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this King, which redeems his Brethren, will give thee a Medicine tocommand all the Imperfections of thy Mortal Body; and though it be noAntidote against Death, the irrevocable Decree being past, yet it triumphsover all the Miseries of Life, both of Poverty and Sickness, and itpossesseth a Man of the most incomparable Treasures of this World. Thenfull of Admiration, with Tears for very Joy trickling down abundantly, Ibespake her, and said, Lady, I thank you for your so great favour to me, asso familiarly to discourse with me; Now then, without any Complement, Iam yours (ad usque aras) and whatever you please, that I will do. Thensaid she, Under this Chamber and Closet there is a Stove, put a Fire into it,for this King must sweat to death. Ah sweet Lady, said I, and what willbecome of you? Care you not for that, said she, do you as I bid you: But yetfarther to satisfie your curious mind, let me tell you, That I indure withouthurt the most violent Fires which are or can be made, for I am in them all,and no less in the most frozen places. Then I considered, and methoughtmy Understanding it was enlarged, and I perceived the extent of Nature,and of a sudden she appeared not to my sight; but where she was I saw amost exquisite Light, which took up an incredible small room, andmethought my Head seemed as it were diaphanous: And while I consideredthese things, it came into my mind to wonder what was become of myGuide, for I miss’d him. While these thoughts perplexed me, an Answerwas given, as if from an intelligent Spirit within the Glass, saying, Let notthoughts fill your mind, he whom you seek is with us, for so it must be, thisKing is his Lord. This straight made me view the complexion of the Waterbearer,and his countenance told me that he was my very Guide: Then Iviewed his Pitcher well, and I found his Pitcher was clear as pure Silver;and what was strange, the Bearer, and the Pitcher, and the Water in it wereone; and in the midst of the Water, as it were in the very center, there was amost radiant twinkling Spark, which sent forth its beams even to the verysurface of the Water, and appeared as it were a Lamp burning, and yet noway distinguishable from the Water. The Voice then spake to me a secondtime, Delay not to put Fire under us, and govern it as you shall hear theVoice direct you. Then I put Fire in at the open door at the top of the highTurret, and Coals upon it, and caused my doors to be stopt both above andbelow, and on every side; only by a secret passage I conveyed my ImmortalFire under the Chamber in which was the Closet, and forthwith when allthings were heated, the Water-bearer took his Pitcher, and through a smallPope he poured out his Water, without any particular shape, only it added aluster thereto; and no sooner was the Water poured forth, but the Waterbearerwith his Pitcher popt as it were under the streams, and I saw them nomore: And though the clearness of the Water did make it to appear as itwere Diaphanous, yet I found by a diligent view that it was not so really,but only as to apparency, and that it was indeed very compact: And as Iwistfully beheld it, I saw as it were a goodly Lady in the midst of it, which69