Haste and delay

Meaning

Haste is a false shortcut, not simply speed. Part II: matter and the work · unit 21 allows a change in the fire's degree while expressly warning that this does not mean hurrying the work. Part II: matter and the work · unit 27 pairs supposed haste with inconstancy and describes a malformed result rather than the hoped-for elixir. Its numerical riddle stresses the danger of excessively narrow reckoning and unrecognised hindrance; it should not be converted into a confidently decoded timetable. The English keeps the ironic 'supposed haste': an attempt to save time may instead cause delay or failure. The governing contrast is impatient intervention versus measured attendance.