SOmtyme there dwelled in Rome a puyssaunte Emperour wh [...]che had a doughter a fayre crea­ture and was named Atlenta whome dyuerse and many knyghtes and other grete lordes de­syred her to theyr wyf. This Atlenta was won derswyfte of foote / wherfore suche a lawe was ordeyned that no man sholde haue her to wyfe but suche as myght o­uer renne her and take her by strength of foot. And so it be­fell that many came & ranne with her / but she was so swyfte that no man myght ouertake her by cours of rennynge. At the laste there came a knyght named Pomeys vnto her fader & sayd to hym thus / my lorde yf it myght please you to gyue me your doughter to wyfe I wyl gladly renne with her. Than sayd her fader there is suche a lawe ordeyned and sette that who so wyll haue her to wyfe must fyrste renue wich her / and yf he fayle in his cours that he ouertake her not he shall lose his hede / and yf it fortune hym to ouertake her than shall I wedde her vnto hym / and whan the kyn­ge had tolde hym all the peryll that myght falle in the wyn­nynge of her / the knyght wylfully graunted to abyde that Ieopardy. Than the knyght lete ordeyne hym thre balles of golde ayenst the rennynge. And whan they had begonne to renne a lytel space the yonge lady ouer ranne hym / than the knyght threwe forth before her y ^e fyrste balle of golde. And whan the damoysell sawe y ^e ball she stouped and toke it vp / and that whyle the knyght waune before her but that auay­led lytell / for whan she had that perceyued she ranne so fast that in shorte space she gate before hym agayne. And than he threwe forth the seconde balle of golde / and she stouped as she dyde before to take it vp / & in that whyle y ^e knyght wanne before her agayne / whiche this yonge damosell seyn­ge constreyned her selfe and ranne so fast tyll at the last she [Page] had hym at a vauntage agayne and was afore hym and by that tyme they were nyghe the marke where they sholde a­byde / wherfore the knyght threwe the thyrde balle forth be­fore her / and lyke as she had done before stouped downe to take vp the balle / and the whyle she was in takynge vp the thyrde balle the knyght gate afore her and was fyrst at the standynge / & thus was she wonne. ¶ By this Emperoure is vnderstande the fader of heuen / and this mayden is vn­derstande the soule of man with whome many deuylles de­syren to renne / and to dysceyue her thorugh theyr tempta­cyons / but she with standeth theym myghtly & ouercometh hym / and whan he hath done his power / and may not spede than marketh the thre balles of golde / and casteth them be­fore her in the thre ages of man / that is to saye / in youth / in manhode / and in olde age In youth he casteth the balle of lechery before her. That is to saye the desyre of flesshe / ne­uerthelesse for al this balle often tymes man ouercometh the deuyll by confessyon contrycyon penaunce and satysfaccyon. The seconde balle is the balle of pryde the whiche the deuyll casteth to man in his manhode / that is to saye in his myddell age / but this balle man oftentymes ouercometh as he dyde the fyrste. But late hym beware of y ^e thyrde balle whiche is the balle of coueryse that the deuyll casteth vnto man in his olde age that is full dredefull. For but yf a man may ouercome this balle with this other two than he shall lese his honoure that is to saye y ^t kyngedome of heuen. For whan man brenneth in couetyse he thynketh not on goostly rychesse for euer his herte is sette in worldly goodes and recketh not of prayers ne of almes dedes / and thus leseth he his herytage to the whiche god hathe bought hym with his precyous blode vnto y ^t whiche Ihesus brynge you and me and all mankynde Amen.

THere dwelled somtyme in Rome a myghty Emperour and a wyse named Ancelme whiche ba­re in his armes a shelde of syluer with fyue reed cosys. This Emperour had thre sones whome he loued moche / he had also contynuall warre with the kynge of Egypt / in the whiche warre he lost all his temporall goodes excepte a vertuous tree. It fortuned af­ter on a day y ^t he gaue batayll vnto y ^e sayd kynge of Egypt wherin he was greuously wounded Neuertheles he optey­ned the vyctory notwithstandynge he had his dedely woū ­de / wherfore whyle he laye in poynte of deth he called vnto hym his eldest sone & sayd / my moost dere & welbeloued so­ne all my temporall rychesse I haue exspended & almoost nothynge is lefte me excepte a vertuous tree y ^e whiche stan­deth in the myddes of myne Empyre I gyue to the all y ^t is vnder the erthe and aboue the erthe of y ^e same tree. O my reuerent fader quod he I thanke you moche. Thā sayd them­peroure calle to me my seconde sone. Anone his eldest sone gretely gladded of his faders gyfte called in his broder / and whan he came than sayd themperour / my dere sone quod he I may not make my testament for so moche that I haue spent al my goodes except a tree whiche stādeth in my Em­pyre of the whiche tree I gyue & byquethe to y ^e all y ^t is gre­te and smale. Than answered he and sayd. My reuerent fader I thanke you moche. Than sayd themperoure calle to me my thyrde sone / and so it was done. And whan he was come the Emperour sayd. My dere sone I must dye of this sekenesse & I haue but onely a vertuous tree of the whiche I haue byquethed thy bretherin theyr porcyon and to the I byquethe thy procyon / for I wyll y ^• y ^u haue of the sayd tree all y ^t is were & drye Than sayd his sone. Fader god thanke you Soone after that the Emperour had made his byquest [Page] he deyed. And the eldest sone anone toke season of the tree whan the seconde broder this herde he sayd broder myn by what lawe or tytell occupyed y ^u this tree. Dere broder quod he I occupyed by this tytell / my fader gaue me all y ^e is vn­de erthe and aboue of the sayd tree and therfore by reason this tree is myn. Vnknowynge to the quod the seconde bro­der he gaue me al that is in brede length & depnes of y ^t sayd tree / and therfore I haue as grete ryght in the tree as thou This herynge the thyrde sone came vnto theym & sayd. O ye my best beloued brethern it behoueth you not to stryue for this tree / for as moche ryght haue I in this tree as ye / for well ye wote by the lawe that the last wyll & testament ought to stande / for sothely he gaue me of the sayd tree all y ^t is wete and drye and therfore by ryght the tree is myn / but for as moche as your tales ben grete and myne also / my coū ceyll is that we be Iustyfyed by reason / for it is not good ne cōmendable that ony stryfe or dyssencyon sholde be amon­ge vs. Here besyde dwelleth a kynge of reason / for it is not good to stryue go we there vnto hym / & eueryche of vs laye his ryght before hym / and lyke as he wyll Iuge stande we vnto his Iugement Than sayd his bretherin / this counceyl is good / wherfore they wente all thre vnto y ^e kynge of Rea­son and euerychone of theym syngulerly shewed forthe his ryght vnto hym lyke as it is sayd before. Whan the kynge had herde theyr tytles / he rehersed them all agayne syngu­lerly fyrst saynge vnto the eldest sone thus. Thousayest for the quod the kynge thy fader gaue the all that is vnder the erthe and aboue the erthe of the sayd tree. And to the secon­de broder he byquethed all that is in brede length & depnes of that tree. And to the thyrde broder he gaue al that is we­te and drye. And with that he layde the lawe for them and and sayd / that y ^e last wyll ought for to stande. Now my de­re [Page] sones breuely I shall satysfye all your reasons. And whā he hadde thus sayd he tourned hym vnto the eldest broder saynge thus. My dere sone yf the lyst to abyde y ^e Iugement of ryght the behoueth to be letten blode of the ryghtarme. My lorde quod he your wyll shall be done. Than called the kynge forth a dyscrete physycyon cōmaundynge to lete hȳ blode. Whan the eldest sone was thus letten blode y ^e kynge sayd to them all thre / my dere sones quod he where is your fader buryed. Than answered they and sayd. Forsothe my lorde in suche a place. Anone the kynge commaunded to delue vp the body and to drawe out a bone of his brest and to bury his body agayne / & so it was done. And whan y ^e bone was drawen out the kynge commaunded y ^e it sholde be lay­de in the blode of the elder broder & y ^t it sholde lye tyll it had receyued kyndely the blode and than to be layde in y ^e sonne and dryed / & after that it sholde be wasshen with clere wa­ter / his seruauntes fulfylled all that he badde. And whan they began to wasshe y ^e blode vanysshed clene away whan the kynge sawe this he sayd to the seconde sone / it behoueth that y ^u he laten bolde as thy broder is. Than sayd he. My lorde thy wyll shall be fulfylled / & anone he was serued lyke as his broder was in all thynge And whan they began to was­she the bone the blode vanysshed awaye. Than sayd y ^• kyn­ge to the thyrde sone. My dere chylde it behoueth the also to be laten blode. He answere and sayd. My lorde it pleaseth me well so to be. Whan the yongest broder was laten blode and serued in all thynge lyke as his two brethern were ser­ued before whan the kynges seruaunt began to wasshe the bone they myght neyther for wasshynge ne for brekynge do awaye the blode of y ^• bone but euer it appered blody whan y ^t kȳge sawe this he sayd / it apered opēly y ^t this blode w ^tout [Page] doubte is of the nature of this bone / thou arte his true sone and these other .ii. ben bastardes I gyue to the that tree for euer more. ¶ Dere frendes this Emperour is our lorde Thesu cryst whiche bare a shelde of syluer with fyue reed rosys / that is to saye his body y ^t was so fayre soo clere & more ra­dyent than ony syluer accordȳge w ^t y ^e psalmes saynge thus. Speciosus formo p̄ filús hoūn. That is to saye he was mo­re specyous & fayrer of shape than all the chylderin of men By this .v. rosys we vnderstande his .v. woūdes whiche he suffred for mankynde. And by the kynge of Egypte we vn­derstande y ^e deuyll ayenst whome he faught all the tyme of of his lyfe / & at last was slayne for mankynde. Neuertheles before his deth he made his testament to his thre sones. By the fyrst to whome he gaue of the tree al y ^t was vnder erthe and aboue / we shall vnderstande the myghty men & states of this worlde to whome he hath gyuen power in erthe in water & in ayer so y ^t be obedyent at theyr wyll all thȳge vn­der heuen. By the seconde sone to whome he gaue the tree in length brede & depnes we may vnderstonde the wytty men of this worlde as Iustycis vocates & men of lawe the­se men haue power in length & brede & depnes vpon gently­men of myddell degre & vpon poore men theym to deme & to Iuge as they lyst. By the .iii. sone to whome he gaue all y ^t was were & drye of y ^e tree we shall vnderstōde good crysten men whiche haue & suffre bothe wete & drought / that is to saye now pouerte now trouble now solace now care nowe colde now hete / and all this they receyue of god / thanke ful­ly this noble tree y ^t was thus byquethed to. This tree is the tree of paradyse / y ^t is to saye euerlastȳge Ioye of heuen whiche is gyuē to vs al yf we wyl take it thākfully neuertheles it is heuē in dyuerse wyse & nor egally for some hath more & some hath lesse after their merytes this notw ^tstōdȳge euery [Page] man opteyneth not / therfore it behoueth them to go vnto y ^e kȳge of reason / y ^t is to say vnto y ^t fader of heuen whiche kno­weth all thynge or they be made. The fyrste sone was lete blode & in his blode the bone was wrapped. By this blood we shall vnderstande our merytory dedes / and be y ^t whyte and heuy almes dede whiche iks full heuy to theym that gy­ueth almes / neuertheles it maketh y ^e soule whyte / wherfore whan these myghty men haue almes or to do a merytory dede though it be made drye and stablysshed with the sone & by the wynde of dyuyne predicacyon neuertheles whan the water of pryde enuy wrath and of suche other all the mery­tory dede done before is brought to nought and the blood / that is to saye almes dede by the whiche they sholde come to euerlastynge lyf begynneth to vanysshe awaye. For why as the appostle sayth / he that offendeth in one synne is gyl­ty in all This blode later whiche lete them blode is a dyscre­te confessoure / though the myghty men of this worlde doo good and fulfyll theyr penaunce / neuertheles whan y ^e wa­ter of couetyse that is to saye whan the purse is full of pence anone they gyue true Iugement / ayenst whome it is wrytē thus. The wysdome of this worlde is no thynge els but fo­ly afore god / and ayenst the myghty men of this worlde speketh holy scrypture and sayth where ben tho myghty men whiche were praysed amonge the byrdes of heuen ete and drynke and often dessended vnto hell. The thyrde sone of this Emperoure is a good crysten man whiche all the tyme of his lyfe dyde good dedes and lyued without pryde enuy or lecherfy frome the bone of suche a man the blode may not be wasshen awaye / y ^t is saye his merytory dede may not be put awaye frome penaūce suche a may is the true chylde of god of whome our lorde speketh thus / the whiche haue for­ken all thynge for me &c. y ^t is to say ye y ^t haue forsaken wyll [Page] of synne shal receyue an hondred tymes more / y ^t is to saye ye shall not onely receyue the tree of paradyse but also y ^• hery­tage of heuen / these two other sones ben bastardes for why that they behote in theyr baptesme they wrought all y ^t con­trary thrugh theyr wycked lyuynge & therfore he y ^t desyred to opteyne y ^e Ioye of heuen hȳ behoueth to abyde stedfast­ly in werkynge of good dedes & than by reason may he op­teyne the tree of paradyse / vnto the whiche y ^t lorde brynge vs whiche lyueth and regneth eternal without ende Amen

IN Rome dwelled a noble Emperoure named Dyo­clesyan whiche aboue all worldly goodes loued y ^• vertue of charyte wherfore he desyred gretly to knowe what foule loued her byrdes best to this entente y ^t he myght ther­by growe to more parfyte charyte. It fortuned after vpon a day y ^t this Emperour walked to the forest to take his dysporte where as he foūde the nest of a grete byrde y ^t is called in latyn Strucio w ^t her byrde / y ^• whiche byrde themperour toke with hym & closed hym in a vessel of glasse. The moder of this lytell byrde foloweth after to themperours place & entred in to the halle where her byrde was closed. But whā she sawe her byrde and myght not by no menes come to her ne gete her out she torned agayne to the forest and there she abode thre dayes / & at y ^• last she torned agayne to y ^• pallays berynge in her mouth a worme y ^t is called Thumare. Whā she came where her byrde was she lete the worme falle vp­on the glasse thrugh vertue of whose blode the glasse bra­ke & the byrde escaped & flewe forth w ^t his moder. Whan y ^t Emperour sawe this he praysed moche y ^• moder of this byrde whiche so dylygently laboured for the delyueraūce of her byrde. ¶ My frendes this Emperour is the fader of heuen whiche wonderly loued them y ^t ben perfyte in loue & charyte This lytell byrde closed in the glasse & taken fro y ^• forest [Page] was Adam our forefader whiche was exylled fro Paradyse & put in the glasse / y ^t is to saye in helle. This herynge the moder of the byrde / y ^t is to were the sone of god descended fro heuen & came to the forest of the worlde & lyued here .iii. dayes & more berynge w ^t hym a worme / y ^t is to saye manhode accordynge w ^t the psalme saynge thus. Ego sū xmis et nō homo. That is to saye I am a worme & no man. This man hode is suffred to be slayne amonge y ^t Iewes / of whose blode the vessell eternall was broken & the byrde wente out that is to saye Adam wente sorthe with his moder the sone of almyghty god and flewe vnto heuen.

SOmtyme dwelled in Rome a worthy Emperour & a wyse whiche had a fayre doughter & ful gracyous in the syght of euery man. This Emperoure bethought hȳ vpon a daye to whome he myght gyue his doughter in ma­ryage saynge thus yf I gyue my doughter to a ryche man & he be a fole thā is she lost / & yf I gyue her to a poore man and a wytty than may he gete his lyuynge for hȳ & her by his wysdome. There was y ^t tyme dwellȳge in y ^e cyte of Ro­me a phylosopher named Socrates poore and wyse whiche came vnto themperoure & sayd My lorde dysplese you not though I put forthe my petycyon before youre hyghnesse. Themperour sayd what soeuer it pleaseth y ^e tell forth. Thā answered Socrates & sayd. My lorde ye haue a doughter whome I desyre aboue all thynge. The Emperour answe­red and sayd. My frende I shall gyue the my doughter to wyfe vpō this condycion y ^t yf she dye in thy felaushyp after y ^t she be wedded vnto y ^e y ^u shalte withouten doubte lese thy lyf. Thā sayd Socrates. Vpō this cōdycion I wyl gladly take her for to be my wyfe the Emperoure herynge this lete calle for the all the lordes and states of his Empyre and made a greate feest at theyr weddynge. And thenne after the [Page] feest Socrates led home his wyfe to his owne house where as they lyued in pease and helth longe tyme / but at last this Emperours doughter sekened to deth whā Socrates this perceyued he sayd to hym selfe Alas & wo to me what shall I do & whether shall I flee yf themperours doughter y ^t is my wyfe sholde deye & for sorowe this Socrates wente to a forest there besyde & wepte bytterly. The whyle he wepte thus & mourned there came an aged man berynge a staffe in his honde & asked the cause of Socrates why he mour­ned. Socrates answered and sayd I wedded themperours doughter vpon this condycyon y ^• yf she deyed in my felaw­shyp I sholde lese my lyfe / & now she is sekened vnto the deth & I can fynde no remedy of helpe & therfore I mour­ne more than ony creature can thynke. Than sayd the olde man be ye conforted for I shall be your helper yf ye wyl do after my counceyll. In this forest be thre herbes yf ye make a drynke of the fyrst to your wyfe & of y ^• other .ii. a playster and yf she vse this medycyne drynke and plaster in due ty­me without doubte she shall recouer to perfyte heith. So­crates fulfylled all as the olde man had taught hym. And whan his wyse had vsed a whyle that medycynall drynke & plaster within shorte tyme she was perfytly hole of all her sekenes. And whā themperour herde y ^t Socrates wrought so wysely / & how dylygently he laboured for to hele his wyf he promoted hym vnto grete dygnyte and worshyppe.

¶ Dere frendes this Emperour is our lorde Ihesu cryste / his doughter so fayre and so gentylle is the soule made at y ^e symylytude of god whiche is full gracyous and gloryous in the syght of hym and of his aungels whyle that she is not de fouled & abydeth in her owne propre clennesse. This soule god wolde not gyue it vnto a ryche man but to a poore mā that is to saye a man that is made of the slyme of y ^e erthe [Page] This Socrates is a poore man / for why euery man cometh poore and naked in to this worlde frome his moders bely / & euery man taketh his soule in wedlocke vpon suche con­dycyon that yf she dye in his felaushyp by deedly synne / w ^t ­out doubte he shall lese eternall lyfe. Therfore o thou man yf thy wyfe seken so thrugh a deedly synne / do than as So­crates dyd goo vnto the forest that is holy chirche and thou shalt fynde there an olde man with a staffe / that is a dyscre­te confessoure whiche shall telle the of these thre herbes / for he hath power to bynde and to vnbynde. The fyrst herbe is contrycyon of whome y ^u sholdest make thy drynke of teeres Ambrose sayth that teeres wassheth synne where shame is to knowlege & these two other herbes ben confessyon and satysfaccyon / yf these herbes be vsed in playster the synne without doubte shall receyue his helth and his soule shal be delyuered fro synne / and by all ryght he shall haue euer­lastynge lyfe. Vnto the whiche brynge vs our lorde Ihesus.

SOmtyme there reygned in y ^e cyte of Rome a mygh­ty Emperoure and a wyse named Frederyk whiche had onely but one sone whome he loued moche. This Em­peroure whan he lay in the poynte of deth he called vnto hȳ his sone and sayd drede sone I haue a balle of golde whiche I gyue the vpon my blessynge that y ^u anone after my deth shall gyue it to the moost fole y ^t y ^u mayest fynde. Than sayd his sone. My lorde without doubte thy wyll shall be fulfyl­led. Anone this yonge lorde after the dethe of his fader wente and sought in many realmes and founde many foles ry­cheles / by cause he wolde satysfye his faders wyll laboured ferther tyll he came in to a realme where the lawe was su­che y ^t euery yere a newe kynge sholde be chose there / & this kynge hath only the gydynge of that realme but a yere / & [Page] at the yeres ende he shall be deposed and put in exyle in an ylende where as he sholde wretchedly fynysshe his lyf / whā themperours sone came vnto this realme the newe kynge was chosen with grete honoure / & al maner of mynstralsye wente afore hym & brought hym with grete reuerence and worshyp vnto his regal sete. And whan the Emperours so­ne sawe that he came vnto hym and salued hym reuerently and sayd. My lorde lo I gyue to y ^e this balle of golde on my faders behalfe. Than sayd he I praye the tell me the cause why thou gyuest me this balle. Than answerd this yonge lorde and sayd thus. My fader quod he charged me in his deed bedde vnder payne of his blessynde that I sholde gy­ue this balle to the moost fole that I coude fynde / wherfore I haue sought many realmes and haue foūde / wherfore I haue sought many realmes and haue foūde many foles neuerthelesse a more fole than thou arte founde I neuer & therfore this is the reason. It is not vnknowen to the that thou shalt reygne but a yere & at the yeres ende thou shalte be exyled in to suche a place where as thou shalt dye a mys­cheuous deth / wherfore I holde y ^e for the moost fole y ^t euer I founde that for y ^t lordshyp of a yere thou woldest so wyl­fully lese thy selfe / & therfore before all other I haue gyuen to the this balle of golde. Than sayd y ^e kynge with out dou­te thou sayeth me sothe / and therfore whan I am in full po­wer of this Realme I shall sende byfore me grete tresoure and rychesse wherwith I may lyue and saue my selfe frome myscheuous deth whan that I shall be exyled & put doune and so is was done / wherfore at the yeres ende he was exyled and lyued there in [...]pease vpon suche goodes as he had sent before / and he deyed afterwarde a good dethe.

¶ Dere frendes this Emperour is the fader of heuen the whiche byquethed the balle / that is for to saye worldely ry­chesse to foles & ydeotes whiche sauereth no thȳge but that [Page] erthely is This Emperours sone / that is for to saye a pre­chour and a dyscrete confessoure serched about many real­mes and londes to shewe to mysbeleuynge men and foles they peryll. The realme wherin no kynge myght regne but a yere is this worlde. For who so had lyued an hondred yere whan he cometh to the dethe hym shall seme that he hath ly­ued but the space of an houre therfore do as the kynge dyde whyle y ^t ye be in power of lyfe / sende before you your tresour y ^t is to saye almes dedes & other good merytory werkes / & certaynly whan ye be put in exyle out of this worlde ye shal lyue in pease & shall fynde y ^t mercy of god plentefull wher­by ye shall opteyne euerlastynge lyfe. Vnto y ^• whiche bryn­ge vs he / that for vs deyed on her rode tree.

Amen.

OYoclesyan reygned in y ^• cyte of Rome / in whose Empyre dwelled a noble phylosopher the whiche sette vp by his crafte an ymage in the myddes of y ^e cyte of Rome the whiche ymage or fygure streyght out his arme and his formest fynger where vpon stode this poyse wryten in latȳ. Percute hic. Smyte here. This ymage after y ^t dethe of this phylosopher stode styll a longe tyme. And many grete cler­kes came thyder for to rede the superscrypcyon y ^t was on y ^• fynger / but none of them vnderstode what it mente / wher­fore there was grete wonder amonge the people. And at y ^• laste a longe tyme after there came a straunge clerke out of ferre countrees / and whan he sawe this ymage he redde y ^e scrypture. Smyte here. ¶ And than vpon a daye whan he sawe the shadowe of the hande he toke a mattocke and bra­ke vp the grounde vnder the hande where y ^• shadowe was accordynge too the vnderstandynge of the superscrypcy­no. And anone he founde an house all of marble vnder­neth the grounde where in he dyde dyscende / and entred [Page] in to an halle were he founde so moche rychesse so many Ie­welles & soo grete meruaylles that he neuer herde ne sawe suche neyther so many before that tyme. At the laste he sa­we a borde couered and all maner of necessarye thynges ac­cordynge therto layde thereupon. He h [...]helde ferder and sawe a carbuncle in a wall that lyghtened all the house. And afore ayenst this Carbuncle on that other syde stode a man holdynge in his hande a bowe w ^t an arowe r [...]dy for to shote. The clerke maruaylled moche whan he sawe al these thyn­ges and thought in hym selfe / yf that I tell this forth there wyll no man beleue me / and therfore I wyll haue somwhat of these goodes in tok [...]n of proue. And with that he sawe knyfe of golde vpon the borde whiche he toke and wolde haue put it in his bosome. But anone the archer smote y ^t Car­buncle and brake it wherwith all the hole house was shado­wed and made derke. And whan the clerke perceyued it he wepte more byttterly than ony man myght thynke / for he wyst not by what way that he myght go out. For so moche that the house was made derke thorughe the brekynge of y ^t carbuncle. And that same derkenesse abode stylle for euer / more after / and so fynysshed y ^• clerke his lyfe there in that derkenesse. ¶ Dere frendes this ymage so standynge is y ^t deuyll / whi­che sayth euermore. Smyte here. That is for to saye. Take hede vnto erthely rychesse / & not to heuenly tresoure. This clerke whiche smote with the mattocke betokeneth the wy­se men of this worlde as pleders of lawe / vocates / & other worldly men whiche smyteth euer what by ryght what by vnryght that they may gete the vanytees of this worlde / & in their smytynge they fynde grete wondres and maruayl­lesse / that is to say they fynde therin the delyces of the worl­de wherin many men reioyseth. The carbuncle that gyueth [Page] lyghte is the youth of man whiche gyueth hardynes to take theyr pleasure in worldly rychesse. The archer with his arowe is deth whiche layeth watche ayenst mā to sle hym. The clerke whiche toke vp the knyfe is a worldly man that we­neth euer to haue all thynge at his wyll. The deth smyeteth the carbuncle / that is to saye the youth strength and power of man / and than lyeth he wrapped in derkenesse of synne in the whiche derkenesse oftymes he dyeth. Therfore studye we to fle the worlde and his desyres y ^t and than be we sure to wynne euerlastynge lyfe / vnto the whiche Ihesu brynge you and me. Amen.

SOmtyme dwelled in Rome a myghty Empe­rour named Tytus a wyse man & dyscrete whiche ordeyned in his dayes suche a lawe y ^• what knyght dyed in his Empyre sholde be buryed in his armure / & who someuer presumed to spoyle ony knyghtes armure after he were dede he sholde dys w ^t ­out ony withstondynge or saynge. It befell after within fe­we yeres that a Cyte of y ^t Empyre was besyeged of them­perours enmyes wherfore that Cyte was in peryll of lesyn­ge / for none that wass within that cyte myght not defende them selfe by no maner of crafte / therfore grete sorowe and lamentacyon was vnyuersall thrught out the cyte. But at the last within fewe dayes there came to the Cyte a yonge knyght and a full fayre and doughty to doo dede of armes whome the worthy men of the cyte beholdynge and vnderstondynge his doughtynes cryed with one voyce. O thou moost noble knyght we beseche the yf it please thy worthy­nesse to helpe vs now atte our moost nede / lo ye may se this ryte is in peryll of lesynge. Than answered he and sayd / se ye not serys that I haue no armoure / and yf I had armour [Page] I wolde gladly defende your Cyte. This herȳge a myghty man of the cyte he sayd to hȳ in secrete wyse. Syr here was somtyme a doughty knyght whiche now is dede & buryed within this cyte accordynge vnto the lawe / and yf it please you to take his armoure ye myght defende this cyte and de­lyuer vs fro peryll and that shall be honoure vnto you and prouffyte vnto all the Empyre. Whan this yonge knyght had herde this he wente vnto y ^t graue & toke his armoure and arayed hym selfe therwith & faughte mygtely ayenst his ennemyes / and at the last he opteyned and had the vyc­torye and delyuered y ^e cyte frome peryll. And whan he had soo done he put the armoure agayne in to the graue. There were some men in the cyte that hav grete Indygnacyon & enuy vpon hym bycause that he opteyned the vyctorye and accused hym vnto the Iuge saynge thus. Syr a lawe was made by themperoure that who soo euer dyspoyled a deed knyght of his armoure sholde deye. This yonge knyghte founde a deed man and toke awaye his armoure therfore we beseche the that thou procede in the lawe ayenst hym as ayenst hym that is breker of the lawe. Whan y ^• Iustyce her­de this he made the knyght to be taken and to be brought a­fore hȳ. And whā he was examyned of this trespas ayenst the lawe he sayd thus. Syr it is wryten in the lawe that of two harmes the leest harme is to be chosen. It is not vn­knowen to you that this cyte was in peryll lyke to haue be loste / and but I had taken this armoure I had nouther saued you ne the cyte / therfore as me thynketh ye ought ra­ther to honoure me for this good dede that I haue done to you than thus shamefully to repreue me / for I am ladde as he that is redy to be hanged / and also good syrs an o­ther reason I may laye for myn excuse. He that stelethe or [Page] robbeth vyolently purposeth not to restore the thynge y ^t he robbed / but it is not thus with me / for though I toke the armoure of the deed knyghte for youre saluacyon / whan I had opteyned the vyctory I bare it agayne to the same pla­ce and so the deed knyght hath that is his by y ^e lawe. Than sayd the Iustyce a theef that breketh an house that he maye stele and bere awaye suche as he may fynde and though he brynge agayne that he hath taken. I aske of the yf that the brekynge of the house be lawfull or not. The knyght answe­red / somtyme the brekynge of an house may be good where as it is made in feble place whiche sholde cause the lorde of the house to make his wall stronger that theues after that breke not the walles so lyghtly in voydynge of more harme Than sayd the Iustyce yf the brekynge of y ^e house be good neuerthelesse in that brekynge vyolence is done to the lor­de of the house. And so thoughe thou dydest good with the armure of the deed knyght neuerthesse thou dydest wron­ge to the deed knyght in takynge awaye his armoure. The knyght sayd I haue tolde you now that of two harmes the leest is for to be chosen. And that harme where thrughe grete goodnesse cometh ought not for to be called harme / but it sholde be rather called good. For yf that ouy house with­in the Cyte were on fyre and began for too brenne it were more better too throwe it to the grounde and thre or foure houses therby than they sholde be sette on fyre also wherby all the Cyte myghte be brent. Ryght soo yf the armure of the deed knyghte hadde not be taken of the Cyte and all ye hadde ben loste. And whan the Iustyce harde that he answered so well and so resonably he myght gyue no Iuge­mente ayenst hym. But they whiche that had accused this knyght slewe hym for whose deth there was grete wepȳge [Page] thrugh all the cyte / & his body was worshypfully buryed in a newe tombe.

THere regned somtyme in y ^e cyte of Rome a my­ghty Emperour & a wyse named Betolve whi­che ordeyned a lawe that what woman were ta­ken in auoutry her husbonde beynge a lyue that she sholde be cast in to perpetuell pryson. There [Page] was that tyme a knyght whiche had a fayre lady to his wy­fe whiche dyde auoutry vnder her husbonde & was w ^t chylde therfore by the lawe she was put in pryson / where with­in shorte tyme after she was delyuered of a fayr sone. This chylde grewe vp tyl he was seuen yere olde / his moder day­ly wepte hertely. And whan the chylde herde this he sayd to his moder thus. O moder why wepe ye thus / & for what cause is your body thus turmented. Than sayd his moder. O thou my swete sone I haue grete cause to morne & thou also / for aboue oure hedes is the walkynge of people and the sonne shyneth in his clerenesse / & grete solace hath all men that are aboue vs / & we be here contynually in suche derkenes that I may not se the ne thou me / alas / alas / that euer I conceyued the. Than sayd the sone / suche Ioye ne suche lyght as thou spekest of sawe I neuer ne yet perceyued / for I was borne here in this derkenesse therfore yf I had mete and drynke ynough here wolde I lyue all the dayes of my lyfe. Therfore moder wepe ye not but shewe vnto me solace. The whyle the lamentacyon was bytwene the moder and the sone / themperours stywarde stode aboue theyr hedes & herde all theyr mournynge / wherfore he had grete conpas­syon of them and wente vnto the Emperour and knelynge be sought hym of his grace for the moder and the sone / that they myght be delyuered of pryson. The Emperoure as a mercyfull lorde graunted that they sholde be delyuered. Neuerthesse yf they tresspased soo in tyme to come they sholde be punysshed with double payne / & after that they were de­lyuered this woman ended herlyfe in that cyte.

IN Rome dwelled somtyme an em­peroure named Pomper whiche a­boue all other thynges was mercy­ful. This Emperour lete crye tho­roughe al his Empyre a grete feest and that poore & ryche sholde come to this feest. And who soo euer came to that feest sholde not onely be well fed but also he shol­de haue grete gyftes. Whan y ^e heraude had warned al maner of mē to come to this feest att the tyme there were two feble men lyen­ge by the waye and the one was lame and y ^• other was blynde. This blynde man sayd vnto the lame man. Alas and wo to me and the how shall we doo / for themperoure hath lete crye a feest and who soo e [...]er cometh therto shall not onely be well fedde but also he shall haue ryght grete gyftes / and I am blynde and thou [Page] arte lame how shall we do. What sayd the lame man to y ^e blynde man I shall tell the good counsell / yf thou wyll do after me thou shalte lette for no thynge. I am lame and fe­ble and may not goo neuerthelesse I may see / and thou art stronge and blynde and mayest not see / take thou me vpon thy backe and bere me and I shall lede the / the ryght waye and thus shall we bothe come to y ^e Emperours feest. Than sayd the blynde man after thy good counceyll I doo / come on my backe and I shall bere the and thou shalte lede me y ^e ryght waye / and soo they dyd that bothe of theym came to that feest and receyued grete rewarde and gyftes amonge other men / and thus endeth theyr lyues in pease.

SOmtyme in Rome dwel­led an Emperoure named Folliculus y ^• whiche was ryghte wyse mercyfull and ryghtfull in all his werkes this Empe­roure buylded in the eest a noble cyte whe rein he put al his tresoure and precyous stones / and ryches to be kept / vnto this cyte was the waye stony and full of brymbles & sharpe thornes / & thre knygh­tes were armed redy to fyght with theym that wolde come to that cyte. Therfore themperour ordeyned y ^t who soeuer ouercome these knyghtes sholde entre the cyte and take at his wyll of themperours tresoure. After y ^• this Emperoure lete make in y ^e northewest a cyte wherin he ordeyned all ma­ner of payne tormentynge sorowe and myscheef to y ^e whi­che was a brode waye full delectable growynge ful of roses and fayle lelyes / and in that waye were thre knyghtes euer waytynge yf ony man came towarde the cyte of the north to serue hym with all maner of delycates and thynges ne­cessare / and yf it fortuned ony man to entre within that cyte the custome was suche of that cyte that the people sholde take and bynde them honde and fote and caste hym in pryson there to abyde to y ^e comynge of the Iustyce. whan this was cryed thrughout all the Empyre / there were two knyghtes dwellynge in a cyte there besyde one hyght Ionatas and [Page] was a wyst man that other hyght Pyrryus and he was a fole / neuertheles there was bytwene them grete loue. This Ionatas sayd vnto Pyrryus / dere frende there is a comūe crye made thrugh all londes that themperour hath made a cyte in the eest wherin he hath putte all his tresoure / & who so euer may entre that cyte shall take of the tresoure what hym lyste therfore my counceyll is that we go to cyte / than sayd Pyrryus thy comforte is good and I desyre to fulfyll it. The wyse knyght sayd / yf it be so that thou wylte folowe my counseyll I praye y ^• that faythfull frendshyp may con­tynue bytwene vs / and in token of loue thou shalte drynke my blode / and I shal drynke thyne that none of vs departe ne fayle other in this Iourney. The folysshe knyght sayd / it pleaseth me ryght well all that ye saye / wherfore they were bothe leten blode & eueryche of theym dranke others blode whan this was done they wente togyder forth vpon theyr Iourney / and whan they had gone thre dayes Iourneys to­warde the cyte where the tresoure was / they came vnto a place where were two wayes / one was sharpe stony & full of thornes / that other waye was playne and fayre and full of swetenes and delytes. Than sayd y ^e wyse knyght to his felowe / dere frende here be .ii. wayes one sharpe & thorny / netheles yf we go this waye we shall come to this cyte that is ryche / & there shall we haue that we haue desyred. Than sayd this folysshe knyght to his felowe. I wonder gretely of you that ye speke suche thynges / for rather I wyl byleue myn eyen than your wordes. I se here openly and so doo ye that here is an harde waye and full of thornes / and as I haue harde saye there be thre champyons armed in this waye redy to fyghte agaynst all men that gone that waye towarde the cyte of the Eest / and therfore I tell you that I wyll not go that waye. But here is as ye maye se an other waye [Page] playne ynough and easy to walke / and in this waye there be thre knyghtes redy to serue vs and gyue vs all maner thynges necessarye to vs / and therfore by this waye I wyll go and not by that other way. Than sayd the wyse knyght certaynly yf we go by that waye we shall be led de in to the Cyte of the northe where in there is no mercy but perpetuel payne and sorowe / and there shall we be taken and boun­den & caste in to pryson. Certaynly sayd y ^• folysshe knyght this waye is the redy waye / and as I beleue it is more pro­fytable than that other waye / than wente they bothe forth the fayre waye / and anone thre knyghtes mette with them whiche receyued theym reuerently as for a nyght and ga­ue theym all maner of thynge that was necessarye to them and on the morow they toke theyr Iourney forth toward the cyte. And whan they were within the cyte anone y ^e Em­peroure offycers mette with them and sayd. Dere frendes why come ye hyder in soo moche that ye knowe the lawe of this Cyte soo cruell of longe tyme here before sothly ye shalbe serued nowe after the lawe. Anone they tooke the wyse knyght and bounde hym and putte hym in pryson / and af­ter that they toke folyssh knyght and bounde hym fast and caste hym in to a dycke. Soone after that it befell that the Iustyre came to the cyte to gyue Iugemente vpon theym that trespassed agaynst the lawe and anone all the pryso­ners were brought forth before the Iustyce amonge who­me these two knyghtes were brought forth / one frome pry­son / and y ^e other frome the dyke. Than sayd y ^• wyse knyght vnto the Iustyce / reuerent lorde I complayne of my felo­we that he is gylty of my dethe / for whan we two came to the two wayes wherof that one ledde to the cyte in the eest / and the other to this cyte I tolde hym all the peryll of this sayde cyte / and the rewarde of that other cyte / and he wol­de [Page] not byleue me / and sayd vnto me in this wyse. I beleue myne owne eyen better than thy wordes / and bycause he was my felowe I wolde not lete hym goo alone in this / waye. And thus came I with hym this waye. Wherfore he is cause my dethe. Than sayd the folysshe knyght I com­playne that he is the cause of my dethe. For it is not vnkno­wen too you all that I am a foole and he a wyse man and therfore he sholde not soo lyghtely haue folowed my foly. For yf he hadde forsaken this waye I wolde haue folowed hym / and therfore he is the cause of my dethe. Than sayd the Iustyce to the wyse knyght. Bycause that thou with all thy wysdome and grete vnderstandynge soo lyghtely consented and folowed the wyll of the foole and all his fo­lysshe werkes / and thou foole bycause that thou woldest not doo after the counseyll / ne fulfyll the holsome wordes of this dyscrete and wyse man and byleue hym. I gyue Iu­gemente that ye bothe be hanged for youre trespass / and soo it was done / wherfore all men praysed gretely the Ius­tyce for his dyscrete Iugemente.

THere dwelled somtyme in Rome a myghty Emperoure named Frederyk whiche had no chyl­derin saue a doughter to whome this Empe­rour after his dyscesse byquethed all his Empy­re This vnderstandynge an erle y ^t dwelt there be syde came vnto this yonge mayden and wowed her and styred her vnto synne all that he mught / wherfore this yon­ge lady in shorte processe enclyned to the erle / and this erle anone laye with her and defoyled her / and after that he put her frome her herytage and chased her oute of her Empyre wherfore she made grete lamentacyon and fledde vnto the realme there besyde where as she dayly wepte and mour­ned. It befelie after on a daye y ^t whyle she satte mournyn­ge [Page] by a syde waye there came by her a fayre knyght rydyn­ge yonge and ryght honest vpon a good horse whiche that came to warde her a swyfte pace and worshypfully saluted her and asked y ^t cause why that she so sore mourned. Than answered she and sayd. My reuerent lorde. I am an Em­perours doughter comen of royall kynne / my fader is deed whiche that lefte me all his Empyre by cause he had none other heyre / and after his dyscesse an erle there besyde dys­ceyued me and toke frome me my maydenhode / and after that he put me vyolently out of myn herytage so y ^e I now am fayne to begge my brede frome doore to doore / and this is the cause of my sorowe. Than sayd the knyght / fayre da­moysell I haue grete compassyon on thy fayrenesse and of thy gentylnesse / therfore yf y ^u wylt graunt to me one thyn­ge I shall fyght for the agaynst the erle and I behote vn­to the y ^e vyctory. Than sayd she. Alas alas I haue no thyn­ge that I may gyue vnto the but my selfe. And I aske no more of the sayd the knyght but y ^t thou woldest by my wyfe and loue no man so moche as me. Than sayd she. Reuerent syr that wyll I doo gladly & more yf I myght. Than sayd the knyght I wyll in certaynte that thou shalte doo for me one thynge / that yf it fortune me to dye in batayll for the & to opteyne the vyctory that thou shalt take my blody sher­te and hange it vpon a perche in thy chābre / and this shalte thou doo for two thynges. The fyrst is that whan someuer thou behold este the sherte thou shalte wepe for me. The se­conde is that what someuer man come for to wowe the to be his wyfe / than thou shalte hastely renne vnto thy cham­bre and beholde my blody sherte and thynke hertely within thy selfe thus. The lorde of this sherte dyed for my loue in batayll the whiche recouered myne herytage / god forbede that I sholde take oony other man after his dethe. Than [Page] sayd she. Reuerent syr all this I shall fulfylle by the grace of god. And whan the knyght herde this he gaue batayll a­gaynst the erle and opteyned the vyctory / and the erle was ouercome and fledde / and thys yonge lady was brought and receyued agayne in to her herytage: Neuerthesse this knyghte was deedly wounded in that batayll whereof he dyed / but or he dyed he byquethed his bloody sherte vnto this danioysell desyrynge her to kepe her promesse. Whan this yonge lady herde of his dethe she wepte sore and ma­de grete lamentacyon for his dethe. And in his sherte was wryten this verse. Thynke on hym and haue mynde / that to the was soo kynde. Anone whan she hadde receyued the sherte she hanged it vpon a perche in her chambre / and as oftentymes as she behelde it she wepte bytterly. It befelle not longe after that the states of her Empyre came to her and desyred and counseylleo her for to take an husbonde / But than she wente vnto her chambre & behelde the blody sherte / than waxed she sorowfull and sayd oftentymes alas alas thou suffred deth for my loue and thou also recouerest agayne myne herytage / god forbede that euer I sholde ta­ke ony other man but y ^e / and thus she answered euery man that came to her and soo they wente awaye vnspedde and she ended her lyfe in pease and reste.

SOmtyme dwelled in Rome a myghty Emperoure named Apolloninus whiche ordeyned for lawe y ^t euery man vpon payne of deth sholde worshyp the daye of his natyuyte. This Emperoure called vnto hym a clerke y ^t hyght Virgyll and sayd. My dere mayster there ben many heed synned done contrary to the lawe / therefore I praye y ^t that thou by thy connynge wolde make some crafte wher­by I myght knowe who trespassed ayenst the law pryuely or pertly. Than sayd Virgyll My reuernt lorde youre wyll shall be done. Anone this Virgyll thrugh his crafte made an ymage in y ^e myddes of the cyte of Rome whiche desceue­red and tolde themperours messangers who trespassed a­gaynst the lawe and who trespassed not. There was that tyme owellynge in y ^e cyte of Rome a smyth that hyght Focus [Page] whiche for no thynge wolde worshyppe the natyuyte of the Emperour. It befelle vpon a nyght whyle the smyth laye in his bedde / he thought vpon the ymage whiche had accu­sed soo many men before / and dredde lest the ymage wolde accuse hym / wherfore he arose and wente to the ymage and sayd. I make a vowe to god yf euer thou accuse me I shall breke thyne heed & whan he had thus sayd he wente home The Emperour on the morowe after folowynge sente his messengers vnto the ymage as he was wonte before to knowe and to vnderstande who had trespassed ayenst the lawe And to theym than sayd the ymage / lyfte vp your eyen and beholde what is wryten in my forhede. And thā they loked vp & sawe this poyse wryten. Tempore mutant̄ hoīes det­minant̄. Tymes ben chaunged / and men ben worse & wor­se. For who wyll saye the trouth shall haue his heed broken therfore go ye forth vnto your lorde and tell hym all that ye haue redde and seen. The messengers wente forth and tol­de the Emperoure all that they had herde & seen Than sayd the Emperour / arme your selfe and goo ye to the ymage / & yf that ye fynde ony man that hath bostyd / and loke yf ony man haue thretened the ymage / bynde hym hande and fote and brynge hym vnto me. Than wente the messenger for­the vnto the ymage and sayd vnto the ymage. Telle vs the trouth yf ony man hath thretened the and we shall auen­ge the anone. Than sayd the ymage. Take y ^e smyth Focus for he is that man that wyll not honoure the Natyuyte of the Emperour. Anone the messengers ledde forth that smy­the before themperoure / and anone examyned hym why he kepte not the daye of the Emperours natyuyte in reueren­ce and honour accordynge vnto the lawe. Than answered the smyth and sayd. Reuerent lorde I beseche you that ye wolde here myne excuse / and yf I answere not resonably [Page] to all maner of poyntes that ye wyll aske me I wyl put me onely in youre grate. Than sayd the Emperour. I shal he­re the and that / that is ryghtfull I shall doo. Than sayd y ^e smyth. It behoueth me to haue .viii. d. euery daye in the we­ke / and that I can not gete without grete laboure / & ther­fore I may in no maner wyse kepe that daye holy daye mo­te than other dayes. Than sayd the Emperoure / why be­houeth it the to haue this .viii. d. Than sayd the smyth / I am beholde to paye dayly .ii. d. and .iid. I lene and .ii. d. I le­se and .ii. d. I exspende. Than sayd the Emperoure / telle me more expressely of these .viii. d. Than sayd he I am boū ­de euery daye too paye .ii. d. to my fader / for whan I was yonge my fader spente on me .ii. d. dayly / and therfore I am beholde to helpe hym and to paye hym agayne his .ii. d. for his sustentacyon. Also .ii. d. I lese on my wyfe. Than sayd themperour / why lesest y ^u that .ii. d. on thy wyfe. Than sayd he where se ye euer woman but she had one of these poyn­tes outher she is wylfull or contrarye to her husbonde or of hote complexcyon and therfore that I gyue her I lese. Also ii. d. I lene to my sone wherwith he is susteyned that whan I come to age & pouerte that he may paye me agayne .ii. d. lyke as I doo to my fader Also I spende .ii. d. on my selfe in mete and drynke & that is lytell ynough. Than sayd them­peroure thou hast answered well and wysely. Not longe af­ter that it fell that themperoure dyed and this smyth Focꝰ was chosen to be Emperour bycause he spended this .viii. d. soo wysely and so proffytably / and thus he ended his lyfe in pease and in reste.

SOmtyme dwelled in Rome a myghty Empe­roure whyche amonge all other vertues loued best mercy / wherfore he ordeyned a lawe that e­uery blynde man sholde hane an hondred .s. by yere of his tresoure. It befelle vpon a daye that there came certayne men to a tauerne to drynke wyne / and after that these men had sytten in the tauerne thre dayes y ^• fourth daye they were gretely in the tauerners dette and had no money to paye for theyr wyne wherfore y ^e tauerner came to theym and charged them that they sholde not voy­de tyll they had payed for theyr wyne. Than sayd one of y ^• drynkers to his felowes syrs quod he themperour hath ma­de suche a lawe that euery blynde man shall haue an hon­dred .s. of his tresour therfore cast we lotte amonge vs / and to whome the lotte falleth late his eyen be put out & so may he go to themperours palays & gete the hondred .s. & thus [Page] this gretely reioysed and sayd that the counceyll was ryght good / wherfore they cast lottes amonge theym and the lot­te felle on hym that gaue the counceyll / & than his folowes forth with put out his eyen. And whan he was blynde he wente forth to themperours palays and axed of the stewarde an hondred .s. accordynge to the emperours lawe. Dere frendes sayd y ^e stewarde thou myghtest se with bothe thyne yesterdaye / and thou also vnderstandest y ^e lawe amys / for the lawe is made for men that are blynde thrugh infyrm y tees or by the wyll of god and yesterdaye thou haddest thy syght in the tauerne / but wylfully thou hast lost thyne eyer therfore go thou to the tauerne agayne to thy folowes and make thy pease and quyte thy selfe for here getest thou not a ferthynge. Than wente this wretched man forth & tolde his felowes of the stewarde answere / and with that came in the tauerner and dyspoyled theym of all theyr clothes and bete theym and thus droue them with shame out of the cy­te and soo were they there neuer seen after.

IN Rome dwelled somtyme a myghty Emperour named Pylomiꝰ whiche had no chylde but a dou­ghter a fayre mayden and a gracyous in the syght of euery man and was named Aglaes. There was also in themperours palays a gentyll knyght that loued this lady aboue all thynge in the worlde. It befelle after vpon a daye that this knyght taked with this lady & vttred in secrete wyse his desyre to her Than sayd she cur­toysly / syth ye haue vttred to me the preuytes of your her­te I shall in lyke wyse for youre loue vtter to you the secre­tes of my herte / and truly I saye that aboue all other I lo­ue you best Than sayd the knyght I purpose to vysyte the holy londe / & therfore gyue me your trouth y ^e this .vii. yere [Page] ye shall take none other man but onely for my loue that ye shall so longe abyde me / & yf I come nor agayn to this day. vii. yere take than what man that ye lyst best. And in lyke wyse I shall promyse you y ^t within this .vii. yere I shal ta­ke no wyfe. Than sayd she / this couenaunt pleaseth me wel whan this was sayd eueryche of them bytrouthed other / & than the knyght tooke his leue of this lady & wente forth to the holy londe. Anone after that themperour treated with the kynge of Hungry of maryage for his doughter. Than came y ^• kynge of Hungry to themperours palays to se that yonge domoysell / and whan he sawe her maruaylously he lyked her of her fayrnes and goodnes soo that the Empe­rour & the kynge were accorded in all thynges touchynge y ^• maryage vpon the condycyon that y ^e damoysell wolde con­sent. Than called themperour the yonge lady to hym and sayd. O my swete doughter. I haue prouyded for the that a kynge shall be thy husbonde yf y ^e lyst to thyn assent / ther­fore telle me what answere thou wylte gyue to this. Than sayd she to her fader it pleaseth me well / but of one thynge dere fader I you beseche yf it myght please you to graunte me for the loue of god. I haue auowed my chastyte only to god for this .vii. yere / therfore dere fader I beseche you for all the loue y ^e is bytwene your gracyous fader hode and me that ye name no man to be myn husbonde tyl this seuen yeare be ended / and than I shall be redy in all thynges to ful­fyll your wyll Than sayd themperoure. Syth it is so that y ^• wylte none husbonde haue this. vii. yere I wyll not breke thy vowe / but whan the. vii yere ben passed thou shalt haue y ^• kynge of Hungry vnto thyne hushonde. And than them­peroure sente forthe his letters vnto the kynge of Hungry praynge hym yf it myght please hym to abyde .vii. yere for loue of his doughter / and than sholde he spede of his en­tente [Page] without fayle. Herof the kynge was pleased and graū ted to abyde. And whā this .vii. yere were ended saue a day the yonge lady stode in her chamber wyndowe and wepte sore saynge thus. Alas alas to morowe my loue promysed to be with me agayne fro the holy londe / and also the kyn­ge of Hungry wyl be here to morowe for to wedde me accordynge to my faders promyse / and yf my loue come not atte a certayne houre than am I vtterly dysceyued of the inwarde loue of hym. Whan the daye came y ^• kynge arayed hym towarde the Emperour with a grete company to wedde his doughter and was ryally basene and arayed in purple And whyle y ^e kynge was rydynge vpon his waye there ca­me a knyght sodenly rydynge by hym / to whome the sayd thus. Dere frende whens art thou and whens cometh thou The knyght answered and sayd I am of thempyre of Ro­me and now am come late fro the holy londe and am redy to do you seruyce suche as I can. And as they rode talkyn­ge on the waye it began to rayne so fast that all the kynges araye was almoost loste. Than sayd the knyght / my lorde quod he ye haue done folysshyly for as moche y ^• ye broughte not with you your house. Than sayd the kynge / how spe­keth thou so myn house is large and brode and made of sto­nes and morter how sholde I than bere with me my house thou spekest to me lyke a fole. Whan this was sayd they ro­de ferther tyl they came to a grete water and a depe / y ^• kyn­ge smote his horse with his spors and lepte in to the water too that he was almoost drowned. Whan the knyght sawe this and was ouer on that other syde of the water without peryll / he sayd to the kynge / ye were in peryll and therfore ye dyde folysshely bycause y ^t ye brought not with you youre brydge. Than sayd the kynge / thou spekest meruaylously my brydge is made of lyme & stone & conteyneth in quanty [Page] te more than halfe a myle how sholde I than bere with me my brydge / therfore y ^u sepkest folysshly. Wel sayd y ^• knyght my folysshenesse may torne y ^e to wysdome. Whan y ^e kynge had ryden a lytell ferther he axed of the knyght what tyme of the daye it was. Than sayd the knyght / yf ony man ha­luste to ete it is tyme of the daye to eter and therfore my re­uerent lorde I praye you to take a soppe with me for that is no dysworshyp to yon but grete honoure to me before y ^e states of this Empyre. Than sayd the kynge I wyll gladly ete with the / they sate bothe doune in a vyne gardeyne and all that were with the kynge and with the knyght dyned. And whan the dyner was ended and the kynge had was­shen the knyght sayd to the kynge. My lorde quod he ye ha­ue done folysshely for that ye ledde not with you your fader and your moder. Than sayd the kynge what sayst thou my fader is deed and my moder is olde and may not trauayle how sholde I than brynge them with me / therfore to the I save the trouth a folyssher man than thou art sawe I neuer Than sayd the knyght euery werkes is praysed at the ende Whan the kynge had ryden a lytell ferther and was nyhan de themperours palays the knyght axed leue to goo frome hym for this cause he knewe a nerer waye to the palays to y ^• yonge lady that he myght come fyrste and lede her with hȳ Than sayd the kynge I praye the syr tell me by what place purposest thou to ryde. Than sayd y ^e knyght I shall tell you trouth / this daye .vii. yere I lefte a nette in a place / and now I purpose to vysyte it and drawe it to me / and yf it be bro­ken I wyll leue it / and yf it be hole than wyl I take it to me and kepe it as a precyous Iewel / & whan he had sayd what hym lyst he toke his leue of the kynge and rode forth / and the kynge kepte the kynges hye waye Whan themperoure herde of the kynges comynge he wente ayenst hym with a [Page] grete company and worshypfully receyued hym & lete doo of his wete clothes and arayed hym agayne with newe clo­thes And whan the Emperour and the kynge were sette to mete the Emperour dyde hym all the chere and solace that he coude. And whan they had dyned y ^t Emperour axed ty­dynges of y ^• kynge. My lorde sayd he I shall tell you what I herde this daye by the waye. There came a knyght to me & reuerently salued me / and anone after y ^t there came a gre­te rayne and confounded gretely my clothynge / and anone the knyght sayd / syr thou hast done folysshely for soo moche thou brought not with the thyne house. Than sayd thempe­rour what clothynge had that knyght on hym a cloke quod the kynge. Than sayd themperour / forsoth that was a wy­se man / for the house wherof he spake was a cloke and ther­fore he sayd to you that ye dyde folysshely by cause ye came without your cloke / for yf ye had brought with you a cloke than had your clothes ben defoyled with the rayne. Than sayd the kynge whan we had ryden a lytel ferther we came vnto a depe water. I smote my hors with the spors and al­moost I was drowned / and he rode on the other syde of the water and founde no peryll / and than sayd he to me / ye ha­ue done folysshly for soo moche that ye ledde not with you your brydge. Forsoth sayd the Emperour he sayd trouth / for he called the brydge youre squyres whiche sholde haue ryden before and assayed the depnesse of the water. Than sayd the kynge we rode ferther more and atte the laste he prayed me to dyne with hym / and whan we had dyned he sayd I dyde vnwesely for I ledde not with me my fader & my moder Sothly sayd themperour he was a wyse man & sayd trouth / for he called your fader and your moder brede and wyne and other vytayles. Than sayd y ^e kynge we ro­de ferthermore / and anone after he asked me leue to go frome [Page] / and I asked dylygently whether he wente. And he ans­wered agayne and sayd vnder this fourme. This daye .vii. yere sayd he lefte I a precyous nette in a preuy place / and nowe I wyll ryde and vysyte it / & yf it be broken or to tor­ne than wyl I leue it / and yf it be hole as I lefte it than shal it be to me ryght precyous & I shall bere it with me. Whan the Emperour herde this he cryed with a lowde voyce and sayd. O ye my knyghtes and my seruauntes goo ye lyght­ly vnto my doughters chamber for sothely that is the nette where of the knyght spake. And anone his knyghtes and his seruauntes wente vnto his doughters chamber & foun­de her not / the forsayd knyght had take her with hym. And thus the kynge was dysceyued of the damoysell & he wen­te home agayne to his owne countree confounded.

SOmtyme dwelled in Rome a myghty stronge & a bataylous Emperoure named Agias whiche had with hym a knyght whome men called Gerarde whiche was a doughty warryour neuerthe lesse he was as meke as a lambe in the Empe­rours [Page] hall / but in the felde he was lyke a lyon. This Empe­rour had a fayre doughter whome the stronge and myghty exle of palaster rauysshed dysfloured neuerthesse it dysple­sed more themperour the dyffoylnge of his doughter than the rauysshynge / wherfore he called vnto hym his counsel and sayd dere frendes it is not vnknowen to you the despy­te & vyolence done vnto me in deflourynge of my doughter and therfore Iaurpose to gyue barayle to the erle / wher­fore I praye you to be redy at a daye sette to procede with me to batayle. And they sayd lorde we redy to lyue and dye with you in batayle. Whan the daye of batayll came they mette on bothe sydes & a cruell harde betayle was gyuen on bothe sydes / & all that were of themperours partye we­re slayne. And as themperour sholde haue ben byheded the knyght Gerarde put hym selfe amonge this enemyes before themperour and fought manfully and so themperour esca­ped and the knyght abode and slewe the erle / neuertheles this knyght had dyuerse woundes. This not withstondyn­ge he abode & fought styll [...]tyll the blode ranne to his helys. And whā his enemyes sawe that the Erle was slayne they fledde / and the knyght with his people folowed on the cha­ce tyll he came to the place where themperours doughter was and ledde her with hȳ and thus with tryumphe & vyctory he retorned agayne to the emperour. For y ^e whiche vyctory and getynge agayn of themperours doughter he was gretely praysed of all people. Not longe after it befell that this knyght had to do in themperours courte wherfore the knyghte came vnto themperour and prayed hym mekely to be fauourable in his cause / and ferthermore he prayed hym to do that reason asked. Whan the emperour had her­de hym he called to hym a Iustyce and sayd goo thou and do Iustyce to this knyght and that / that y ^• lawe wyll. And [Page] whah the knyght herde this he cryed with a lowde voyce. Alas alas who herde euer suche a thynge of an Emperour / thou were sayd he in batayle where thyn heed sholde haue be smyten of / and I in myn owne persone and none other men put my selfe in Ieoperdy for the and saued the / & now thou hast assygned an other man to be Iuge in my cause / alas that euer thou were borne. And with that worde the knyght dyde of all his clothes & shewed the woundes that he had receyued in the batayle vnto all the men that wher there presente and sayd. Loo what I haue suffred for y ^e and I put none other man in my stede / and now thou assygnest an other man in my cause. Forsothe I saye to the that I ne­uer serued suche a lorde before. Whan themperoure herde this beynge almoost confounded in hym selfe sayd thus. O dere frende all that thou sayst is trouth / thou sauedest me frome deth / thou wonnest my doughter agayne and for my sake thou hast suffred many woundes. Forsothe it is ryght that I come doune and make an ende of thy cause suche as may be honour and Ioye to the. And than themperour la­boured besely in his mater and made therof an ende accor­dynge to the knyghtes entente / wherfore all men gretely commended the Emperour.

SOmtyme there dwelled in Rome a wytty Em­perour named Pompey whiche had a fayre doughter whome men called Aglaes. This dough­ter had many vertues aboue al other wymen of that Empyre. Fyrste she was fayre and gracy­ous in the syghte of euer man. She was also swyfte in ren­nynge y ^• no man myght ouertake her by grete space. Whan [Page] the Emperour vnderstode these two vertues in his dough­ter he was ryght Ioyfull / wherfore he made proclame tho­roughe all his Empyre that what man poore or ryche wol­de renne with his doughter sholde haue her to wyfe w ^t gre­te rychesse yf he myght ouer renne her and come rather to the marke thā she / and yf she ouer renne hym and come ra­ther to y ^e marke than he his heed sholde be smyten of. Whā the states of y ^e Empyre bothe dukes erles barones & knygh­tes herde this crpe they offred them selfe one after an other to renne with her / but euer this yōge lady ouer raune them all / wherfore they loste theyr hedes accordynge to the lawe. That tyme there was a poore man dwellȳge in Rome whi­che thoughte within hym selfe I am a poore man and come of poore kynrede there is made a comen crye y ^e what man so euer myght ouer renne the Emperours doughter by ony wyse sholde be promoted vnto grete honour and rychesse / therfore yf I myght ouercome her by ony maner waye I sholde not oonly be promoted to honoure but al my kynne. This poore man prouyded hym selfe for thre Iewels wher­by that he myght wynne her. Fyrste he made a garlande of reed roles and of whyte. The seconde he made a fayre gyr­dell of sylke craftely wrought. The thyrde he made a purse of sylke sette full of precyous stones / and within the purse was a balle of thre colours / and vpon this purse was wry­ten this poyse / who playeth with me shall neuer be wery of my playe. Than put he these thre thynges in his bosome & wente forth to the palays gate cryenge / and saynge / come forth fayre lady come forth for I am redy to renne with the and fulfyll the lawe in all thynges. Whan the Emperoure herde this and his voyce he commaunded his doughter to renne with hym. This yonge lady wente in to her chamber wyndowe / and whan she sawe hym she dyspysed hym and [Page] sayd. I haue ouercomen sayd she many worthy knyghtes and now must Irenne with a churle / neuerthelesse I shall fufyll my faders commaundement. Anone the damoysell arayed her for to renne with hym. And at y ^e last they ranne togyder / and within shorte space the damoysel wente ferre afore hym. Whan this Iougeler sawe this he threwe forth the garlande of floures before her And whan the myaden behelde and sawe that she stouped doune and toke it vp & sette it vpon her heed and that whyle the Iougeler wente a­fore her. And whā this yonge damoysell sawe this she wep­tesore and for sorowe she threwe the garlande in a dytche and ranne after hym dylygentely and at the laste ouertoke hym and lyfte vp her ryght hande and gaue hym a buffet saynge to hȳ thus abyde thou wretche it besemeth not thy faders sone for to haue me to thy wyfe / and this yonge lady wente before hym a grete space. And whan he Iougelour sawe this he toke out the gyrdeil of his besome and threwe it before her. And whan that she sawe y ^e lyghtely she stou­ped doune and tooke it vp and anone gyrte her therwith / & than the Iougeloure wente agayne before her. And than whan she sawe that she made grete lamentacyon and toke the gyrdell with her teeth and all to tare it in to thre peces and than threwe it frome her / and than she ranne fast after, hym and atte the laste she ouertoke hym / and than she toke vp her hande and gaue hym a grete blowe saynge vnto hȳ these wordes. O wretche sayd she wenest thou for to ouer­come me / and with that she ranne before hym a grete spa­ce but than y ^e Iougelour went agayne afore her. And whā she sawe that she made grete lament acyon. The Iougelour was sly and subtyll and abode tyll that she was almost atte the marke and than he threwe for the before her a purse And whan she sawe this purse anone she stouped doune & [Page] tooke it vp / and anone she opened it and founde the balle and redde the poyse who soo playeth with me of my playe he shall not be fulfylled. And than began she to playe / and so longe she contynued in playnge tyll that the Iougeloure was afore her at the marke / and thus he wanne the Empe­rours doughter.

SOmtyme in rome dwelled a myghty emperour and a wyse named Theodose whiche aboue all thynge loued best melody of harpe and huntyn­ge. It befelle after vpon vpon a daye whyle this Emperour hunted in a forest he herde so swete a melody of harpes that thrughe the swetnes therof he was almoost rauysshed frome hym selfe / wherfore he sought a­bout [Page] the forest to fynde that melodye / and at the laste he as­pyed in the ende of the forest a poore man syttynge besyde a water playnge on an harpe so swetely that themperour be­fore that daye herde neuer so swete a melodye. Than sayd y ^e Emperour good frende cometh this melodye of thyn harpe or none The poore man answered and sayd / my reuerent lorde I shall tell you the trouth. Besyde this water my wy­fe and my chylde and I haue dwelled. xxx. yere & god hath gyuen me suche grace that whan so euer I touche myn har­pe I make soo swete melodye that the fysshe of this water cometh out to my hande and so I take them wherewith my wyfe my chylde and I ben fedde dayly in grete plente. But alas and welawaye on the other syde of this water there cometh a whysteler and whysteleth soo swetelye that in ma­ny dayes my fysshe forsaketh me and gooth to his whyste­lynge / and therfore my reuerent lorde I beseche you of hel­pe agaynst his hyssynge and whystelynge. Than sayd them­perour / I shall gyue good helpe and counsell. I haue here in my purse a golden hoke whiche I shall gyue the / take thou it and bynde it faste atte the ende of a rodde and with that smyte thy harpe / and whan thou seest the fysshe styre drawe them vp to the londe with that hoke and than his whyste­lynge ne hyssynge shall not auayll. Whan y ^e poore man her­de this he reioysed hym gretely and dyde all thynge lyke as the Emperour had taught hym / and whan this poore man began to touche his harpe the fysshe meued / and than he to­ke theym vp with his hoke and lyued therby longe tyme / & at the last ended gracyously his lyfe.

THere dwelled in Rome a myghty Emperour and a wyse man the whiche was named Polemꝰ whiche had no chylde saue a doughter whome he loued soo moche y ^e dayly and nyghtlye he ordeyned her for to be kepte with ar­med [Page] knyghtes. And aboue these knyghtes he ordeyned a mayster well taughte in euery connynge for to teche theym and for to enfourme them how they sholde do. He ordeyned also a stywarde for to gyde his husholde. And whan all this was done as he laye in his bedde on a nyght he bethoughte hȳ so that he wolde visyte the holy londe. And then whan all thynge was redy for his Iourneye accordynge vnto his purpose / he called vnto hym his stewarde / and sayd. Dere frende I purpose to se the holy londe & therfore I leue my doughter in thy kepynge and also I charge the that she fayle ne thynge / but y ^e she haue all maner of Ioye and gladnes that perteyneth to a vyrgyn. Secondly I leue in thy kepȳ ge fyue knyghtes that ben her kepars y ^e they lacke no thyn­ge that to them behoueth. Also I leue with the my grehoū ­de that thou nourysshe and fede hym as it perteyneth for hym to be fedde / & yf thou fulfyll all this that I haue sayd thou shalt at my comynge agayne receyue grete rewarde. Than sayd the stywarde / my lorde quod he all that I may I shall fulfyl your wyll. Whan this was sayd y ^e Emperour toke forth his Iourneye to warde the holy londe / and the stywarde a longe tyme kepte well and truely themperours ordynaunce / but at the laste it befell vpon a daye that this stywarde had aspyed this yonge lady walkynge alone in an orcheyarde with whose loue he was sodeynly taken / wher­fore anone maugre her wyl he de floured her. And whan he had synned with her he sayd and hated her more after that than euer he loued her before and droue her out of y ^e palays wherfore this damoysell for grete pouerte and defaute wente fro dore to dore & begged her brede. But whan y ^e knyght­tes y ^• were her kepers herde of this they repreued shameful­ly y ^• stewarde of y ^e synful dede. Thā y ^e stewarde waxed wro­the and for grete hate y ^• he hadde in his herte he dyspoyled [Page] the knyghtes of all theyr goodes and droue them frome the palays / and whan they were thus robbed & exyled some for defaute of godes be came theues and some manquellers / & that thrugh this Incōuenyent they wrought grete harme Soone after this there came 'tydynges y ^e themperour was aryued in ferre londes comynge homewarde. And whan y ^e stewarde herde this he was gretely troubled and meued in hym selfe / and thus thynkynge in hym selfe he sayd thus. This may not be but nedes I shal be acused for my trespas that I haue done ayenst themperours commaundement. He is my lorde & mercyable / therfore better it were y ^e I goo and mete mete with hym with all honoure / and humylyte and accuse my selfe to hym and aske hym mercy than ony o­ther sholde go before to accuse me to my lorde of my treasō. Than this stewarde anone dyde of all his clothes saue his breche and his sherte and toke thre ropes with hym in his ryght honde and bare fote wente and mette the Emperour But whan the Emperour had aspyed hym comynge a ferre in suche a wyse he wondred gretely. And whan the stewar­de was come so nere that he myght speke to themperour he felle doune on his knees and saluted hym reuerently. Than sayd the Emperour / what is to the befallen y ^• thou metest me in suche araye for as moche as thou art my stewarde y ^• sholdest haue meete me with a grete company of knyghtes A my lorde quod he there is befall me an heuy case for the whiche it behoueth me thus to mete your hyghnesse. Than sayd the Emperour what case is that / that y ^e is befalle. My reuerent lorde quod he it behoueth fyrst your hyghnesse to aske of me why I brynge with me these thre ropes. Than sayd the Emperour why berest thou these thre ropes in thy honde in suche a wyse. Than answered this wofull stewar­de & sayd. This fyrst corde I brynge with me to bynde my [Page] hondes and feet so harde tyll the blode brest out on euery sy­de for that I haue well deserued. The seconde rope I bryn­ge with me to drawe me by hors tayle vpon the pauement tyll that my bones be bare without flesshe / for that shall profyte me for the grete treason that I haue done agaynst you. The thyrde rope that I haue brought is to hange me with vpon an hyghe galous so longe that the byrdes lyght on my heed and on my body and fede them [...]elfe of my fles­she / and these thynges ben due to suche trepassers and bre­kers of the lawe as Iam / and therfore my reuerent lorde haue mercy on me / for I dare not knowlege my trespasse tyll I be certayne of thy mercy and pyte. Than sayd them­perour I see in the grete mekenesse and contrycion therfore tell forth thy trespasse and sothly thou shalt fynde mercy & grace. Alas alas than sayd he I haue defouled thy dough­ter and put her out of thy palays / and now for grete defaute she beggeth her brede frome dore to dore. I haue also dyspoyled thy knyghtes of all theyr goodes / and now some of them for defaute of godes ben theues & some manquellers And the mayster of the knyghtes I haue slayne. But I ha­ue fedde thy grehounde with the beste as longe as I myght and tyed hym with a chayne / but at the laste he brake his chayne and wente his waye / so that now he renneth about in the countre. Whan the Emperour herde this he waxed sore astonyed and sayd. Hast thou thus defouled my dough­ter whome I loued so well / and also exyled my knyghtes and slayne theyr mayster / and the grehounde whiche I lo­ued best of whome I gaue the charge is gone also / so thely were it not that I hadde forgyuen it the and that thou me­kest thy selfe soo gretely I sholde putte the vnto the moost bylonest dethe that be coude be thought. Therfore go thou anone and brynge agayne my doughter than thou mayst [Page] wedde her / and yf that ony harme here after befalle to her in thy defaute than shall I double thy payne. Also brynge thou a gayne my knyghtes and restore vnto theym theyr goodes and sette theym into theyr state and offyce y ^e they were in before. And seche me also my grehounde dylygent­ly tyll thou fynde hym / and than bynde hym fast soo that in you here after may be foūde no defaute. And whan that y ^• stewarde herde this he bowed doune his heed and than­ked the Emperour of his grete mercy. And than he wente forth and sought thorughe out all the Empyre so longe tyll he had founden themperours doughter / and the knyghtes and also the grehounde and brought theym agayne. And after that wedded the yonge lady with grete honoure and Ioye / and also restored agayne the knyghtes goodes / and atte the laste he ended his lyfe in pease and in reste. Amen.

IN Rome dwelled somtyme a myghty Emperour and a wyse named Edfenne / the whiche ordeyned for lawe y ^e who someeuer rauysshed a mayde sholde be at her wyll / whether she wolde put hym to deth or that she wolde haue hym to her husbande. It befelle after on a daye that a man rauysshed vpon a nyght two maydens / the fyrst damoysell desyred that she sholde dye / & the seconde desyred weddynge. The rauyssher was taken and ledde before the Inge that sholde satysfye to the these damoysels thrughe his wysdome and ryghtfulnesse. The fyrst mayde euer desyred the dethe accordynge to the lawe. And than sayd the seconde and I desyred hym for to be my husbande / for lyke wyse as thou haste the lawe for the / in lyke wyse I haue it for me. And neuerthelesse my [Page] petycion is more and better than yours for it is more chary table / therfore me thynketh in my reason that the Iustyce sholde gyue sentence with me. Than y ^e Iustyce vnderstan­dynge the grete mercy of the seconde mayden gaue Iuge­ment that he sholde wedde her and soo it was done.

SOmtyme dwelled in Rome a myghty Empe­rour and a ryche named Lypodyus whiche to­ke to his wyfe a fayre virgyn and a gentyll and was y ^e kynge of Assyryens doughter. This yon­ge lady conceyued and bare a chylde / and in the byrth of her sone she dyed And anone after her dyscesse this Emperour wedded an other wyfe & begate her with chyl­de also. And anone after y ^e these chylderne were borne he sente them bothe in to straunge londe for to be nourysshed. Than sayd the moder of the seconde chylde. My reuerente lorde. x. yere ben passed sythen I bare my chylde & yet sawe I hym neuer but ones and that was the fyrste daye of his [Page] byrth / therfore I beseche the my lorde to sende for hym that I may ones reioyse me of his syght. Than sayd the Empe­perour. I haue quod he an other chylde by my fyrste wyfe and yf I sende for thy sone than I must sende for bothe / & than anone he sente for theym. And whan they were comen they were passynge fayre / and well nourysshed well taught and passynge lyke / in all maner thynges that vnthes one myght be knowen frome that other but yf it were onely of the fader. Than sayd the moder of the seconde chylde. A my lorde telle me whiche of these is my sone / and he called hym her sone that he begate on his fyrst wyfe. Whan thempres­se herde this she gaue all her cure to nourysshe and to teche hym & despysed y ^• other. Whan the emperour sawe this he sayd to his wyfe / so thely I haue dysceyued the for bym that thou louest so moche and nourysshest is not thy sone but y ^e other is thy sone. Than setre she all her cure vpon the secon­de and forsoke the fyrste. Whan themperour sawe this he sayd / truly I haue dysceyued the yet without doubte this is not thy sone / but one of theym. [...]. is thy sone. Than sayd the moder. A my lorde for his loue y ^• dyde on y ^e rode tell me without cauelacyon whiche of them is my so [...]e. The Emperour answered and sayd certaynly I wyll not tell you tyll they be come vnto manhode for this reason. Fyrste I tolde you that this was thy sone / & hym thou nourysshedest as thy sone & forsokest that other / and whan I tolde you that this was thy sone than thou despysedest the fyrst and che­rysshedest the seconde therfore I wyll that thou shalte che­rysshe and nourysshe them bothe tyl they come to that thou mayst haue. Ioye of them. Whan thempresse herde this she nourysshed them bothe in lyke wyse. And whan they were bothe come to age themperour made a grete souper / and be­fore his gestys he tolde his wyfe openly whiche of theym [Page] was her chylde. Than reioysed she gretely / and with her sone she ended her lyfe in pease and rest.

SOmtyme dwelled in Rome a myghty Empe­rour named Pelennus whiche had thre sones whome he loued moche. It befelle vpon a daye whan this Emperour laye vpon his bedde / he bethought hym to whiche of his sones he myght gyue his realme after he dyscesse. Than called he to hym his thre sones & sayd / whiche of you thre y ^e is slowest shall haue my realme after my dyscesse. The fyrst sone answered and sayd / thy realme by reason shal be myn / for I am so slowe y ^e yf my fote were in the fyre I had leuer y ^• it sholde be brente than take it out. Than sayd y ^e seconde I am quod he more apte to the kynge than thou / for though there were a rope aboue my necke wherwith I sholde be hanged / and yf I had a sharpe swerde in myn honde for grete slowth that I haue I wolde not put forth myn hand to cutte the rope in sauynge of my lyfe. And whan these two brethern hadde [Page] sayd the thyrde sayd for hȳ thus I ought to be kynge quod he before you bothe for I passe you in slowth and that wyll I preue thus I lye vpryght in my bedde & there droppeth water vpon bothe myn eyen / and for the grete slowth that I haue I meue not my heed neyther vnto the ryght syde of the bedde neyther to the wronge syde for sauynge of my selfe whan the Emperour herde this than he byquethed the realme vnto the yongest sone as to the slowest of the bre­thern.

THere dwelled somtyme in Rome a myghty Em­perour named Alexander / the whiche besyeged a Cyte of y ^e kynges of Egypt with a grete hoost Neuertheles this Emperour lost many myghty knyghts without any hurte of stroke And thus [Page] frome daye to daye his people dyed sodeynely / wherfore this Alexander wondred gretely and was full sorowfull therof in his mynde / and anone lete calle afore hym y ^e wy­sest phylosophres that myght be founde and prayed theym for to tell hym why his people dyed thus sodeynly without wounde. The phylosophres answered and sayd. My lorde it is not wonder / for vpon the walles of that castell within the [...]te there is a Cockatryce thrughe whose syght youre men dyeth / for they ben Infected with the venym y ^t cometh of his eyen & anone they dye. Than this Alexander asked yf there were ony remedy agaynst y ^e Cockatryce. The ppy­losophres answered and sayd. My lorde there is a good re­medy whiche is this / late sette vp a large myrrour of clere glasse before agaynst the Cockatryce bytwene your hoost & the walle of the cyte / and whan the Cockatryce beholdeth hym selfe in the myrour the deedly natyuyte of her venym­ous syght shall rebounde agayne to her selfe and thus she shall dye / & your men shall be saued. The Emperour wrou­ght by the counceyll of the phylosophres and lete sette vp a­none a large myrour of glasse / and thus was the Cockatry­ce slayne / and the Emperour with his hoost made an assau­vnto the Cyte and opteyned the vyctory.

A Myghty Emperoure somtyme dwel led in Romenamed Archelaus / the whiche in his olde a­ge wedded a yonge and a gentyll lady who me a yonge knyght loued and had to do with her as ofte tymes as hym lysted. It befell vpon a nyght that this Emperour be thought hym in his bedde to vysyte the holy londe / wherfore without more delay he or­deyned all thynge necessary to his Iourney and toke his le­ue of thempresse and of the states of his Empyre and wen­te towarde y ^e holy londe on his Iourney. Whan thempresse herde this she toke y ^e mayster of the shyp & sayd yf y ^• wylte cōsente to me & be true aske on me what thou wylte desyre and thou shalte haue it. The mayster of the shyp was smy­ten anone with couetyse and sayd. O my fayre lady what soo euer that thou wylte commaunde me I shall without fayle fulfylle it soo that ye wyll rewarde me for my labour. Than sayd thempresse or thou doo ought for me I shall gyue the what thynge the lyst to haue so that thou wylte swe­re [Page] to be true to me and kepe my counceyll. The mayster of y ^e shyp anone made his othe to be to true to her. Than sayd the Empresse / my lorde gooth with you in your shyp ther­fore whan he is in the myddes of the see caste hym out y ^e he may be drowned and ye shall opteyne your rewarde with­out ony withsaynge. Than the mayster of the shyp swore a grete othe and sayd / by almyghty god after he cometh ones within my shyp ye shall neuerse hym after. Than the lady payed hym as moche golde as he wolde haue and forth he wente to his shyp. And within shorte tyme after the Em­perour toke his shyp / and whan he was in the myddes of y ^e see the mayster of the shyp toke the Emperour and threwe hym ouer the borde in to these / than the mayster retorned agayne & tolde the Empresse y ^e the Emperour was casten in to the see of whose tydynges she was very gladde. This Emperour y ^e was thus cast in to the see had lerned in youth to swymme / and swamme forth tyll that he sawe an ylon­de in the see / but euer in his swȳmynge whan he was fayn­te and lyke for the haue ben drowned he prayed god to be his helpe and wepte sore tyll at the last he came into this lytell ylonde wherin was no thȳge but lyons and lyopardes and other dyuerse bestes whiche y ^e swamme frome other londes thyder. Whan this Emperour had taken londe in that yle he aspyed a yonge lyon fyghtynge with an olde lyoparde & the lyon was almoost ouercomen. The Emperour had gre­te compassyon of the lyon and drewe out his swerde and slewe the lyoparde. The lyon euer frome that tyme for the folowed the Emperoure and wolde not leue hym for noo thynge / but euery daye the praye that this lyon tooke he broughte and layde it before the Emperoure / and anone the Emperoure smote fyre on the flynte stone and boyled [Page] the body in the skynne and thus was he fedde longe tyme / tyll at the last as he walked to the see stronde he sawe a shyp come saylynge by / and anone with an hyghe voyce he cryed And whan the shypmen herde this voyce they wondred what it myght be / wherfore they sayled towarde hym / and whan they came to hym he sayd / good frendes take me w ^e you and I shall paye you a good frayght. And anone they toke hym in theyr shyp / and the lyon folowed hymswym­mynge in the see after the shyp. And whan the lyon was in poynt to be drowned the shypmen had grete pyte on hym and toke hym within the shypborde. And whan the Empe­rour came vnto the londe he payed his frayght. And whan he had payed theym he went forth tyll he came nere his owne palays where he herde taboures harpes / trompettes and claryons and all maner of mynstralsye / and as he her­kened what it myght be / there came fro the palays a squy­re towarde hym that was of his knowlege / but the squyre knewe not hym to whome the Emperour sayd thus / good frende I praye the tell me what melodye is this that I he­re. The squyre answered & sayd thempresse is weded this daye and there ben all states of this Empyre atte her feest and therfore they make suche melodye to make her gestes mery. Than sayd themperour to y ^e squyre / where is her husbonde that was Emperour before. The squyre sayd that he was gone to the holy londe and he was drowned by y ^e way in the see. Than sayd y ^e Emperour I praye the syr what thou woldest doo myn erande to thempresse and to that lorde y ^• wolde be her husbonde that I maye come in to the palays and playe afore theym with my lyon. The squyre graunted to doo his erande and wente in and tolde the lorde and lady There was standynge at the gate a goodly olde man that desyred to come in and playe with his lyon afore the lorde [Page] And than sayde the newe wedded lorde brynge hym in & yf he be worthy percas he myght gete his mete for his playe whan the Emperour with his lyon was brought in y ^e lyon anone without ony comforte or settynge on ranne vpon the yonge knyght that was but newely wedded and slewe hȳ and whan he had soo done he ranne vpon the the impresse & deuoured her to the harde dones before all the lordes of the Empyre. And whan the states sawe that they were gretely agast and began to flee / but the Emperour with his fayre speche comforted them and sayd: Loo this is the vengeaunce of god / for this is my wyfe that hathe vsed auoutrye lon­ge tyme with this knyghte that lyeth here deed / and she I magyned my dethe with the mayster of shyppe / and here up on the mayster threwe me in to the see / but god saued me frome that dethe and bycause I helped ones the lyon atte a nede he forsoke me neuer syns / and now as ye see all whā I came in to my palays withoute ony comforte of me he ha­the slayne bothe the auoutrers. And therefore vnderstonde ye for trouthe that I am youre lorde y ^e Emperour. Anone whan they herde this they lyfte vp theyr eyen / and behelde hym / and atte the laste they knewe hym for theyr lorde / wherfore they were gretely gladded / and praysed god for that myracle whiche had saued theyr lorde and Emperour And the lyued in reste and pease.

IN Rome dwelled somtyme a myghty Emperour named Gorgony whiche had wedded a gentyll da­moysell and a fayre to his wyfe / this yonge lady within due processe conceyued and bare hym a so­ne a fayre chylde and an amyable. Whan this yonge [Page] chylde was. x. yere olde / his moder the Emppresse dyed. And after the Emperour wedded an other wyfe. This se­conde wyfe loued in no wyse the Emperours sone / but dy­de hym all the shame and repreef that she myght. Whan y ^e Emperour had perceyued this wyllynge for to please his wyfe exyled his sone out sone out of his Empyre. And whā this chylde was exyled / he wente and lerned physyke / soo that within a shorte tyme he was a subtyll and a connynge physycyen. It befell sone after that the Emperour his fa­der sykened and was almoost deed wherfore whan he her­de that his sone was suche a physycyen he sente for hym by letters praynge hym that he wolde come to hym withoute delaye. And than the sone wyllynge to obey and to fulfyll his faders commaundement in all thynge and soo in all hast came to hym. And whan he had seen his fader and gro­ped his pouces and his vaynes / all maner of sykenesse that he had was soone helyd with his medycynes frome all ma­ner of daungers. Soone after that the Empresse his step­moder began to waxe syke. And many physycyens sayd y ^e she wolde deye and whan themperour herde this he prayed his sone for to helpe her of her sykenesse. Than sayd his so­ne / certaynly fader I wyll not laye hande on her. Than y ^e Emperour at this began to waxe wrothe and sayd / yf thou wylte not obeye my commaundement thou shalte voyde my felaushyppe. His sone answered and sayd / yf ye do soo dere fader ye doo vnryghtfully for well ye knowe y ^e ye exy­led me out of your Empyre thrughe her suggestyon / & myn absence was cause of your sorowe & sekenesse. And in lyke my presence is cause her sekenesse / and therfore I wyll not medell with her / and also I wyll vse nomore medycynes. for oftentymes physycyens ben desceyued / and therfore I bare not laye hande on her leste men wolde saye that yf [Page] it fortuned her to dye that I were cause therof. Than sayd the Emperour she hath quod he y ^e same sekenes that I had His sone answered and sayd / thoughe she haue the same se­kenes neuer thelesse ye be not of one complexyon. For what so euer I dyde to you ye helde you contente. And whan ye sawe me come with in the palays ye reioysed of my comyn­ge and gretely were eased for to see hym that ye begate. But whā my stepmoder sawe me she swelled for anger & waxed euyll at ease / and therfore yf I sholde speke to her her soro­we wolde encrease / and yf I touche her she wolde be frome her self. And also a physycyen prouffyteth nought but whe­re as the seke man delyteth in hym: And whan the chylde had sayd he escaped and went his waye.

IN Rome dwelled somtyme a myghty Emperour named Folemꝰ whiche had wedded the kynges doughter of duchelonde a fayre lady and gentyll whiche within shorte tyme was conceyued & bare a sone. Whan this chylde was borne the states of the Empyre came vnto the Emperour & eueryche of them syngulerly besought the Emperour to nourysshe his sone. The Emperour answered & sayd / to morowe shall be a tor­neye & there shall ye all be / & whiche of you doth best & op­teyneth [Page] the vyctory shall haue kepynge of my sone / and yf he nourysshe hym wel I shall promote hym to grete dygny­te and honours. And yf he do the contrary he shall dye the foulest dethe y ^• can be thought. Thansayd they. Ryght re­uerent lorde all this pleaseth vs well. On the morowe whā euery man was come to the torney. The states Iusted and scarmusshed full manfully longe tyme tyll at the last there came a doughty knyght named Iosyas y ^e so manfully bare hym selfe amonge them all that he wanne the vyctory. And anone whan all was done / this Iosyas toke y ^e chylde and led hym forth with hy ^• / & bycause this Emperours sone shol de be receyued in his countree he sente before to his castell & cōmaunded his offycers y ^e it sholde be dyght bo the without and within / & that the chyldes bedde sholde be made in the myddes of the castell / and also the seuen s [...]yences sholde be paynted aboue the chyldes bedde y ^e whan the chylde wake­ned out of his slepe he myght lye in his bedde & rede his les­son. This knyght had a fructefull & an holsome well by the chyldes beddes syde wherin he vsed to bathe hym selfe ther­in / & y ^e knyghtes wyfe bare the keye of this well [...] there was a wyndowe y ^• y ^e sonne myght come in & shyne. It fortuned vpon a daye y ^e the lady y ^e kepte the keye lefte the wyndowe open thrughe neclygence. And whan y ^e lady had done there came a bere & sawe the wyndowe open & wente vnto y ^e wel and vathed hym therin / of whose bathynge the well sauou­red after for grete hete y ^e was y ^e tyme / wherfore whose so e­uer dronke therof waxed lepre within shorte tyme. And soo it fortuned within a lytell space after y ^e the lorde & the lady and also theyr housholde were lepers & not withstōd ȳge it app [...]ered not sodeynly. And in the meane tyme there came a [...] Egle in at the wyndowe there as the Emperours sonclaye & bare the chylde awaye oute of his cradell. And [Page] whan the knyght perceyued this he wepte bytterly & sayd. Alas alas & wo to me wretched creature y ^e euer I was bor­ne what shall I do for now I am the sone of deth / for I am a foule leper & so is my wyfe & also all myn housholde. And the whyle he was thus mournynge there came vnto hym a physycyen & sayd to hym in this maner. Syr yf ye well do after my counceyll it shall not repente you. Fyrste it beho­ueth you & your wyfe & all your housholde also for to be la­ten blode / & after that to be hathed & wasshen clene / & than shall I laye to my medecyne. And whan y ^• art hole thā shall you & your wyfe & also all your housholde walke vnto the mountaynes and hylles and seke the Emperours sone for the Egle hath leten hym falle in to some place. The knyght wrought all thynge by y ^e counceyll of this physycyen / and anone after he was leten blode and had receyued the mede­cyne / and than he was hole and his wyfe & also all his hous­sholde wherfore he lepte on his horse & toke with hym thre squyers and robe forth and sought and chylde. And at y ^e last he founde hym hole and sounde lyenge in a baleye and thā he was gretely reioysed. And for the grete Ioye and glad­nesse that was in hym for fyndynge of his lorde the Empe­roures sone he made a grete feest / & after the feest soo done he ledde the chylde home to the Emperour. And whan the Emperour sawe his sone in good helthe he was ryght gla­de / wherfore he promotd hȳ to grete worshyppe whiche lyued after that longe tyme in grete honoure and worshyp and atte the laste he ended his lyfe in pease and in reste.

SOmtyme dwelled in Rome a myghty Empe­rour whiche was named Fulgenctꝰ whiche go­uerned his people nobly / and loued them so mo­che y ^e he made to proclame thrughe out all nacy­ons y ^e who someuer wolde come to hȳryche or poore atte a certayne day sholde haue theyr petycyon what someuer it were. Whan the myghty men herde this they we re gladde and came at a day assygned and put forth theyr pertycyons euery man syngulerly to y ^e Emperour / & anone theyr pertycyons was graunte & fulfylled. In so moche that almoost all the Empyre was departed amonge them. And than euery man was Ioyfull & wente home agayne & toke seasyen in suche londes and castelles as that the Emperour had gyuen them. Anone after the poore men and symple gadred theym to gyder & thus they sayd. A commune ctye was made y ^e all men bothe poore & ryche no persone excepte sholde come vnto the Emperours palays & there they shol­haue what someuer they asked. And y ^e ryche men haue ben there but late & opteyned theyr petycyons. Therfore go we nowe & wyte yf we may optayne ony good of y ^e Emperour That counsell was approbate and alowed amonges them all wherfore they wente forthe streyght tylle they came vn­to the Emperours palays / & there they put for the theyr pe­tycyons accordynge to y ^e Emperours proclamacyon. And whan that the Emperour herde theym come he answered [Page] them so and sayd Dere frendes I haue herde all your pety­cyons / & it is trouthe that my proclamacyon was this wyse as that euery man Indyfferently sholde come & they shol­de haue theyr petycyons. But the ryche men & the myghty men hauve ben here before you to whome I haue gyuen all that I had saue onely the royalte of my lordeshyppe vnto them and so haue I nothynge lefte for to gyue you. A good lorde haue mercy vpon vs and lete vs not go voyde agay / for we knowe well that it is in our owne defaute that we came not rather with these other ryche & myghty men. But sythen that it is so we aske your grace that we may opteyne somwhat by the whiche we may lyue. Than sayd the Em­perour. Good frendes here ye me for though I haue gyuen all my londes / rentes / and tenementes / and all y ^e castelles to the ryche men whiche came before you. Neuerthelesse I haue kepte styll in to my owne hondes the lordeshyp ouer theym / and that lordeshyp I gyue vnto you so they shall be your seruauntes and be obedyent vnto you all. And whan the poore men herde this they were gretely gladded & kne­led lowe doune vnto the Emperour & thanked hym saynge thus. Lo thoughe we come late yet we be made lordes ouer all these other. And with this they toke theyr leue and wen­vnto theyr owne dwellynge. But whan the ryche and the myghty men herde that they were gretely meued / and sette a commune parlyament amonge theymselfe. And thus it was spoken amonges theym. Alas alas vnto vs how may we serue theym that somtyme were but churles and oure subgettes in all maner thynges and nowe they be made lordes ouer vs. Therfore goo we all with one assente to them­perour and praye we hym of remedy. Whan this was sayd theyr counsell was commended and forth they weure to the Emperoure and sayd to hym. Reuerente lorde what may [Page] this be tho the whiche were our seruauntes be made our lordes we beseche you mekely that it maye not be soo. Than sayd the Emperoure / good frendes I doo you no wronge for my crye was commune that what soeuer ye asked of me ye sholde opteyne your petycyon / and ye asked nothynge of me but londes rentes and honours and all that haue I graunted you atte youre owne wyll / in soo moche that I kepte nothynge for my selfe and eche of you were well con­tente atte your awaye goynge / and after that came symple men and poore and asked of me some goodes accordynge vnto my proclamacyon / and I had nothynge to gyue them for I hadde gyuen you all that I hadde before saue onely the lordeshyppe ouer you whiche I kepte in my handes / and whan the poore men soo cryed on me I had nothynge to gyue them saue onely the lordeshyppe ouer you and therfore ye sholde not blame me for that ye asked ye had. Than sayd they. A good lorde we praye you effectually of youre counsell in this case and of youre helpe. The Emperour answered and sayd. Syrs yf ye wyll werke after me I shall gyue you very good counseyl and prouffytable. Than sayd they. Lorde we be redy for to fulfyll what some euer ye saye vnto vs for our prouffyte. Than sayd the Emperour. My good frendes ye haue of me bothe londes and tenementes and rentes with other meuable goodes and that grete plen­te the whiche by my counsell ye shall departe with the poo­re men! that they may graunt you the lordeshyppe and a­none these grete ryche men gladly graunted to this and de­parted all theyr goodes amonge the poore men and that they gaue theym agayne the lordeshyppe ouer them lyke as they had of y ^e ryche men y ^• lordshyp ouer them / & thus were they bothe contente & themperour was gretly cōmended of [Page] all peope bycause he accorded to bothe y ^• partyes so wysely

¶ By this Emperour is vnderstande our lorde Ihesu cryst whiche made a proclamacyon by his prophetes patryarkes appostles and prechours that euery man bothe poore and ryche sholde come and asked euerlastynge Ioye & without doubte they shall opteyne theyr petycyon. But the ryche & the myghty men asked none other thynge but worldely ho­noure and rychesse transytory / for this worlde shall passe and all this couetyse / wherfore he gaue theym soo moche of worldely goodes that he lefte no thynge to hym selfe accor­dynge to the scrypture / the byrdes of heuen haue nestes & foxes in erth haue caues / but the sone of god hathe no thyn­ge in erthe where he may put his heed. The poore men be suche as [...]e meke in herte of the whiche poore men speketh our lorde saynge thus / blyssed be the poore men wherte / for why thy kyndome of heuen is theyrs / and yf it sholde seme that they haue lorshyppes aboue myghty men of this worl­de. Therfore these ryche men ought to departe their ryches­se with poore men accordynge to the scrypture saynge thus Gyue ye almes and all thynge shall be clene to you & thus may ye gete a lorshyppe in heuen vnto y ^e whiche lorshyppe I beseche almyghty god to brynge vs Amen.

IN Rome somtyme dwelled a myghty Emperour named Domicyan whiche had two doughters of whome one was passynge fayre and that other foule & oughly to beholde wherfore he lete crye thrughe all his Empyre that what man wolde haue his fay doughter to wyfe sholde haue no thynge with her but her fayrenesse. And who that wedded his foule doughter shol­de [Page] haue all his Empyre after his dethe. And whan the pro­clamacyon was made there came many lordes and desyred to wedde his fayre doughter. To whome the Emperour answered thus. Syr quod he ye wote neuer what ye desyre ryghte well ye knowe that yf yewedde her ye shall haue no thynge with her but her fayrenesse / and furthermore yf I gyue her to one of you and not to another than wyll ye stryue for her. Therfore yf ye wyll nedes haue her and forsake my foule doughter / you be houeth fyrste to Iuste for her & he that wynneth her shall wedde her. Than were the gret­test states of the Empyre gretely gladded / and anone onely for her loue they wolde Iuste and also fyght / wherfore they sette a daye of batayle / and many worthy men were slayne on bothe sydes. Neuerthelesse one opteyned the vyctory & wedded that yonge and fayre lady. The seconde doughter that was foule & oughly sawe this that her syster was wed­ded with grete solempnyte mourned & wepte dayly / wher­fore y ^e Emperour her fader came to her & sayd / dere dough­ter why mornest thou thus. Alas dere fader quod she it is no wonder thoughe I mourne seynge my syster wedded w ^t so grete honoure and gladnesse and euery man is fayne of her and no man loueth my felaushyp / and therfore dere fa­der what may I do beste sothely I knowe it not. Then sayd the Emperour. O my swete doughter all y ^• is myn is thyne and y ^t is not vnknowen to you that he whiche wedded thy syster had no thynge with her but her fayrnesse / and ther­fore I shal proclame in myn owne persone thrughe all myn Empyre that what man that weddeth you I shall make hym sure by letter patent of all myn Empyre after my deth Than this yonge lady thought she was foule and oughly neuerthelesse she reioysed in the promysse of her fader / and anone after the proclamacyon was made / than there came [Page] a yonge knyght and a gentyll and wedded that lady / and after the dethe of the Emperour he seased all the Empyre & was crowned Emperour and she Empresse.

SOmtyme there dwelled in Rome a myghty Empe­rour named Andromyke whiche aboue all thynge loued melody. This emperour had with in his castel a welle of suche vertue that soo euer were dronken / and dranke of that water of this welle sholde be contynent fresshe agayn and be delyuered frome all maner of dronkenesse. There was also dwellynge in this Emperours courte a knyghte [Page] named Yorony whome the Emperoure loued moche / but ofte tymes he was dronken the whiche vyce the Emperour hated aboue all thynge / & whan this knyght vnderstode hym selfe that he was dronken. Than wolde he goo to the welle and drynke of that water and refresche hym selfe soo well that what soeuer the Emperour put to hym he wolde answere hym soo reasonably / that no synne of dronkenesse myght he founde in hym / and for his wytty answere and his wysdome he was gretly beloued of the Emperour. Ne­uerthelesse his felawes of y ^• courte enuyed hym moche and ymagyned amonge them selfe how they myght departe the Emperour loue fro hym It fortuned upon a daye that this Emperour wente to the forest as he herde the nyghtyngale whiche is a gentyll byrde synge merely / wherfore this Em­perour ofte tymes after that wolde ryse erly in y ^• mornyn­ge and also some tyme frome his mete and walke vnto the wode for the swetenesse of her songe / wherfore many of his men sayd amonge them selfe. Thus our lorde delyteth soo moche in the nyghtyngales songe that he recketh lytell of our profyte in so moche that thrughe two thynges his loue is worawen from vs. That is to saye by ydronye y ^e knyght and by the swete songe of y ^e nyghtyngale. Than sayd an ol­de knyght the whiche was amonge theym Syrs quod he yf ye do by my counceyll I shall delyuer you of the knyght Ydronye / and of the nyghtyngale without hurte or dethe. They answered and sayd what thynge that ye bydde vs do we shall fulfyll anone with all our herte. Whan this knyght herde this within a whyle after he aspyed this ydrony that he was dronke wherfore he locked the welle faste & as this knyght ydrony came to refresshe hym selfe and founde the welle locked. The Emperour hadde a grete mater to trete / wherfore he sente in hast for this knyght by cause of his gre [Page] fore he sente in hast for this knyght by cause of his grete wysdome that was in hym to haue his counceyll. And whan he came before y ^t Emperour he was so dronke that he myght not ones meue his tonge neyther he hadde wytte / reason nor vnderstondynge to answere y ^• Emperour to his mater But whan the Emperour sawe this he was gretely greued for so moche y ^• he hated namely y ^t vyce / wherfore he cōmaū ­ded anone that frome that daye / forth he sholde not be seen within his londe vpon payne of deth. This herynge his fo­men gretely were gladded and sayd vnto the olde knyght in this maner of wyse. Now be we delyuered of this knyght ydrony. There is no more to do but that we myght fynde y ^t waye and remedy that we were deiyuered of the nyghtyn­gale in the whiche the Emperour delyteth so moche the son­ge. Then sayd this olde knyght your erys shall here & your eyen shall see y ^• this nyghtyngale shall be destroyed in shor­te tyme. Not longe after this olde knyght aspyed y ^• y ^• nygh­tyngale vsed to sytte vpon a tree euyn aboue this same wel where as her make that was y ^• make after the cours of na­ture came and gendred with her. Neuerthelesse the absence of her make she toke ofte tyme another make & dyde auou­try / and whan she had this done. Than wolde she descende to the welle / and bathe his selfe that whan her make come he sholde fele no sauoure / ne euyll odoure of that she hadde done / whan the knyght had seen this on a tyme he locked y ^• well / and whan the nyghtyngale wolde haue descended to bathe her selfe after her auoutry she founde the well closed wherfore she fledde vp to the tree agayne and mourned so­re in her maner and left of her swete songe. Than came her make and sawe that she had trespassed agaynst her nature he wente agayne / and in shorte tyme he brought ayen a grete multytude of nyghtyngales whiche slewe his make and [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...]are her in smale gobettes / and thus was the wyse knyght put awaye and the nyghtyngale slayne / and the Emperour put and delyuered frome his pleasure and grete solace su­che as he was wonte to haue.

THere dwelled somtyme in Rome a myghty Emperour named Darmes whiche had a myghty stronge Cyte and well & stronge walled aboute and a belle hangynge in the myddes of the Cyte and whan so euer this Emperour wente to ba­tayle without the cyte this belle sholde be ronge / but there sholde no man rynge the belle but a vyrgyn / wthin shorte tyme after it befelle that dragons and serpentes and ma­ny other venemous beestes empoysened moche people so y ^t the cyte was almoost destroyed wherfore the states of y ^t Cy­te wente by one assent to the Emperour / and sayd. Lorde what shall we doo lo our goodes / & our Cyte are destroyed and ye and we bothe in peryll to be perysshed thrughe these felle beestes that consumeth vs. Therfore take we good coū ceyll or elles we ben all loste. Than sayd the Emperoure what saye you is beste to be done in this mater / and howe may we best be defended. Than answered one of them that was wysest and sayd my lorde here my counceyll and doo therafter and ye shall not for thynke it / ye haue quod he in your place a Lyon / and sette vp a crosse and hange this ly­on therupon with nayles & whan other venymous beestes se hym thus hangynge on the crosse they wyll drede and so shall they forsake this cyte / and we shall be in reste and ease. Than sayd y ^• Emperour it pleaseth me well that he be han­ged in sauynge of you. Than toke they the lyon and hynge hȳ on y ^• crosse faste nayled. And other lyons & venymous dragons come towarde the cyte and sawe y ^t lyon thus hangynge [Page] they fledde awaye for drede / & durste come no nere.

THere dwelled somtyme in y ^• cyte of Rome a myghty Emperoure and a mercyfull whiche was Named Menalaye whiche ordeyned suche a lawe y ^t what mysdoer were taken and brought in to pryson yf he myght [Page] escape and come to the Emperours palays he sholde be the­re safe for all maner felons / tresons / or trespasses that he had done in his lyfe tyme. It was not longe after but it be­felle that a knyght trespassed wherfore he was taken and in pryson stronge and derke where as he had ben longe ty­me and had no lyght but at a lytell wyndowe where as a skante lyght shone in that lyghtned hym to ete the symple mete that was brought vnto hym by his keper wherfore he mourned gretely and made grete sorowe that he was thus shette vp faste from y ^t syght of men. Neuerthelesse whan y ^t keper was gone there came dayly a nyghtyngale in at that wyndowe / and sange ryght swetely of whose songe this wofull knyghyt ofte tyme was fed for Ioye / and whan this byrde seased of her songe than wolde she flye in to the knygh­tes bosome and there this knyght fed her many a daye of y ^• vytayle that god sente hym It befell after vpon a day that this knyght was gretely desolated of comforte. Neuerthe­lesse the byrde sat in his bosome etynge nuttes / and thus he sayd vnde the byrde. O good byrde I haue susteyned the many a daye / what shalte thou gyue me nowe in my deso­lacyon to comforte me. Remember the well that thou arte y ^t crature of god & I also. Therfore helpe me now in my grete nede / whan that byrde herde this / she flewe forth frome his bosome and taryed frome hym thre dayes. But the thyrde daye she came agayne & brought in her mouth a precyons stone and layde it in the knyghtes bosome. And anone whā she had soo done she tooke her slyght and flewe from hym agayne. The knyght meruayled of the stone and of the byrde / and there with he tooke the stone in hande and touched the geuys and anone fell of his fetters and all his cheynes where with he was bounde sodenly brake. And anone he a­rose and touched the dores of the pryson and anone they [Page] opened and soo he espcaped and ranne fast vnto the Empe­rours palays / whan the keper of the pryson perceyued this he blewe an horne theyse and thus he raysed vp all the folke of the cyte and ledde them forth cryenge with an hyghe voyce. Loo the thefe is gone folowe we hym all. And with that he ranne before all his felowes towarde the knyghte and whan he came nyghe hym / the knyght bente his bowe and shotte an arowe wherwith he smote the keper in the loun­ges and slewe hym / and than he ranne to the palays where as he founde socoure accordynge to the law.

IN Rome there dwelled somtyme a myghty Em­perour and a mercyfull named Ebolydes. It for­tuned on a daye that this Emperour walked vn­to the foreste where as he mette sodeynly with a poore man. And anone whan this Emperour sa­we hym he was gretely meued with mercy and sayd. Good frende whens arte thou. My souerayne lorde quod he I am youres and borne in youre londe / and nowe I am in grete pouerte and nede. And than sayd the Emperour yf I kno­we that thou were true in euery thynge I sholde promo­te [Page] vnto the grete rychesse. Therfore telle me what is thy na­me. My lorde qoud he I am called Lentyculus / and I be­hote you my trouthe / and true seruyce / and yf I doo other­wyse I submytte me vnto you and to all maner of payne that ye can put me to / whan the Emperour herde this / he promoted hym anone vnto grete rychesse. And anone after that / he made hȳ a knyght and stewarde of his londe. And whan he was thus exalted to rychesse & honoure he waxed so proude that he despysed hym that were worthyer than he and despyed suche as were symple and poore. It was not longe after y ^t it be felle that this Stewarde rode by a foreste where as he mete with the Fostere / and charged hym that he sholde make an hondreth pyttes in the grounde and hele theym ouer with grene grasse and smale bowes that yf wyl de bestes fortuned by the foreste that waye / that / they shol­de falle in theym and soo sholde they be taken and brought to the Emperour. The fostere answered and sayd. Syr as ye haue sayd it shall be done. Not longe after it fortuned that this stewarde rode to this forest agayne to se yf these pyttes were made. And as he rode he be thought hym how grete a man and how myghty he was made / and how that all thynge in that Empyre obeyed vnto hym and al redy at his wyll. And as he rode thynkynge thus he sayd to hym­selfe. There is no god saue onely I. And with that he smote his horse with his spores / and sodeynly he felle in to one of the depe pyttes that he hadde ordeyned before hym selfe for the wylde beestes and for the grete depnesse / therof / he myght not ryse agayne by no maner of crafte / wherfore he mourned gretly. And anone after hȳ came an hungry lyon and felle in to the same pytte / and after the lyon an ape and after the ape a serpente / and whan the stewarde was thus walled with these thre beestes he was gretely meued & dred­de [Page] sore. There was that tyme dwellynge in the cyte a poore man named Gye the whiche had no maner good saue an asse wherwith dayly he caryed stockes and fayllynge wode and suche as he coude gete for the forest to the market and solde theym and in this wyse he susteyned hym selfe and his wyfe as well as he myght. It fortuned that this poore Gye wente to his foreste as he was wonte / and as he came by the depe pytte he herde a man cryenge & sayd. O dere fren­de what arte thou for goddes sake here me and I shall quyte the so welle that thou shalte euer after be y ^• better / whan this poore Gye herde that it was the voyce of a man he meruayled and stode all on the pyttes brynke and sayd lo good frende I come for thou hast called me. Than sayd y ^• knyght dere frende I am the Emperoures stewarde of all his lan­de thus by fortune I am fallen in to this pytte and here be with me thre beestes / that is to saye. Alyon / an Ape / and an horryble Serpent / whiche I dredde moost of all / and I wote not of whiche of theym I shall be fyrst be deuoured. Therfore I praye the for goddes sake gete me a longe corde wherwith thou mayste drawe me out of this foule and hor­ryble depe pytte / and I shall make the warentyse to make the ryche in all thynge for euermore herafter for but I haue the rather helpe I shall be deuoured of these beestes. Than sayd this poore Gye I may full euyll entende to helpe the / for I haue no thynge to lyue on but as I gader wode and cary to y ^• markette to selle wherwith I am susteyned Ne­uerthelesse I shall leue my laboure and fulfyll thy wyll / & yf ye rewarde me not it shall be grete hurte and hyndraun­ce to me and to my wyfe bothe to be lettyd for you. Than y ^e stewarde made a grete othe and sayd that he wolde promote hym and all his the nexte morowe vnto grete rychesse. Than sayd Gye yf thou wylte fulfyl thy promyse I shal do [Page] that ye bydde me. And with thatwente agayne to cyte and brought with hym a longe rope and came to the pytte and sayd. Syr stewarde loo I lete doune a rope to the / bynde thy selfe by the myddes there with that I may pulle the vp. Than was the stewarde gladde and sayd. Good frende lete doune the rope. And with that he caste the ende of the rope doune in to y ^• pytte. And whan y ^e lyon sawe that he caught the rope and helde it faste / and Gye drewe the lyon vp we­nynge to hym that he hadde drawen vp the knyght. And whan he had soo done the lyon thanked hym in his maner and ranne to y ^e wode. The seconde tyme this Gye lete dou­ne the rope / the Ape lepte vnto it and caught it faste and whā he was drawen vp / he thanked Gye as coude & ranne to the wode. Thyrde tyme he lete doune the rope and dre­we vp the Serpente whiche thanked hym and wente to y ^e wode. The stewarde cryed with an hyghe voyce. O dere frende now an I delyuered of thre venymous bestes Now lette doune the corde to me that I may come vp. And this poore Gye lette doune the rope and the stewarde bounde hym selfe faste aboute the myddes of his bodye / and anone Gye drewe hym vp. And whā he was thus holpe thus sayd he [...]o Gye. Come to me quod he atte thre of the clocke to the palays and than I shall make the ryche for euer. This poo­re Gye reioysed therof and wente home withoute ony re­warde. Than his wyfe demaunded hym why he gadered no wode wherwith they myght lyue that daye. Than tolde he her all the processe as it befell as it is wryten aboue how the stuarde fell in to the pytte and the lyon / the ape / and the serpent fell in to the pytte that he had made in y ^e sayd forest and how he helped hym oute with a corde and saued hym frome deuourynge of the thre venymous beestes / and how he sholde goo to the stewarde and fetche his guardon and [Page] rewarde on y ^• morowe. Whan his wyfe this herde she rioysed gretely and sayd. Yf it so shall be / good syr aryse to morowe at due houre and go vnto y ^e palays and receyue your re­warde that we may be comforted wel therby. The morowe came and Gye arose and wente to the palays & knocked at the gate. Than came the Porter and asked the cause of his knockynge. I praye the quod this Gye go vnto the stewar­de and saye to hym that here abydeth a poore man atte the gate that spake with hym yesterdaye in the forest. The porter wente in and tolde the Stewarde lyke as the poore mā hadde sayd. Thenne sayd the Stewarde. Goo thou agayne and tell hym that he lyeth / for yesterdaye spake I with no man in the forest / and charge hym that he go his waye and that I se hym there neuer after. The porter wente for the and tolde the poore Guy how the stewarde sayd / and char­ged hym to go his waye. Thenne was this Guy sorowfull and wente home / and whan he came home he tolde his wyfe how the Stewarde answered hym. His wyfe comforted in all that she myght and than sayd. Syr go ye agayne and preue hym thryse. Thenne on the morowe this Guy arose and wente to the palays agayne praynge the porterons to do his erande agayne to the stewarde. Than the porter an­swered and sayd / gladly I wyll do thyn erande: but I do drede me sore y ^t it shall be thyn hurte. And than wente he in and tolde y ^• stewarde of y ^t comynge of this poore mā / whā the stewarde herde y ^t he wente out & all to bette this sely gye & left hȳ in peryl of deth / whā his wyfe herde this she came w ^t her asse & led hȳ home as she myght & al y ^t she had she spē te vpon surgyens and phecycyens for to helpe hym. And whan he was perfytely heled he wente to the foreste as he was wonte for to gader styckes and smale wolde for his lyuynge. And as he wente aboute in that foreste he sa­we [Page] a stronge lyon dryuynge byfore hym Asses that were charged with chafer and marchaundyse. This lyon droue forth the Asses before Gye whiche dredde sore the lyon leste that he wolde haue deuoured hȳ. Neuerthelesse whan he behelde the lyon better. He knewe well that he was the same lyon whiche he drewe out of the pytte. This lyon lefte not Gye tyll all the asses with y ^• marchaundyse were entred in his house / and than the lyon dyde hym obeysaunce and ran to the wode. This Gye opteyned these fardels and founde grete rychesse therin wherfore he made to doo proclame in dyuerse chirches yf ony man had loste such goodes but the­re was none that chalenged theym. And whan Gye sawe this he toke the goodes and bought therwith house and lande and soo he was made ryche. Neuertheles he haunted the forest as he dyde before. And after that as he walked in the foreste to gader wode he aspyed the ape in the top of a tree. The whiche brake bowes besely with his teeth & with his clawes / and threwe theym doune / soo that in shorte ty­me that Gye had ladyd his asse / and whan the ape had soo done she wente awaye to the wode / and Gye wente home and on the morowe Gye wente to the forest agayne / and as he sate byndynge his fagottes / he sawe the serpente that he drewe out of the pytte come towarde hym berynge in his mouthe a precyous stone of thre colours the whiche stone y ^• serpente lete falle at Gyes fote. And whan she had soo done she kyssed his feet / and than wente her waye. This Gye to­ke vp this stone / and meruayled gretely of what vertue it myghte be / wherfore he arose hym vp and wente to a seller of precyous stones named Peter / and sayd dere broder I I praye the tell me the vertue of this stone / and I shall rewarde the well for thy laboure / whan this stone seller had well beholden & vnderstode the nature of this stone he sayd [Page] good frende yf thou lyst to selle thy stone I shall gyue the / therfore an. C. marke▪ Than sayd Gye thus I wyll not sell my stone tyll thou tell me truely y ^t vertue therof. The mar­chaunt answered and sayd. without doubte this stone hath thre vertues / the fyrste vertue is this that who bereth this stone vpon hym shall haue Ioye without sorowe / the seconde vertue is that he shall haue plente without defaute / the thyrde vertue is he shall haue lyght without derkenesse / & also it a nother vertue that no man may selle it but for soo moche as it is worthe / and yf he dooth the contrarye y ^• stone retorneth agayne to the fyrste owner whan Gye herde this he was ryght Ioyefull & sayd to hym selfe in a good houre I drede the beestes oute of the pytte. Not longe after it be­fell that his Gye by vertue of this stone was made passyn­ge ryche and bought grete possessyons / and lyuelode / wher­fore within a whyle he was made knyght. It was not lon­ge after the Emperour had knowlege how syr Gye had a stone of suche vertue / wherfore he sente for syr Gye cōmaū dynge hym to come in all hast to hym and soo it was done. And whan syr Gye was come to the Emperour the Empe­rour sayd vnto hym thus. My frende sayd he I haue herde or this that somtyme thou were in grete pouerte and now made by the vertue of a lytell stone y ^t thou arte ryche Ther­fore I praye the that thou sell me that stone Syr Gye ans­wered and sayd that may not I doo for soo longe as I ha­ue that stone I am sure of thre thynges that is to saye of Io­ye without sorowe plente without defaute / and lyght with out derkenesse whan the Emperour herde this he attemp­ted moche egrely to by that stone than he dyed before. And sayd Syr Gye of two thynges thou muste chese one / that is to saye chose whyther thou wylte forsake this Empyre and all thy kynredde or elles felle me thy stone. Tha [...] sayd [Page] syr Gye. My lorde it muste nedes be thus be it atte youre wyll. Neuerthelesse I shall [...]eell you the peryll of this stone For yf ye pay not therfore as it is worthe withoute doute it wyll come to me agayne. Than sayd the Emperoure sothely I shall gyue the suffycyent for thou shalte receyue of me a thousande pounde therfore / and soo it was done / syt Gye receyued the money and wente home. On the morowe erly opened his cofer and founde the stone / and than tolde he to the lady his wyfe how he had solde the stone to the Em­perour and delyuered it / and how he founde it agayne in his cofer. Than sayd the lady his wyfe good syr in all the haste that ye can goo agayne vnto the Emperoure and ta­ke to hym the stone for drede that he be not wrothe / and tho­roughe malyce putte some fraude in vs Thenne wente syr Syr Gye for the agayne vnto the Emperour and sayd vn­to hym in this wyse. My lorde yesterdaye I solde you a sto­ne / whiche it myght please you I wolde fayne see. The em­peroure wente for the stone to his tresoure and founde it not / wherfore he was ryght sorowefull and came agayne and tolde Syr Gye how it was loste. Than sayd. Gye. My lorde greue you noughte for I tolde you yesterdaye that I myght not selle it but yf I hadde the value therof / and yes­terdaye I receyued a thousande pounde of you therfore / and this daye I founde it in my cofer agayne / and therfore yf I hadde not brought you the stone agayne / peraduentu­re ye wolde haue shewed me youre heuy lordeshyppe / and with that he shewed forthe the stone / wherfore the Empe­roure meruayled gretely and sayd. Syr Gye by the trouthe that thou owest to me tell me how thou camest by this sto­ne. Than sayd Syr Gye By my faythe that I owe to you I shall tell you truely the veray trouthe as touchynge this stone / youre stewarde whiche is promoted vp to nought [Page] lete make many depe pyttes in youre foreste / and it fortu­ned not longe after that he felle in one of theym hym selfe / and myght not ryse agayne for depnesse of the pytte / it for­tuned also the same daye that a lyon an ape and a serpente felle in to hym. That tyme was I poore man and as I walked in the foreste with my asse for to gader wode he cryed vnto me that I sholde helpe hym oute of the pytte and saue hym fro the dethe / for there were in the pytte with hym thre venymous beestes / That is to saye a Lyon / an ape / and a foule serpente. And than he behyght me by mouthe to pro­mote me & al my kynne vnto grete rychesse And whan that I herde that I was glade and lete doune a corde suppo­synge to haue drawen vp hym / and than I haled vp a lyon and after that I drewe vp an ape / and than a serpente / and atte laste youre stewade. The lyon gaue me ten asses charged with marchaundyse / the ape gaue me wode as mo­che as myn asse myght here / and the serpente gaue me this stone that I haue solde you but your stewarde bete me and wounded me soo sore for my good dede that I was borne home vpon myne asse whan the Emperoure herde this his herte was m [...]ued gretely agaynst the stuarde wherfore he called hym and examyned hym of that false dede / but he was dombe and wolde not speke / for soo moche that he cou­de neuer his false hede denye. Than sayd the Emperour. O wretched creature / vnresonable bestes as the lyon that ape and the serpent rewarded hym for his good hede / and thou whiche arte a resonable man haste beten hym almoost to de­the that saued the and drewe the out of the pytte. Therfore for thy falshede & wyckednesse I Iuge the to be hanged this day on y ^e galowes / & al thy goodes & londes I graūte vnto gye / & also I ordeyne y ^t syr gye shall occupye thy place & be stuarde & so it was done. Whā syr Gye was th [...] rewarde by [Page] the Emperour and made stuarde he was well byloued of e­uery man longe tyme / and at the laste ended his lyfe with honoure and good pease

SOmtyme dwelled in Rome a myghty Empe­rour whiche was named Anselme whiche wed­ded the kynges doughter of Ierusalem a fayre lady and a gracyous in the syght of euery man / but she was longe tyme with the Emperour or she was conceyued with chylde / wherfore the nobles of the Empyre were ryght sorowefull bycause theyr lorde had none heyre of his owne boody bygoten. Tyll atte the laste [Page] it befelle that this Anselm walked after souper on a nyght in his gardeyne / and [...]ythoughte hym selfe howe he hadde none heyre and how the kynge of Ampluy warred on hym contynually for soo moche that he hadde noo sone to make defence in his absence / wherfore he was ryght sorowefull and wente to his chamber and slepte▪ and atte the last hym thought he sawe a vysyon in his slepe that the mornynge was more clere thenne it was wonte for to be and that the mone was moche more paler on that one syde then on that other syde. And after he sawe a byrde of two coloures and by that byrde stode two beestes whiche fedde that lytel byrde with their hete / and after that came many mo bestes and bowed theyr hedes towarde the byrde & wente theyr way. And than there came dyuerse byrdes that songe so swetely and so shyll y ^t the Emperoure awaked. In the mornynge e [...]ly this Anselme remembred his vysyon and wondred moche what it myght sygnyfye / wherfore he called vnto hym his Phylosophers and also y ^t states of his Empyre and tol­de theym his dreme chargynge theym to telle hym the sy­gnyfyenge therof vpon the payne dethe. And yf they tolde hym the true interpretacyon therof▪ he behoted theym gre­te rewarde. Than sayd they. Lorde telle vs your dreme and we shall declare vnto you what it betokeneth. Thenne the Emperour tolde theym frome the begynnynge to the ende lyke as it is wryten before. Whan the Phylosophers herde this / with gladde chere they answered and sayd. Lorde the dreme that ye sawe betokeneth good. For thy Empyre shall be more clere than it is. The moone that is the more pale on the syde than on y ^t other betokeneth y ^• Empres whiche hath lost parte of her colour thrugh y ^• c [...]cepcion of a sone whiche she hath cōceyued. The lytel byrde betokeneth y ^t sone y ^t she [Page] shal bere. The two bestes that fedde this byrde betokeneth all the wyse men and ryche men to this Empyre shal obeye thy sone. These other beestes the bowed theyr hedes to the byrde betokeneth that many other nacyon shall doo hym homage. The byrde that songe soo swetely to this lytell byrde betokeneth the Romaynes whiche shall reioyce and syn­ge bycause of his byrthe. Loo this is the veray interpretacyon of your dreme whan the Emperoure herde this / he was ryght Ioyefull. Sone after that the Empresse traueyled and was delyuered of a fayre sone / in whose byrth was grete Ioye made withouten ende. Whan that the kynge of Ampluy herde this / he thou­ghte within hym selfe in maner folowynge. Loo I haue warred agaynst the Emperour all the days of my lyfe / & now he hath a sone the whiche wyll reuenge all the wron­ges that I haue doone and wroughte agaynst his fader whan that he cometh to full age. Therfore it is better that I sende vnto the Emperoure and beseche hym of trewes and pease that his sone may haue noo thynge agaynst me Whan that he cometh vnto manhode / whan he had thus sayd vnto hym selfe he wrote vnto the Emperour besechynge hym of hym pease / whan that the Emperour sawe that the kynge of Ampluy wrote to hym more for drede thenne for loue / he wrote agayne vnto hym that yf he wolde fynde good suerty for to kepe the pease / and bynde hym selfe all y ^• dayes of his lyfe to doo hym seruyce and homage and to gy­ue hym yerely a certayne trybute / he wolde receyue hym to the pease / Whan the kynge hadde redde the tenoure of the Emperours letters / he called his counceyll praynge theym to gyue hym counceyll how he myght best doo as touchyn­ge to this mater. Than sayd they. It is good that ye obeye the Emperours wyl and commaundemente in all thynges [Page] For in the fyrste he desyreth of you suerty for the pease. And as to this we answere thus sayd that ye haue but a dough­ter / and the Emperour hathe but a sone / wherfore lete a maryage be made bytwene them / and that may be perpetuell sykernesse of the pease. And also he asketh homage and ren­tes whiche is good for to fulfyll. And thenne the kynge sen­te his messengeres vnto the Emperoure sayenge / that he wyll fulfyll his entente in all thynge yf it myght pleas [...] his hyghnesse that his sone and the kynges doughter my [...]hte be wedded togyder. All this pleased well the Emper [...]ure Neuerthelesse he sente agayne that yf his doughter were a clene vytygne frome her byrthe vnto that daye / he wolde consente vnto that maryage. Thenne was the kynge ryght glade / for his doughter was a true vyrgyne / therfore whā the lettres of couenauntes and sykernesse were sealed. The kynge dyde make araye a fayre shyppe / wherin he myght sende his doughter / with many nobie knyghtes / ladyes / and grete rychesse vnto the Emperoure for to haue his so­ne in maryage. And whan they were sayllynge in the see to­warde Rome / the storme arose so feruentely and soo horry­bly that the shyppe all to braste vpon a roche of stones / and they were al drowned saue onely the yonge lady whiche set­te her hope and her herte soo gretely on god / that she was saued. And aboute thre of the clocke the tempest seased / & the mayden droue forthe ouer the wawes in that broken shyppe whiche was cast vp agayne / but an huge whalle fo­lowed after redy to deuoure bothe y ^• shyppe and her / wher­fore this yonge lady whan nyght came she smote fyre with a stone wherwith all the shyppe was gretely lyghtned and than the whalles durste not aduenture towarde the shyp­pe for drede of fyre / but atte the cocke crowynge this yon­ge [Page] mayo was sore wery of the grete tempest and trouble of the see that she slepte / and within al lytell whyle y ^t fyre was oute and thenne came the whalle and deuoured her. And And whan she wakened & vnderstode her selfe in the whal­les [...]ely she smote fyre and within a lytell whyle she woun­ded the whalle with a knyfe in many places / and whan the whalle felte hym selfe wounded and hurte accordynge vn­to his nature he swamme to londe. There was that tyme dwellynge in that countree an Erle that was a noble man whiche was named Pirris whiche by cause or recreacyon walked by the see strande / and as he was walkynge thus in his dysporte he sawe where as the whalle was comynge towarde the londe / wherfore he retourned home agayne / and gadrede many stronge men and came thyder agayne and faught with this whalle / and wounded hym sore / and as they smote the mayden that was within her [...]ely cryed with an hyghe voyce and sayd / o gentylsyrs haue mercy on me for I am a kynges doughter and a true vyrgyn frome the houre of my byrthe vnto this daye. Whan the erle her­de this he wondred / and opened the syde of the whalle and founde the yonge lady and took her oute. And whan she was thus delyuered she tolde by ordre by & by whose doughter that she was / and how she hadde loste all her goodes in the see / and how she sholde haue ben maryed vnto the Em­perours sone. And whan the erle herde this he was ryghte gladde / wherfore he conforted her the more and kepte her styll with hym tyll she was well refresshed. And in the mea­ne tyme he sente messengers vnto the Emperoure lettyn­ge hym wyte howe that this kynges doughter was saued. Thenne was the Emperour ryght gladde of her saluacyon and of her comynge / and hadde grete compassyon on her saynge thus. O good mayde for the loue of my sone thou [Page] haste suffred moche thynge. Neuerthelesse yf thou be wor­thy for to be his wyfe soon shall I preue. And whan he hadde thus sayd he lette brynge forth thre vesselles. The fyrste was made of pure golde couched well with precyous stones without and within full of deed mennes bones / and there vpon was this poyse wryten / who soo chieseth me shall fynde that he deserueth. The seconde vesselle was ma­de of fyne syluer fylled with erthe and wormes and thus was the superscrypcyon / who soo cheseth me shall fynde that his nature desyreth. The thyrde vessell was made of lede full within of precyous stones / and therupon was wryten this poyse / who soo cheseth me shall fynde that god ha­the dysposed for hym. These thre vessels the Emperour she­wed to the mayden and sayd. Loo here doughter these ben noble vessels yf thou chese one these wherin is profyte to the and to other than shalte thou haue my sone. And yf thou chese that wherin is no profyte to the nor to none other / s [...] ­thely thou shalte not wedde hym / whan the mayden sawe this she lefte vp her handes to almyghty god & sayd. Thou lorde whiche knoweste all thynges / graūte me grace this houre so to ch [...]se that I may receyue the Emperours sone. And with that she behelde the fyrste vessell of golde that was lorged and graued royally / and redde the scrypture▪ Who cheseth me. &c. saynge thus. Thoughe this vessell be full precyous and made of pure golde. Neuerthelesse I wo [...] ­te neuer what is within. Therfore my lorde this vessell wyll not I chese. And thenne byhelde she the seconde vessell that was of clere syluer and redd [...] the superscrypcyon who so cheseth me shal fynde that whiche his nature desyreth. Thyn­kynge thus within her selfe / yf I chese this vessell what is within knowe I not but well I wote there shall I fynde that nature desyreth / and my nature desyreth the luste of y ^• [Page] flesshe / and therfore this vesselle wyll I not chese / whan she had seen those two vesselles and gyuen an answere as touchynge to theym / she behelde the thyrde vessell of lede and rede the superscrypcyon / who soo cheseth [...]e shall fyn­de that god hathe dysposed. Thynkynge within her selfe. This vessell is not passynge ryche ne precious without for­the. Neuerthelesse the superscrypcyon sayth who choseth me shall fynde that god hath dysposed and withouten doubte almyghty god neuer dysposed ony harme. Therfore as as nowe I wyll chese this vessell / whan the Emperour sa­we this he sayd. O good mayden open thy vessell for it is full of precyous stones and see yf thou haste welle chosen or none / whan this yonge ladye had opened it atte the Emperours commaūdement / she founde it full of golde and pre­cyous stones lyke as the Emperour had tolde her before / and than sayd the Emperour O my dere doughter bycau­se thou haste wysely chosen therfore thou shalte wedde my sone. And whan he had soo sayd / he ordeyned a maryage and wedded theym to gyder worthely with moche Ioye & honoure. And so they contynned to theyr lyues ende bothe in Ioye and solace.

THere dwelled in Rome somtyme a myghty Em­perour named Calopodu whiche wedded a fayr lady to his wyfe / they were not longe togyder but that this Empresse conceyued and bare hȳ a sone a goodly chylde and a fayre / and set hym to scole. And whan he come to .xx. yere of age / he desyred his faders herytage saȳge thus. Dere fader ye are an olde man and may not gouerne your Empyre. Therfore yf it lyst you to gyue it me it shall be to your profyte. Than answered the Emperour and sayd. Dere sone I drede me sore that whan [Page] Empyre is in thy power thou wylte not fulfyll my wyll ne my desyre. Than answered the Empresse for soo moche she loued his sone better that her husbonde / and sayd my lorde quod she that may not be for thou hast but one sone / & ther­fore as I byleue he wyll fulfyll thyn entente in all thynge & this same Empyre may helpe hym ryght well. And ther­fore it is beste to graunte hym the Empyre. Than answe­red the Emperour and sayd. I wyll fyrst haue of hym a let­ter ablygatorye that whan someuer he doo oony thynge a­gaynst my wyll that I wyll not haue doone / that than I shall depryue hym of the Empyre without ony witstendynge. The sonne graunted this and lette make the oblygacy­on / and sealed it. And whan this was done / this yonge Emperour waxed soo proude y ^t he dredde neyther god ne man and he dyde very moche harme. But euer his fader suffred it pacyently for he wolde not be corrected by noo man. Tylle atte the laste there felle a grete hungre and a derthe in that Empyre soo that many men dyed for defaute. This olde Emperour was by hym selfe and beganne for to haue nede wherfore he wente vnto sone for to haue gete on hym some sustenaunce. That his sone graunted and suffred for a whyle. But within shorte tyme his fader beganne for to waxe seke wherfore he called his sone and prayed hym for to gyue hym a draught of muste. His sone answered and sayd. That wyll not do for I must is not good for thy complexyon. Thenne sayd the Emperour. I praye the sone gy­ue me a draught of thy wyne. His sone answered and sayd that he wolde haue none / for my wyne is not yet fyned / & yf I touche it / it wyll trouble and therfore I wyll not tame it tylle it be clere and fyned. Thenne sayd his fader than gyue me some of thy seconde tonne. That wyll I not do quod he / for that wyne is passynge myghty and stronge / and su­che [Page] wyne is not good for a seke man. Thenne prayde his fa­der hym hertely for a draught of the fourth tonne. Than he answered and sayd / therof gete ye none. For it is feble and without ony sustentacyon / and suche wyne is not good for you for it is not confortable. Thenne sayd y ^e olde Emperour now good sone gyue me thenne the fyfth tonne. That wyll I not quod he for that tonne is full of leys and dregges and suche is not for men vnthes for hogges / whan his fader sawe that he myght gete no thynge of hym and after that he was hole as euer he was / than he wente vnto y ^e kynge of Ierusalem and made his complaynte of his sone / and she­wed hym the letter oblygatory y ^e his sone had made / wher­by his fader myght putte hym out of the Empyre withoute ony withsaȳge / whan the kynge herde this he called y ^• Em­perours sone to answere to his fader. And whan he came he coude not answere to his fader well with no reason / wher­fore the kynge putte hym frome his Empyre and seasened his fader therin agayne and so he contynued all the dayes of his lyfe.

SOmtyme there dwelled in Rome a myghty em­perour Named Antony vnder whose reygne y ^• rowers of the see had taken prysoner a myghty mannes sone of another region / and broughte hym to the Emperours pryson faste bounde / whan this yonge man was this in pryson he wrote to his owne fader for his raunsome but his fader wolde no raun­some paye me none other thynge sende to the conforte of hym. This herynge his sone wepte sore and myght not be conforted for the vnkyndenesse of his fader. This Empe­rour had a fayre doughter whiche euery daye vysyte this prysoner and conforted hym as moche as she myght. Too whome the prysoner answered thus and sayd. How shall I be mery / or how may I Ioye thus for to lye faste bounde in pryson frome y ^• syght of man / and notwithstandynge this it greueth me more that my fader wyll not paye my raun­some / whan this mayden herde this she was meued with pyte and sayd. Dere frende I am sory for the. Neuertheles yf thou wylte graunte me one thynge I shall delyuer the frome this anguysshe & payne / what thynge is that. That thou wylte take me to thy wyfe. Than sayd the prysoner. I behote you surely to fulfyll your entente. And for the more sykernesse I gyue you my trouth / whan he had soo done it was not longe after the mayden delyuered hym out of pry­son and fledde awaye with hym home to his faders house / whan the fader sawe his sone and the mayden togyder / he asked the cause why he brought her with hym. Than sayd he. Syr this damoysell delyuered me frome pryson & ther­fore she shall be my wyfe. Thā sayd his fader. I wyl not concent y ^t she shal by thy wyfe for .ii. resonable causes whiche I shall shewe. The fyrst is this It is not vnknowen to the y ^t the Emperour her fader myght haue had for thy delyue­raunce [Page] grete good / and for soo moche that she was vntrue to her owne fader and true to the / it semeth well that thou sholde not truste in her longe / for who is false to her owne fader by reason sholde be veray false and vntrue to another man. The seconde reason is this / the cause why she delyue­red the fro enprysonmente. It was not for pyte ne for lou [...] but for flesshely luste that she hadde to the. For atte thy de­lyueraunce she made couenaunt with the to be thy wyfe / and hadde of thy thy trouth / and therfore sone it is not rea­son that she sholde be thy wyfe. The mayden answered to this questyon and sayd. As for the fyrste reason that thou layest agaynst me that I sholde be vntrue vnto my fader / that is false / for my fader hath plente of rychesse and thy so­ne is but poore and therfore I holpe hym for pyte and for none other cause / and Neuerthelesse thou whiche arte his fader wolde no [...] paye his raunsome that he myght be delyuered frome pryson. Loo for this cause I haue delyuered hȳ therfore I am kynder vnto hym than thou whiche arte his owne fader / and he is more byholden to me thenne to the. Vnto the other reason where thou sayest that I delyuered hym dy cause of flesshely luste I answered and sayd playn­ly that is is not trouthe. For all maner of flesshly loue it caused for strength orelles for fayrnesse. But thy sone is not stronge / for his emprysonement hath done away his streng the. He is not fayre / for by the payne that he had in prysō he is made lowe and vnlustye to the syght / and therfore pyte onely moued me for to delyuer hym / and not flesshely luste Than sayd the sone / to his fader Dere fader for soo moche that I was in parell of dethe / and wrote vnto the that thou woldest paye my raunsome that I myghte be delyuered / & thou woldest not helpe me. But this mayden of her gen­tylnesse and for pyte saued me frome dethe and delyuered [Page] me frome pryson. Therfore sothely she shall be my wyfe / wherfore he wedded her forthwith grete honoure & with her ended he his lyfe.

SOmtyme there dwelled in Rome a myghty em­perour of grete lyuelode Named Alexsander / y ^• whiche aboue all vertues loued largesse / wher­fore he ordeyned a lawe for grete curiosyte that no man vnder payne of dethe sHold torns a playse in his dysshe at his mete / but onely eete whyte syde & not y ^e blacke / & ony mā wolde attempte to do y ^e cōtrary he shol­de die w ^tout remedy / but or he dyed he shold aske iii. bones [Page] to the Emperour what so hym lyst excepte his lyfe whiche sholde be graunted hym It befell after on a daye that the­re came an Erle and his sone of a straunge countre to spe­ke with the Emperour. And whan this Erle was sette to mete he was serued with playse / and he whiche was hun­gry and had appetyte to his mete / and after he had eten the whyte syde he tourned the blacke syde & began to ete there of wherfore anone he was accused to themperour bycause he had offended agaynst the lawe. Than sayd the Empe­rour late hym dye accordynge to the lawe without ony de­lay / whan the Erles sone herde that his fader sholde dye a­none he sette hym doune on bothe his knees afore thempe­rour / and sayd. O my reuerent lorde for his loue that hen­ge on crosse late me dye for my fader. Thenne sayd the Em­peour It pleaseth me well that one dye for the offence of y ^• lawe. Than sayd this erles sone sythe it is so that I shal dye I aske the benefytes of y ^t lawe that is to saye that I may haue thre petycions graunted or I dye. The Emperoure answered and sayd / aske what thou wylt there shall no mā say nay. Than sayd this yonge knyght. My lorde ye haue but one doughter the whiche I desyre of your hygnesse that she may lye with me a nyght or that I dye. The Emperour graunted though it were agaynst his wyll in fulfyllynge of his lawe. Neuerthelesse this knyght deffloured her not as that nyght. Therfore he plesed the Emperour gretely. The seconde peticions this I aske all thy tresoure / and anone y ^e Emperour graunted bycause he sholde not be called a bree­ker of owne lawe. And whan this erles sone had resceyued the Emperours tresoure he deperted it bothe to poore men and ryche / wherfore he opteyned there good wyll. My thyr­de peticion is this. I aske my lorde that all theyr eyen may by put oute in contynent whiche sawe my fader etynge of [Page] the blacke playce wherfore the Emperour lete make an in­quisycyon anone who it was y ^t sawe the erle turne the play­ce / and they that sawe hym turne y ^t playce / bethought them and sayd within them selfe. If we knowledge that we sawe hym do this trespas than shall our eyen be putte oute. And therfore it is better that we holde vs styll / and so there was none founde that wolde accuse hym / whan this Erles sone sawe this he sayd vnto the Emperour. My lorde quod he ye se that there is no man accuseth my fader / therfore gyue ye ryghtfull Iugemente. Than sayd the Emperour. For soo moche that no man wyll knowlege y ^t they sawe hym torne the playce. Therfore I wyll not that thy fader shall dye Lo the sone thus saued the lyfe of the fader. And after y ^e desea­se of the Emperour he wedded his doughter.

THere dwelled somtyme in Rome a myghty Emperour named Lemicius whiche on a daye rode in dysporte to a foreste where as he met sodeyn­ly with a poore man to whome he sayd thus / frende whens comest thou and who arte thou. My lorde quod he I came fro the nexte cyte and your man I am. Thenne sayd the Emperour thou semest poore / ther­fore yf thou wylte be good and true I shall promote the to grete rychesse and honoure. Thenne answered this poore man and sayd. My lorde I promyse you my fay the fullly for to be true vnto you as longe as y ^t I lyue. The Emperoure anone made hym knyght and gaue hȳ grete rychesse. whan he was thus promoted he waxed so proude that he thought hym selfe more able for to be an Emperour than his lorde / wherfore he made suggestyon vnto dyuers lorde of that empyre that he myght vsurpe and take vpon hȳ thrughe stren­gthe of theym to be Emperour. whan the Emperour herde this anone he exyled hym and all tho that were consentyn­ge to hym soo that they were put in grete wretchednesse & sorowe and than y ^e Emperour ordeyned other men in theyr [Page] stede and gaue theym all the possessyons of the traytours and of there felawshyppe. And whan the banysshed men herde that straungers had take possessyon in theyr lande and goodes. Anone they conspyred agaynst hym & thrughe treason prayed theym vnto a feeste / and they as Innocen­tes thynkynge no treason came at the daye assygned / and were serued with fyue meases / whiche were enpoysoned / wherfore as many as tasted of that vytayll dyed in conty­nent / whan the Emperour herde this / he was gretely mo­ued and called his counceyll to wyte what was beste to be done of this treason and of theyr dethe. Than sayd y ^e Em­perours sone. My lorde I am youre sone / and ye be my fa­der / and therfore I shall gyue you good ceunsell and profy­table to all men. Not ferre hens is a lytell realme wherein dwelleth a fayre mayden and gracyous in the syght of eue­ry man whiche hathe an orcherde wherin there is a welle / wherof the water is of suche vertue / that yf it be caste vpon a dede man / anone he shall lyue agayne and recouer his ly­fe, Therfore my lorde I shall descende vnto the realme and seke that water by the whiche they that were slayne at the feest myght ryse agayne to lyfe. And whan the Emperour herde this / he was gretely gladded and sayd Sone thy coū ­cell is ryght good and anone the Emperours sone wente in to the sayd realme and felle in conceyte of the mayden in soo moche that he entred in to the gardyne and sayde of the welle. And whan he hadde soo done he made fyue depe trenches in the grounde in the whiche the water ranne tylle it came where the deed men laye buryed / and anone whan the water touched theym they arose frome dethe to lyfe / and thenne the Emperours soone ledde theym vnto his fader. And whan The Emperour sawe this he was ryghte Ioyes full / wherfore he crowned his sone with a lauryate crou­ne [Page] in token of vyctorye / and soo he ended his lyfe in pease.

SOmtyme there dwelled in Rome a myghty em­perour the whiche was named Dunstane. In whose Empyre dwelled a gentyll knyght y ^e whiche had two sones. One of his sayd sones wed­ded hym selfe astaynst his faders wyll to a com­une woman of the bordell. The knyght herynge this exyled his sone frome hym. And whan he was thus exyled he be­gate on this woman a sone / and sone after that he wexed seke and nedefull wherfore he sente messengers to his fa­der besechynge hym of his mercy. This herynge his fader had compassyon and ruthe of hym wherfore he was recon­syled. And whan he was thus brought agayne to his faders grace / he gaue his sone whiche he had begoten afore of this nedeful woman to his fader. And he kyndely receyued it as his sone and norysshed it whan his other sone herde this he [Page] sayd to is fader. Fader quod he it semeth y ^t thou arte out of thy ryght mynde the whiche I preue by this reason. For he is out of his mynde that receyueth a false heyre / & nourys­sheth hym / whose fader hath done hym anguysshe & dysease afore. But my brother whiche begate this chylde hath done the grete Iniurye whan that he wedded y ^e comune woman agaynst thy wyll and commaundement. Therfore me se­meth that thou arte oute of thy ryght mynde. Thenne ans­wered y ^e fader and sayd. By cause that thy brother is recon­syled thou arte enuyous to me and also vnkynde to thyn o­wne brother / wyllynge for to put hym from my felawshyp for euer more & sothely none vnkynde man shall haue myn herytage but yf that he be reconsyled. But yet y ^u were neuer reconsyled of his vnkyndnesse for thou myght haue recon­syled hym but thou woldest not / therfore of myn herytage get est thou no parte.

THere dwelled somtyme in Rome a myghty Em­perour named donate whiche lete make .iii. yma­ges. Of y ^e which one helde out his hande streyght vnto the people and hadde on his fynger a ryn­ge of golde. The secōde ymage had a berde of golde. And the thyrde had a manteli of purple / commaundyn­ge vpon payne of deth that no man sholde robbe these yma­ges of the rynge berde nor of the mantell. It befell after vpon a tyme that one Dionyse a tyraunt came in to y ^e tem­ple and toke awaye the rynge frome the fyrste ymage / the berde frome the seconde / and the mantell frome the thyrde And anone whan he had thus done he was accused vnto y ^e Emperour and broughte byfore hym and was examyned of that trespasse / why that he dyspoyled y ^t ymages agaynst the Emperour commaundement. Thenne sayd this diony­se. My lorde it is lawfull to answere for my selfe / where none wyll answere for me / whan I entred in to the temple the fyrst ymage helde forthe his hande streyghte to me / as who saythe. I gyue the this rynge / and therfore I toke the rynge atte the gyfte of the ymage. And whan I sawe the seconde ymage hauynge berde. I thoughte thus with in my selfe I knewe somtyme the fader of this ymage whiche had no berde and now his sone hathe a berde whiche is agaynst reason the sone to haue a berde and the fader none & ther­fore I tooke fro hym his berde that he sholde be lyke his fa­der. After that whan I sawe the thyrde ymage closed in a mantel of golde I thought that a mantell of golde was not byhouable to hym in wynter / for golde is naturally colde y ^t myȝt because of his deth / & therfore I toke it fro hȳ bycause [Page] it was to colde in wynter / & to heuy in somer. Whan Dyo­nyse had excused hymby these reasons. The emperour an­swered and sayd. Thou hast answered wyckedly for they sel­fe / what sholde cause the rather than ony other man to dys­poyle these ymages / for so moche that I commaunded that no man sholde doo theym ony harme / and thyn owne mouthe hath dempned the / and anone the Emperour called to hym one of his squyers and charged hym to smyte of his he de and soo it was doone.

IN Rome there dwelled somtyme a myghty Em­perour named Euas / whiche had a yonge lady to his wyfe on whome he hadde begoten a fayre so­ne / whan the states of y ^e Empyre herde this they came vnto the Emperoure and besought hym to haue the kepynge of his sone. Anone the Emperour sente a sergeaūt thrughout the cyte saynge that in whose house we­re fyrste founde fyre and water / the good man of that hou­se sholde haue his soone in kepynge and to nourysshe / and that the Emperour made proclamacyon that who soo euer had his sone to kepe shold norysshe hym clenly and fede hȳ with holsome vytayle. And whan the chylde came to age than sholde the keper be promoted to grete honoure wher­fore many men lete make redy fyre and water in hope to haue the chylde. But on the nyghte whan euery man was a slepe there came a tyraunt named Sulapyus the whiche quenched the fyre and threwe out the water. Neuerthelesse amonge all the other / there was a man named Ionathas whiche laboured so dylygently that he kept bothe daye and nyghte fyre and water. In a mornynge erly the sergeaunt at the Emperouers commaundement wente thrughe the cyte and sought in euery house for fyre & water but he cou­de none fynde tyll he came to Ionathas house where as he foūde both fyre and water redy / wherfore he was brought before the Emperour and his sone delyuered vnto hym ac­cordynge to his proclamacyon / whan Ionathas had them­perours sone he ledde hym home to his house / and sone af­ter sent for masons and carpenters and lete make a stronge chamber of lyme and stone. And whan y ^• chamber was ma­de he sent for paynters & lete paynte in the wall of the chamber within ten ymages with this poysy wryten aboue theyr hedes / who defoyleth these ymages shall dye a foule dethe. [Page] And that he drewe on the dore a galowes / and a fygure of hȳ selfe hangynge therupon with this poysy wryten aboue his hede. Soo shall he be serued that nouryssheth thempe­rours sone amys. Also he lete make a chayre of golde / and hym selfe syttynge therin crowned with a crowne of golde with this superscrypcyon / aboue his hede / who that nourys­sheth y ^e Emperours sone clenly thus shall he honoured whā this was doone. Oftymes in his slepe he was tēpted to de­fyle the ymages / but anone he redde the superscrypcyon a­boue theyr hedes / and than all y ^t temptacyons seased. And whan the Emperours sone was cuyll kepte than wente he to the galowes / and rede the poysy that was wryten aboue his owne hede and for drede therof he kepte the chylde y ^t better and was dylygent to tende on hym. And whan he behelde the chayre and hym selfe sytteynge therin crowned with golde he was ryght Ioyfull / thynkynge to haue a good re­warde for kepynge of the Emperours sone / whan the Em­perour herde of his dylygente demenaunce aboute his sone he sent for hȳ & for his sone both / thankȳge hȳ for his weil kepynge and nourysshynge of hym / and after promoted hȳ to grete honoure and worshyppe.

IN Rome there dwelled somtyme a myghty Em­perour named Menaly the whiche had wedded the kynges doughter of hungry a fayr lady & gracious in all her werkes / & specially she was merci­ful as y ^e emperour lay in his bed he bethought hȳ y ^e he wolde vysyte y ^e holy londe / & on the morne he called to hȳ [Page] the Empresse and his owne onely broder and thus he sayd dere lady I may not ne I wyll not hyde fro the / the preuy­tees of my herte. I purpose to vysyte the holy londe / wher­fore I ordeyne the pryncypally to be lady and gouernoure ouer all myn Empyre and ouer my people. And vnder the I ordeyne here my broder to be thy stywarde for to prouyde all thynges that may be profytable to me and to my people Than sayd the Empresse. Syth it wyll none other wyse be but nedes ye wyll go to the holy londe I shall be in your ab­sence as true as ony turtyll that hath lost his felawe. For as I byleue ye shall not escape thens with your lyfe. The Em­perour anone conforted her with fayre wordes and kyste her and after that toke his leue of her and of all other and so wente forth towarde the holy londe. And anone after y ^t the Emperour was gone his broder waxed soo proude that he opressed poore and robbed tyche men & yet he dyd worse for dayly he styred the Empresse to synne with hym. But e­uer she answered agayne as an holy and a deuoute woman and sayd. I wyll quod she neuer consente to you / ne to none other as lōge as my lorde lyues. Neuerthelesse this knyght wolde not leue by this answere but euer whā he founde her alone he made his compleynt to her / and styred her by all the wayes that he coude to synne with hym / whan this la­dy sawe that he wolde not seas for none answere ne wolde not amende hym selfe whan she sawe her tyme she called to her thre or foure of the worthyest of that Empyre and sayd to theym thus it is not vnknowen to you that my lorde y ^e Emperour ordeyned me prȳcipally gouernour of this Em­pyre / and also he ordeyned his broder to be stewarde vnder me and that he sholde doo no thynge without my counceyl but he dooth all the contrary / for he oppresseth poore men gretely & robbeth ryche men / & yet he wolde do worse yf he [Page] myght haue his entente wherfore I commaunde you in my lordes name that ye bynde hym faste / and caste hym in pry­son. Thenne sayd they sothely he hath done many harmes syth out lorde wente / therfore we be redy to obey your commaandement / but in this mater ye muste answere for vs to our lorde the Emperour. Than sayd she drede ye not for of my lorde knewe what he hath done as well as I he wolde putte hym to the fowlest dethe that can bethought. Anone these men sette handes on hym and bounde hym faste with yron cheynes and putte hym faste in pryson / where as he laye longe tyme after / tylle atte the laste it fortuned there came tydynges that the Emperour was comynge home & hadde opteyned grete worshyppe and vyctory / whan his broder herde of his comynge he sayd / wolde god my broder myght fynde me in pryson for thenne wolde he enquyre the cause of myn emprysonement of the Empresse / and she wyl tell hym all the trouth / and how I desyred her to synne / & soo for her I shall haue no grace of my broder but lose my lyfe this knowe I well therfore it shall not be soo. Thenne sente he a messenger vnto the Empresse praynge her for crystes passyon that she wolde vouchsafe to come vnto the pry­son dore that he myght speke a worde with her. The Em­presse came to hym / and enquyred of hym what he wolde. He answered and sayd thus O lady haue marcy vpon me For yf the Emperoure my brother fynde me in this pryson thenne I dye without remedy. Thenne sayd the Empresse yf I myght knowe thou woldest be a good man and leue of thy foly thou sholdest haue grace. Than dyde he behote her sykerly to be true and to amende all this trespasse / whan he had thus promysed the Empresse delyuered hym anone & made hym to be bathed and shauen and arayed hym wor­shyppefully accordynge to his estate / and than she sayd vn­to [Page] hym thus. Nowe good broder lepe on thy stede and come with me that we may mete my lorde. He answered & sayd lady I am redy to fulfyll youre wyll and youre commaun­dement in all thynges. And than the Empresse tooke hym with her and many other knyghtes and rode forth to mete with the Emperoure / and as they rode togyder by the way they sawe where a grete harte ranne afore them / wherfore euery man with suche houndes as they had chased hym on horse backe / soo that there with the Empresse was lefte no creature saue onely the Emperours brother / whiche seynge that no man was there but they two / this he sayd vnto the Empresse. Loo lady here besyde is a preuy foreste and longe it is agone that I spake to the of loue come nowe and con­sente vnto me that I may lye with the. Than sayd the Em­pres a fole what may this be / yesterdaye I delyuered y ^t fro­me pryson vpon thy promesse in hope of a mendement and nowe thou arte retourned to thy foly agayne / wherfore I saye now to the as I haue sayd before there shall no man do suche thynge with me but onely my lorde the Emperoure whiche oweth of very dutye and ryght so for to do Thenne sayd he / yf thou wylte not consente to me I shall hange the here vpon a tree in this forest where no man shall fynde the & so shalt thou dye an euyll dethe. The Empresse answered mekely and sayd though thou wylt smyte of myn heed and put me to dethe with all maner turmentynge thou shalt ne­uer haue thy consente to suche synne / whan he herde this he vnclothed her all saue her smocke / and henge her vp by the here vpon a tree and tyed her stede besyde her / and soo rode forthe to his felawes / and tolde theym that a grete hoost of men mete hym and toke the Empresse awaye fro hym. And whan he hadde tolde theym this / they made grete sorowe▪ It befelle on the thyrde daye / after that / that there came an [Page] erle to hunte in that foreste / and as he rode betynge the bra­kes he sterte a foxe whome his houndes folowed faste tylle they came nere the tree wherupon the Empresse was han­ged / and whan the dogges felte the sauoure of her they lefte the foxe / and ranne towarde the tree as fast as they cou­de. The erle this seynge wondred and smote the spores into his horse syde / and folowed theym tylle he came where as the body was henged / whan the Erle sawe her this hangȳ ­ge / he meruayled gretely / for soo moche she was ryght fayr and gracyous for to beholde / wherfore he sayd vnto her in this maner wyse. O woman who arte thou & of what coun­tre / and wherfore hanged thou here in this maner wyse / y ^e Empresse that was not yet fully deed / but in poynt redy for to dye answered and sayd I am quod she a straunge wo­man and am come oute offerre countrey / but how I came hyder god knoweth. Than answered the erle and sayd whose horse quod he is this that standeth here by the bounde to this tree. Than answered y ^t lady and sayd that it was hers whan the Erle herde this / he kuewe wel that she was a gentyll woman / and come of somme noble kynred / wherfore he was the rather meued with pyte and sayd vnto her. O fay­re lady thou semeste gentyll. And therfore I purpose to de­lyuer the frome this payne yf thou yf thou wylte promyse to goo with me and norysshe my yonge doughter / and teche her atte home in my castell / for I haue no chylde but one­ly her / and yf thou kepe her well / thou shalte haue a good rewarde / for thy laboure. Than sayd she as ferforthe as I can or maye I shall fulfyl thyn entente. And whan she had promysed hym thus / he toke her doune of y ^e oke & led her home to his castel & gaue her y ^e kepȳge of his doughter y ^t he loued so moch & she was cherysshed so well that she lay euery nyghte in the Erles Chaumber and his doughter togyder [Page] And in his Chambre euery nyght there brente a lampe the whiche henge euyn bytwene the Empresse bedde and the erles bedde. This lady bare her soo gentely that she was belo­ued of euery creature. There was that tyme in erles courte a stewarde whiche loued moche this Empresse aboue al thȳ ge / and oftentymes spake to her of his loue / but she answe­red hym euer agayne and sayd knowe ye dere frende for certayne I haue made a solempne vowe that I shall neuer lo­ue man in suche wyse but onely hym whome I am gretely beholde for to loue hym by goddes commaūdement. Than answer the stewarde and sayd thou wylte not than con­sent to me. My lorde quod she what nedeth the more for to aske me, The vowe whiche I haue made truely shall I ke­pe and holde be the grace of god. Than whan the stewarde herde this he wente his waye in grete wrath and angre thȳ kynge within hym selfe and / yf I may I shall be wroken on the. It befell within shorte tyme after vpon a nyghte that the erles chamber dore was forgoten and lefte vnshyt­te whiche the stewarde perceyued anone. And whan all the were a slepe he wente and espyed by the lyght of the lampe where the Empresse and y ^• yonge mayde laye togyder and with that / drewe out his knyfe / and cutte the throte of the Erles doughter and putte the blody knyfe in the Empresse hande she beynge a slepe and not knowynge nothynge the­of to this entente that the Erle whan he wakened sholde see the knyfe in her hande and that he sholde thynke that she had cutte his doughters shrote wherfore she sholde be put vnto dethe for his defaute. And whan this damoysell was thus slayne and the blody knyfe in y ^e Empresse hande. The Countesse awaked of her slepe and sawe by the lyght of the lampe the blody knyfe in her hande wherfore she was al­moost out of her mynde and sayd to the Erle thus. O my [Page] lorde anone byholde in yonder ladyes hande a wonderfull thȳge. The Erle awaked and byhelde on the Empresse bed and sawe the blody knyfe as the Countesse sayd wherfore he was gretely meued and cryed vnto her and sayd. A wa­ke woman of thy slepe what thynge is this I se in thy hande. Anone the Empresse thrughe his crye awaked of her sle­pe / & in her wakynge the knyfe fall out of her hande / & with that she loked by her and founde the Erles doughter deed by her syde and all the bedde full of blode / wherfore with an huge crye and voyce she cryed. Alas alas and welaway my lordes doughter is slayne she cryed vnto the Erle with a pyteous voyce and sayd a my lorde lette that deuyll be putte to the moost foule dethe that can bethought the whiche hath slayne thus our onely chylde. And whan the countesse had sayd thus to the Erle / she sayd vnto y ^e Empresse in this wy­se. The hyghe god knoweth that thou myscheuous woman haste slayne my doughter with thyne owne hande / for I sawe the blody knyfe in thyne hande / and therfore thou shalte dye a fowle dethe. Thenne sayd the Erle in this maner of wyse. O thou woman / were it not that the drede of god is soo grete I sholde cleue thy boody with my swerde in two partyes / For I delyuered the frome hangynge and nowe thou haste slayne my doughter. Neuerthelesse for me thou shalte haue no harme / therfore goo thy waye oute of this ci­te without ony delaye / for yf I fynde y ^t here this daye thou shalte dye an euyl dethe. Thenne rose this woful Empresse and dyde on her clothes and lept on her palfray / and rode towarde the eest alone without ony saufconduyte. And as she rode thus mournynge by the waye she espyed on y ^t lefte syde of the waye a payre of galous and seuen sergeauntes ledynge a man to the galous for to be hanged / wherfore she was meued with grete pyte and smote her horse with the [Page] spores and rode to them praynge them that she myght bye that mysdoer yf that he myght be saued frome deth for ony mede. Than sayd they. Lady it pleaseth vs well that hou bye hym. Anone the Empresse accorded with them & payed his raūsome and than he was delyuered. Thus sayd she to hym. Now dere frende be true tyll thou dye syth I haue delyuered the frome deth. On my soule quod he I you behore euer to be true. And whan he had thus sayd he folowed the lady styll tyll they came nyghe a cyte / and than sayd y ^t Em­presse to hym good frende quod she go forth thy waye afore me to the cyte / and take vp for vs an honeste lodgynge / for there I purpose to rest a whyle. This man wente forth as she commaunded and toke vp for her a good lodgynge and a profytable where as she abode longe tyme after whan y ^e men of y ^• Cyte had perceyued her fayrenesser they wondred gretely / wherfore many of theym spake to her of vnlaw­full loue / but it myght not prouayle theym by no waye. It fortuned after vpon a daye that there came a shyppe full of marchaundyse and aryued in the hauen of the cyte / whan the lady herde this she sayd vnto her seruaunt Go quod she vnto the shyppe and se yf there be ony clothe for myn vse. Her seruaunt wente forth to the shyp where as he founde many precyous clothes / wherfore he prayed the mayster of the shyppe that he sholde come in y ^e cyte and speke with his lady. The mayster graunted hym / and soo he wente home vnto his lady before and warned her of the mayster of the shyppes comynge. Anone after the mayster of the shyp ca­me and saluted the lady worthely / and the lady hym recey­ned accordynge to his degre praynge hym that she myght haue for her money suche clothe as myght be profytable for her werynge. Anone he graūted that she sholde haue. And soone they were accorded / wherfore the seruaunt wente a­gayne [Page] with the mayster vnto the shyppe. And whan they were bothe within the shyppe borde / the mayster sayd thus vnto the ladyes seruaunt. My dere frende vnto the I wol­de open my counceyll / yf I myght truste in the / and yf the lyste to kepe my counceyll and helpe me thou shalte haue of me a grete rewarde. Thenne answered he and sayd I shall quod he be sworne vnto the on the holy golpell that I shall kepe thy counceyll and fulfyll thyne entente as ferforth as I can. Than sayd the mayster of the shyppe I loue quod he thy lady more than I can telle. For her fayrenesse is soo gre­te that I wolde gyue for loue of her all the good that I haue and yf I may opteyne the loue of her thrughe thyne hel­pe I wyll gyue the what soeuer thou wylte desyre of me. Than sayd the ladyes seruaunt telle me quod he by what mene I may beste spede. Than sayd the mayster of y ^e shyp goo home to thy lady agayne and telle her that I wyll not delyuer to the my clothe but yf she come her selfe but bryn­ge her not to the shyppe but yf the wynde be good and able for than I purpose to lede her away. Thy coūceyle is good quod the ladyes seruaūt. Therfore gyue me some rewarde and I shall fulfyll thyne entente / whan he hadde thus re­ceyued his mede / he wente agayne to his lady and tolde her that by noo meanes the mayster of the shyppe wolde not delyuer hym the clothe but yf she came her selfe. The lady by­leued her seruaunt and she wente to the shyppe. And whan she was within the shyppe borde her seruaunt abode with­out / whan the mayster sawe that she was within the shyp and that the wynde was goo he drewe vp y ^t sayle and sayl led forth / whā y ^• lady had this perceyued. Thus sayd she to y ^t mayster. O mayster qd she what treason is this y ^• y ^u haste done to me. The mayster answered and sayd Madame cer­taynly it suche y ^e I muste nedes lye w ^t y ^e & after wedde y ^•. [Page] Forsoth quod she I haue made auowe that I shall neuer doo suche synne but with hym to whome I am beholde by ryght and by lawe. Sothely quod he yf ye wyll not graun­te me with youre good wyll I shall caste you out in y ^e myd­des of the see / and there shall ye dye an euyll dethe. If it be quod she y ^t I must nedes consente or elles dye. Than praye I the araye a preuy place in the ende of the shyppe where as I may fulfyll thyne entente or I dye / but fyrste I praye y ^e that I may saye my orysons vnto the fader of heuen that he may haue mercy on me. The mayster beleued her wher­fore he lete ordeyne her a cabone in the shyppes ende and in she gooth and sette her doune on bothe her knees and made her prayers saynge in this wyse. O thou my lorde god whi­che haste kepte me from my youthe in clennesse kepe me no­we that I be not defouled / soo that I may serue the euer w ^t clene herte and mynde / whan her oryson was thus ended there rose sodeynly a grete tempest in the see that the shyp all to braste and all that were within perysshed saue the la­dy that caught a capyll and saued her selfe. And the mayster another of the shyppe. Neuerthelesse she knewe not of hym ne he of her / for they were dryuen to dyuers costes. This la­dy lāded in her owne Empyre besyde a nonery wherin she was worshyppely receyued / and she lyued soo holy a lyfe y ^t god gaue her grace to heele seke folke of all maner of mala­dyes / wherfore there came grete people to her bothe croked blynde and lame / and euery man thrughe the grace of god and her holy prayer were heledc / wherfore the name of her was all knowen thrughe dyuers regyons Neuertheles she was not knowen as Empresse. In that same tyme the Em­perours brother whiche had hanged her byfore by y ^• heere was smyten w ^t a foule lepre. The knyght that slewe the er­les doughter & put y ^e blody knyfe in her hande was blynde [Page] defe and had the palsye. The thefe that betrayed her to the mayster of the shyp was lame & full of the crampe. And the mayster of the shyp was dystraught out of his mynde / whā the Emperour herde that so holy a woman was in suche a nonry he sayd to his broder thus. Goo we quod he dere bro­der vnto this holy woman that is dwellynge in the nourye that she may hele the of thy lepre wolde god quod he that I were heled. Anone the Emperour his owne persone wente with his broder towardes the Nonery. And whan that the Nones herde of his comynge they resceyued hym worshyp­fully and with processyon. And than the Emperour enquy­red of the pryoresse of ony suche holy woman were amonge them that coude hele seke folke of theyr maladyes. The pryoresse answered and sayd / that suche one was there. Than was the Empresse called forth afore the Emperour / but she muffled her face as well as she coude / that the Emperourt her husbande sholde not knowe her / and whan she had soo done. She salued hym with grete reuerence as perteyned vnto his estate / & he agayne in lyke wyse saynge thus O go de lady yf the lyst of thy grace to hele my broder of his lepre Axe of me what thou wylte & I shall graunt it the for thy rewarde / whan y ^• Empresse herde this she loked aboute her & sawe there the Emperours broder stode and was a foule lepre. She sawe also there y ^e knyght y ^t slewe y ^e Erles dough­ter blinde & defe. The thefe y ^t she saued fro y ^e galowes lame & also the mayster of the shyp dystraught oute of his mynde & all were come to her for to be heled of theyr sykenesse but they knewe her not / for all y ^e they knewe her not thoughe she knewe them. Than sayd she vnto themperour thus my reuerent lorde though ye wolde gyue me all your Empyre I may not hele youre broder nor none of these other but yf they knowelege openly what they haue done / whan y ^t Em­perour [Page] herde this he torned hym towarde his broder & sayd to hym broder knowelege openly thy synne before all these men that thou mayst be heled of sekenesse. Anone he began to telle how he had lyued his lyfe / but he tolde not how he had hanged the Empresse in the foreste by the heere / whan that he had knoweledged all that hym lyste. The Empresse sayd sothely my lorde I wolde gladly laye vnto hym my me­dycyne. But I wote ryght well it is in vayne for he hath not made a ful confessyon. The Emperour herynge this torned hym towarde his broder / & sayd agayne in this wyse what euyll sorowe or vnhappy wretchednesse is in the feest thou not that thou arte a foule laser. Therfore knowelege truely thyne synne that thou mayst be hole / or elles auoyde my fe­lawshyppe for euer. A lorde quod he I may not tell my ly­fe openly but yf I be sure of thy grace / what hast thou tres­paced ayenst me quod the Emperour. His broder answered and sayd / myn offence agaynst the is greuous / and ther­fore I aske mercy. The Emperour thought not of the Em­presse for as moche as he supposed she had be dede many ye­res before / he bad his brother telle forth what he had offen­ded hym and he sholde be forgyuen. And whan the Emperour had thus forgyuen his broder he began to telle openly how he had desyred the Empres to synne with hym / & how he had hanged her by the heere in the forest by cause she wolde not consente to hym. whan the Emperour herde this al­moost wretched creature y ^e vengeaūce of god is fallen on y ^t and were not y ^t I haue pardoned the thou sholdest dye the foulest deth that coude be thought. Than sayd the knyght that slewe the erles doughter. I wote not quod he of what lady ye ment / but well I wote y ^t my lorde foūde suche a la­dy hangȳge by y ^• heere in foreste & brought her home to his [Page] castell & bytoke her his doughter in kepynge / & I styrred her to syn̄e with me as moche as I coude but she wolde not consent / wherfore I slewe the erles doughter y ^e lay with her And whan y ^t I had so done I put the blody knyfe in the ladyes hande y ^t y ^e erle sholde thynke she had slayne his doughter with her owne hande / & than was she exyled thens but where she became wote I not. Than sayd thefe I wote ne­uer of what lady ye mene but well I wote y ^• seuen sergeaun­tes were ledynge me to the galowes / & suche a lady came rydynge by & bought me of them / and than wente I with her and afterwarde I betrayed her vnto a mayster of a shyppe Suche a lady quod he receyued I. And whan that we were the myddes of the see I wolde haue layne with her but she satte doune to her prayers / & anone there arose suche a tem­peste that the shyppe all to braste and were all drowned sa­ue. I But what after y ^t befell on her wote I not. ¶ Than ctyed the Empresse with an hyghe voyce and sayd. Sothly dere frendes ye are now clene confessed / wherfore now wyl I laye to my medycyne / and anone they receyued theyr hel­the / whan the lady had thus done she opened her face vnto the Emperour / and he knewe her anone and ranne to her & braced her in his armes and kyssed her oftentymes / and for Ioye wepte bytterly saynge thus. Blyssed be god now ha­ue I founde that I desyred. And whan he had thus sayd he led her home vnto his palyce with grete Ioye and after whan god wolde be pleased they ended theyr lyues both in pease

IN Rome somtyme there dwelled a myghty Em­erour named Martyn whiche for loue kept with hym his broders sone whome men called Fulgen­ctꝰ with this Martyn dwelled also a knyght that was stuarde of his Empyre & vncle vnto the Em­perour whiche enuyed this fulgenciꝰ / & studyed bothe day & nyght how he myght brȳge y ^e Emperour & this chylde at debate wherfore the stewarde on a day wente vnto y ^t Em­perour & sayd. My lorde quod he I whiche am youre true seruaūt owe of duty to warne your hyghnesse yf I here ony thynge y ^t toucheth your honoure wherfore I haue herde su­che thȳges y ^t I muste nede vtter in secrete to your sordshyp bytwene vs .ii. Than sayd y ^• Emperour. Good frende quod he say what y ^u lyst. My lorde qd the stuarde. Fulgenciꝰ your cosyn & your nye kynnesman hath dyffamed you wonder­ly and shamefully thrughe all your Empyre saynge y ^t your brethe stynketh y ^e it is deth to hym to serue you of your cup. Than the Emperour waxed wrothe and almoost out of hȳ selfe for veray angre / and sayd to hym thus / I praye the good frende tell me the very trouth yf that my breth so styn­keth as he sayth. My lorde quod the stuarde ye may beleue me for I perceyued a sweter breth in my dayes. Thà [Page] sayd the Emperour I praye the good frende telle me how I may brynge this thynge to preefe. The stuarde answered and sayd. My lorde ye shall ryght well vnderstonde y ^• trou­the. For to morowe nexte whan he serueth you of your cup­pe ye shall se that he shall torne awaye his face frome you by cause of your brethe / and this is the moost veray prefe that may be had of this thynge. For soth [...] sayd the Emperoure a truer profe can not be hadde of this thynge / wherfore anone whan the stuarde herde this / he wente to Fuigencius and toke hym a syde saynge thus. Dere frende thou arte my kynnesman / and neuewe to my lorde the Emperour / ther­fore yf thou wylte conne me thanke I wyll tell the of y ^e vy­ce wherof my lorde complayneth ofte and thynketh to put the fro hym but yf it be rather amended and that myght be grete reprefe to the. Thenne sayd this Fulgencius. A good syr for his loue that dyed on the crosse telle me why my lor­de is soo meued with me / for I am redy to amende my de­faute in all that I may / and for to be ruled by your coūceyll Thy brethe quod the stuarde stynketh sore that his drynke dooth hym no good / soo greuous vnto hym is the stynkyn­ge of thy brethe. Than sayd Fulgencius truely that percey­ued I neuer tylle nowe / but what thynketh you of my bre­the. I praye you tell me y ^t trouthe. Sothely quod he it styn­keth foule. Neuerthelesse he byleued all that he sayd. This Fulgencius was ryght sorowfull & prayed hym of his councell and helpe in this case. Than sayd the stewarde yf thou lyste for to do by my councell I shall brynge this mater to good conclusyon. Therfore I counceyll for the beste and also I warne the that whan thou seruest thy lorde of his cup­pe than torne awaye thy face frome hym that he may not fele thy brethe tyll that tyme that thou haste prouyded the for somme remedye. Fulgencius thenne was gladde and [Page] sware that he wolde doo by his councell. Not longe after it befelle that the chylde serued his lorde as he was wonte to doo. Sodeynly he torned his face frome the lorde by the te­chynge of the stuarde. And whan y ^e Emperour perceyued the broydȳge of his hede he smote the chylde in y ^e brest with his fote saynge thus. O thou rybaude now see I well it is true that I haue herde of the / and therfore go thou anone out of my syghte that I se the no lenger in my place / and with that the chylde wepte sore & voyded fro that place out of his syght / and whan he had soo done the Emperour cal­led vnto hym his stuarde / and sayd how may I put this ry­baude fro the worlde that hath me thus me deffamed. My lorde quod the stewarde ryghte well ye shall haue your en­tente. For here besyde within thre leges ye haue breke men whiche make the dayly grete fyres to brenne breke. And al­so he make lyme. Therfore my lorde sende to thē this nyghte and charge hym vpon payne of dethe / that who so euer co­me to hym fyrste on the morowe saynge to theym thus my lorde commaundeth you to fulfyll his wyll that ye take hȳ and caste hym in the furneys with the stones / & this nyghte commaunde ye this Fulgence that he goo erly in the mor­nynge to your werkemen & that he aske wheder that they haue fulfylled your wyll or none / and than shall they accor­dynge to your commaundement caste hym in the fyre and thus he shall dye an euyll dethe. Sothely quod the Empe­rour thy counceyll is good. Therfore calle to me that Ful­gencyus / and whan this chylde was come the Emperoure sayd to hym thus. I charge the vpon deth that thou ryse er­ly in the mornynge and go to the brenners of lyme and bryke and that thou be with theym before sone ryse thre leges frome this house & charge them on my behalfe y ^t they fulfyll my cōmaūdement or elles they shal dye a myscheuous deth [Page] [...] sayd this Fulgencius My lorde / yf god sende me lyfe I shall fulfyll your wyll though I sholde go vnto the worl­des ende / whan Fulgencius had this charge he coude not slepe for thought but y ^t he must aryse erly to fulfyll the lor­des cōmaūdement. The Emperour aboute mydnyght sen­te a messenger to his breke makers on horsbacke cōmaūdȳ ­ge them vpon payne of deth y ^• who soo euer came to theym fyrst in the mornynge saynge to them the Emperours commaundement whiche is before wryten y ^t they cast hym in y ^e fyre and brenne hȳ in to y ^t bare bones. The brekemen sayd it sholde be done. And than rode the messenger home agayn and tolde the Emperour that his commaundement sholde be done. Erly in y ^e mornynge folowynge. Fulgencius arose and arayed hym towardes his waye / he herde a bell rynge wherfore he wente to that chirche for to here masse / and af­ter the leuacyon he felle a slepe and there he slepte a longe whyle so that the preest ne none other man myghte awake hym. The stewarde desyryngs inwardly to here of his deth and how he dyde & aboute one of the clocke he wente vnto the workemen and sayd thus. Syres quod he haue ye done my lordes commaundement or not / than sayd they nay so­thely we haue not yet done his commaūdement but anone it shall be done & with that they sette handes on hym. Than cryed the stewarde and sayd good syres saue my lyfe. For y ^e Emperour commaunded that Fulgencius sholde be put to deth / than sayd they that tolde the messenger not vs / for he badde who so euer come fyrst to vs in the mornynge sayn­ge as it is wryten before that we sholde caste hym in y ^e fur­neyse / and brenne hym to asshes and with that worde they threwe hym in to the fyre and whan he was brente Fulgen­cius came & sayd good syres haue ye done my lordes cōmaū dement / ye sothely sayd they / and therfore telle ye so y ^e Em­perour. [Page] Than sayd fulgencius. For cryste [...] loue tell me that cōmaūdement / we had in cōmaūdement sayd they on payn of deth y ^t who so euer came to vs fyrst in y ^e mornynge and sayd lyke as thou sayst that we sholde take and caste hym in to the fyre. But afore the came y ^e stewarde and therfore ha­ue we fulfylled on hym the Emperours commaundement▪ and now he is brente to the bare bones / whan Fulgenciꝰ herde this he thanked god that had saued hym from dethe and toke his leue of the werkemen and wente agayne vnto the palays / whan the Emperour sawe hym he was almoost out of hym selfe / & sayd / haste y ^u ben with the brekemakers and fulfylled my cōmaūdement. Sothely my gracyous lorde I haue be [...] there / but or I came your commaundement was fulfylled. How sayd the Emperour may that be true. Forsoth sayd Fulgencius the stewarde came vnto them as fore me and sayd that I sholde haue sayd. And whan they herde that they toke hym and threwe hym in to the fyre / & yf I hadde come ony rather so wolde they haue doue to me And therfore I thanke god whiche hath saued me fro deth Than sayd the Emperour / tell me quod he the trouth of su­che thynges as I shall aske the. As I byleue quod Fulgencius yet founde ye neuer in me no falshede. And therfore I wondred why ye had ordeyned for me suche a deth. For well ye knowe y ^t I am your broders sone. Than sayd the Empe­rour it is no wonder for y ^t deth thrughe coūceyll of the ste­warde I ordeyned to the bycause y ^u defamed me through out all myn empyre saynge that my brethe stanke so bytter­ly that it was dethe to the / and in token here of thou tour­ne dest away thy face whan thou serue dest me of my cuppe and that sawe I with myn eyen / and for this cause I ordeyned for the suche a dethe / and yet thou shalte deye but yf I here a better excuse. A my reuerent lorde quod Fulgencius [Page] yf it myght please you to here me I shall tell you a subtyll ymagynacyon. The stuarde y ^t now is deed came to me and sayd y ^t ye tolde hym y ^t my brethe stanke / & therupon he counceyled me y ^t whan I serued you of your cup y ^t I sholde tourne away my face I take god to wytnes I lye not. Whan y ^t emperour herde this he beleued hȳ & sayd. O my sone throughe the ryghtwyse Iugement of god y ^• stuarde is brente & his owne wyckednes and enuy is fallen on hymself / for he ordeyned this malyce agaynst the / & therfore y ^u arte moche bounde to god that hath saued the frome deth.

THere dwelled in Rome amyghty Emperour named Delfynꝰ whiche had no chylde saue a dou­ghter a fayre creature & gretly beloued of her fa­der. As this Emperour walked on a daye on hū ­tynge [Page] in the forest sodenly he rode forth of his waye & loste his men / wherfore he was gretly dysconforted for he wyste not whyther he rode ne in what place he was / tyll at y ^e laste whan had ryden thus all the day alone / in the euynynge he sawe an house & thyder he rode a grete pace and knocked at the gate. Anone the good man of the house herde hym and asked y ^e cause of his knockynge & what he wolde. Dere frende quod the Emperour / lo it is nyght as ye may se therfore I praye you of lodgynge for the loue of god / whan he had thus sayd the good man of the house vnware y ^• he was the Emperour answered thus / & sayd. Good frende quod he I am y ^e emperours foster & haue plence of venyson & of other vytayles for you / whan the Emperoure herde this he was ryght glad. Neuerthelesse he tolde hym not y ^• he was Em­perour / and than the foster opened the gate & receyued hym as worshypfully as he coude and sette hym to his souper / & serued hȳ honestly. And whan he had supped y ^e foster brou­ghte hym to his chamber / and whan tyme was he wente to bed. In that same tyme as it befelle the fosters wyfe was traueylynge of chylde in another chambre by / and was de­lyuered that same nyght of a fayre sone / & the Emperoure lay in his bed slepȳge he herde a voyce saynge to hym as hȳ semed these wordes thryes / take / take / take / & with that he a woke and meruayled what it myght be. Saynge thus to hym selfe / a voyce byddeth me / take / take / take / what shall I take / and he felle a slepe agayne / and the seconde tyme he harde a voyce saynge to hym these wordes / yelde / yelde / yelde / and with that he wokened and wondred gretely / sayn­ge vnto hym selfe what may this be. Fyrste and formeste I herde a voyce and that sayd. Take / take / take / and no thynge I receyued. And ryght nowe I dyde here another [Page] voyce and that sayd / yelde / yelde / yelde / what sholde I yel­de I wote neuer. And as he laye this thynkyngeto hȳselfe fell a slepe agayne and than he herde the thyrde voyce saȳ ­ge these wordes thryes. Fle / fle / fle. For this nyght is a chylde borne whiche after thy desease shall be Emperour / whan the Emperour herde this he wakened and wondred gretly what it myght be. In the mornynge erly folowynge ȳ Em­perour arose & called to hym the foster & sayd / dere frende I praye the y ^• y ^u wylt tell me yf ony chylde be borne this nyght to thy knowelege. My wyfe quod the foster this nyght is delyuered and hath borne a sone. I praye the sayd the Em­perour shewe me thy sone / whan the Emperour had sene y ^• chylde / he sawe a token in y ^e childes vysage wherby he myȝt knowe hȳ another tyme / & sayd to y ^e foster thus. Dere fren de knowest y ^u who am I. Nay sothly sayd the foster For I sawe you neuer erste as I am remembred. Neuerthelesse it semeth y ^e ye sholde be gentyll man. Than answered y ^e Em­perour & sayd I am quod he the Emperour your lorde who me ye haue lodged this nyght wherfore I thanke you mo­che. This herynge y ^e foster fell doune vpon his knees at his foot / & besought hȳ of mercy / & yf he had offended his hygh­nesse in ony thȳge prayed hȳ of forgyuenesse. Than answe­red the Emperour & sayd drede the not for I thanke y ^e her­tely of thy good chere / & thy sone whiche was borne to ny­ghte I wyll haue for to nourysshe & to morowe I shal sen­de for hȳ A lorde quod the foster / it is not suffycient y ^e suche a lorde sholde nourysshe the chylde of his seruaunt. Neuer­thelesse your wyll shall be done. For whan your messengers come I shall delyuer them my sone / whan this was sayd y ^e Emperoure toke his leue & rode home towarde his palays, And whan he was come home he called vnto hȳ suche ser­uauntes as he trusted & sayd to theym thus. Do ye quod he [Page] vnto my forstere with whome I was lodged this nyght in the forest and receyue of hym his sone whiche his wyfe bare this nyght. And vpon a payne of deth I commaunde you y ^e ye slee hym by the awaye / and cast his flesshe to the dogges but brynge to me his herte with you. And but ye fulfyll my commaundement ye shall dye the moest foulest dathe y ^e can bethought. Anone his seruauntes wente to the foreste and receyued y ^• fosters sone and brought hym with theym. And whā they were come nere y ^e palays / one of them sayd. How shall we do that we may fulfyll our lordes cōmaundement in sleynge of this chylde. Some answered and sayd that y ^e chylde sholde be slayne / and some wolde haue saued his lyfe And whyle they strofe thus amonge them selfe one of them y ^e was moost mercyfull sayd O good frendes here my coun­ceyll and ye shall not for thynke it / yf we murder this chyl­de Innocent we shal gretly offende our lorde god. Therfore here be yonge pygges slee we one of theym & than we may here with vs his herte / and presente y ^e Emperour therwith saynge that it is the herte of the chylde / and thus shall we not shede the chyldes blode. Than sayd they thy counceyll is good. But what shall we do with the thylde. Good fren­des quod he. Late vs wrappe hym in some clothes and laye hym in some holowe tree / for perauenture god wolde helpe hym and saue his lyfe / whan he had thus sayd they dyde af­ter his counceyll in all thynges and slewe the pygge & wente theyr way and bare home with theym the pygges herte to the Emperour / saynge thus to hym. Loo gracyous lorde we haue slayne the chylde / and with that they shewed hym the pygges herte. The Emperour supposȳge y ^e it had be the chyldes herte and toke it & kest it in to y ^e fyre / dyspyteously saȳge. Lo y ^e is his herte whiche sholde haue ben Emperour after me. Lo what it is to beleue in dremes & vysyons whi­che [Page] be not elles but fantasyes and vayne thynges. The se­conde day after y ^e y ^• chylde was put in the holowe tre / there came an Erle to hūte in y ^e forest / & as his houndes chased an herte / they came to the holowe tre where the chylde laye / & whan they felte the sauoure of the chylde they wolde no ferder go. The Erle seynge this / meruayled gretely why his houndes abode there / & smote hors w ^e his spores and rode a grete pase tyll he came to them. And whan he came vnto y ^e tree where in the chylde was closed & loked in at a hole / and founde the chylde / & and than was he ryght glad & toke vp the chylde in his armes ful louyngely / & bare hym home vn­to his castell / saynge to the countesse his wyfe. Lo my dere wyfe this daye by fortune I haue frunde a full fayre chyl­de in an holowe tree as I hunted in the forest wherof I am ryght glad. And by cause that I gate neuer sone ne dough­ter on the / ne thou neuer yet conceyued chylde therfore I exorte y ^e that thou wylte feyne thy selfe trauaylynge of chyl and saye y ^e thou hast borne this chylde The councesse fulfyl­led w ^e gladnesse / & sayd my lorde youre wyll shall be done. Not longe after tydynges wente thorughe all that coun­trey that y ^e Countesse was delyuered of a fayre sone / wher­fore they made grete Ioye. The chylde began to waxe / and was ryght well beloued of euery man / and specyally of the erle and of the Countesse. It befell after whan the chylde was. xv. yere olde the Emperoure made a solempne feest to all his lordes vnto the whiche this Erle was called / and at the daye assygned came and brought y ^e chylde whiche was that tyme a fayre squyre and carued atte the borde before the Erle The Emperour behelde hym gretely & espyed the token in forheede that he hadde sene before in the Fosteres house / wherfore he was gretely meued within hym selfe / and sayd vnto the Erle in this wyse / whose sone is this [Page] quod the Emperour. Sethely sayd the Erle he is my sone. Than sayd the Emperour, by the fayth and trouthe y ^e thou o west to me telle me the trouthe. The Erle seynge that he myght not excuse hym by no wyse but that he muste nedes tell / than tolde he hym all togyder how he founde hym in y ^e forest in an holowe tree. This herȳge y ^e Emperour almoost waxed oute of hym selfe and called to hym his seruauntes whiche y ^e he had sente before to slee that chylde. And whan they came he made them to swere on a boke that they shol­de tell the trouth what they had done with y ^e chylde. Good lorde sayd they we put vs vnto thy grace for without doubte pyte so meued vs that we myght not slee hym wherfore we putte hym in an holowe tree / but after warde what be­felle on hym sochly we knowe not and in his stede we slewe a pygge and brought you the herte therof / whan the Emperour had herde the verey trouthe of this mater / he sayd vn­to the Erle. This yonge man quod he shall abyde here with me. The Erle y ^• graunted thoughe it were gretely agaynst his wyll. And whan y ^e feest was ended / euery men toke his leue at the Emperour and wente whyther than theym lyste And that tyme as it fortuned the Empresse and her dough­ter solourned in a grete countrey thens by the commaunde­ment of the Emperour. It berelle not longe after the Em­perour called vnto hym that yonge squyer and sayd. The behoueth quod to ryde vnto the Empresse my wyfe with my letters. All redy my lorde sayd he I am fer to fulfyll youre wyll. Anon the Emperour lete wryte letters wherof the en­tente was this. That the Empresse sholde take the berer of these letters & lette hym be drawen at an horses tayle / & af­ter that she sholde lete hym be hanged tyll he were deed / & that vpon payne of deth / whan the letters were all made & sealed than the Emperour toke theym vnto y ^e yonge squyer [Page] cōmaundynge hym to spede hym her Iourney. And anone the chylde receyued them gladly & put theym sure in a boxe / and rode forth vpon his Iourney / whan he had ryden thre dayes or foure on his Iourney in the euentyde he came vn­to a castell where as a knyght dwelled and prayed hym me­kely of a nyghtes lodgynge. The knyght seynge and behol­dynge the good fauoure of this yonge Squyr / he graunted hym lodgynge and made hym good chere and well to fare and afterwarde brought hym vnto his chambre. And whā he was there he wente to bed and anone was on slepe for he was ryght wery of his Iourney & forgate his boxe with the letters lyenge open in his chambre / whan the knyght sa­we the boxe he opened it and founde the letters sealed with the Emperours sygne manuell / and was gretely tempted for to open them. And at the last he opened theym subrylly and thenne he redde how the Empresse vpon payne of deth sholde putte the berer of theym vnto the deth / and than he was ryght sorowfull and sayd within hym selfe. Alas quod he it is grete pyre for to slee suche a fayre yonge man / and therfore yf I may it shall not be so. And anone the knyght scraped awaye that wrytynge and wrote in the same paper a letter saynge these wordes. Vpon payne of dethe I com­maunde the that thou take the yonge squyer berer of these letters and lette medde hym without ony delaye vnto my doughter and youres with all the honoure and solempnyte that ye can / & whan that they be wedded / that ye take hym in honoure and worshyppe hym as youre owne sone. And that he kepe my place tyll I come to you my selfe / whan the knyght had thus wryten he closed the letters subtylly and put them in the boxe agayne. Erly in the mornynge the chyl de arose and toke his leue of y ^e knyght and rode forth in his Iourney / and came the thyrde daye to the Empresse and sa­luted [Page] her worshypfully in the Emperours behalfe / and t [...] ­ke her the letters / & whan thempresse had rede them / anone she sente her messengers thrughe y ^e courte cōmaūdynge the gentylmen to come to her doughters weddynge atte a cer­tayne daye assygned / whan y ^• daye was come theder came many grete lordes / and anone this chylde wedded the Em­perours doughter with grete honour & worshyp accordȳge to the tenoure of the letters / and was ryght well beloued & moost honoured amonge the people. Not longe after it be­fell that the Emperoure came into that countre / whan the Empresse herde of her lordes comynge. She toke with her her sone in lawe with moche other peple / and wente ayenst the Emperour to welcome hym whan the Emperour sawe this chylde ledynge the Empresse his wyfe he was gretely meued with hym selfe / and sayd. O thou cursed woman for thou haste not fulfylled my commaundement thou shalte dye an euyll dethe. A lorde quod she all y ^t ye commaunded to do I haue fulfylled. Nay cursed woman it is not so for I wrote to the y ^t thou sholdest put hym to deth & now I se hȳ alyue. My lorde quod she safe your grace ye wrote to me [...] I sholde gyue hym your doughter to wyfe / and y ^t on payne of deth. In wytnesse wherof lo here is your seale & your let­ters with your owne seale. Whan the Emperour herde this he wondred gretly & sayd is he wedded thā to my doughter ye sothly sayd y ^e empresse longe agone w ^t grete solempnyte / and as I beleue your doughter is with chylde. Than sayd the Emperour. O y ^u lorde Ihesu it is grete foly to stryue a­gaynst thyne ordynaūce / therfore syth it is so thy wyll must [...]e fulfylled / & with y ^• he toke his sone in lawe in his armes and kyssed hym whiche after his dethe was Emperour and ended his lyfe in reste and pease.

THere dwelled sōtyme in Rome a myghty Emperour named Sauracinus whiche ordeyned for lawe that who so euer rauysshed a vyrgȳ sholde dye / & yf she were rescued / than he that rescued her sholde haue her to wyfe yf hym lyst / and he wolde not wedde her than sholde she gyded & be wedded by his counceyll. It befelle vpon a daye that a tyraunt named Poncianus had rauysshed a vyrgyn and ledde her w ^t hym to a forest and defloured her of her maydenhode. And whā he had so done he wolde haue slayne her / and as he was despoylynge her clothes ther came rydynge by that foreste a gentyl knyght whiche herde y ^• cryenge of a damoysel. Therfore he smote his horse with his spores and rode a grete pa­se into the foreste to wyte what it myght be. And thenne he sawe a woman standynge naked saue her smocke / & than sayd the knyght arte thou now she quod he that cryed soo. Than answered the mayde and sayd ye sothely quod she / & this man that standeth here hath rauysshed me and defoy­led my maydenhode and now he wolde slee me / & therfore he hath dyspoyled me of my clothes that he myght smyte of myn hede / for the loue of god gentyll knyght helpe me now than sayd the tyraunt. She lyeth quod he for she is my wy­fe [Page] and I haue founde here in auoutry with an other man and therfore I wyll slee her. Than sayd the knyght I byle ue better the woman than the / for lo the tokenes of trouth appereth openly in her vysage that thou hast rauysshed her and therfore wyll I fyghte with the for her delyueraunce. And anone they sterte togyder and foughte egrely tyl they were bothe sore wounded. Neuerthelesse the knyght opteyned the vyctorye and put the tyraunt to the flyght. Than sayd the knyght vnto the woman Loo I haue suffred for thy loue many sore woundes and haue saued the frome the deth wylte thou thou therfore be my wyfe. That I desyred quod she with all my herte & therupon I take you my trou­the whan she was thus ensuered the knyght than sayd / he­re besyde is my castell / go ye thyder and abyde there tylle I haue besyted my frendes & my kynnesmen to prouyde for all thynge nedeful for our weddynge. For I purpose to make a grete feest for thyn honoure and worshyppe. My lorde quod she I am redy to fulfyll thy wyll. Theme wente she forthe to the castell where as she was worshypfully recey­ued. And the knyght wente vnto his frendes to make hym redy agaynst the daye of maryage. In the meane wyle ca­me Poncianus the tyraunt to y ^e knyghtes castell & prayed her that he myght speke with her. Than came she downe frome the castell to hym. This tyraunt subtylly flatered her and sayd. Gentyll loue yf it lyst you to consente to me I shal gyue you bothe golde and syluer and grete rychesse and I shall be your seruaunt and ye my souereyne / whan the wo­man herde this / dysceyued she was thrughe his flaterynge and graunted hym to be his wyfe and toke hym in with her in to y ^e castell. It was not longe after but that this knyght came home & founde the castell gate shyt & knocked therat / but longe he was or he myght haue answere / and atte the [Page] last the woman came & demaūded why he knocked so herde Than sayd he. O dere lady hast y ^• chaūged so sone my loue / lette me come in. Nay sothly sayd she y ^u shalte not come he­re for I haue here w ^e me my loue whiche I loued before. Re­membre y ^• quod the knyght y ^t y ^u gaue me thy trouthe to be my wyfe / & how I saued the frome deth / & yf y ^u ponder not thy fayth beholde my woūdes whiche I haue suffred in my body for the loue. And anone he vnclothed hym selfe naked saue his breche y ^e he myght shewe his woundes openly / but she wolde not se them ne speke more w ^e hȳ but shyt fast the gate & wente her way / whā the knyght sawe this he wente to the Iustyce & made his complaynte praynge hȳ to gyue ryghtwys Iugement on this tyraunt & this woman. The Iuge called them before hym / & whan they were come this sayd this knyght. My lorde quod he I aske the benefytes of the lawe whiche is this / yf a man rescue a woman from ra­uysshynge the rescuer shall wedde her yf hym lyst. And this woman delyuered I fro the handes of y ^e tyraūte. Therfore I ought to haue her / & forthermore she gaue me her trou­the & fayth to wedde me. And therupon she wente to my castell / & I haue done grete cost agaynst our weddȳge / & therfore as it semeth me she is my wyf as by y ^e lawe. Thā sayd the Iuge vnto y ^e tyraūt. Thou knowest well y ^e this knyght delyuered her from thy handes & for her loue suffred many smerte woūdes & therfore well y ^u wotest y ^e she is his wyfe by y ^e lawe y [...] y ^e hȳ lyst. But after her delyueraūce w ^e flater ȳge speche y ^u hast dysceyued her / therfore this daye I Iuge y ^e to he hanged. Than sayd the Iuge to y ^e woman in lyke wyse. O woman y ^u knowest how this knyght saued y ^• frome deth & therupon y ^u tokest hȳ thy fayth to be his wyfe / therfore by two reasons y ^u art his wyfe / fyrst by the lawe / & after by thy fayth. This notwithstandȳge y ^• consented afterwarde to y ^• [Page] tyraunt and brought hym in to the knyghtes castell & shyt the gate agaynst the knyghte and wolde not se his woun­des whiche he suffred for thy loue / and therfore I Iugey ^e to be hanged and soo it was done / bothe the rauyssher and she that was rauysshed were dampned to the dethe / wher­fore euery man praysed the Iuge for his ryghtwys Iuge­ment.