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Sanguine
alias Regis
pascitur.
Iridescit.
Liberatur
vkiculis.
Primus
usus ejus
Me0o5i'o.
178
HISTORY OF THE ROSICRUCIANS.
have dispatched him. Now he was wholly black and wild,
wherefore other meat was brought him, perhaps the blood
of another of the Eoyal Persons, whereupon all his black
feathers moulted and were replaced by snow-white ones.
He was somewhat tamer too, and more tractable, though
we did not yet trust him. At the third feeding his feathers
began to be so curiously coloured that I never saw the like
for beauty. He was also exceedingly tame, and behaved
himself so friendly with us that, the Virgin consenting, we
released him from captivity.
"
'Tis now reason," she began,
"
since by your diligence, and our old man's consent, the
Bird has attained with his life and the highest perfection,
that he be also joyfully consecrated by us." Herewith she
commanded to bring in dinner, since the most troublesome
part of our work was now over, and it was fit we should
begin to enjoy our passed labours. We began
to make
merry together. Howbeit, we had still our mourning
cloaths on, which seemed somewhat reproachful to our
mirth. The Virgin was perpetually inquisitive, perhaps to
find to which of us her future purpose might prove service-
able, but her discourse was, for the most part, about
Melting, and it pleased her well when any
one seemed
expert in such compendious manuals as do peculiarly
commend an artist. This dinner lasted not above three-
quarters of an hour, which we yet, for the most part, spent
with our Bird, whom we were fain constantly to feed with
his meat, though he continued much at the same growth.
After Dinner we were not long suffered to digest our food,
for the Virgin, together with the Bird, departed from us,
6. conclave* and the fifth room was opened, which we reached after
the former manner, and tendred our service. In this
Avis room a bath was prepared for our Bird, which was so
balneum.