The Example of the Syxte Mayster.
There was an Emperour of Rome the whiche had thre knyghtes whom he loued aboue al other. And in that same cyte was an auncyent knyght yt had wedded a fayre yonge wyfe as ye do thempres whiche aboue al other thynges he loued. This lady coude synge ryht wel, ⁊ melodyously ⁊ wt suche swetnes yt many drewe to her house ⁊ desyred her company / It befell vpon a season as she sate in her house, ye vysage torned in to the strete yt she myght se them that went by. ⁊ began swetely tu synge, yt all folke delyted for to here her. By chaunce came that wayes a knyght of ye Emperours courte ⁊ herde that voyce, lyft vp his eyē ⁊ behelde her Intentyfly ⁊ anone he was taken in her loue, and entred in to her house ⁊ fyll in communycacyon wt her of loue. ⁊ amonges al other he demaunded what he sholde gyue her too slepe by hym one nyght. She answered an hondred floreyns. The knyght sayde, tell me whan I shall come, ⁊ I shall gyue you an hondred floreyns. She sayd whan I may haue a conuenyent tyme I shal sende for you. The nexte day she sange ayen in the same place, and it fortuned the seconde knyght of themperour to come by that same way, the whiche in lykewyse was smyten in her loue, ⁊ also promysed her an hondred floreyns. To whom also she promysed to shewe hym a tyme prouyded. The thyrd day was the thyrd knyght in lyke wyse caught in her loue, the whiche also promysed an hondred floreyns, ⁊ she too gyue hym knowelege of the tyme. Thyse thre knyghtes haue so secretly spoken with that lady yt none of them had knowlege of other. The lady yt was of malyce ⁊ cautelous replenysshed, came to her husbonde ⁊ sayd, syr I haue secrete maters too shewe you, ⁊ folowe therein my counseyll yf ye do it, our necessite or pouerte ye may largely releue. The knyght sayd tel it me I shal holde it secrete ⁊ fulfyl it to my power. She sayde thre knyghtes of thēperours court haue ben wt me one after an other in suche wyse yt none knoweth of an other counseyll. ⁊ euery of them haue offred me an hondred floreyns, myght we ye thre c florayns gete ⁊ no knowlege therof be had sholde it not be to vs a grete helpe ⁊ our pouerte well releued. The knyght sayd, forsoth yes, ⁊ therfore what someuer ye counseyl me to do I shall folowe it. Tho sayd she, I shall gyue you this counseyll. whan they come with the floreyns ye shall stande behynde ye yate wt your swerde drawen in your hande. ⁊ bycause yt euery of them comethe alone, ye shall sle one after another, ⁊ so we shal haue the three c floreyns of them without knowlege of ony other. The knyght answered. O my best beloued wif I fere me that this euyll can notte be hydde, and we sholde therfore shamefully suffre dethe yf that it were knowen. She sayd I shall this werke begynne. ⁊ I shall make therof a good ende, and fere it not. whan the knyght sawe that she was so hardy it caused hym to be the more bolde. and she sent for the fyrst knyght and he came to hyr anone with oute ony taryenge to the yate ⁊ knocked, ⁊ she askyd yf he brought ye c floreyns. and he sayd ye, I haue theym here all redy. Tho lete she hym in. ⁊ anone at ye entrynge in, her husbonde kylled hym ⁊ so he dyde ye seconde ⁊ the thyrde ⁊ in to one secrete chamber they drewe the bodyes of them. Whan it was thus done ye knyght sayd to his lady. O dere wyfe yf thyse bodyes be founde wt vs, we shall dye ye moost shamefull deth yt can be ymagyned for it is not possyble but yt thyse knyghtes shall be myssed in themperours courte. ⁊ grete serche ⁊ Inquysyon shall be for them made thrugh all this cyte, where they are become. She sayde, Syr I haue this werke begonne, ⁊ shal make therof a good ende, fere not, as I afore sayd. This lady had a brother the whiche had the gouernaunce of the watche of ye cyte that on ye nyghtis vpon stretes watched wt his felowes. She stode at her gate ⁊ called her brother ⁊ sayde. O my best brodr I haue a secrete mater the whiche in confessyon I shal shewe you. ⁊ therfore come a lytyll within, ⁊ whan yt he was come in, the knyght receyued hym frendly ⁊ gaue hym wyne to drynke. ⁊ sayd, my well beloued broder, this is ye cause yt I haue called you, for of your counseyll I haue moche nede. The broder answered say it boldely to me, ⁊ what someuer yt I may do, to my power, yt shall be at your desyre wtout lettynge. Tho sayd she, yesterdaye came in a knyght in good frendshyp / but afterwarde he fyll in suche wordes ⁊ varyaunce wt my husbonde, yt he slewe hym, ⁊ lyeth in my chamber. ⁊ myn owne dere broder we haue noo man that we may truste but you. ⁊ yf ye body were founde by vs we sholde dye. ⁊ she made mencyon but of one. ye brother sayd delyuer it me in a sacke ⁊ I shall bere hym to ye see. she herynge yt was full glad thereof, ⁊ delyuered to hym the body of ye fyrste knyght. he toke it ⁊ went wtall a good pase ⁊ cast it therin. ⁊ as this was done, he came ayen to his syster ⁊ sayde, gyue me nowe of the beste wyne for ye are of hym quyte. ⁊ she thanked hym ⁊ went in to as though she had gone for wyne and began to crye wt an hygh voyce, ye knyghte that was caste in to the see is come ayen. As her brother yt herde he wondred sore, ⁊ sayde gyue me hym. I shall se yf he shall aryse ayen. ⁊ toke the body of the seconde knyght ⁊ wende it had ben of the fyrst knyght ⁊ went to the see, ⁊ wt a grete stone drowned hym therin. yt done, went ayen vnto his systers house ⁊ sayde, nowe fyll me a cuppe with good wyne, for I haue drowned hym so depe yt he shall neuer come ayen. she sayd thanked be god ⁊ went ayen too her chamber ⁊ fayned her to fetche wyne. ⁊ cryed with a grete voyce. Alas wo be to me he is rysen ayen and come out of ye see. ⁊ as her brother herde that with grete meruaylle sayd. what deuyll is this knyght that I haue thus caste in to ye water ⁊ notwithstandynge is comen ayen. Delyuer hym me ye thyrde tyme, ⁊ I shall se yf he shall come ayen. Tho gaue she hym ye thyrde knxght (sic), whiche he byleued had ben ye fyrste knyght, ⁊ yede wtoute ye cyte to a grete foreste ⁊ made a grete fyre ⁊ caste the knyght therin. ⁊ whan he was almost brente, ye brodr went thens a lytel dystaunce to do his nede. Tho came there a knyght yt wolde ryde to ye cyte where on ye mornynge they sholde haue a tourneye ⁊ a Justyng. ⁊ it was colde weder ⁊ derke, ⁊ was not fer fro ye cyte. As yt he had a syght of that fyre drewe therto ⁊ alyghted from his horse ⁊ warmed hym. The waker came ⁊ sayd to hym what arte yu. The knyght sayd I am a gentyl knyghte. Tho spake ye waker ⁊ sayd, yu arte no knyght but a deuyll for fyrste I caste ye in to the water, the ii tyme wt a grete stone I drowned the, ⁊ the iii tyme I haue put ye in this fyre supposynge yt yu haddest be brente. ⁊ yet yu standest here, ⁊ tho he toke ye knyght wt his hors ⁊ cast them both in to the fyre. ⁊ after yt he went ayen to his syster ⁊ tolde what had hapned hym. Nowe brynge me of ye beste wyne, for after yt I had brente hym I founde hym ayen by ye fyre wt his horse, ⁊ I haue caste them both in the fyre. ⁊ his syster perceyued well yt he had brent a knyght of the tourney whiche anone broughte hym of ye best wyne habundauntly. ⁊ after he had wel dronken he went thens. Not longe tyme after that there fyll a grete debate ⁊ contencōn betwyx the knyghte ⁊ his wyfe, in such wyse yt he smote her. which had indygnacyon therof ⁊ waxed angry ⁊ sayd that many myght here it, O wretche wyll ye kylle me as ye haue done the thre knyghts of themperours. men yt herynge layde handes on them, ⁊ brought them before ye emperour ⁊ ye woman anone knowleged yt hyr husbonde had slayne the thre knyghtes of themperours ⁊ how he toke fro them thre hondred floreyns ⁊ as it was thus in trouth founde, bothe were drawen atte an horse tayll and hanged vppon the galowes. Than sayd ye mayster to themperour, haue ye vnderstande what I haue sayd. He answered ryghte well. I saye for certayne that wyfe was ye worste woman that myght be of all wymmen, for she moued ⁊ styred hym to murdre, ⁊ afterwarde dyscouered hym. The mayster sayd, It is wtoute doubte yt it shall to you happen worse yf ye put to deth your sone by ye aduyse of your wyfe. Themperour sayd, my sone shall not dye this day. The mayster yt herynge yaue thankynges to themperour, and toke leue ⁊ went his waye.
The Seuenth Complaynte of the Empresse.
Whan the empresse herde yt the sone of themperour was yet lyuynge, as a mad woman she ranne to themperour wepynge ⁊ cryenge. O vnhappy wyfe what shall I doo. alas alas for I muste nedes sle myselfe yt so am ashamed ⁊ no punysshement there vpon done. Themperour answered, God defende you suche thynges to haue in mynde, but suffer a whyle, ⁊ ye shall haue a good ende in your cause. She answered, Syr yr ende shall be euyll, for of yt shal folowe to you grete confusyon ⁊ to me. Themperour sayd, be styl of such thynges. She sayd, Lorde it shall come to you ⁊ your sone as it happened to a kynge ⁊ to his stewarde. Themperour sayd I praye you tell me that example. She sayde I wyll gladly tell it, but I fere me that ye wyl here me no more, for ye next day ye seuenth mayster shal speke ⁊ saue your sone from ye deth as his felowes haue done. The seconde day after this then your sone shal speke, of whoos wordes ye shal haue ⁊ take svche joy ⁊ delectacyon yt the loue betwyxte vs shall bee holy forgeten ⁊ wasshed away. Themperour sayd that is Impossyble to me, for I shal neuer your loue forgete. Tho sayd she, O my best beloued lorde, please it you I shal tel you one example, by ye whiche ye shall beware before of many perylles in tyme comynge, ⁊ specyally of your cursed sone, whiche entendeth to destroy me by his maysters. The emperour sayd, tell on your example. and the Empresse began to tell in this wyse ensuynge.
