ther with may saue that ye may haue also that is to you requysyte behouefull And also me semeth it were expedyent that ye afore your departyng sholde mary my doughter Tho answerd Alexander wyll it please you my lorde too spare me at this tyme at my comynge home ayen I shall wedde hir with all honoure as to her apperteyneth The kynge answered sythen it is your wyll to go to themperours court I lycence you and therto I consente Alexander toke leue of the kynge toke with hym tresoure ynoughe went to themperours courte And whan he was come with a fayre companye he wente afore the Emperoure felle on his knees and salued hym dyd hym reuerence Themperoure rose frome his sete imperyall and kyssed hym asked of hym of whens what he was wherfore he was comen He answered and sayd I am sone heyre to the kynge of Egypte am come to do seruyce to your moost hyghe maieste yf it please you to accepte me Themperour sayd that he was ryght welcome cōmytted hym to his stewarde and made hym his keruer The stewarde ordeyned hym a fayre chamber purueyed hym all thynges that were necessary to the same And Alexander behaued hym so well wysely that in shorte tyme of all people he was beloued Not longe after that came the kynges sone of Fraunce to do seruyse to themperoure to lerne nurture whome themperour receyued honourably and demaūded his name of what kynred he was come He answered I am sone to the kynge of Fraūce I haue to name Lodwyke your seruaūte Tho sayd the Emperoure I haue made Alexander my karuer ye shall be my cuppe berer that al wayes ye shall do seruyse afore me at my table cōmaūded his stewarde to assygne hym a lodgynge whome he assygned with Alexander in his chamber These were soo lyke in stature in vysage in condycyons that vnneth the one myght be dyscerned fro the other but that Alexander was more in cōnyng lyghtlyer in his dedes than Lodwyke was for Lodwyk was a femynyne man shamfast these two yong men loued well togyder This Emperoure had a doughter oonly named Florentyne the which was ryght fayr gracyous shold be his heyre whome he loued entyerly whiche had a courte by her selfe seruaūtes to her assygned To whome the Emperour euery daye was accustomed to sende frome his table of his deyntes in tokenyng of loue by the hande of alexander wherupon the doughter began to haue hym meruaylouslye in her fauoure bycause of his wysdome his gracyous demenure It hapned vpon a day alexander at the mete tyme had suche a besynesse that he serued not at the table nor none other gaue attendaūce for hym in his rowme Lodwyk perceyued that serued in his stede And whan he had serued the Emperoure in his laste seruyce vpon his knee the Emperoure cōmaūded hȳ to bere a dysshe vnto his doughter as he was wonte to do thynkyng hym to be Alexander Tho toke Lodwyke the dysshe yede to the palays of the Emperours doughter salued her with grete reuerence set the mete afore her but vnto that tyme he had not seen her she perceyued anone that it was not alexander sayd to hym in this manere what is your name whos sone are ye he answered to hyr sayd Madame I am the kynges sone of fraūce my name is Lodwyk She sayd I thanke you of your laboure he toke his leue departed In the mene tyme came Alexander to the table they fulfylled ther seruyce The dyner done anone Lodwyk went to his bedde sore seke And Alexander apperceyuynge that went to his chamber sayd to hym O my best beloued frende felowe Lodwyk how is it with you what is the cause of your infyrmite He answered hym sayd the cause of it I knowe not but I fele me soo seke that I fere me I can not escape the dethe Alexander sayd the cause of your infyrmyte and dysease I knowe well For to daye whan as ye bare the mete vnto the Emperours doughter ye behelde hyr vysage beaute so feruently that your herte is taken rauysshed with her loue Therupon he answered O Alexander all the physysyans in the worlde coude not more truly Iuge my sekenesse but I fere it shall be my dethe Then sayd Alexander Be of good comforth I shall helpe you vnto my power yede vnto the market bought with his owne moneye a fayre clothe sette with precyous stones vnknowynge to Lodwyke presented it on his behalue vnto the mayden as she sawe that she asked hym where he myght that costely precyouse cloth fynde to bye he sayd Madame it is the sone of the moost crysten kynge that sendeth it vnto you for youre loue for he but for one syght that he hathe had of you is so seke that he lyeth vpon his bed vnto the dethe therfore yf ye suffre hym to perysshe ye shall neuer recouer ayen your honoure Tho sayd she O Alexander wolde ye this coūseyll me the I shold soo lese my vyrgynyte god defende that be ye sure Alexander that of suche messages ye shall neuer more haue ne wyn thanke therfore go ye out of my syght speke no more therof to me whanne Alexander herde that he dyd his obeysaunce departed the nexte daye Alexander wente ayen to the cyte bought a chaplet that was two tymes more in value than the cloth and therwith he yede to the maydens chamber yaue it to hyr on the behalue of Lodwyke And whan she sawe that costely gyfte she sayd vnto hym in this manere I marueyle of you that soo oftentymes as ye haue seen and spoken with me that ye haue not done your owne erande or spoken for your selfe but for an other Then he answered O madame I haue not ben so disposed by cause that my byrthe is not to be compared with yours And also it happened me neuer suche a case that my herte was so wounded he that hathe a gode felawe is boūde for to doo hym good true felysshyp and therfore moost eccellent pryncesse of youre moost habundaūte pyte haue compassyon vpon hym make hym hole that ye haue se woūded vnto the deth that it be not for euer layde vnto your crueltee impyteouse herte she answered hym go your wayes for at this tyme I wyll gyue you none answere therof And as he herde ye. he toke his leue departed And the thyrde daye he wente vnto the market boughte a gyrdell that thre tymes was more in value costelyer than the chaplet was presented it vnto her on the behalue of Lodwyk And whan she sawe behelde the so precyouse she sayd vnto Alexander Saye to Lodwyk that he come to my chamber aboute the thyrde hour in the nyght and he shall fynde the dore open Alexander herynge that
trespace of one or yet of twenty may not founde to the rebuke blame of all other for ouer al the worlde there bee bothe good euyll But one thynge of a trouth I shall shewe you that euyll shall come to you yf ye this daye do your sone to deth for the wordes of your wyfe the whiche I wolde shewe by a notable example Than sayd the emperoure woll ye that recyte for our lernynge The mayster sayde yt ye wyll calle ayen your sone kepe hym tyll I haue made recytacyon of the example than what someuer ye shal thīke best to done with hym doo it I shall reherce this example or elles not The emperour cōmaunded that he sholde be called ayen / and desyred the mayster to say as here after ensueth or foloweth ¶ The example of the fourthe mayster THere was an olde knyght a ryght wyse mā that longe lyued without wyfe chylde His frendes came to hym many tymes counseyled and exhorted him that he sholde take a wyfe The knyght thus counseyled styred by his frendes soo oftymes that at the laste he agreed too theym And they gaue hym to wyfe the doughter of the prouost of rome that ryche was ryght fayre whome whan he had seene anone he was made blynde taken in her loue began to loue her meruaylously wel and whan they had ben a certayne space togyder had no fruyte ne chylde Vpon a tyme in a mornynge it happened that she went to the chyrche where she met with her moder saluted her as it behoued My dere doughter sayd the moder how pleaseth you your maryage your husbōde She sayd ryght euyll for ye haue gyuen to me an olde lame man / me in al thȳges dyspleasynge I wolde ye had that same tyme buryed me for I had leuer lye ete with a swyne than with hym and therfore I may no longer thus eudure but I must loue an other Tho sayd the moder god forbede that My dere doughter howe longe tyme I haue be with your fader yet hytherto I neuer medled me with suche folysshenes The doughter sayde moder it is noo meruayle for ye bothe in your youth met togyder the one toke solace of the other I may receyue of hym noo maner of solace corporall for he is colde / vpon the bed he lyeth as styll as a stone or as a thyng immouable The moder answered yf ye wyll ioue an other say me what he is The doughter sayd a preest I wyl loue to whome the moder sayd it were better to you lesse syn to loue a knyght or a squyer than a preest the doughter sayde If I shold loue a knyght or a gentel squyer in shorte tyme he wolde be wery of me after that he wolde do me shame tell it ouer all so it is not of the preest for he wyll holde and kepe his owne honoure counseyll as well as myn̄ And also spyrytuell men be more true to theyr loues than the seculer men The moder sayd Here my counseyll it shall be good for you Olde folkes are wylly fell tempte your husbonde fyrst yf ye scape hym wtout doynge ony harme or smytȳge than loue the preest The dought sayd I maye not so longe abyde The moder sayd vpon my blessynge abyde tyll ye haue proued hym The doughter sayde vpon your blessynge I wyll abyde so longe tyll I haue attempted hȳ but fyrst say me how that I shal proue hym The moder sayde He hath in his orchyerde a tree whiche he loueth moche do that to besmyten downe whyles he is oute at hontynge ayenst his comynge make hym there a fyre yf he forgyue it you thā maye surely loue the preest As she had herde the coūseyl of her moder she went to her house To whom her husbonde sayd Where haue ye ben so longe She answered I haue ben in the chyrche where as I met with my moder with her a lytell I haue talked comyned so began proprely for to dyssymyle After mydday the knighte rode out for to hūte Then she thynkȳge vpon the counseyll of her moder went to the gardyner sayde to hȳ Cut downe this yonge tree newly planted that I may make a fyre therof to warme my lorde withal at his comynge from huntȳge For it is a grete wynd a ryght sharpe colde The gardyner sayde Madame that wyll I not do for my lorde loueth better that tre than he dothe all the other trees neuertheles I shal wel helpe you to gadre wood ynough for to make withall a good fyre but in ony wyse this I wyl not hewe downe She herde that boldly she toke the axe from the gardyner hewed downe the tree her selfe made the gardyner with other to bere it home At euyn whan the lorde came from huntynge he was sore a colde The lady lete make a grete fyre went met with hym set hym ou a stole afore the fyre to warme And as he a lytell whyle had sytten he perceyued the odoure of the fyre called to hym the gardyner sayd I fele by this odour that my newe plante brenneth in the fyre The gardiner sayde Lorde it is trewe my lady your wyfe hath felled it down The knyght sayd to her god forbede that my plante sholde be cut downe by you She answerd anone sayd Lorde I haue done it knowyng the weder colde you also colde therfore I haue ordeyned this fyre for your cōforte As the knyght that herde he loked angrely vpon her sayd O cursed woman how werest thou so hardy to hewe down so gentyl a yonge tre the whiche thou knowest wel that I loued aboue al other trees As she that herde she began to wepe excuse her selfe sayd My lorde I haue done it for your good prouffyte ye take it so greuously began to cry wo wo be to me Anone as the knyght sawe the wepȳge teeres of his wyfe herde her cause we was meued with mercy saynge to her Cesse of your wepȳg be ware how the ye ony more angre or trouble me in ony thȳge / that I loue The next daye erly in the mornȳge / she went ayen to the chyrchewarde met with her moder comȳge ayenst her they salued eche other Than the doughter sayd to her moder O dere moder I wyll loue the preest for I haue attempted my lorde as ye coūseyled me / but all for nought for he anone forgaue it whan he sawe me a lytell wepe Tho sayd the moder though olde men one tyme forgyue / they double the payn vpon an other tyme. therfore I counseyll you that ye an other tyme attempte hym Tho sayde the doughter I maye no lenger abyde for I suffer so moche payn for the loue of the preest that with my tonge I canne not tell therfore ye shall perdone me
hym and solde hym there to a duke The chylde grewe goodly and fayre the duke loued hym moche hadde him gretely in his fauoure Vppon a tyme the kynge of that realme lete calle and assemble all the greate lordes noble men of his londe to a generall couÌ„sell This duke prepared ordeyned hym to go to the couÌ„sell marked the wysdome the wytte of the chylde toke the thylde with hym And whan they were all gadred assembled before the kynge in his couÌ„seyll My welbeloued lordes frendes sayd the kynge wylle ye wete the cause wherfore that I haue called you to this counseylle Then sayd they all we be all souerayne lorde at your commauÌ„demente Then the kynge sayd It is a secrete mater that I shall shewe you yf that ony maÌ„ can open it declare what that it sygnyfyeth I swere promytte vnto hym by my crowne that I shall gyue too hym myn only doughter in maryage he shal be my felowe in my realme duryng my lyfe after my dethe he shall haue possede all the hole kyngedome the mystery of the counseyll is this Thre rauons alwayes folowe me where so euer that I goo they leue me not but cry with suche horryble voyces that it is grete payne for me to here them to beholde theyr lokynges therfore yf ther be ony man the whiche that knoweth the cause of theyr folowynge can shewe what they mene by theyr cryenge voyde theym fro me wtout doubte I shall fulfyll this promyse that I haue made as the kynge had thus sayd there was none fouÌ„de in all the couÌ„seyll that wyst the cause or coude moue or put awaye the rauons Then sayd the chylde too the duke Mylorde thynke ye that the kynge wyl holde his promyse or worde yf I accomplysshe his wyll and desyre Than the duke sayde I thynke he wyll holde that he hath promysed but wyl ye that I gyue the kynge knowlege of you what ye can do Then the chylde sayd I wyl my lyfe set in pledge I shall perfourme make it good that I haue sayde whan the duke herde that he went to the kynge sayd My lorde the kyng here is a yonge maÌ„ that is ryght connynge wyse the whiche promyseth for to satysfye fulfyl in al thyÌ„ges your desyre as touchyÌ„ge the rauons yf ye wyll fulfyll that ye haue promysed The kynge swore by the crowne of his kyngedome what I haue promysed in al thynges shal be ful fylled Tho brought he the chylde before the kynge and whan the kynge sawe hym he spake to hym O fayre chylde can ye gyue answere to my questyon The chylde sayd My lorde ye in the best wyse your questyon if wherfore that the rauons folowe you horrybly crye vpon you To whiche I answere Vpon a tyme it hapned that two rauons a male a female had brought forthe bytwene them the thyrde rauon vpon the sayd se was so grete famyne scarsytee of all maner of thyÌ„ges that men bestes foules dyed perysshed for defaute The thyrde rauon that tyme beynge yonge in the nest the moder lefte it sekynge where she myght best gete her lyuynge came nomore to the neste The male rauon seynge that with grete penurye and laboure fed the yong rauon tyll that he was able to flye and. whaÌ„ the dere tyde was passed and gone then the female rauon came ayen too the yonge rauon and wolde holde felysshyppe and company with hym And as the male rauon sawe that he wolde haue dryuen her away saynge thus that she in his grete myscheyf and necessyte lefte hym and his company and therfore nowe she sholde wante his company and felysshyppe She alledged and sayd that she had in his byrthe grete laboure and sorowe and suffred penurye And therfore of his company she sholde rather Ioye than the fader For this my souerayne lorde they folowe you as kynge the ryght Iugement whiche of them both shal haue the yonge rauon in theyr company and this is the cause of theyr horryble clamour and noyse that they make dayly vpon you But my lorde hadde ye hereupon a ryghtwysse sentence gyuen ye sholde neuer more see theym or be troubled with theyr cryenge Tho sayd the kynge for the cause that the moder hath lett forsaken the yonge rauen in his mooste necessyte it standeth with reason iustyce that she shall wante be without his felyshyp And where that she sayth alledgethe that in the berynge byrth of hym she hadde greate payne and traueyle that helpeth her not for that payne was torned in to Ioye as sone as she sawe the yonge rauen in the worlde But for that the male is the cause of produccyon generacyon in euery beste also that he the yonge rauon in his necessyte sustayned fedde in to the recoueryng nourysshynge of his body therfore I gyue for a iugement for a sentence dyffinityue that the yonge rauen shall abyde holde company with the fader and not with the moder And whan the rauons herde this sentence with a greate noyse crye they flâ—we vp in the ayre were no more seen nefouÌ„de in all that Regyon whanne that this was doone the kynge demaunded of the yonge man wha this name was He answered I am called Alexander Tho sayd the kynge I wyll haue one thynge of you that ye frome hens forth shal name take me none other for your fader but me for ye shall marye my doughter and ye shall be possessour of all my realme The yonge Alexander abode and dwelled stylle with the kynge and euery man hadde too hym fauour and loue for he began to haunt and occupy hymselfe in iustes in tourneys wherin at all tymes he had the pryse aboue all other that were in all Egypte soo that his pere or lyke was not founde there was not so harde nor so obscure a questyon put vnto hym but that he coude assoyle it At that tyme was there an Emperoure named Tytus that excelled in gentylnesse curtesy curposyte of all other Emperours kynges and prynces in the worlde In so moche that suche a fame noyse flewe ranne ouer all the worlde of it that what so euer he was that wolde prouffyte in connynge maners or behauynge that he sholde go to the Emperours courte And whan Alexander herd that he sayd to the kynge My most honourable fader lorde ye wote well that al the worlde is full of the fame of themperoure so that it is delectable to abide dwel in hys courte wherfore yf it please yow my lorde fader I wolde gladly go to hys court that I myght be wyser prompter in maners behauyÌ„ge than I am Thereupon answered the kynge It pleaseth me ryght well but I wolde that ye take with you plente of golde syluer other necessaryes so moche that ye myn honoure