of my person Although many Princes and Lordes in such case thinke themselues yll serued yet is it méete and right that the good bée rather ledde by vertuous instinct then caried away from the right through displeasure receyued I sée thou willest mée good am sure that the loue thou bearest me maketh thee ielous of the maintenance of mine honor and estate Yet it hardly entreth into mée and me thinketh it straunge saue that thou tellest it me I could hardly thinke it much lesse beléeue it that such wicked thoughts should bréede in the Bulles brest to me since by proofe I knowe him in many things both good faithfull and honest in his seruice and hée knoweth besides my goodnesse to him howe I receyued him courteously into my Court and that he may saye hée is made Lorde in maner of my kingdome Sacred Prince sayd the Moyle I beléeue in déede that the Bull thinketh himselfe well intreated of your Maiestie and good cause he hath so to doe and that hée meaneth no hurt to your royall person for any displeasure he hath receyued of you or for any conceyued hate he hath towards you And I thinke sure he taketh not vppon him so fowle an enterprise to other ende but bicause prouinder pricketh him maketh him lustie to fling and play the wanton and for that he is well he cannot sée it and that maketh him to deuise some mischiefe wéening to haue all in his hands saue the very title of the King and that this little hauing all the rest which is also the most is easie for him to obtaine I suppose your Highnesse hath vnderstoode me nowe take what way you list I knowe well ynough that an Asse loden with golde may sléepe more safely amongst théeues than a King that trusteth trayterous officers and gouernours appointed for the state And let your Maiestie bée sure of this that that which the Bull can not compasse nor reach vnto by his owne force and others he will certainly practise by deceyt vsing such meanes to bring him to it as the Flea did to bring the Lowse to that passe he brought him to and that he had long pursued as followeth A tale of the Flea and the Lowse and how the Flea was reuenged of the Lowse WHy what shall wée doe then if the case stande as thou settest it forth what way shall we take I will heare thée willingly and follow thy counsell with this condicion though that in this interim my Realme and person be not touched or that I sustaine perill or losse INuincible Lorde to haue any member festered and rankle and plainely to see that if it be not cut off it will corrupt and infect the whole bodie and in cutting it off the bodie remayneth safe and free from infection what is he so madde that will not cut it off The shepeherde findinge in his flocke I speake more resolutely a scabbie and infected sheepe doth not only cut off his legge but riddeth him out of the waye bicause he shall not infect the flocke SVre this sodeine matter maketh me much muse sayde the Lion. For one way draweth me to loue him and that is the credit I repose in him the long experience of his good gouernement his vertues and wisedome and bicause I neuer founde cause in him to detect him any way The other thing that presseth me much is feare which is a great burthen I would faine therefore finde a waye betwéene both that shoulde be betwixt loue and hate or betwixt feare and trust and this it is To call if thou thinke good the Bull and to examine him well and streightly And if I finde him any thing at all blotted with this humor I will chastise him with banishment but neuer imbrue my handes in his bloud procéeding lyke a great and noble Prince This determination lyked not the Moyle as he that was sure to liue like a wretched beast and that his malice by this deuise should appéere and streight he aunswered the king Your Maiestie hath euen lighted right on the most stranglingst morsell and the hardest Nutte to cracke if you meane to follow that you haue propounded For he careth not to throwe at his enimie that beléeueth he is not seene but standeth to beholde if it light right But if he beware once he is seene then for shame he sticketh to his tackle and followeth on his blowe least he shoulde be counted a foole and Coward both in his doings And by such like meanes I haue oft times séene a little sparckle kindle a great fire O my Lorde he that fayneth he hath not bene offended maye at his ease and leysure be reuenged Contrarie to those that neuer bring any thing to passe that they would when they spit that out with their tongue that they thinke in their heart Therefore I am determined if your Maiestie will like my opinion to worke another and peraduenture a better way I will home to his house and as a friend I will féele him to the bottome and grope his minde and he as my verie friende also and that assuredly trusteth me will laye himselfe open to mée I am sure of it Such passioned mindes will easilye breake out at the first and they cannot kéepe it in but out it must They are besides that great boasters and vaunters For they thinke they stande in déede in that degrée and termes of reputation and honor that they imagine themselues to be in and they make large promises and builde Castels in the aire and at euery worde they saye they will make thée great and bring thée into fauor and when time serueth thou shalt sée what I will say and doe both It will not be long to it Well well I know what I say So that with such lyke Phrases and deuises it shall procéede rightly And thus in these traines appéere yet tokens euident inough and very notable If he haue not capacitie and iudgement to conceyue mée and that he euen crosse not my meaning I that haue an ynckling of the thing already I will be with him in euery corner I will not misse him an ynch If he rayse men what order he hath giuen and whether his house be armed or no yea and I will drawe out the matter ye shall sée finely out of his naughtie fantasticall head And if he go so priuily to worke that I cannot sée him where he goes nor know what he doth as I am sure I know perfitely all his practises I will bring him to your Highnesse and when hée shall appéere before you you shall easilye finde him For his heade is not without feare and his sight very dull and he will not come to you with that chéerefull countenaunce he was woont to looke on you before He will be verie suspicious and not continue in a tale and I know your Grace shall perceyue his malicious and spitefull practise by many tokens euident ynough And what knoweth your Grace whether the penne of his hart will
life in going about to maintaine the place and credite I haue about the Prince If the loue thou bearest me be true I praye thée doe but giue me a watch worde how I may saue my selfe and helpe me with thy counsell in this distresse for I promise thée I cannot counsell my selfe And for any other to counsell me in so harde a case I cannot sée any light at all bicause me thinkes I sée some beastly part playde me and I am ready to burst for sorrowe and the woorst of all that I sée no ende to bring mée to any sure hauen So that I praye thée helpe to saue me and this thing I craue of thée bicause it is fitte for euerye bodie to séeke for his helth Thou hast sayd better than a Crabbe that hath two mouthes sayd the Moyle and surely to séeke for thy health it is but reason and a lawfull excuse For he that cannot saue his life by force is to be borne withall if he worke for his life by subtiltie or malice Howbeit aboue all thinges euery little enimie is greatly to be thought on and looked vnto now iudge thou then howe much the great is to be feared And hée that will not estéeme this and beléeue that I saye it shoulde happen to him that happened to the Male and female Linnet in making their neast A man hath no greater enimie than himselfe ALongest the sea syde in a fewe rocks and clyffes full of wylde Herbes certaine Linnets were wont to lay and breede and breeding time beinge come to laye their egges the Cocke began to make his neast there In so much as the Henne sayd to the Cocke me thinks it were better fore vs to go seeke some other place to hatch our yong ones bicause this is not certayne and besides that perillous as it is often seene that we might yet once bring vp our poore little fooles to some good What sayth the Cock doest thou mislyke of this seate and is it so daungerous as thou talkest off Here passe no people here it is hote no windes at all and an infinite sorts of Herbes doe growe here as thou seest so that wee shall haue meate at all times at will. O my good swéete Honie husband quoth the Henne it is not fitte for vs God knoweth For in such like seats is euer great daunger vppon any rage of the seas to lose them all that it is therefore I pray thee let vs auoyde that daunger Wilt thou doe as the Pigeon that being asked of a Pie why she returned to the Douehouse to laye hir egges where all hir yong ones were still taken away aunswered my simplicitie is the cause and euer hath bene of my griefe Thou that hast great experience and hast pyssed in so many snowes wilt thou not take it yll to bee handled like a Coddes head in thy olde dayes and that it shoulde bee tolde thee he knewe it and would not knowe it he beleeued it not he did it not and so forth but the foolyshe husbande hauing no capacitie to conceyue his wyues words went his way and slue vp to the top of the tree and the more shee spake the worse heade had he to vnderstande hir So he stoode still in his owne conceyte thinking hee had bene handled like a tame foole if he had followed his wyues fantasie O how noble a foole O what a cockes combe All is one she might say what she would but he would doe as hee listed and follow his owne fantasy And so he dwelled still in his opinion and made his neast and shee layde hir egges and hatched them A man hath no greater enimye than himselfe and that beast specially that knowing he did amisse did rather continue his obstinacie to his hurt than for his profit once to accept the counsell of hir wyfe or friende And last of all she tolde him a tale by protestation IN the fishings of the Sophie there was a worlde of Fowles that kept about it to feede of those fishes and amongst them was a Torteise of the water that had streight friendship with two great and fat Fowles who diuing vnder water droue the fishe all about and they no sooner appéered almost aboue water but at a choppe they had them in their mouthes The Lake was full of cliftes I cannot tell howe but by certayne earthquakes and by little and little it beganne to waxe drie so that they were faine to voyde out the water to take out the great number of fishe that were in it that they should not die in that drougth but rather eate them vp The fishes therefore of that Lake meaning to depart out of that countrie came one morning to breake their fast togithers and to take their leaue of the Torteise their friend The which when she saw them forsake hir she wept bitterly pitifully lamenting she sayd Alas what shall I doe here alone But what thing can come worse to mée than to lose the water and my friendes at one instant O poore Torteise that I am wretched creature I whither should I go to séeke out water that am so slowe to go I like not to tarie longer in this countrie O good brethren helpe me I pray you forsake me not in my distresse Ah vnhappie was I borne in this worlde that I must carie my house with me and can put no vittayles into it In others houses alacke there is place ynough for their necessaries but in mine I can scant hyde my selfe A woe woe is me howe shall I doe if ye haue any pitie on me my brethren if ye haue taken me for your friend helpe me for Gods sake Leaue me not here to burst for thirst I woulde gladly go with you and that you woulde put me in some Lake and I woulde followe mine olde trade as I haue done therfore deare Fowles helpe me These woordes did penetrate the heartes of these great water Fowles and taking no lesse pitie on hir than looking to their owne profite they sayde vnto hir Deare Mother Torteise we coulde not doe better than satisfie thy desire but alas what meanes haue we to carie thee hence into any Lake yet there is an easie way to bring it to passe so that thy hart will serue thée to take vpon thée to holde a péece of wood fast in thy téeth a good while And then we the one on the one side of thée and the other on the other side will with our bylles take the ende of the sticke in our mouthes also and so carye thée trimlye into some Lake and there we woulde leade our liues and fare delicately But in any case thou must beware thou open not thy mouth at any time bicause the other birdes that flie vp and downe will gladly play with thée and laugh to sée thée flie in the ayre thou that art vsed to tarie on the earth and vnder the water Therefore they will tell thée marueylous wonders and will be verie busie with thée and peraduenture
at his feete hee asked him forgiuenesse for Gods sake and put himselfe into his handes promising he woulde restore him his yron agayne and make him amendes for all his losses And thus hee came by his sonne agayne which otherwyse hee should neuer haue heard of THere was a faire woman in loue with a Pothecarie and shee coulde neuer haue leysure bicause hir husband kept hir streightly once to speake with him or with any others to let hym knowe it One night hir husband euen sodeinly being verye sicke was compelled for present remedie to send his wyfe in haste to the Pothecaries So thither she ranne with al speede and in steade of returning quickly with the medicines shee whipped at a trise vp into the Pothecaries chamber to conferre with him of secret matters you know what and as shee was running vp shee cast hir handkircher with hir money downe on the shoppe bourde to the Boy and bade him make ready the medicine in the meane whyle The Boye that had an eluish witte vndidde hir handkircher and toke out hir money and pretily tied it vp againe hauing filled hir handkircher with the dust of the streete of purpose to mock hir to let hir vnderstand that they that came in haste for sicke folks did not vse to sport them at leysure on that fashion and so laid downe hir handkircher againe on the bourd where he found it When this woman had well paide the Collector vpon hir receit and that she saw shee had bene somewhat to long in hir account she came down from the Pothecarie snatched vp hir handkircher and ran home as she had bene scared with some yll thing But finding hir husband sleping the extremitie of the paine hauing left him she sate downe softlye by the beddes syde and opening hir handkircher founde hir money turned into verye earth and dust And euen at that instant hir husband awaked who bicause he knew not how long he had slept he could not tell whether his wife came quickly againe or taried long and casting his eyes on the dust and earth which shee was looking on as shee that knew she was mocked he asked hir What dust and baggage is that thou hast there what are ointments and medicines made of that fashion his wife streight found his malice and aunswered foolishly I running hastilye from certayne that were fighting in the streetes my money slipt out of my hande and being very darke I sought to take it vp and so with my handes I tooke all that I coulde finde thinking with my selfe in taking vp the dust to get vp my money too but wo is me it is sure all gone and with that burst out in teares The husbande simply beleeued hir and giuing hir other money sent hir thither againe and so with this second commoditie she fully accomplished hir desyre and swetely payde the hire of hir pleasure WHy then doest thou thinke with other new and straunge deuises yet to occupie the Kings heade I besech God he may once pay thée home But I would aduise thée looke well to thy selfe For thou shalt finde great difference betwéene such a beast as he is and another foolish little beast that will easily beléeue thee Vnlesse thou wouldest saye to me that bicause thou hast done the most thou shalt haue the least To this I replie That one paye payeth all And a little theft hangeth vp the théefe for many a great robbery I haue sayde to thée for this time and now farewell The fourth part of Morall Philosophie QVEL CHE MI MOLESTAVA ACCENDO ET ARDO Anno. 1570. The fourth part of Morall Philosophie shewing the ende of the treasons and miseries of the Court of this Worlde ALthough yee fynde many good reasones spoken vnder the shadow and colour of beastes without reason yet ye are not to maruell a whit for we also that represent reasonable beastes do oftentimes things with out reason and discretion both And thys is excellent to to see beasts liue and worke as men But howe brutishe a thing is it to see men lyue and gouerne themselues like brute beastes Ye must also note in this Treatise one thing that like as men sometime say thou or you worshipful Honorable Noble or Lordship and so forth and doe in deede many times mysse to giue to eche man his right title dignitie as they ought and is fit for eche mans calling and vocation euen so these beastes also for in the ende ye knowe them to be but beasts do erre many times speaking false Latine saying thou for you and maister where they shoulde say seruaunt Therefore you may not recken of such scapes nor loke after them though ye see them â—traye a little out of the waye and take a Goslinge for a Goose and a Crabbe for a Whale For it is an olde rule that both men and beasts will fault in many things THe Lyon therefore did amisse to kill the Bull suffering him selfe and his iudgement to be abused and ouertaken by the deuilish and subtill practises of the trayterous Moyle In somuch as when his choler was ouer and that he had wreaked his anger of him cruelly putting the guiltlesse beast to death he then to late looked backe on his bloudie déede and repented him of his rage knowing he had not done well to kill so wyse a subiect and so graue a counseller His conscience griped him at the hart to thinke he had no lawfull cause to vse such crueltie to him Such inwarde thoughtes drawe déepe and touche the quicke and can hardly be holden in and kept secrete So that the Kinges heart burning thus out he burst a fewe wordes which made the Moyles eares glowe as that péece of wicked flesh that alwayes gaue attentiue eare and looked to be payde home So that vpon a sodeine to take awaye these thoughtes from the King and that he should not thinke to much vppon them besides that to continue him still in his errour he ranne to the Court and downe he fell on his knées before the Kinge and with all humilitie he sayd Most mightie and noble Prince thou hast brought thy desires now to an ende The Gods that day did blesse thee in which they gaue thée honorable victorie when thou ouercamest so great and stronge an enimie The worlde victorious Prince woondereth that thou hauing I meane cause to reioyce art so sadde and full of pensiuenesse Oh sayde the Lyon when I thinke of the cruell and violent death of Chiarino without cause I am ready to eate my fingers for sorrow And continually I thinke of the great wit he had of his graue and prudent counsell indowed besides with many noble gifts and maners And to conclude I must tell thée plainely I cannot comfort my selfe nor be in quiet when I examine the cause of his death For many things runnes in my heade to perswade me that things were otherwise than I tooke them and that he had wrong But nowe I knowe that that my father sayde so
daungerous pathe Euen so it may be sayde of him which followeth his owne appetite and lyking gouerning himselfe thereby and not as he ought with reason and good order leaning to these worldlye experiences which euer desireth that that is profitable but follow alwayes in déede things that are hurtfull A man of such life and gouernement we may compare to him that knoweth good meates light of digestion and the grosse ill and heauie yet ouercome with desire taketh that that is most hurtfull and so being hurt himselfe alone is the cause of all his yll EVen such a man is he whome affection subdueth He vnderstandeth and is learned and able to decerne troth from falshoode and yet will not put in proofe the true profit nor once follow and desire knowledge and wisedome We might bring this man in thexample of him that hauing his sight good and perfite shutting his eyes would needes be ledde by a blinde man so that both they falling into a diche were drowned and miserably died Euery man will condemne him for a foole and worse than mad that hauing his sight good and without blemishe that might haue seene the daunger and scaped it and of mere foolishnesse would not Therefore euerie wise and discrete person must continually labour to reade and to vnderstande that he readeth and must then teache it to as many as desire to knowe it and to doe the good workes of the knowledge he teacheth that euery way he may showe the wonderfull profit of his doctrine for in this case he may not be like vnto a Well or Spring which without any profit to it selfe quencheth the thirst of all beastes The wise man is afterwardes bounde when he is growne to the perfection of learning to teach and instruct those that knowe not Prouided euer that he can master himselfe and subdue his affections For to a wise man three things are pertinent to wit Knowledge Richesse and Mercie And of all things a man must chiefly beware of reprouing his neighbour of that fault he himselfe is guiltie off That he be not likened to him which hauing a Perle in his eie found fault with the element that it was alway clowdie not considering the blemish of his eie Yet greater doubtlesse is our offence when with our neighbours hurt or detriment we winne commoditie to our selues As falleth out many times which this example following sheweth vs. The deceyt lighteth on the deceyuers necke TWoo friends hauing a great mount of corne in a Garner vndeuided they fel to parting it leauing to eche his portion a part howbeit both in one Garner still so that they could not erre to choose eyther heape But bicause in déede the one heape was greater than the other hée which had the lesser thought to steale the bigger and so by deceit to be reuenged of Fortune that had allotted him the least part Vpon this he went to the Garner determining to steale it that night and bicause he would not misse of his purpose in taking the one for the other he cast his cloke ouer his fellowes heape being the greater that he might the easilier knowe his owne in the darke being vncouered Not long after came to the Garner also the other honest partener to looke to his heape to see his deuided part and when he sawe the loue of his partener to him supposing simply he had couered his heape of corne for good will he bare him that it should receyue no dust as one that would not be thought vnthankfull nor come behinde his fellow in curtesie thus he sayde to himselfe Oh this man is to kinde to mée that to couer mine leaueth his owne heape bare And so taking the Cloke off his heape cast it on the others and couered it as his was requiting his curtesie with like good will little suspecting the intended deceyte but rather reputed his friende ciuile and full of humanitie At night his false friende counselled with a théefe and tolde him his intent saying if thou wilt goe with mée this night I will bring thée to a place where we shall haue a good bootie of Corne as much as we can both carie away with vs And thus agréed togithers thervpon they went both to the Garner where these two heaps of Corne laye and this partener the théefe groping in the darke to finde the heape his Cloke laye on laying handes on his Cloke supposing he had met with his fellowes heape hée gaue it in praye to the théefe hée had brought with him labouringe both to loade themselues and so betwéene them they conueyed the whole heape and wéening they had stollen from the other honest man founde at length he was théefe to himselfe The next morning very earely the two companions accordinge to appointment went togithers to the Garner to carie away eche other his portion as it was deuided betwéene them And he that had done this feate séeing his parteners part whole and vntouched and his owne gone like a man halfe deade for sorrow he heauily departed thence to his house and not a worde he spake bewayling and lamenting his wretched pretenced craft not daring once to open the theft to his friende who so much did trust him NO man therefore should deale so foolishly in thinges that haue no certaine ende and that are hard to bring to passe least that wearied with superfluous labor he cannot afterwardes exercise himselfe in thinges certaine and needefull All our workes and deedes ought rather to tende to profit vs in time to come then to serue the time present For if we abandon and forsake the insatiable and infinite desire we haue of this wretched worlde doubtlesse in the other worlde to come we shall feele no paine For who that serueth God deuoutly and with pure conscience and that desireth riches onely to supplie necessitie and to doe good workes him God doth prosper and guide in all his wayes And let no man dispaire though he be visited with ill hap sometime doing well notwithstanding For God manye times sendeth his blessing and increase vnwares to man and in an houre vnlooked for which he neuer thought would happen And heare in what maner The good and vertuous should neuer dispaire in aduersitie THere dwelled in a certaine Citie a man of a godly life and disposition who fallen into extréeme pouertie being ashamed to aske for Gods sake determined to prooue his friends and so he did And bewraying his miserie looking for reliefe and pittie founde nothing but hardnesse neither was there anye that once woulde looke vpon the necessitie of that honest conditioned man And thus repleate with griefe vexed in his minde he sorrowfullye repaireth to hys poore mansion And being layde at night in his bedde to take his rest the anguishe of his minde togither with famine woulde not suffer him to rest but kept him waking And bychaunce hearing a noyse about the house lystening diligently what it shoulde be hée knewe straight it was some Théefe hoping of a great
so fantasticall a beast with so great barbs which somtime were a pale blew somtime a skie colour now chaunged from that to white and then to black againe he wondered to sée those sodeine chaunges and more beholding his swelling and raising vp his fethers putting forth that horne of fleshe he sayde he neuer saw before so goodly a woonder And talking a little with him hée founde him of a bigge voyce of fewe wordes but resolute so as hée made much of him And wote ye what thither came a number of beastes of his countrie vnderstanding of his captiuitie to raunsome him But he being high minded and reputing himselfe the chiefe Birde of the dunghill as true he was would neuer say he was a prisoner but that he was amongst the Phesants for his pleasure and thus despised their fauor and the helpe of them all On a time there came a friend of his to him and secretly offered to giue him that no man should know it so much golde as should redéeme him out of prison But he refused it and woulde none of it bicause he would not séeme to be a prisoner In the ende necessitie enforcinge him and remembring his case hée was contented to be counselled by that faithfull and louing friende of his and closely tooke the money that in fine doth all and payde it and so departed For if he had continued in that foolish reputation of him selfe still and had dwelled in his obstinacie he had perhaps dearely bought the price of his follye It may peraduenture séeme to your Maiestie that I passe the boundes of modestie if I shoulde open to your highnesse my meaning hereby I come as your Maiesties humble and faithfull seruant and true friend to tell your Maiestie that I am sorie to sée you go no more abrode a hunting a walking and sporting your selfe at your pleasure as you were woont but that you kéepe your Pallace stil with malancholie which was not your woont I knowe Well I stande nowe before your highnesse readie to spende my life and goods in your seruice and quarell and if I might knowe your griefe I make no doubt at all but I woulde labour so that your Maiestie should be satisfyed and lyke of my seruice If you be troubled for any matter concerning the state or any other thing of importaunce your highnesse muste impart it with a fewe of your faythfull seruants and such as you trust best And although they be of the meaner sort yet they maye serue your Maiestie with hartie looue and good will and doe their best indeuour I haue presumed vnder your Maiesties good licence to saye thus much bicause I recken my selfe to be one of the faythfullest seruaunts your Maiestie hath euer had or now retayneth THe Lyon as King of beastes and that knew before by the wilde Bores report the nature and propertie of this mightie beast the Bull mooued not a whit at these wordes but wiselye hid that inwardly which hee openly vnderstoode and with large wordes and new deuises fayned diuers his perticuler accidents saying that he was not well at ease and founde himselfe subiect to his ordinarye ague And thus the King and Moyle discoursing togithers a happie chaunce for the Moyle and an yll happe for the Lyon the Bull that was harde at the Court gate gaue three or fowre terrible lowes that the Lyon shooke agayne to heare him as one that was more afrayde now than he was before by reason of the great noyse and rebounde of his voyce and not able any longer to hide his griefe he sayde This voice so bigge and terrible runneth throughe my whole bodie and in counsell I tell it thee knowing thy troth and fidelitie to mee I promise thee I am afrayde of my Kingdome and my reason is this That seeing the voyce of this fearefull beast is so great as thou hearest it is lyke his bodie is aunswerable to the rest which if it be I am in no safetie And now without further ceremonie thou knowest the whole cause of my sodeine chaunge and feare therfore in this cause I would be glad to heare thy opinion and iudgement MIghtie Prince if no other noueltie or occasion haue caused you to refrayne your pleasures but this voice which I haue heard me thinketh it is but small and not to be accounted off Your noble courage should not be afraide of any thing before you know it and what it is and whether it be to be feared or not as I will let your Maiestie knowe by this tale I will tell you seruing for the purpose Of the Foxe and his foolish feare A Foxe with all his familie chaunged his hole and got him to another and harde by the same there was a little cottage where dwelled a .xxv. Muletters with their Moyles and euerye morning betimes they came to lade them You must vnderstande that the noise of these sundrie sortes of belles and other trappinges that they put aboute these beastes made all the countrie ringe with that mad noyse The Foxe hearing the sounde of thys yll fauored noyse ranne quickly to hide himselfe in hys hole where he lurcked still till the noyse was gone which was such that it feared the Pullen and scared him from his pray One day this Foxe being on the side of a hill hearde againe this fearefull noyse of belles and lifting vp his heade to looke about him there he sawe these blessed Moyles comming with their belles and laughing to himself was ashamed of his simplicitie The same saye I vnto your Maiestie that my opinion is that this your Maiesties feare is such a like fantasie and bicause your Grace should be informed with speede of this matter assuring your Grace to kepe your griefe secret I doe offer my selfe if it stande with your pleasure to goe abrode into the Countrye and to discouer the thing vnto you And so soone as I shall haue knowledge of the beast and of his qualitie I will forthwith aduertise your Maiestie howe it standeth what the matter is and how this geare goth about And you shall know it euen as it is I will not misse a iotte least you should be informed contrarie of some timorous beast taking one thing for another Therfore I besech you sir comfort your self and let him alone that knoweth it and thus hee tooke his leaue and trotted from the king The King highlye commended his counsell and aduice and willed him to dispatch that he had promised THis worshipfull Moyle was scant out of sight but the Lyon beganne to haue Hammers in his head and to imagine a thousande straunge deuises and grewe in Choler with him selfe suspecting and fearing both at one time and sayd Well what and he double with me yea and how if he beguile me with his cloked colour to doe me good sure his soothing words doe not like me mée thinketh he is to full of them May not hée tell him with the terrible voyce that I am afrayde of him and out of
traueyling by the way togithers founde a great bagge full of Golden wedges and so ioyntly togithers they agreed to take it vp determining to carie it to the Citie and to lay it vp safe in their lodgings But when they were come to the walles of the Citie they altered their mindes and one of them sayde to the other Let vs deuide the treasure that eche may carie home his part and doe withall as he thinketh good The other that was resolued to steale it and to haue it al to himself meaning to ease the good honest man of his part aunswered ex tempore for his profite Mee thinketh good brother it is not meete that our happe should be common and the friendship perticular but lyke as we met in pouertie so let vs ioyne in richesse Therefore for my part I will not deuide it but we will enioye it friendly togithers and the good happe that lighted euenly vpon vs Howbeit for this time if thou thinke good let vs take a peece out to serue our necessitie with to defraie housholde expences and other extraordinarie charges and for the reast it shall not be amisse if it runne in common betwixt vs and we will hyde it in the darke in some secrete place so as we maye from time to time alwayes as we nede it take of it at our pleasures The good sielye man I will not saye foole did not thinke of his pretensed subtiltie and that hee went about then lyke a false Knaue to deceyue him but tooke him for a playne meaning man lyke himselfe and sayde he was contented it should be so So for companye they tooke eche of them his burthen and the rest they safely buried vnder the roote of an olde Elme which the poore neyghbours that dwelled by called vile Knaue and so with the little burden of their necessarie expences ech of them repayred to their lodginges Within three houres of the same night the Companion that gaue counsell to leaue it abrode went to the place of the hidden treasure and secretly caried it home with him When tyme had consumed the honest mans money hee went to the theefe his partener and sayde to him Brother I woulde gladly haue the reast of my part of the golde that remayneth behinde let vs goe therefore I pray thee togithers as wee togithers did fynde and hyde it and we will bring it home betwixt vs for I assure thee I am in great neede Of mine honestie well sayde quoth the theefe his companion we are happily met for I was euen nowe thinking of that thou tellest me and I promise thee I was comming to thee of the same errant But now thou art come in fayth welcome thou hast saued me so much labor come on gowe let vs take our horses and awaye wee will not dwell long about this matter I trowe we will handle it so nimbly thou shalt see and then we shall liue merilye without anye care or thought and neede not feare robbing Now when they were come to the vyle Knaue the Elme so called where they had buried their treasure beinge a great and hollow tree they began to digge for it but in faith they might dig vnder the tree till their hartes aked as deepe and as farre as they listed for the treasure was flowen The theefe then played the Harlots part rightly that weepeth and lamenteth to the honest woman and beganne to tell him there was no more fayth in friends and that loue was lost Trust that trust lyst for by the Masse I will neuer trust agayne And when hee had often repeated this hee beganne to throwe awaye his cappe to crye out and beate himselfe that he was lyke a madde man nay a very bedlem in dede His fellow that was no naturall though he were somewhat lyke a Mome woulde not bee lowted so but rather laughed to see his knauerie and crafte thinking notwithstanding that he had stollen it as he had in deede but yet hee stoode in doubt laughing still Then the theefe raged like a beast as if he had had reason on his syde and sayde None no none but thou traytor theefe and villen as thou art coulde steale this The siely man that of both had cause to complayne all hope taken from him to recouer his part in steade of accusing him it stoode him in hande to excuse himselfe and to sweare and forsweare saying I cannot tell of it I saw it not I touched it not neither did I once think of it till now But tut al would not serue nor staye the theefe but hee cried out more and more and that alowde and called him al to naught Oh traytor oh slaue and micherlye theefe who but thou knew of this What man alyue but thou could once haue layde hands on it Tarie a little by Gods passion I will tell my L. Mayor of thee I will doe thy erraunt trust to it and I trowe he will set thee where thou shalt see no Sunne nor Moone a good while Harken after THis brawling and scolding continued a good while betwéene them in the ende they went both to the Mayor who after longe cauillations intermissions paremptories exigentes termes vpon termes fauors promises agréements prayses compremises wagers and a number of other such lyke conceytes and toyes perceyued his tale had neither head nor foote Then sayd my L. Mayor to picke out the core of this matter when ye two hid this treasure were there any others with you or were yee two alone togithers The Knaue that had occupied his hands as nimbly as he that playeth on the Phife answered streight as if he had bene cléere and honest in the matter My Lorde and if it please your Honor with your graces fauour the trée it selfe and you were there and sawe it would witnesse the matter plainely For we both I am sure put it betwéene the rootes of the trée and therefore I beleeue it will showe you the hole which the théefe hath digged If God be iust I knowe hée will make the trée tell and as it were poynt with a finger to him that stale it and showe you of him Sir of him that standeth here before your Lordshippes goodnesse and my worshipfull Maisters lyke a steale Counter nowe for out of doubt he stole it My L. Mayor that had many times put his finger in the fire before as one well acquaynted with such lyke matters and that coulde spie day at a little hole sayd well then ye stande vpon the testimonie of the trée and séeing ye doe so both you and I will be at the doing of it God willing and I will sift it out to the vttermost I warrant ye feare ye not They putting in sureties for their apperaunce and a daye appointed for the matter were dismissed the court This determination liked the théefe of life for he had streight deuised a mischiefe to blind my L. Maior withall But here I wil make a little digression He that doth his things without aduise counsell
oft is â—â—…ue That a thing oft thought vpon can seldome misse but it falleth out true YOur Lordshippe sayde this wicked Moyle shoulde not thus sorow and bewayle the losse of him which made thee lyue in continuall feare and torment For wyse Princes oft times doe both punishe and cut off many worthie persones and those whom they dearely loue and esteeme and why all for their owne safetie and the preseruation their Realme And Sir of two euils they choose the least to kill one rather than to make a thousand die Lo here is an example Doe ye not see my Lord when one is bitten with a venimous serpent that streight he cutteth off the member that is bitten not suffering it to infect and poyson the whole bodye by meanes whereof hee saueth his life which else hee should lose The Kinge seemed to graunt him and the Moyle thought these wordes had cleared the Lions hart and he craftily made much of the worshipfull Moyle and like a brother intreated him The Moyle sate him downe on a forme in the Chamber of presence a whyle and began of himselfe to thinke vpon the miserie of Princes of light credit and of the malice of these vile tale bearers which set stryfe and contention betwixt partie and partie of their tyrannie of their opinions and fonde fantasies in thys maner LArge great wonderfull and infinite are the wayes to offende and innumerable are the snares and deuises that one wicked and naughtie disposed person may deuise and spread abrode to ketch a good and true meaning man to ouerthrow him quite And there is not so straight a friendship but is easie to be broken with the hand of naughty procéeding As I haue proued it If I coulde but write all the things that haue happened the tales that haue bene tolde and the long wouen cloth I should teache Princes howe they shoulde doe in all their matters and woulde make them sée the discretion that many haue lost and what waye they should take not to fall into these Courtly flatterers Those that beare office and haue charge ouer others ought diligently to searche out the troth of thinges and not to goe as Flies without heades and lightly to turne and chaunge as the wauering weather Cock with euery winde Truely it is a fowle fault in meane men to giue easie eare to flatterers but in great persons it is a farre greater fault in Princes chiefly a thing of most detect and slaunder and of extréeme crueltie Nowe I come to knowe plainlye what a great burden is layde on the peoples backes that are gouerned by a Prince of small consideration and iudgement and in what daunger their persons are besides the griefe their conscience giueth them for their state O poore people how many thousands of ye recommended vnder the scepter of such iustice Ought not Princes to be like vnto God and if God will take account of all things at his will be they neuer so little why should not the Kynge among his subiectes also doe the lyke The wickednesse of Ministers and officers if so it were woulde not then runne on so farre as it doth vnpunished O little faith to Gods lawes O little labor for a man to knowe himselfe Where we thinke goodnesse only harboreth thence procéedeth all vice and wickednesse and where we beléeue troth is lodged there sléepeth deceyt Who would not haue beléeued that in this Court vertue had remayned but alas here is the only Court of vice In outwarde lookes euerie one séemeth to carie troth but in the inwarde brests is hid all dissimulation and vntroth Thrée things there are which are vnite togithers and should neuer be out of the Princes minde To wit. To loue God his neighbour and to gouerne himselfe And thrée other things also there are for the subiects to obserue vnto their Prince Loue fayth and obedience But euery one I sée hath forgotten them from high to lowe This world then being so full of daungers and deceytes as it is what man is he alyue so wyse can keepe himselfe from them THe Lyon returned into the Chamber where the Moyle was hee lycensed him to depart and the Moyle with due reuerence tooke his leaue of the king Now the King left all alone beganne agayne to lament and to repent him a thousande tymes that hee was thus ouertaken with the Moyles perswasion and it grieued him so muche more bicause he remembred the Bulles wyse counsels wonderfull behauior and noble conuersation And to banishe this inwarde conceyued griefe that gryped him at the heart he lyked to be amongst hys Lordes and familiers whom diuersly hee entertained And amongst this rowte was the Lybberd one of the noblest of bloud of all his kynne and him the King trusted with many secrete thinges of hys lyfe This Lybbarde one daye going out of the pallace to walke passed bichaunce by the house of the Moyle and Asse and hearde the Asse crying out vppon the Moyle and bitterlye reproouing him for that vyle treason he vsed to the Bull and so hee hearde from poynt to poynt euery act and dede he did With these wordes the Lybbard felt a thing touch his heart as one had spoken to him and bade him marke well what Gods iustice will doe So that he saw certainly the Moyle could not long scape the Kings wrath and that he should dearely buye the Princes griefe falling into that snare he had layde for many others Nowe as all curious searchers doe that desire to heare other mens doings hee layde hys eare to the doore and hearde the Asse his brother speake these very words vnto him O thou wouldest needes follow thine owne fantasie I coulde not rule thee All is well that endeth well saye I. Marke the ende Thou reiectedst my counsell it skilleth no matter I say naught but mum If any mischiefe light on thee at thy perill be it if the King doe punishe thee thou hast but well deserued it and God is iust if hee poure it on thee O goodly act of thine to betraye an innocent creature and thy faithfull friende Brother mine sayde the Moyle no mo wordes I praye thee that that is done cannot be vndone And it is easier to reprooue than to amende When the Steede is stollen it is to late to shut the stable dore I knowe Chiarino is slayne and that guiltlesse and I confesse I was cause of his death But let vs leaue off this vayne talke and deuyse some waye to driue out the suspition the Kinge hath taken in his heade that he thinketh there hath bene some trechery vsed towards him The Libbard hauing hearde ynough and as much as serued his turne departed his way and hied him to the Pallace of the Queene mother whither the King had sent him for other affaires of his After hee had done his message from the King hir sonne he tolde the Queene mother al the circumstaunce of that he had hearde and of the rebukes of the Asse to the Moyle and