The Fyfth Example of the Empresse.
Octauianus themperour reygned in Rome ryghte ryche ⁊ coueytous. ⁊ aboue all thynges he loued golde. The cytezyens yt tyme of Rome dyde moche harme ⁊ many grete outrages to other nacyons. In soo moche that dyuerse nacyons ⁊ regyons were meued ⁊ styred ayenst ye Romayns. In that tyme there was mayster Uirgilius, ye whiche excelled in magique ⁊ in other scyences all other maysters. The cytezeyens prayed hym that he by his arte ⁊ connȳge wolde make somwhat by the whiche they of theyr ennemyes myght haue warnyng ⁊ knowlege byfore. Wherby that they myght puruey for themselfe ye better. He lete doo make by his arte and connȳge a toure, ⁊ aboue vpon ye toure dyde to be set as many ymages as in al the worlde were regyons and prouynces. and in the myddes of the toure he let to be made and set an ymage, whiche helde in his hande an appell or a grete roūde balle of golde. And euery ymage of the toure helde in his hand a lytell bell, and stode torned lokynge towardes his owne prouynce to hym assygned. And as oftentymes as ony prouynce wolde styre or rebel ayēste the romaynes, so often torned hym the ymage of yt londe ⁊ range the bell. That herȳge the cytezeyns of Rome armed themselfe ⁊ to that prouynce yede with all theyr myght for that londe to kepe vnder. And soo was there no londe so grete yt coude wreke them vpon the romaynes, and therfore were they bedradde and fered ouer all the worlde. After that Mayster Uirgilius[3] made for the solace and conforte of the poor people a lyght that alwaye brende, and by that lyghte he made two bathes, the one of them hote, in the whiche the poore people myghte bathe and wasshe theym / ⁊ that other colde in the whiche they myghte theymselfe refresshe, and betwyx that lyghte and the bathes he made an ymage standynge, in whos forhede was wryten: He yt smyteth me shall anone haue vengeaunce. This ymage stode there many yeres. At the laste there came a clerke and behelde that ymage ⁊ radde this wrytynge / and thoughte in hymselfe, what vengeaūce myght he fynde therfore. I byleue better that yf ony man sholde smyte the that thou fyllest there wt to ye erthe, he sholde fynde some tresoure vnder thy sete. ⁊ therfore is thy wrytynge that no man sholde haue it. ⁊ the clerke lyfte vp hys hande ⁊ gaue the ymage a grete stroke yt it fell to ye grounde. ⁊ anone ye lyght was out. ⁊ the bathes were vanysshed away, ⁊ he foūde no tresoure. The poore folke yt perceyuynge were all sorowfull sayenge, cursyd mote he be for euer more yt for his synguler coueytyse hathe destroyed this ymage. ⁊ vs hathe robbed of so grete solace ⁊ cōforthe. Here after assembled thre kynges the whiche of ye Romayns had been oppressed ⁊ suffred greate wronges. ⁊ went to coūysell wt them of theyr coūysell, how they myght best of ye Romayns be auenged. ⁊ some of them sayd. we labour in vayne, as longe as there standyth ye tour wt the ymages we maye no thynge do ayenste theym. To yt counseylle arose vp foure knyghtes and sayd to the kynges, we haue thoughte a goode remedy how we shal destroye the toure wt the ymages and yt to do and brynge aboute we wyll our lyues sette to pledge. Yf that ye wyll do ye coste. Tho sayd ye kynges what coste shall we do. They sayd, we must haue iiii tonnes full of golde. Than sayd ye kynges, take that golde ⁊ fulfyll youre promyse. The knyghtes toke ye golde ⁊ went towardes Rome. ⁊ whan they were thyder come in the nyght wtout one of ye yates in the dyche wt water they drowned one of ye tonnes wt the golde. ⁊ another tonne they drowned by the secōde yate ⁊ the thyrde tonne by ye thyrde yate. ⁊ the fourth ton̄ by the fourth yate they drowned. And whan they had thus done erly in the mornynge they entred in to ye cyte at an houre conuenyent whan yt themperour went ouer the marte, they dyde to hym reuerence as it behoued. Themperour seynge them demaunded frome whens they were, or what scyences or what seruyce yt they coude do. Whiche answered, we are of ferre countrees ⁊ we be sothsayers so perfyte yt there was neuer thynge so preuely or secretly hydde but yt we shall fȳde it by our dremes. We haue herde that ye laboure ⁊ haue pleasure in such thynges, and therfore came we to you for to wyte yf ye had ony nede of our seruyce / Themperour sayd, I shall proue you ⁊ yf it be so yt I fynde you true, ye shall haue of me grete rewardes ⁊ thanke. they sayde we aske no thynge but ye haluen dele for our rewarde of the golde that by vs shall be foūden. The emperour sayd, I am therwith wel content. And thus had they with the emperour many wordes. At euen whan themperour was goyng to bedde they sayde too hym. My lorde yf it please you this nyghte shall the oldest of vs set his connynge a werke ⁊ dreme, ⁊ the thyrde day we shall shewe you his dreme ⁊ what it sygnefyeth. Themperour sayd goo in goddis name. And they went forth wt grete gladnesse. ⁊ all yt nyght they passed ouer with derysions ⁊ myrth vpon truste that they sholde come to a good purpose. whan ye thyrde daye was comen they went erly too themperour. ⁊ the fyrste of them sayd my lorde pleaseth you to goo with vs without one of ye yates of thy cyte ⁊ I shall shewe you where as a tonne full of golde is hyd. Themperour sayd, I shall go with you and se yf it be true that ye saye. whan they were comen to the place they drewe out ye tonne that they there afore had put / The emperour whan he that sawe was gladde, and gaue to them theyr parte. Tho sayde the seconde dremer, my lorde this nyght I shal dreme. Themperour sayd, god gyue you a good dreme. ye next nyght came he ⁊ toke out ye other tonne, and gaue it to themperoure, ⁊ toke hym his dele. In lyke wyse dyd the thyrde. ⁊ ye fourth, vpon ye whiche themperour was out of all mesure ioyus ⁊ glad ⁊ sayd he had not sene afore soo true ⁊ experte sothsayers or dremers as they were / Than sayd they al togyder at once as it had ben out of one mouth, my lorde we haue one after another dremed ye whiche as ye haue sene be all true proued. But now yf it please you that we may dreme all togyder this nyghte, we truste that too vs shall bee shewed where we shall fynde a greate quantyte or substaūce of golde ⁊ of rychesse. the Emperoure sayde god gyue to you a gode dreme yt to me and to you may be proffytable. Unto ye next morowe they came ayen vnto ye Emperoure ⁊ sayd to hym wt joyouse ⁊ gladde vysages or coūtenaūces. My lorde we brynge gode ⁊ proffytable tydynges, for this nyght in our slepes such ⁊ so grete a tresour is to vs shewed ye whiche yf ye wyll suffre it for to be soughte, ye shall be so moche enryched that in this worlde shall be none to you lyke. Themperour sayd, where sholde ye fynde ye hoorde or tresoure. they sayd, vnder the fundament of the tour yt the ymages standen on. The Emperoure answered, God defend that I sholde for loue of golde destroye that toure wt ymages wherwith yt we of oure ennemyes be defended ⁊ warned. They sayde too hym ayen, My lorde, Haue ye founde vs in our saynges otherwyse than true ⁊ ryghtful. Themperour sayd nay. O Lorde sayd they, we with our owne hondes shall gete oute ye gold wtout hurtynge of the tour or of ye ymages. And it is expedyent yt secretly in the nyght by vs it be done, for drede of resorte and concours of ye people leste that ye sholde ren in the noyse ⁊ clamour of theym, and also that they sholde not take that good and golde away from you and vs. The Emperour sayde, Goo in the name of god and doo your beste, as ye well can̄e, and I shall to morowe erly come too you. Tho went they with joye and gladnesse, and in the nyght they were laten in too the toure, and with grete haste and dylygence they vndermynded it. ⁊ on the next daye erly they mounted vpon theyr horses ⁊ rode ayen towardes theyr owne countre with ioye ⁊ glory. And or that they came wtout the syght of rome / the toure fell downe. And on the morne ensuynge whan it was fallen / ⁊ the Senatours it perceyued they sorowed gretely ⁊ there was a grete sorowe ⁊ bewaylynge thrughout all ye cyte ⁊ went to themperour ⁊ sayd, lorde how maye it be yt this tour is thus fallen, by the whiche we haue alwayes had warnynge afore of our enemyes. He answered ⁊ sayd, To me came foure fals deceyuers ⁊ fayned themself to be foure sothsayers ⁊ yt they coude fynde tresoure hyd in the groūde. And they sayd that vndr the fundacyon of ye toure was hydde an vnnumerable sōme of golde ye whiche they sholde well vndermyne wtout hurtȳge of the toure or ymages / ⁊ I gaue fayth to them ⁊ they haue deceyued me. they answered hym / ye haue coueyted so moche golde, ⁊ for your insacyate couetyse we shall be all destroyed. but fyrste your couetyse shall full (sic) vpon your selfe. ⁊ toke ⁊ ladde hym vnto ye capytoll, ⁊ layde hym on his bac ⁊ poured his mouth full of molten golde, sayng to hym ye haue desyred golde, ⁊ therfore ye shall drynke golde ⁊ after they buryed hym quycke. Not long after that came thenmyes ayenst ye Romayns, ⁊ ouercame ⁊ destroyed them al. Than sayd thempresse vnto themperour haue ye my lorde this example well vnderstand ⁊ he sayd ryght well. Than sayd she, The tour wt the ymages is your body wt your v. wyttes, as long as ye lyue there none so hardy to trouble or make werre vpon you ne vpon your people. That hath your sone ryght well vnderstonde wt his vii. maysters ⁊ wt theyre false narracyons or fables fynde how they may destroye you, for ye are ouermoche couetyse to here ⁊ enclyned to them. ⁊ in so moche yt they shal vndermyne you ⁊ caste you vnder fote, ⁊ brȳge you to nought. The ymages are your fyue wyttes yt be all lost. for they se yt ye be all chyldyshe or folyshe they shall destroy and sle you. ⁊ your sone shall opteyne your empyre. Thēperour sayd, ye haue recyte to me a good exāple. wherfore it shall not to me happen as it dyde wt ye tour but my sone fyrste this daye shall be hanged. To whome thempresse sayd, yf ye doo so ye shall fare well ⁊ lyue long. Upon ye nexte day he commaūded hym to be lad to hangȳge. ⁊ as he was towardes ye galowes lad, came rydynge ayenst hym vpon an hors his fyfth mayster towardes ye palays. ⁊ came before themperour ⁊ saluted hym wt all reuerence / ⁊ he despysed his salutacyon. ⁊ put hym in fere of his lyfe. ⁊ ye mayster sayd My lorde I haue not deserued to dye. ⁊ ye my salutacyon despyse it is not your honoure. for your sone hath not with vs be of such condycyons as ye repute hym for as ye in short tyme shal fynde. ⁊ that he speketh not is of his his (sic) grete wysdome. ⁊ knowe ye yt he shal well speke as ye tyme comyth, though yt he now speke not, as ye in shorte tyme shall here. But ye saye yt he your wyfe wolde haue shamed. yt byleue not. for so wise a man as he is neuer sholde attemte so shamful a dede. And ye put hym to dethe for your wyues wordes, ye sholde not scape without shame and vengeaunce / In lyke wise as Ypocras scaped not wtout vengeaūce for ye deth of Galtenus his cosyne. The emperour sayd that wolde I fayne here and vnderstonde. The mayster sayd, what sholde auayle ye narracyon to tel vnto you for your prouffyte yf in the meane seasone your sone sholde be hanged. ⁊ therfore yf ye wyll call ayen your sone, and therafter do as ye thynke beste it shall be at your pleasure. Themperour lete call ayen his sone and set him in pryson. And tho began ye mayster too tell vnder this maner as foloweth:
