[11]. I wandered into the garden in God’s name, and found in the midst of it a small garden, that was square and six roods long, hedged in with rose thorns, and the roses bloomed beautifully. But as it was raining gently, and the sun shone in it, it caused a very lovely rainbow. When I had passed beyond the little garden and would go to the place where I was to help the maids, behold I was aware that instead of the walls a low hurdle stood there, and there went along by the rose garden the most beautiful maiden arrayed in white satin, with the most stately youth, who was in scarlet each giving arm to the other, and carrying in their hands many fragrant roses. I spoke to them and asked them how they had come over the hurdle. “This, my beloved bridegroom,” said she, “has helped me over, and we are going now out of this beautiful garden into our apartment to enjoy the pleasures of love.” “I am glad,” said I, “that without any further trouble on my part your desires are satisfied; yet see how I have hurried, and have run so long a way in so short a time to serve you.” After that I came into a great mill built inside of stones, in which were no flour bins or other things that pertained to grinding but one saw through the walls several water wheels going in water. I asked why it had equipment for grinding. An old miller answered that the mill was shut down on the other side. Just then I also saw a miller’s boy go in from the sluice plank [Schutzensteg], and I followed after him. When I had come over the plank [Steg], which had the water wheels on the left, I stood still and was amazed at what I saw there. For the wheels were now higher than the plank, the water coal black, but its drops were yet white, and the sluice planks were not over three fingers wide. Still I ventured back and held onto the sticks that were over the sluice planks and so came safely and dry over the water. Then I asked the old miller how many water wheels he had. “Ten,” answered he. The adventure stuck in my mind. I should have gladly known what the meaning was. But as I noticed that the miller would not leave I went away, and there was in front of the mill a lofty paved hill, on which were some of the previously mentioned elders who walked in the sun, which then shone very warm, and they had a letter from the whole faculty written to them, on which they were consulting. [In our modern mode of expression, the elders had directed a letter to the sun, and so I find the passage in an English version of the parable. This generally bungling translation is nevertheless not in the least authoritative. And although an acceptable meaning is derived from it, if one regards the sun as the just mentioned “prince,” yet I believe a freer translation should be given ...