ad their men stand in better battle-array than the people
stood. The windows likewise were not crowded, but every one stood in
them as if they had been placed.

When the shew was past, the Jew said to me; "I shall not be able to
attend you as I would, in regard of some charge the city hath laid upon
me, for the entertaining of this great person." Three days after the
Jew came to me again, and said; "Ye are happy men; for the Father of
Salomon's House taketh knowledge of your being here, and commanded me
to tell you that he will admit all your company to his presence, and
have private conference with one of you, that ye shall choose: and for
this hath appointed the next day after to-morrow. And because he
meaneth to give you his blessing, he hath appointed it in the forenoon."

We came at our day and hour, and I was chosen by my fellows for the
private access. We found him in a fair chamber, richly hanged, and
carpeted under foot without any degrees to the state. He was set upon
a low Throne richly adorned, and a rich cloth of state over his head,
of blue satin embroidered. He was alone, save that he had two pages of
honour, on either hand one, finely attired in white. His under
garments were the like that we saw him wear in the chariot; but instead
of his gown, he had on him a mantle with a cape, of the same fine
black, fastened about him. When we came in, as we were taught, we
bowed low at our first entrance; and when we were come near his chair,
he stood up, holding forth his hand ungloved, and in posture of
blessing; and we every one of us stooped down, and kissed the hem of
his tippet. That done, the rest departed, and I remained. Then he
warned the pages forth of the room, and caused me to sit down beside
him, and spake to me thus in the Spanish tongue.

"God bless thee, my son; I will give thee the greatest jewel I have.
For I will impart unto thee, for the love of God and men, a relation of
the true state of Salomon's House. Son, to make you know the true
state of Salomon's House, I will keep this order. First, I will set
forth unto you the end of our foundation. Secondly, the preparations
and instruments we have for our works. Thirdly, the several
employments and functions whereto our fellows are assigned. And
fourthly, the ordinances and rites which we observe.

"The end of our foundation is the knowledge of causes, and secret
motions of things; and the enlarging of the bounds of human empire,