The Example of the Fyfthe Mayster.
Somtyme there was a famous physycyan named Ypocras ryght connynge, ye which exceded all other in connynge ⁊ scyence he had wt hym his neuewe or kynnesman yt was called Galienus, ye whiche he loued moche. This Galienus was of an excellēt wytte ⁊ applyed all his wytte ⁊ mynde to lerne of hs vncle the scyence of physyke. Whan Ypocras apperceyued that in as moche as he coude hyde from hym hys conynge ferynge that he sholde excelle hym in yt crafte, for ye grete wytte that he was of. As Galienus this sawe, he studyed ⁊ excersysed, in soo moche yt in shorte tyme he had perfyte connynge physyke. for the whiche Ypocras enuyed hym moche. It hapned vpon a tyme therafter, yt the kȳge of Ungary sent his messengers vnto Ypocras that he sholde come vnto hym his sone fer to cure or make hole. Ypocras excused hȳself ⁊ wolde no goo. but sent his cosyne Galienus wt his wrytynge in the company of ye messengers for to excuse hym. And whan Galienus was comen afore ye kynge he was ryghte worshypfully receyued. but he merueyled why that Ypocras wolde not come. he excused hym saynge that he had many grete thynges too do that he myght not come, but he hath sent me in his stede. ⁊ wt the helpe of god I shall make hole that childe. That pleased well ye kynge. Galienus went to the chylde. ⁊ whan he had seene his vryne, and tasted his pounces. he sayd tho (sic) the quene. O excellent prynces I pray you here ⁊ suffer my wordes, ⁊ tel me who is ye fadrof this chylde. She sayd, who sholde be his fader but my lorde the kyng. Galienus sayd, I am sure yt he is not the fader. She answered yf ye wyll say yt for a trouth I shall doo your hede to be smytn of. he answered I say yet ones agayn yt this kynge is not the fader and I am not therfore comen hyther to lese my hede. for I haue no suche rewarde deserued. ⁊ he was goynge his waye. The quene yt seynge spake. O good mayster yf ye wyl kepe it secrete, ⁊ not dyscouer me, I shal shewe ⁊ open vnto you myn herte. The mayster sayd God defende that from me, that I to no persone sholde shewe it. and therfore O noble quene shewe it boldely to me for it shall neuer passe my mouthe after. and I shall your sone ease and make hym hole. She sayde yf ye doo that, ye shall haue of me a good rewarde. ⁊ therfore here what I shall saye. Of fortune came hyther vnto my lorde, the kyng of Burgondyen, and he was so longe wt me conuersaunt that this chylde by hym I bare. Tho sayd ye mayster, fere ye not, I knewe well that it was so byfore. ⁊ anone he gaue the chylde to ete beef or of an oxe to drynke. and the chylde was eased of his infyrmyte. And whan as the kȳge herde that the chylde was quite of his malady he gaue vnto ye mayster a good rewarde. but of the quene he secretly receyued and had a greter gyfte and a specyal thanke and went his waye. And whan that he was comen home, Ypocras his mayster demaunded of hym, haue ye yt chyld heled. ⁊ he sayd ye. Than asked he hym what he gaue to hym. ⁊ he sayd, I gaue hym fleshe of ox beef to ete, ⁊ water to drynke. Tho sayd Ypocras. Than is the moder of that chylde not true too her husbonde. yt is trouth sayd Galienus. Ypocras anone was meued wt enuye, ⁊ thought in hymselfe yf here be not found a remedy, my scyence shall no more be set by. ⁊ he shal be named and praysed aboue me. And from that day forthwarde he thought ⁊ deuysed how he myght slee hym. Uppon a day Ypocras called and sayd come go we to seke and gadre herbes in the gardyne. To whome he sayd mayster I am redy. And whan they were comen in to ye gardyne, Ypocras sayd, I fele that this herbe is ryght vertuous, stoupe downe ⁊ gadre me of it. Galienus dyde so. and as they went aboute the gardyne, sayd Ypocras now knowe I well by ye odoure of this herbe that it is better ⁊ precyoser than golde. and therfore stoupe downe to the groūde ⁊ drawe hym oute wt the rotes for he is ryght moche. Galienus bowed hymself down to plucke vp the herbe. Ypocras drewe out his knyfe ⁊ kylled hym. After that Ypocras fyll seke to the dethe that ye strengthes of his body fayled hym and dyde as moche as he coude to helpe hymself but it wold not be and as his scolers ⁊ dyscyples herde of it they went hastely to hym. ⁊ all that they myght or coude do for the prouffyte of his helthe they dyde / but it auayled hym nothynge. Whan Ypocras that perceyued, he sayd vntoo his scolers. Goo and fetche me a grete tonne and fyll it full vnto the brynkes with water. And whan they had soo done, he sayd too them make nowe therin an hondred hooles, and whan that was doone, there wente none of the water oute. Tho sayd Ypocras. Beholde my moste dere dyscyples, how yt ye vengeaunce of god is fallen vpon me as ye openly may see, for in this tonne are an hondred holes, ⁊ yet gooth there out not one droppe, ryght so there cometh no vertue out of ye herbes to helpe me. and therfore what ye doo to me it helpeth not, for I must dye. But my dere chyldren yf my neuewe Galienus were now on lyue, he sholde hele me, whom I haue slayne / yt me sore forthynketh. ⁊ therfore ye vengeaūce of god cometh ouer me. And this sayd he torned hym to ye wal ⁊ gaue vp the goost. Tho sayd ye mayster to themperour, My lorde vnderstande ye well what I haue sayd. He answered ye ryght well, what hurte had it bē to hym ⁊ Galienus had lyued. The mayster answerd it had ben ryght good, for Ypocras at that tyme had not dyed, ⁊ therfore by ye ryghtwyse Jugement of god his medycynes auayled hym not. ⁊ therefore I shewe to you yt it shall happen worse to you, yf yt ye put to deth your sone for ye wordes of your wyfe, which in tyme of necessyte shall assyste ⁊ socoure you. ⁊ consyder ye not, yt ye haue after your fyrst wyfe, ye haue wedded this wyfe yt ye now haue. ⁊ so ye may ye thyrde ⁊ ye fourthe, ⁊ neuer shall ye haue of ony of them suche a sone yt shal kepe ⁊ saue you from peryll. Themperour sayde truly he shal not dye. Tho sayd ye mayster than do ye wysely, ⁊ I commende you to god, ⁊ thanke you, yt ye haue this daye for me spared your sone. Themperour sayd I marke this wel yt wymmen are crafty, ⁊ subtyl, herfore I wyl not for you but for my self saue hym.
The Syxte Complaynte of the Empresse.
Whan that thempresse had knowledge, she shewed her selfe as a wode or an Impacyent body yt all that sawe her or herde her wondred ⁊ sayd to themperour your wyfe she pyneth her self as though she sholde deye. Themperour that heryng went to her ⁊ sayd wherfore be ye so heuy, ⁊ so impacyent. O lorde how shold I holde it in, whan I am the only doughter of a kyng ⁊ your wyfe, ⁊ in your company I haue had a grete despyte ⁊ shame, and contynually ye haue promysed me to punysshe it, but ye perfourme it not. The emperour sayd, I wote not what I shal do. ye laboure from day to day to haue my sone slayne, and the maysters labour to saue his lyfe. And amonges al thyse I know well that he is my sone, but whether the trouth is that knowe I not. Than sayd she, that is it yt I complayne that ye beleue the maysters more than ye do me. Therfore it shall happen to you as dyde to a kyng with his stewarde. Than sayd the Emperoure, tell that example, happely it sholde meue me the soner to put my sone to deth. She sayde, gladly, but I praye you gyue attendaunce what I shall saye, and began to tel as hereafter ensueth.
