, at whichtime they harvested the grape and the pomegranate, these being the choicest of their fruits.This personage manifested an extreme astonishment when I informed him that we ate beef andmutton, game, fish, and other animals.He told me that we must possess but a gross or cloudedunderstanding, since we made use of such coarse nourishments.I experienced no fatigue ordistraction while listening to his curious and wonderful information, which I heard with greatattention.But being counseled to take note of the appearance of the tower from which we were nowdistant only two hundred paces, I had no soon; raised my eyes to look at it than I beheld nothing, forI had become sudden: blind.At this my conductor fell a laughing, and all his company with him.The vexation of finding all these gentlemen making merry over my ill-chance caused me morechagrin than the misfortune itself.Seeing that their behavior displeased me, he who had taken suchpains to entertain me consoled me t commending me to a little patience, for I should see clearly in amoment.He then went in search of an herb which he rubbed over my eyes, and I straightway beheldthe light and glittering of this superb town, whereof the houses we built of purest crystal, while thesun illuminated it continually, for in the island no night or darkness did ever fall.On no accountwould they permit me to enter any of these houses, but I was allowed to look upon what waspassing therein through the transparent medium of the walls [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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