my sone, it happened and cam so to, that thai whiche wold han
disceived their felaw that with his wit thei wern disceived."[1]
Then the son: "It happened to them as it is told in the proverb: 'He who wanted all lost all.' Such also is the nature of the dog whom they resemble: one of them tries to take away another's food. But if they followed the instinct of the camel they would imitate a gentler nature; for the nature of the camel is such, that when fodder is given to many of them at the same time, no one of them will eat until they can all eat together. And if one is so weak that he can not eat, the others refuse to eat until he is taken away. And since these peasants desired to assume the nature and manner of an animal, they should have followed the nature of the gentlest animal; and so they deserved to lose their food. But also I wish that could have happened to them which I have heard my master say happened once upon a time to the king's tailor instead of to his apprentice Nedwy, to wit, he was openly beaten with cudgels." The father replied to this: "Tell me, son, what you heard. What happened to the apprentice? for such a story will be a recreation to my soul." The son:
XVI.[2] Master Tailor and his Apprentice Nedwy
"It is saide[3] that suche a kyng had suche a Tailour the whiche
dyvers tymes shoope to hym dyvers clothis apt vnto his body. And
he had disciples and lerners of sowyng whiche everiche of hem
craftily sowed.[4] Among the whiche [was] oo disciple named
Nedwy whiche in the craft of [sowyng] was the best and past any
of his felawes. But a grete feste day comyng the kyng cald vnto
hym his tailour and his drapers and comaunded hem to array for
the tyme comyng for hym and for his seruauntis precious
clothis. That as soone and without any impedyment it
were don, oon of his chambrelayns, a geldyng of whom
was thoffice and the warde of sowers to kepe, addid and saide
as that noon of hem observe ne kepe no croked nor long nailes, and
praied that he shuld mynistre vnto hem sufficient necessaries. But
in a day the mynistres of the kyng hote brede and hony with other
disshes to the tailour and his felawship yaven to ete, and whiche
that ther wern comaunded to ete. To whom so etyng saide the
geldyng: 'Maister, whi ete yee, and Nedwy beyng absent neither yee
abide hym nat?' Quod the Maister: 'Forwhi he etith no hony
though he were here.' And so they eten. Than cam Nedwy and
saide: 'Whi ete yee and I absent nor therof kepe my part?' Than
- ↑ The English omits most of the discussion between the father and son which serves as a connecting link between exampla XIX and XX of the Latin. See I, 28, l. 2 ff.
- ↑ No. XX in the original. See I, 28, l. 13.
- ↑ Lat. Narravit mihi magister mens.
- ↑ The English omits here quod magister incisor regis artificiose scindebat.
