23 Feb.

TO SALUTE A STRANGE KING, 1584

travel,court_patronage,household_family,money_legal,angelic_spiritual,alchemy_experiment

Saturday, a meridie horam circiter 2. The occasion of this coming to the Show-Stone was that as we sat together in the Stove, there was a pat or stroke or two (not natural) given on the bench and wall: and withal I felt on my head a heavy moving thing, and also after that E.K. felt on his back as if one had written letters distinctly: whereupon we went to understand the will of God, as being thereto half warned and stirred by these tokens. E.K.: 'Madimi is here.' MADIMI: 'What should I speak unto you, since you have no faith? I knock in vain, for you hear me not.': 'Speak in the name of God. Who would not hear the words of the wise and of the mighty, of the good and true?' MADIMI: 'Shall I close my mouth because of your wickedness? Or shall I open my mouth, because my mother hath commanded me? 'I will go back, and will desire that my mouth may be sewed up with a double thread: for assure yourself I will not come again willingly. But if she say again "Go", I will come.' She went away as if she had been angry. In the mean space we argued after our former manner: E.K. as he was wont, and I still in my constant hope of God's mercies. E.K.: 'Now she is here again. 'She putteth off her petticoat, and putteth on another garment full of pleats of a golden colour, and after that another garment. Now she taketh the first garment (which she put off) and flingeth it into a fire.' MADIMI: 'Envious minds and false hearts do hunt after thee, and they have said and have conspired. Our divine wisdom must be the guiding star in this great sea. But 1 will go unto my mother, and ask her once more whether 1 may hide these things from you.' E.K.: 'She is gone.' We read over the premises, and gathered that some treachery was devised against me: and therefore I beseech God to give us his counsels. E.K.: 'Here she is again.' MADIMI: 'That you both or (if you will be distracted) one of you: go secretly hence, and speedily, unto Laski: so shall it come to pass, that he whom they intended to imprison (saying "We will compel him to perform his word, least he peradventure triumph elsewhere against us") may at last open the prison doors for them, and salute a strange king, even in the self- same place where they shall eat tomorrow's dinner. But when they perceive that you are gone, then will they understand that you knew, and that the spirit of God was amongst you.' il: 'How soon would you advise me to be going hence? You see how bare I am of money.' MADIMI: 'Do so as in an imminent danger. I have spoke the last word.'