He answered that the first of his vestures was from the beginning Cloth of Gold, then with a black velvet doublet, a shirt truly white above the snow, his flesh however, or blood is of the
He answered, "Although he is so much advanced in years, nevertheless no one of his subjects is so patient of cold and sweats rains winds and labours as himself. Also no one of them by himself, nor any of them together could kill him."
How then will they possess the Kingdom if he cannot die not be killed by any one?
He answered, "His six subjects are from the fount, from which they possess everything they have, as well as he, wherefore they are chiefly drawn by the fount. The King is killed by that very fount as well as they are resuscitated by it afterwards, from the substance of his Kingdom, which substance is divided into the minutest particles, each of his subjects receives his portion and however minute the particle which any one of them has, he equals the King in power and strength and opulence, and they are made equal among themselves."
I again enquired, how long they might have to wait in this expectation?
Laughing at me again he answered, "Know that the King enters alone without any of his subjects, for although the fount also loves them, yet they do not enter, because they have not yet described this dignity. But the King upon entering throws off his vesture of fine beaten gold, which he delivers to his first Chamber Man called Saturn, who when he has once obtained possession of it keeps it for forty days, sometimes forty two days at most. Then the King throws off the Black Velvet waistcoat, which he delivers to his second Chamber Man, called Jupiter, who keeps it 22 days. Then the King ordering him, Jupiter gives it to Luna, which third person is beautiful and resplendent. She keeps it 20 days. Then the King is in a shift, pure white as snow, or like fine pearls or a white lily, which also he puts off and delivers to Mars, who keeps it 40 days and sometimes two more. Afterwards Mars by the will of God, delivers it to yellow Sol, not clear Sol, who keeps it 40 days. Then comes the most beautiful and blooded Sol who immediately snatches up the shirt."

He answered that the first of his vestures was from the beginning Cloth of Gold, then with a black velvet doublet, a shirt truly white above the snow, his flesh however, or blood is of the
He answered, "Although he is so much advanced in years, nevertheless no one of his subjects is so patient of cold and sweats rains winds and labours as himself. Also no one of them by himself, nor any of them together could kill him."
How then will they possess the Kingdom if he cannot die not be killed by any one?
He answered, "His six subjects are from the fount, from which they possess everything they have, as well as he, wherefore they are chiefly drawn by the fount. The King is killed by that very fount as well as they are resuscitated by it afterwards, from the substance of his Kingdom, which substance is divided into the minutest particles, each of his subjects receives his portion and however minute the particle which any one of them has, he equals the King in power and strength and opulence, and they are made equal among themselves."
I again enquired, how long they might have to wait in this expectation?
Laughing at me again he answered, "Know that the King enters alone without any of his subjects, for although the fount also loves them, yet they do not enter, because they have not yet described this dignity. But the King upon entering throws off his vesture of fine beaten gold, which he delivers to his first Chamber Man called Saturn, who when he has once obtained possession of it keeps it for forty days, sometimes forty two days at most. Then the King throws off the Black Velvet waistcoat, which he delivers to his second Chamber Man, called Jupiter, who keeps it 22 days. Then the King ordering him, Jupiter gives it to Luna, which third person is beautiful and resplendent. She keeps it 20 days. Then the King is in a shift, pure white as snow, or like fine pearls or a white lily, which also he puts off and delivers to Mars, who keeps it 40 days and sometimes two more. Afterwards Mars by the will of God, delivers it to yellow Sol, not clear Sol, who keeps it 40 days. Then comes the most beautiful and blooded Sol who immediately snatches up the shirt."

"Then, as you see, he surrounds it with a wall very thick. He shuts it up first with the hard and clear stone, then finally in the cavities of the oak, chiefly because it is so terrible in its nature that once inflamed and irritated, it would make its way through every thing, and also should it escape the fences, there would be an end of us."
I afterwards asked him if he himself saw the King in the said fount, he answered that he indeed saw him enter, but from that time at which he is shut up in it by the Keeper, he does not appear more until the 130th day, at length he emerges bright and splendid. The Keeper Porter assiduously warms the bath, that he may keep up the heat which is occult in the water of the fount, and he warms it night and day without intermission.
I again interrogated what colour was the King?

richest reds.
I then asked whether the King on coming there brought with him a great concourse of extraneous people low and vulgar along with him?
He answered me friendly but laughing at the question, saying, "When the King purposes to come hither, he dismisses all his counsellors and every stranger and enters alone, nobody approaching the fount except himself and its Keeper alone, the care of which a very simple man has. Verily the simplest man can best supply his place, since he does nothing else than warm the fount."
I again enquired whether the King was a friend to the fount, or the fount a friend to him?
He answered, "They love one another reciprocally in a wonderful manner, the fount attracts the King and not the King the fount, for it is as it were the Mother to the King."
I next interrogated of what kind the King was?
He answered, "He comes from the fount which makes him such as he is without any other thing whatever."
I enquired whether he had many counsellors. He said he has six forsooth who expect the succession, if by any chance or any means the King should die, they will also rule the Kingdom like him; hence it is that they serve him because they hope from him Dominion and possessions.
Then I asked whether he was an old man.
He answered, that he was older than the forest and more mature than any of his own subjects.
How happens it therefore, I asked, that these do not kill the King who expect so much inheritance from his death, since he is so old?

Allegory of the Fountain Bernard of Treviso

When I perceived that I had proceeded a considerable length in this Art, I began most earnestly to court and to frequent the company of those who were learned in it also: for it becomes good men to join themselves to their equals and not to others.
Therefore, when I passed through Apulea, a city in India, I heard that a man resided there who was so very learned in every branch of Science, that he had not his equal in this world. He instituted as a Prize of disputation for all skilled in Art, a book fabricated, both leaves and cover, of pure gold. Therefore, desirous of honour, I did not doubt that my mind would assist me thereto and dispose me to the prescribed disputations, a very learned man adding spurs to my undertaking this province, and it also coming into my mind that the daring and bold were carried to sublime things, while the timid were thrown down and lived in perpetual dejection, I passed manfully into the field of contest and happily obtained the palm of disputation before the audience, and the book of premium was so honourably delivered to me by the faculty of Philosophy, that I was looked upon by all men.
Then for the sake of recreating my mind, fatigued with study, and enquiring for pleasant plains and meadows, I met with a most limpid little fountain, surrounded and fortified with a most beautiful stone in an oaken trunk, and enclosed within a wall, that brutes might not enter nor birds make a bath for themselves there. Sitting above this fountain, I contemplated its beauty and I saw the upper part was shut.
A very venerable old man was coming there. As reverent as a priest, I honourably saluted him and I asked him wherefore that fountain was shut and fortified in that manner, above, below, and on every side.
Having deigned to give me a friendly answer, he said, "What you would know, my friend, is a fountain very terrible and wonderful in virtue before every other fountain in the world. It belongs to the King alone of this country, whom the fount knows very well, and he himself the fountain. It always draws the King, when passing this way, to itself, but is never drawn by the King. In that Bath he remains 282 days, at the end of which so much youthful strength is added to him, that he can afterwards be conquered by nobody however strong. He therefore took care to shut up his little fountain with a round white stone, as you see, in which a clear fountain shines like silver and of celestial colour. That it may also be stronger and lest it should be destroyed by horses or others, he introduced an old oak cleft in the middle, which protects it from the rays of the Sun, forming a shade.