"Surely," quoth the emperor, "thy counsel is good; therefore call to me that varlet Fulgentius." And when the young man was come to the emperor's presence, he said to him thus: "I charge thee upon pain of death, that thou rise early in the morning, and go to the burners of lime and brick, and that thou be with them early before the sun rise, three miles from this house, and charge them in my behalf, that they fulfil my commandment, or else they shall die a most shameful death."
Then spake this Fulgentius: "My lord, if God send me my life, I shall fulfil your will, were it that I go to the world's end."
When Fulgentius had this charge, he could not sleep for thought, that he must rise early to fulfil his lord's commandment. The emperor about midnight sent a messenger on horseback unto his brickmakers, commanding, that upon pain of death, that whosoever came to them first in the morning, saying unto them (as is before rehearsed) they should take him and bind him, and cast him into the fire, and burn him to the bare bones.
The brickmakers answered and said, it should be done. Then the messenger returns home again, and told the emperor that his commandment should be diligently fulfilled.
Early in the morning following, Fulgentius arose and prepared him towards his way, and as he went, he heard a bell ring to service, wherefore he went to hear service, and after the end of service he fell asleep, and there slept a long while so soundly, that the priest, nor none other, might awake him.
The steward desiring inwardly to hear of his death, about two of the clock he went to the workmen, and said unto them thus: "Sirs," quoth he, "have ye done the emperor's commandment or not?"
The brickmakers answered him and said: "No, truly, we have not yet done his commandment, but it shall be done," and with that they laid hands on him. Then cried the steward, and said, "Good sirs, save my life, for the emperor commanded that Fulgentius should be put to death." Then said they, "The messenger told us not so, but he bade us, that whosoever came first in the morning, saying, as you have said, that we should take him, and cast him into the furnace, and burn him to ashes." And with that they threw him into the fire.
And when he was burnt, Fulgentius came to them and said, "Good sirs, have you done my lord's commandment?" "Yea, soothly," said they, "and therefore go ye again to the emperor, and tell him so." Then said Fulgentius, "For Christ's love, tell me that commandment?"
"We had in commandment," said they, "upon pain of death, that whosoever came to us first in the morning, and said like as thou hast said, that we should take him and cast him into the furnace. But before thee came the steward and therefore on him have we fulfilled the emperor's commandment; now he is burnt to the bare bones."
When Fulgentius heard this, he thanked God that he had so preserved him from death; therefore he took his leave of the workmen, and went again to the palace.