nat he to the. Therfore thow art seruaunt of hym whiche servith
me.' Than the kynge fixed a litel his sight in to the erth and saide:
'Fader, ne shamest thow nat nor gastest of my power?'[1] To
whom the philosopher in the straytnes tooke his seete[2] and saide:
'Knowe thow hym to the to grete abusioun to have lordship of mortal
thynges and the matier of thynges bryngyng the to opteyne
whiche nat with thi vertu or strength, nor stilliche thow doest it of
eveene consent, but of glorious covetise as the chiernes of the thyng
is thow hast don to be lawded and praised whiche that is exiled and
voide of al the weight.[3] So considre thow thi glorie that is past
and thi power as may be now as nought nor to be drad; but neither
of thynges to come, of whos hap or comyng is doutable and vncerteyn.
Thus it owith of this present lif forwhi it is but litil and
momentaneous and whiche in the twynklyng of an eye is brought to
nought.'[4] He perceivyng the wordis of the philosopher, the kyng
saide to his meyne: 'Forsoth he is the seruaunt of god! See yee
that yee do hym noon hurt nor non vnhonest thing."[5]
XXIV.[6] The Wise Merchant and the Improvident King
"Forsoth it is saide that suche a kyng of the Scites[7] bi the
comune assent of his nobles to suche on of his seruauntis whom thei
cald Anne[8] to be prudent and wise in seculier and worldly thynges;
al the bridels and Rulis of his Realme to hym he commytted, whiche
al the Revenues and Rentis of the Realme he Received and plesauntly
and pesibly entreatid, the house and the household meyne and
Ministres seruauntis and their dispenses ordeyned. A Riche Marchaunt
his brother in a Citee fer of indwellid. The which perceived
bi Rumour and tidynges of his brother enhauncyng and pro-
- ↑ Lat. (I, 41, l. 2) Ut patet in verbis tuis, nihil meae potentiam gloriae vereris.
- ↑ Lat. in angustam suae mentis sedem receptus.
- ↑ Lat. (I, 41, l. 3) Scis ipse nimium tibi ambitionem return mortalium dominatam fuisse et materiam gerendis rebus te optavisse, quo ne virtus tua ut ipse fateris consenesceret tacita; sed ob cupidinem gloriae sicut rei sinceritas est fecisti adipiscendae. quae gloria quam sit exilis et totus vacua ponderis, sic considera. Tuae praeteritae gloriae patentia utpote, et cet.
- ↑ The English omits the final clause of the rather long sentence of the original, ob hoc ergo in nulla parte sui est formidanda, 'for this reason therefore it is in no respect to be dreaded for its own sake.'
- ↑ In the Latin version this tale is followed by a discussion of the end of life (De vitae termino) between the master and his disciple. And a small part of the connecting dialogue is not given in the English translation; but in the English version what is reproduced has been transferred from its original place (between XXVIII and XXIX) and inserted after, No. XXIV corresponding, not to XXIX of the Latin, which would be the natural order, but to No. XXVI.
- ↑ No. XXVI of the original, I, 35, l. 23.
- ↑ This word is not in the Latin, which runs: Dictum namque fuit quod quidam rex suorum, et cet. See I, 35.
- ↑ This word might be 'Aime' or 'Amie' in the Ms.; but even so there is nothing corresponding to it in the Latin, either in meaning or in form, but 'antea,' the sentence being {{latin|cuidam suo familiari, quam antea cognoverat in saecularibus esse prudentem.
