89
Buddha said
that
if any man
became
an Arahat
he must either
take
the vows
of a Bhikkhu
that
very day, or
die, and
it
is
this
saying
of
Buddha's
that the unknown
poet wished
to commemorate.
Taffy
was a Welshman,
Taffy
was a thief;
Taffy came to my house
And stole a leg of beef.
I went to Taffy's
house;
Taffy
was in bed.
I took a carving
knife,
And cut off Taffy's
head.
Taffy is
merely
short
for
Taphtatharath, the Spirit
of Mercury and
the God of Welshmen
or
thieves.
" My house " is of course equivalent
to " my magick
circle."
Note that Beth, the letter of Mercury and " The
Magus,"
means "a house."
The
beef
is
the
symbol
of the
Bull,
Apis
the
Redeemer.
This
is
therefore
that which
is written:
" Oh my God, disguise
thy glory I Come
as a thief, and let us steal away the sacraments
! "
In
the following
verse we find that Taffy is " in
bed,"
owing
to
the
operation
of the sacrament.
The
great
task of the Alchemist has been
accomplished;
the mercury
is fixed.
One can then take the Holy
Dagger, and separate the Caput Mortuum
from the Elixir.
Some Alchemists believe
that the beef
represents
that