2050. of ken, here apparently ‘of quality.’
2061 ff. The basis of this story is to be found in Seneca, De Beneficiis, v. 24, ‘Causam dicebat apud divum Iulium ex veteranis quidam,’ &c., but there is no question there of an advocate; the veteran simply gains his case by recalling his personal services. The story appears in a form more like that of Gower in the Gesta Romanorum, 87 (ed. Oesterley), but the name Julius is not there mentioned, only ‘Quidam imperator.’ It may be observed also in general, that though many stories are common to the Gesta Romanorum and the Confessio Amantis, there is no instance in which Gower can be proved to have used the Gesta Romanorum as his authority. Indeed the tales are there so meagrely and badly told for the most part, that there would be little temptation to turn to it if any other book were available.
Such references as ‘dicitur in gestis Romanorum’ are not to this book but to Roman History.
Hoccleve tells this story much as we have it here, in his Regement of Princes, 3270 ff., e. g.
‘Han ye forgote how scharp it with yow ferde,
Whan ye were in the werres of Asie?
Maffeith, your lif stood there in jupartie;
And advocat ne sente I non to yow,
But myself put in prees and for yow faght,’ &c.
2115 ff. This anecdote is perhaps taken from the Trésor, where it occurs more appropriately as an example of hypocritical excuses for not giving, ‘Li Maistres dit: Après te garde de malicieus engin de escondire, si comme fist le rois Antigonus, qui dist à un menestrier qui li demandoit un besant, que il demandoit plus que à lui n’aferoit; et quant il li demanda un denier, il dist que rois ne devoit pas si povrement doner. Ci ot malicieus escondit; car il li pooit bien doner un besant, porce que il estoit rois, ou un denier, porce que il estoit menestrel. Mais Alixandres le fist mieulx; car quant il dona une cité à un home, cil li dist que il estoit de trop has afaire à avoir cité; Alixandres li respondit: Je ne pren pas garde quel chose tu dois avoir, mais quel chose je doi doner’ (p. 412). This may serve as a rather favourable example of Latini’s style.