motyng, arraied a felawship as it bihoved as to visite his
brother [and] bigan his jorney. Only bifore [he] sent a messenger
lest that sodainly or vnprovided [he] shuld come; whiche told
of his brothers comyng to a Citee that was ther nygh.[1] He heryng
of his brother, the brother mette hym and with a glad chiere hym
tooke and (f. 134b) resceived. Than after past a fewe daies, place
and tyme purveied whiche he knewe pleasaunt vnto hym, among
other thynges rehersed vnto the kyng his brothers comyng. To
whom the kyng: 'If thi brother wil dwel and Rest with the in my
Realme, al my thynges to the with hym I shal betake to kepe. And
though that he denye it, yet I shall yeve and graunt hym large possessiouns
in this Citee; and al the customs that he ought to do vnto
me I shal pardon hym. If forsoth from that only bi touche or
feelyng of love natural [he] wil go ageyn in to his cuntrey, with
many chaunge of vestymentis and whatsumever ellis to hym
necessarie with habundance I shal enlarge.' The wordis of the
kyng herd, the brother cam to the brother and as moche as his lord
had hym promysed to hym he told and reherced. To whom the
brother: 'If thow wilt that I dwel with the, shewe me how moche
bien the Rentis of the kyng and his Revenues.' He forsoth shewid
hym al. Of that he askid hym what was the kynges expenses; and
he told hym of that he made. Than he accompted that the kynges
expenses was as moche as the Rentis and Revenus amounted; and
[he] saide vnto his brother: 'Friend and brother, I see that the
kynges dispenses bien as moche as his Rentis. And if yowre kyng
areised any bataile or any other suche thyng like, wherof shalbe
procured for his knyghtis or wherof shal their wagis bien founde?'
[The] Brother: 'Therof we shuln seeke other counsail.' To whom
the brother: 'I dreede me if I shuld be partyner[2] of this maner
counsaile, and therfor farwele, for here I wil no more ne lenger
dwell.[3]
"Svche a philosopher saith: 'To werke for the world to come as
thow now shuldest die, and so as for this present world thow were
alwey to lyve. Forsoth it is bettir that after thi deth thyn enemyes
have thi purchace than that thow live needily in this lif.' Another
- ↑ Lat. (I, 36, l. 1) Praemisso tandem nuntio, ne subitus aut improvisus veniret, qui de avdentu suo fratri referret, civitati in qua irater aderat appropinquavit.
- ↑ Lat. (I, 36, l. 16) Timeo ne census mens sit pars huius consilii.
- ↑ Now, the English translator inserts a portion of the dialogue which connects tales XXVIII and XXIX in the Latin after No. XXIV; but he omits the beginning of the discussion about the end of life (see I, 41, l. 12): Again the disciple said to his master: "Since worldly things are so transitory, why should we make just as great preparations as if they were lasting?" The master: "Because the end of life is uncertain." At this point the English version takes up the argument again.
