but fewe ben in fayth or dede / but I ſhalle telle to the what thow ſhalt doo / Goo thou to my half frende / and bere to hym thy calf / and thow ſhalt here and ſee what he ſhalle ſaye to the / And whanne the ſone came to the half frende of his fader / he ſayd to hym as he dyd to the other / And whanne the half frende vnderſtode his fayt or dede / he anone toke hym ſecretely in to his hows / and ledde hym in to a ſure and obſcure place / where he dyd burye his dede calf / wherof the ſone knewe the trouthe of the half frendes loue / Thenne the ſone of Arabe[errata 1] torned ageyne toward his fader / and told to hym all that his half frende had done to hym / And thenne the fader ſayd to his ſone / that the philoſopher ſaith that the very and trewe trend is fond in the xtreme nede / Thenne aſked the ſone of his fader / ſaweſt thou neuer man whiche in his lyf gate a hole frend / & his fader ſaid to hym / I ſawe neuer none / but wel haue I herd it ſay / And the ſone anſuered / My fader I praye the that thow wylt reherce hit to me / to thende / that by aduenture I maye gete ſuche one / And the fader ſayd to hym / My ſone / ſom tyme haue I herd of two marchaunts whiche neuer had ſene eche other / the one was of Egypte / and the other was of Baldak but they had knowleche eche of other by theyr
