Part 5

Somtyme was in the cyte of rome seuen wyse maysters by whome all yᵉ empyre was gouerned [et] ruled. And themperour that than was dyde no thynge or attempte wᵗout the counseyll of them, as they vnderstode that themperour was to them soo inclyned, yᵗ without theym he sholde ordeyne or doo noo thynge. in yᵉ meane tyme they made by theyr arte and connȳg yᵗ themperour sholde clerely se as longe as he was in his palays but anone as he was out of his palays, he was made blynde / [et] that dyde they to the ente_n_t yᵗ they myght the more frely intromytte themself of all thynges that apperteyned to themperour, by yᵉ whiche they gate [et] wanne too theym grete profyte [et] lucre of goodes. [et] after that they had made [et] wroughte that experyment, they coude neuer chaunge it ne fordo it, afterwarde, but themperour abode styl blȳd many yeres. Then the vii maysters made [et] ordeyned throughout thempyre, that yf ony man had dremed a dreme he sholde come vnto them wᵗ a florene of golde or of syluer, [et] they sholde expowne [et] declare vnto them the Interpretacyon of theyr dremes wherby [et] by other vniuste meanes they obteyned moche more substaunce [et] money of yᵉ people than themperour dyde. Soo vpon a tyme whan he sate at the table wᵗ the empresse he began to syghe [et] sorowe in hymselfe. and whan she perceyued that she enquyred dylygently of hym yᵉ cause of his heuynesse [et] doloure. Themperour sayde / sholde not that to me be heuy [et] sorowfull yᵗ I so longe haue been blynde [et] out of my palays / [et] of yᵗ can haue or fynde no remedy. To whome spake thempresse [et] sayd, my lorde here my counseyll [et] it shall neuer repent you yf ye do therafter. In your courte ye haue vii wyse maysters by whome ye [et] all yᵉ empyre is gouerned yf ye nowe beholde [et] marke this in your mȳde / ye shall fynde that they are yᵉ cause of your blyndnesse [et] dysease. [et] yf it be so they are worthy too dye a shamefull deth. Therfore take hede to my coūseyl and aduyse. Sende ye for them [et] shewe vnto them youre dysease [et] infyrmyte, [et] threte them on payne of theyr lyues, yᵗ they sholde fynde a remedy to make you hole of your syknesse [et] blyndnes. This coūseyl pleased the emperour well. [et] anone sent for yᵉ maysters And whā they were come, themperour anone shewed vnto the_m_ his infyrmyte [et] blyndenes. [et] charge them vpon payne [of] deth / yᵗ they sholde seke a rememedy (_sic_) [et] make hym hole therof. Tho answered they, Ye desyre of vs a thi_n_ge that is dyffusyfe [et] harde for vs to do thus shortly but gyue vs respyte [et] dayes [et] in yᵉ tenth day we shall gyue you answere. Themperour was therwith well content [et] pleased. Then yᵉ seuen wyse maysters went to counseyll, how they myght yᵗ best chaunge [et] alter / [et] that in noo maner coude they fynde yᵉ meane howe they myght put awaye yᵉ blyndnes from the Emperour. Wherfore they were all ryght sorowfull. [et] sayde amonge them self, wᵗoute we fynde a remedye we are all but dede men. Soo went they from thens thrugh out al thēpyre [et] sought yf they coude fynde ony remedy or coūseyll therfore. It hapned them vpon a tyme goynge thrugh a cyte, [et] in yᵉ myddes therof they founde chyldren playnge. [et] a[f]ter them came a man wᵗ a talente or florene of golde [et] sayd to them, Good maysters this nyght I haue dremed a dreme, thenterpretacyon therof I wolde fayne knowe. Wherfore I pray you shewe me what it sygnyfyeth [et] take this golde to you. That herde one of yᵉ chyldren yᵗ played amonge yᵉ other [et] sayd too hy_m_, gyue me yᵉ golde [et] not them, [et] I shall expowne thy dreme. The man sayde, I dremed this nyghte yᵗ in the myddes of myn orchyerde was a grete sprynge of water, wherof came many smal spry_n_ges yᵗ al myn orchyerde was full [et] overflowen wᵗ water. The chylde sayd, take a spade [et] dygge in yᵉ same place there as ye thought that yᵉ water outsprange, [et] there shall ye fynde an horde of golde so grete that ye [et] all your chylderne & lynage shall be for euer ryche. The man dyde as yᵉ chylde had shewed hym [et] found ye tresoure accordynge to hys wordes. Tho went yᵉ ma_n_ to yᵉ chylde [et] offred hym a pounde weyght of yᵉ golde yᵗ he had founde for yᵉ interpretacyon of his dreme [et] he wold none receyue but cōmytted hym to yᵉ prayers of yᵉ man. The vii. maysters whan they herde yᵉ chylde so wysely expowne yᵉ dreme, they sayd to hym, gode chylde what is your name he answered [et] sayde I called Merlyne. Then sayd yᵉ maysters, we se clerely grete wysedome in you, we shal shewe vnto you a grete mater, [et] of yᵗ we wolde gladly yᵗ ye coude fynde a remedy. The chylde sayd, shewe me your mater. And they sayd themperour of rome as longe as he is in his palays he hath his syght clere wᵗout ony impedymēt and as sone as he is gone out of his palays he is soo blȳde yᵗ he may not se. Yf ye can now det_er_myne yᵉ cause herof [et] fy_n_de a remedy yᵗ he may be eased [et] haue h[i]s syght ayen ye shall haue grete rewardes [et] honoures of thēperour. The chylde sayd, I know yᵉ cause as wel of his blȳdhede as of yᵉ remedy. They sayd to hy_m_, Come wᵗ vs to themperour [et] ye shal be rewarded so largely yᵗ ye shall be pleased. To whome yᵉ chylde sayd, I am redy to go wᵗ you. And whan they came wᵗ yᵉ chylde before themperour they sayd to hy_m_. Lorde loo here this childe yᵗ we haue brought afore you yᵉ which shal fulfyll your desyre as touchȳge the cause of your blȳdenes as yᵉ recouerȳge of your syghte. Themperour sayd, Good maysters woll ye take it vpon you [et] abyde therby that yᵉ chylde shall do wᵗ me. They all sayd ye, for we be experte in his wysedome. Themperour torned hymself towardes yᵉ chylde and sayde, wyll ye vndertake to tell me the cause of my blindnesse [et] the remedye. The chylde answered [et] sayd, my lorde the emperour lede me in to your bedchamber, [et] there I shal shewe you what is to be done And as he was therin broughte he sayd to yᵉ seruaūtes, take of yᵉ clothes of the bedde, [et] all thapparayle, [et] ye shall se wonders. And as yᵗ was done they sawe a well smokyng yᵗ had vii sprȳges or floodes, the whiche whan thēperour sawe meruayled gretly. yᵉ chyld sayd ye se this wel [et] wᵗout it be quēched ye shal neuer haue your sygt. thēperour sayd, how may yᵗ be. yᵉ chyld sayd, but by one way. Themperour sayde, Shewe vs than the meane, [et] yf it be possyble to me it shall be done, yᵗ I maye recouer ayen my syght as well wᵗout as wᵗin. To whome the chylde sayd my lorde yᵉ vii. sprynges of this well are thyse vii. wyse maysters, yᵉ whiche you [et] your Empyre hythertoo haue trayterously gouerned [et] haue you made blȳde as ye be wᵗoute your palays yᵗ they youre subgettes by extorcyon myght plucke [et] pyll, ye not seynge, but nowe they knowe not yᵉ remedy. Here ye nowe my counseyll. [et] this well shal be quenched [et] extyncte. do stryke of yᵉ fyrste maysters hede [et] anone ye shall yᵉ fyrste sprynge quenched. [et] so by ordre one after an other, tyll yᵗ they are all beheded, [et] anone all the sprynges wᵗ the well shall be vanysshed and gone awaye / [et] ye shall haue ayen your syght as ye had afore. And as this was done [et] fulfylled / the well with the vii. sprynges were vanysshed. And as themperour had his syghte ayen he made the chylde a grete lorde [et] gaue hy_m_ grete habundaūce of goodes. After that spake thempresse, my lorde haue ye this example well perceyued that I haue tolde you. [et] he sayd ye in the best wyse. ye haue recyted a good and a ryall example. Than sayd she, In the same wyse your vii. wyse maysters intende too doo with you, by theyre false narracyons, that your sone may reygne vpon you / that god forbede.

_The Declaratyon of the Example._

This welle is youre sone wherof oute flowen seuen sprynges, that sygnefye the seuen wyse maysters the whiche soone ye maye not destroye withoute the vii. maysters be made feble [et] broughte too noughte that done this well that is your sone wᵗ all his cauyllacyons [et] wyles shal not scape / but lete hym be hanged fyrste leste that he haue helpe of his maysters / [et] forth after co[n]sequently yᵉ vii. maysters. And so ye shall gouerne [et] guyde your empyre in reste [et] peas. Themperour anone cōmaunded his seruauntes to lede his so_n_ to the galowes / whiche they were lothe to do. So was there than a grete multytude of people gadred with grete noyse [et] bewaylynge so that the noyse came to yᵉ eres of yᵉ fourth mayster named Malquydrac. yᵉ whiche lepte vpon his hors / [et] hasted hym to yᵉ palays. So mette wᵗ hym his dyscyple [et] dyde reuerence to hy_m_ / [et] recommaunded hym vnto hym / [et] whan he came before themperour [et] had done his obeysaunce [et] reuere_n_ce as apperteyned. Themperour answered [et] sayde. Lytell thanke haue ye olde cursed caytyfe for yᵉ techȳge of my sone for I delyuered you my sone well spekȳge [et] in all thynge ryght vertuous. And ye haue sent hym a fole dompe / [et] a rybaude / for he wolde haue belayne wᵗ force my wyfe / [et] therfore all ye with him togyder shall be hanged. Tho sayd yᵉ mayster, My lorde I haue not that deserued of you. god knoweth why your sone speketh not. in shorte tyme ye shal perceyue other thȳges. but yᵉ tyme is not yet comen. But in yᵗ ye say he wolde haue oppressed your wyfe, yᵗ is not gospel ne proued, ne for one sy_n_guler p[er]sone ye shold not iuge to deth your sone. yf now for yᵉ wordes of your wyfe ye iuge your sone to dye, it wil be wors to you than to an olde man of his wyfe. [et] that I shall proue. Too whome themperour sayd, Thynke ye to doo with me ye olde dotarde, as somtyme seuen wyse men dyde to an emperour. Therto sayd yᵉ mayster The offence or trespace of one or yet of twenty, may not founde to the rebuke [et] blame of all other, for ouer al the worlde there bee bothe good [et] 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, Yf ye wyll calle ayen your sone, [et] kepe hym tyll I haue made recytacyon of the example. [et] than what someuer ye shal thi_n_ke 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._