_Of a father that made suite, to haue his owne sonne put to death._
There was a man borne in Mardus (which is a Countrie adioyning vnto
Persia) called Rhacon, that had seuen children. The yongest of them
(named Cartomes,) afflicted diuers honest men with greate harmes and
mischiefes. For which cause the father began to reforme him with words,
to proue if he would amend. But he litle waying the good discipline of
his father, it chaunced vpon a time that the Iustices of the countrie,
repaired to the Sessions in that towne, where the father of the childe
did dwell, Who taking his sonne, and binding his handes behinde him,
brought him before the Iudges. To whom hee remembred by waye of
accusation, all the mischiefes, which his sonne from time to time had
committed, and desired the Iudges, that he might be condempned to die.
The Iudges amazed with that request, would not themselues giue sentence
against him, but brought both the father and the sonne, before
Artaxerxes the king of Persia: in whose presence the father still
persisted in the accusation of his sonne. “Why (quoth the king) canst
thou finde in thy harte, that thine owne sonne should be put to death
before thy face?” “Yea truly (quoth the father,) for at home in my
garden, when the yong Lactuse begin to growe, I cutte of the bitter and
sower stalkes from them: for pitie it were the mother Lactuse should
sustaine sorow, for those bastard and degenerate shrubbes: which beinge
taken awaye, she prospereth and encreaseth to great sweetenesse and
bignes. Euen so (O kinge) if he be hanged that hurteth my whole familie,
and offendeth the honest conuersation of his brethren, both my selfe
shalbe increased, and the reste of my stocke and linage shall in like
sort prosper and continue.” The king hearing those words, did greatly
praise the wisedom of Rhacon, and chose him to be one of his Iudges,
pronouncing these wordes before the multitude. “Hee that dare thus
seuerely and iustly pronounce sentence vpon his owne child, doubtles he
wil shew himselfe to be an incorrupt and sincere Iudge vpon the offences
of other.” Then the kinge deliuered the yongman, from that presente
faulte, threatninge him with most cruell death, if after that time, he
were apprehended with like offence.