Bot natheles yit otherwhile,
For al his sleyhte and al his guile,[602]7100*
Of that he wolde his werk forsake,
He is atteint and overtake;
Wherof thou schalt a tale rede,
In Rome as it befell in dede.[603]
[Tale of Lucius and the Statue.]
Er Rome cam to the creance
Of Cristes feith, it fell per chance,
Hic loquitur de illis qui laruata consciencia Sacrilegium sibi licere fingunt. Et narrat quod, cum quidam Lucius clericus famosus et Imperatori notus deum suum Apollinem in templo Rome de anulo suo, pallio et barba aurea spoliasset, ipse tandem apprehensus et coram Imperatore accusatus taliter se excusando ait: ‘Anulum a deo recepi, quia ipse digito protenso ex sua largitate anulum hunc graciose michi optulit; pallium ex lamine aureo constructum tuli, quia aurum maxime ponderosum et frigidum naturaliter consistit, vnde nec in estate propter pondus nec in yeme propter frigus ad dei vestes vtile fuit; barbam ab eo[605] deposui, quia ipsum patri suo assimilare volui,[606] nam et Apollo, qui ante ipsum in templo[607] stetit, absque barba iuvenis apparuit. Et sic ea que gessi non ex furto set honestate[608] processisse manifeste declaraui.’