the ward and kepyng of dyuers naciouns, forwhi he is no Right
Ruler nor gouernour but an enemy. God forsoth whiche hym and
his subiectis of the same and nat of dyvers matiers hath made and
formed, but his vnmoderate wikkidnes long while hath suffred and
with many correcciouns he hath monysshed and warned, as to be
torned and conuerted. But al vttirly only to the evil of his froward
soule of no noysaunce in to mercy of the barbaryus people and
nacioun hath areised.[1] And this saide the wiseman stilled. That
the philosophres heryng woundred and al tho that ther weren. The
iii day after the philosophers asked (f. 132) licence to go ageyn;
than that Reuerent with a spirite of prophecie saide vnto hem:
'Torne ye now ageyn forwhi yowre kyng is dede, and god now
ther hath set another kyng whiche shalbe a Rightful gouernour and
meke to al his people and subiectis.' Suche thynges herd of the vii
philosophers that com, iii of theym remayned and abode with this
wise man in [the] wildernes and iiii of theym went home ageyn in
to their cuntrey; whiche fonde al thynges as it was theym told and
saide."[2]
XXI.[3] Etiquette in the King's Service
[The fader]: "Who that wilbe seruaunt vnto a kyng ought to
see with al the sight of his mynde, than whan he comith to the kyng,
that he may long stonde ne never sitte til the kyng comaunde, nother
speke but whan it is neede; nother tary or abide but whan
the kyng comaundith hym to dwelle and abide, and his
counseil triewely kepe; and alwey be intentief to here what
the kyng saith, neither hym bihovith of this to aske the
kynges comaundement and whatsumever he comaundith do it;
but beware ne lie nat vnto thi kyng, and see that he love his kyng and
be to hym obedient; ne never associe ne felawship the nat with
noman that the kyng hatith or that he hatith the kyng.[4] And whan
he hath done al this and many another, haply [he] therby shal nat
have no grete profite of the kyng." Than the sone: "Nothyng worse
- ↑ This sentence is not at all clear in the translation because it is so inexact: Sed tandem omnino ad malum eius pertinaci animo in illius necem immisericordes et barbaras suscitavit gentes. See I, 35, l. 13.
- ↑ Tale XXVI in the Latin is in reality about the wise merchant who refused to settle in the country of a king whose expenses were as great as his income, which the English translation reproduces as No. XXIV instead of XXI, as it would be in the natural order of the dialogues. But No. XXI of the English version does reproduce a part of the lengthy discussion between the Arab and his son concerning the proper etiquette to be observed by any one in the service of a king, which follows No. XXVI in the Latin (I, 36, l. 26—p. 28, l. 9.)
- ↑ No. XXVI, the concluding discussion of the original; the first part having been shifted in the Middle English so as to form No. XXIV (which should, but does not, correspond to No. XXIX of the original).
- ↑ Lat. has only quem rex odio habebit.
