comaunded, and another after afer so a longe appieryng; the disceived
[man] nat foryeteful of the old wommans comaundementis,
cam after (f. 126b) the first cofre. Forsoth he whiche had hid the
money, ful of wikkidnes and cursed craft, as he saw the man
comyng to whom he had hid and denyed the money, dredyng lest
he wold aske or enquire questions[1] of hem that dide do bryng
thiese cofres of his money so taken and denyed, went agenst hym
and saide: 'Friend, where hastow be and wher hast thow taried?
Com and take thi money to me of trust commended, forwhi I have
founde it and from hensfurth it werieth and lothith me to kepe
it.' And than he glad and joyeng, Received the money doyng
thankynges. Thold wif whan she sawe hym havyng his money,
risyng saide: 'Go we both, I and my felawe, rennyng bifore agenst
our cofres to haast hem; and thow forsoth abide til we come ageyn,
and kepe wele that now we han brought.' He forsoth with a glad
soule kept that he had take and abode the comyng of theym that
myghten com after. And so with goode wit and engyne of thold
wif the money was yolden."[2]
The disciple: "This was a remarkable and useful trick and I do not think any philosopher could think out a more subtle means by which man could recover his money more easily." The master: "A philosopher might well do by his natural and artificial skill and also by studying the secrets of nature what the woman did by her clever wits alone." The disciple: "I can well believe it; but if thou hast stored away in the treasury of thy heart anything of this character from the philosophers, pray bestow it on me, thy disciple, and I will commend it to faithful memory, so that I may at some time feed this most delicate morsel to those of my fellow disciples who have been brought up on the milk of philosophy. The master:
XIII.[3] The Ten Tuns of Oil.
"It happened that suche a man had a sone to whom after his
deth nothyng he left sauf an house. This yong man with greate
labour of his body lived and whiche with nature yeede vndir foote;[4]
and though he were coarted and driven in grete nede, his house
wold he nat selle. This chield had a neighburgh that was a grete
Riche man whiche coveited to bie the house and yeve hym
largely therfor. This chield forsoth wold nat selle it for price
- ↑ Lat. (I, 22, l. 4) timens ne, si pecuniam requireret.
- ↑ The connecting link between this tale and the following one in the Latin (I, 22, l. 13) was omitted by the translator.
- ↑ No. XVI in the original. See I, 22, l. 20.
- ↑ Lat. Iste cum magno labore corpori suo vix etiam quae natura exigit suppeditabat.
