[233] _i. e. came_ to, or amounted to, covered.
[234] Hovered, _i. e._ halted for shelter.
[235] Laid it in pledge.
+ _Of hym that at a skyrmyshe defended him with his feet._ lvi.
+ A lustye yonge gentyll man of France, that on a tyme was at a
skyrmysshe, and defended him selfe valyantly with his feet, came in to
the courte, in to a chambre amonge ladies, with a goodly ringe vpon his
fynger, to whom a fayre lady sayde: syr, why weare ye that rynge vpon
your fynger? Wherfore aske you, madame, quod he? Bycause (sayde she)
your feet dyd you better seruice than your handes at the last skyrmysshe
that ye were at.
By this tale yonge men may lerne to beare them well and valyantly for
drede of reproche. Better is it with worshyp to dye than with shame to
lyue, albe hit that Demosthenes sayde: he that fleethe cometh agayne to
batayle.
+ _Of hym that wolde gyue a songe for his dyner._ lvii.
+ There came a felowe on a tyme in to a tauerne, and called for meate.
So, whan he had well dyned, the tauerner came to reken and to haue his
money, to whom the felowe sayde, he had no money, but I wyll, quod he,
contente you with songes. Naye, quod the tauerner, I nede no songes, I
must haue money. Whye, quod the felowe, if I synge a songe to your
pleasure, will ye nat than be contente? yes, quod the tauerner. So he
began, and songe thre or foure balades, and asked if he were pleased?
No, sayde the tauerner. Than he opened his pourse, and beganne to synge
thus:
Whan you haue dyned make no delaye
But paye your oste, and go your waye.
Dothe this songe please you, quod he? Yes, marye, said the tauerner,
this pleaseth me well. Than, as couenant was (quod the felowe), ye be
paide for your vitaile. And so he departed, and wente his waye.
This tale sheweth, that a man may be to hastye in makynge of a bargayne
and couenantynge; and therfore a man ought to take good hede, what he
sayth: for one worde may bynde a man to great inconuenience, if the
matter be weighty.
+ _Of the foole that thought hym selfe deed._ lviii.
+ There was a felowe dwellynge at Florence, called Nigniaca, whiche was
nat verye wyse, nor all a foole, but merye and iocunde. A sorte[236] of
yonge men, for to laughe and pastyme, appoynted to gether to make hym
beleue that he was sycke. So, whan they were agreed howe they wolde do,
one of them mette hym in the mornynge, as he came out of his house, and
bad him good morowe, and than asked him, if he were nat yl at ease? No,
quod the foole, I ayle nothynge, I thanke God. By my faith, ye haue a
sickely pale colour, quod the other, and wente his waye.
Anone after, an other of them mette hym, and asked hym if he had nat an
ague: for your face and colour (quod he) sheweth that ye be very sycke.
Than the foole beganne a lyttel to doubt, whether he were sycke or no:
for he halfe beleued that they sayd trouth. Whan he had gone a lytel
farther, the thyrde man mette hym, and sayde: Jesu! manne, what do you
out of your bed? ye loke as ye wolde nat lyue an houre to an ende. Nowe
he doubted greatly, and thought verily in his mynde, that he had hadde
some sharpe ague; wherfore he stode styll and wolde go no further; and,
as he stode, the fourth man came and sayde: Jesu! man, what dost thou
here, and arte so sycke? Gette the home to thy bedde: for I parceyue
thou canste nat lyue an houre to an ende. Than the foles harte beganne
to feynte,[237] and [he] prayde this laste man that came to hym to helpe
hym home. Yes, quod he, I wyll do as moche for the as for myn owne
brother. So home he brought hym, and layde hym in his bed, and than he
fared with hym selfe, as thoughe he wolde gyue vp the gooste. Forth with
came the other felowes, and saide he hadde well done to lay hym in his
bedde. Anone after, came one whiche toke on hym to be a phisitian;
whiche, touchynge the pulse, sayde the malady was so vehement, that he
coulde nat lyue an houre. So they, standynge aboute the bedde, sayde one
to an other: nowe he gothe his waye: for his speche and syght fayle him;
by and by he wyll yelde vp the goste. Therfore lette vs close his eyes,
and laye his hands a crosse, and cary hym forth to be buryed. And than
they sayde lamentynge one to an other: O! what a losse haue we of this
good felowe, our frende?
The foole laye stylle, as one [that] were deade; yea, and thought in his
mynde, that he was deade in dede. So they layde hym on a bere, and
caryed hym through the cite. And whan any body asked them what they
caryed, they sayd the corps of Nigniaca to his graue. And euer as they
went, people drew about them. Among the prece[238] ther was a tauerners
boy, the whiche, whan he herde that it was the cors of Nigniaca, he said
to them: O! what a vile bestly knaue, and what a stronge thefe is deed!
by the masse, he was well worthy to haue ben hanged longe ago. Whan the
fole harde those wordes, he put out his heed and sayd: I wys, horeson,
if I were alyue nowe, as I am deed, I wolde proue the a false lyer to
thy face. They, that caryed him, began to laugh so hartilye, that they
sette downe the bere, and wente theyr waye.
By this tale ye maye se, what the perswasion of many doth. Certaynly he
is very wyse, that is nat inclined to foly, if he be stered therevnto by
a multitude. Yet sapience is founde in fewe persones: and they be
lyghtly[239] olde sobre men.[240]