couetyse of eyes / and concupyscence of flesshe in the whiche thre that wretched man gretely delyted and atte the laste they lede hym in to hell This wytty knyght betokeneth the soule / the folysshe knyght betokeneth the flesshe the whiche is alwaye folysshe and atte all tymes redy to doo harme These two ben felowes and knytte in one / for eueryche of theym orynketh others blode / that is to saye they shall drynke of one cuppe eyther Ioye or payne they shall haue after the daye of dome The soule cheseth all the waye of penaunce / and in as moche as she may she styreth the flesshe to do the same / but the flesshe thynketh neuer what is to come after / therfore she gooth in the delyte of this worlde and fleeth the way of penaunce / and thus the soule after the deth is caste in to helle / and the flesshe is caste in to the dycke / that is to saye in to the graue But than the Iustyce cometh / that is oure lorde Ihesu cryste at the daye of dome to deme all mankynde Than the soule shall complayne vpon the flesshe / and y◠flesshe vpon the soule But than the Iustyce whiche wyll not be deceyued neyther by prayer ne by pryce shal condempne the soule bycause she folowed the fragylyte of the flesshe And also he shall condempne the flesshe bycause it wolde not byleue the soule / wherfore lete vs studye to tame oure flesshe that we maye obey god and than shall we haue euerlastynge lyfe Vnto the whiche brynge vs oure dere lorde Ihesus cryste Amen 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 that 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 that whyle she satte mournynge 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 that 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 the 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 thou wylt graunt to me one thynge I shall fyght for the agaynst the erle and I behote vnto the the 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 that 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 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 the / 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 ¶ Dere frendes this Emperour is the fader of heuen / and this doughter is the soule of man made atte the symylytude of god / to whome god gaue and byquethed the Empyre of paradyse But there came an erle / that is to say the deuyl styred her to syn̄e whā sheete of y◠appel sayd vnto her thus in what hour ye ete of that appel ye shal be lyke gods where for brekynge goddes commaundement we were all exyled out of paradyse and chaced vnto the realme of this worlde here to lyue in grete wretchednes / lyke as the psalme sayth In sudore vultus tui c. In the swete of thy vysage thou shalt ete thy brede But that came a fayre yonge knyght a strōge / that is to saye our lorde Ihesu cryst whiche had compassyon on mankynde and tooke our flesshe and our blode and gaue batayll to the deuyll ouercame hym / and thus wanne he agayne our herytage Therfore late vs do as this yonge lady dyde put we this blody sherte / that is to saye y◠mynde of the passyon of cryst in the perche of our herte thynke we how oure lorde Ihesu cryste shedde his blode for sv And yf ony man / that is to faye / the
.vii. yere / therfore dere fader I beseche you for all the loue the 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 without fayle Herof the kynge was pleased and graūted 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 the 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 th empyre 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 that ye brought not with you youre brydge Than sayd the kynge / thou spekest meruaylously my brydge is made of lyme stone conteyneth in quanty te more than halfe a myle how sholde I than bere with me my brydge / therfore thou sepkest folysshly Wel sayd y◠knyght my folysshenesse may torne the to wysdome Whan the 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 the 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 the 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 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 that 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 that 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 the kynge we rode ferthermore / and anone after he asked me leue to go frome / and I asked dylygently whether he wente And he answered agayne and sayd vnder this fourme This daye
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 that 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 that 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 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 that 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 the 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 the 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 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 the 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 that sayle and sayl led forth / whā y◠lady had this perceyued Thus sayd she to that mayster O mayster qd she what treason is this y◠thou haste done to me The mayster answered and sayd Madame certaynly it suche the I muste nedes lye with the after wedde y◠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 the myddes of the see / and there shall ye dye an euyll dethe If it be quod she that 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 the 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 with 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 that god gaue her grace to hee le 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 with a foule lepre The knyght that slewe the erles doughter put the blody knyfe in her hande was blynde 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
this poore man and sayd My lorde I promyse you my fay the fullly for to be true vnto you as longe as that 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 the Emperour ordeyned other men in theyr 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 the 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 coūcell 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 in token of vyctorye / and soo he ended his lyfe in pease ¶ This Emperour betokeneth that fader of heuen The poore man that was promoted betokeneth Lucyfer y◠whiche was made of nought and exalted in the Empyre of heuen in so grete Ioye and clerenesse that hym semed thrughe his pryde that he wolde be lyke almyghty god / and not onely lyke hym selfe but also more than almyghty god / wherfore the fader of heuen exyled hym and all theym that consented vnto hym to helle / and in theyr place man was exalted to grete Ioye and honoure The deuyll seynge this enuyed hym that man sholde come to suche glorye and honoure / bad Adam and Eue. vnto a feest whan they ete of the apple agaynst goddes commaundement / and counceylled them thus saynge In what houre he ete of the apple ye shall be lyke goddes And in this cursed feest they were serued with fyue meases the whiche were enpoysoned / that is to saye / theyr fyue wyttes were accorded in etynge of that apple wherof man was infecte and dyed This herynge the Emperours sone meued with mercy came doune frome heuen in to this worlde and acquaynted hym soo well with the blyssed vyrgyne Mary that he founde in her the well of man hode and conioyned it to his godhede acordynge to the scrypture I am the well of lyfe who drynketh on it shall not thurste After that he lete make fyue trenches in the grounde / that is to laye fyue woundes in his body of the whiche ranne bothe blode water wherby all mankynde were reysed fro dethe to lyfe / and soo he ledde theym vp in to the palyce of heuen Vnto the whiche our blyssed lorde Ihesus Cryste that shed his blode vpon the rode tree for the and me and all mankynde Amen Amen Amen for saynt charyte SOmtyme there dwelled in Rome a myghty emperour the whiche was named Dunstane In whose Empyre dwelled a gentyll knyght the 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 sayd to is fader Fader quod he it semeth that 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 the comune woman agaynst thy wyll and commaundement Therfore me semeth that thou arte oute of thy ryght mynde Thenne answered the 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 thou 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 ¶ The fader of the two bretherne betokeneth the fader of heuen And this two sones betokeneth that nature of aungelles and nature of man For man was wedded vnto a comune woman of the bordelle whan he ete of the apple agaynst the commaundement of god wherfore he was exyled by that fader of heuen and putte fro the Ioyes of paradyce The sone of the comune woman hetokeneth mankynde This knyghtes sone that is to saye Adam began to be nedefull / for after his synne he was putte frome Ioye in to this wretched valey of teares and wepynge accordynge to this scrypture In sudore vultus c. In the swete of thy vysage thou shalte ete thy brede But after by the passyon of cryste he
was reconsyled But the other sone whiche betokeneth the deuyll was euer vnkynde grutcheth dayly agaynst oure reconsylynge saynge that by synne we oughte not to come vnto the herytage of heuen Vnto yâ— whiche brynge vs our lorde Ihesus Amen THere dwelled somtyme in Rome a myghty Emperour named donate whiche lete make .iii. ymages Of the which one helde out his hande streyght vnto the people and hadde on his fynger a rynge of golde The secoÌ„de 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 the 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 the Emperour and broughte byfore hym and was examyned of that trespasse / why that he dyspoyled that 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 that myÈt because of his deth / therfore I toke it fro hyÌ„ bycause 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 ¶ Thus Emperoure betokeneth all myghty god the faderot heuen The thre ymages betokeneth the poore men the ryche men / and the myghty men of this worlde The tyraunt Doynyse betokeneth Iustyces / sheryfes baylyes / catchepolles / and all other offycers whiche take away fro poore men the rynge of the ryche and sayth thus I may take that is gyuen me But whan the poore man hath ought to done he muste nedes putte for the to gyue whyder he wyl or none yf he shall spede They take also the berde from the ryche men sayth thus / this man is rycher than his fader / Therfore take we his lyuelode fro hym and make hym lyke his forne faders They take also the mantelle of golde frome theym whan they se ony man of honour and of good lyuynge wyllynge to corecke suche mysdoers than saye they this man is to cold / for he enclyneth no thyÌ„ge to our opinyones / and also he is to hote of power in werkynges agaynst vs therfore goo we take frome hym the mantell of myght and so they accuse hym and putteth hym out of offyce But certaynly all suche men standeth tin peryll of euerlastynge dethe Frome the whiche saue us he that dyed for vs vpon the rode tree Amen for saynt charyte 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 the Empyre herde this they came vnto the Emperoure and besought hym to haue the kepynge of his sone Anone the Emperour sente a sergeauÌ„t 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 hyÌ„ 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 fouÌ„de 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 yâ— 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 And that he drewe on the dore a galowes / and a fygure of hyÌ„ 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 the Emperours sone clenly thus shall he honoured whaÌ„ this was doone Oftymes in his slepe he was teÌ„pted to defyle the ymages / but anone he redde the superscrypcyon aboue theyr hedes / and than all that 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 that 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 hyÌ„ for his sone both / thankyÌ„ge hyÌ„ for his weil kepynge and nourysshynge of hym / and after promoted hyÌ„ to grete honoure and worshyppe ¶ This Emperour betokeneth the of fader heuen the Empresse betokeneth the blyssed vyrgyn