either seriously or in sport, lest it befall thee as it befell the two
jesters before the king." To this the son: "Tell me about that
father, I pray thee." The father: "All right. A certain jester once
came to the king, whom the king made to sit at meat with another
jester. But the latter began to be envious of the new comer after
his arrival because the king had favored him more than himself and
all those about the court. And in order that this state of things
might not last long he planned to put him in disgrace so that he
would have to run away. Therefore while the others were eating
the first jester put the bones together and placed them before his
companion; and when the meal was finished he showed the king the
pile of bones, arranged for the disgrace of his companion, saying
sharply: 'My companion has eaten the covering of all those bones.'
And the king looked at him with an angry scowl. But the accused
said to the king: 'Master I did it because my nature, as is human,
required me to eat the flesh and throw away the bones; and my companion
did what his nature, apparently that of a dog, demanded, in
eating both flesh and bones'."
The philosopher said: "Honor thyself as the lesser person and give him of thy substance, just as thou wishest that the greater honor thee and give thee of his substance." Another: "It is indeed base for a rich man to be avaricious, but it is beautiful for man of moderate means to be liberal."[1]
The disciple saide to the Maister: "Write thow to me the diffinicioun of the largesse, the Auarous, and the Prodogus; that is to say, the large or free man, the Covetous man, and the wastour."[2] [The fader]: "Whiche yevith to whom it is to yeve and withholdith and reteyneth to whom it is to withold, is[3] large; and [whiche] forbedith to whom it is forboden and to whom it is nat forboden [is] covetous.[4] And who that yevith to whom it is nat to yeve is a wastour."[5]
"Do not engage in a business that is failing, and do not delay
to become associated with a growing business." Another: "A little
happiness is of more worth than a house full of gold and silver."
Another: "Strive for the useful with great care, not with great
haste." Another: "Do not look upon one richer than thyself lest
thou sin against him, but upon one who is poorer than thyself and
then thank God." Another: "Do not deny God because of poverty,
and do not be proud because of riches," Another: "He who desires
much is always consumed with hunger for more." Another: "If
you only wish to have as much in this world as will suffice for
- ↑ At this point in the connecting link between tales XXI and XXII of the Latin (cf. I, p. 30) the Middle English takes up the thread of the story again.
- ↑ Lat. (I, 30, l. 1) Discipulus ait: Diffinitionem largi et avari et prodigi mihi subscribe. Pater, et cet.
- ↑ Ms. 'and'.
- ↑ Ms. 'and covetous to whom it is nat forboden'; Lat. Et qui prohibet quibus prohibendum est et quibus non est prohibendum, avarus est.
- ↑ The English omits the rest of the link, excepting the speech of the last one of the several philosophers who engage in the discussion.
