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MARRIAGE OF CHRISTIAN ROSENCREUTZ. 163
gave me for answer, " as long as the Royal Persons are still
at rest I have nothing to fear." Herewith I espied a rich
bed ready made, hung about with curious curtains, one of
which he drew, and I saw the Lady Venus stark naked Descriptio
corporis
(for he heaved up the coverlets too), lying there in such veneris
dormientis.
beauty, and a fashion so surprising, that I was almost
besides myself, neither do I yet know whether it was a
piece thus carved, or an humane corps that lay dead there,
for she was altogether immoveable, and yet I durst not
touch her. So she was again covered, yet she was still, as
it were, in my eye. But I soon espyed behind the bed a
tablet on which it was thus written.
I asked my Page concerning this writing, but he laughed,
with promise that I should know it too, and, he putting
out the torch, we again ascended. Then I better viewed
all the little doors, and found that on every corner there
burned a small taper of pyrites of which I had before taken
no notice, for the fire was so clear that it looked much
liker a stone than a taper. From this heat the tree was
forced continually tojmelt, yet it still produced new fruit.
"Now, behold," said the Page, "when the tree shall be