Page:History of the seven wise masters of Rome.pdf/22

lived a Knight, who had one ⟨ſon⟩ whom he held in high eſteem, and for ⟨his⟩ noble accompliſhments, cauſed him to ⟨be⟩ taught all the arts and ſciences; in ⟨which⟩ being perfected, he ſent for him home, ⟨and⟩ as he ſat at dinner, a nightingale ⟨ſung⟩ ſweetly, at which the Knight ſaid, Ah, ⟨how⟩ ſweet a ſong is this, could any one but ⟨interpret⟩ it! to which the youth anſwered that he would undertake it, if he would ⟨not⟩ be diſpleaſed; but his father ⟨commanded⟩ him to interpret it. Then, ſaid the ⟨youth,⟩ the bird, in her ſong, expreſſed that ⟨I⟩ would be a great Lord, and that my ⟨father⟩ would hold the water, and my mother ⟨a⟩ towel to waſh my hands. Whereupon the ⟨father⟩ growing angry, took him up, and running to the ſea, caſt him in, where he ⟨ſwam⟩ to an uninhabited iſland, ſtayed three ⟨or⟩ four days, till a ſhip paſſing, took him ⟨up⟩ and ſold him to a Duke in Egypt, who ⟨finding⟩ him wiſe, made him ruler of his ⟨houſe⟩. It happened the King of that country ⟨was⟩ troubled with the cry of three ravens ⟨and⟩ demanded of the wiſe men the cauſe, ⟨but⟩ they could not reſolve him, therefore, ⟨he⟩ proclaimed, that if any could tell the meaning, or cauſe the noiſe to ceaſe, he ⟨ſhould⟩ have his daughter to wife, and the kingdom after his deceaſe. Upon this Alexander (the youth's name) went to the King, ⟨ſaying⟩, that the ravens were the two old ⟨ones⟩ and their young one, the male declaring