Mythic Thinking

In the morning, the men reconvene in the lowest part of the tower, and are given clothes of yellow and their Golden Fleeces and are told that they are now Knights of the Golden Stone. After breakfast, the Warder gives them each a golden medal and they are led onto 12 ships. Christian sails on the one flying a flag of Libra. They sail near the First Gate, which Christian passed through when he first arrived at the castle. The larger group from yesterday were surprised to see the King resurrected. “I had fastened my tokens around my hat, which the young King soon noticed, asking whether I was the one who was able to redeem the tokens beneath the portal. I answered humbly, ‘Yes’; but he laughed at me, and told me I should need no decoration from now on: I was his father! Then he asked me what I had redeemed them with. I answered: ‘with Water and Salt,’ whereupon he asked who had made me so wise. Then I grew bolder and told him what had happened with my bread, the dove, and the raven.” So we see how this whole adventure comes full circle.

However, all good fortune is not meant to last. The First Porter explains how he got his job by looking upon Venus, and the only way he can be freed is by another guest who has also looked upon Venus and can take his place. This causes a lot of trouble.

After a leisurely afternoon and a feast, Atlas reads the list of duties each man must perform as a Knight of the Golden Stone:

1. You Lord Knights shall swear to ascribe your Order not to any devil or spirit, but only to God your Creator, and to Nature, his handmaiden.
2. You shall abominate all whoredom, incontinence, and uncleanness, and not defile your Order with such vices.
3. Through your gifts you shall willingly come to the aid of all who are deserving and in need.
4. You shall not desire this honor to use it for worldy show or high esteem.
5. You shall not wish to live longer than God wills.

They swear to them all on the King’s scepter, are installed as Knights, and then they are led into a chapel to give thanks to God. The King agrees to grant all men one wish. So he goes into a little closet and each man comes in one by one. When it is Christian’s turn, the King asks him to settle the score about the First Porter, and he spills all the details about how he saw Venus. Notice in this transaction, that the Page gets off. The King refuses to grant him his wish and he has to replace the Porter in the morning. To refuse would be a denial of his station as a Knight. The text ends with Christian mulling it over. Paradise denied.