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MARRIAGE OF CHRISTIAN ROSENCREUTZ. 141
I perceived she was indeed alive. I quietly bore her home,
and after I had warmed her chilled body with a costly bath
of herbs, I committed her to my mother until she brought
forth a fair son, whom I caused faithfully to be nursed.
After two days (she being then in a mighty amazement) I
discovered to her all the affair, requesting that for the
time to come she would live with me as a wife, against
which she excepted thus, in case it should be grievous to
her husband, who had maintained her well and honourably,
but if it could otherwise be, she was the present obliged in
love to one as well as the other. After two months (being
then to make a journey elsewhere) I invited her husband
as a guest, and amongst other things demanded of him
whether if his deceased wife should come home again he
could be content to receive her, and he affirming it with
tears and lamentations, I brought him his wife and son,
recounting all the fore-passed business, and intreating him
to ratine with his consent my fore-purposed espousals.
After a long dispute he could not beat me from my right,
but was fain to leave me the wife. But still the contest
was about the son." Here the Virgin interrupted him and
said :
" It makes me wonder how you could double the
afflicted man's grief." Upon this there arose a dispute
amongst us, the most part affirming he had done but right.
" Nay," said he, "I freely returned him both his wife and
son. Now tell me, my lords, was my honesty
man's joy the greater 1 "
or this
These words so mightily cheared
the Virgin that she caused a health to go round, after
which other proposals went on somewhat perplexedly, so
that I could not retain them all; yet this comes to my
mind, that one told how a few years before he had seen a
physitian, who bought a parcel of wood against winter, 9.