¶ The fyrste mayster named Pantyllas sayde, Lorde delyuer too me your sone ⁊ I shall teche hym as moche connȳge wtin vii. yere as I and all my felowes can. Then spake the seconde mayster that named was Lentulus, Syr of longe tyme I haue serued you, ⁊ hytherto I haue had no maner reward. I demaunde nothyng elles of you but that ye delyuer me your sone to lerne and gouerne. and I shall make hym as connynge within vi. yere as I ⁊ all my felowes be. The thyrde mayster sayd that had to name Craton, My lorde many tymes haue I ben with you vpon the se in peryll of my lyfe / ⁊ of you haue I had no maner of rewarde, yf that I myghte for my rewarde obteyne that ye wolde wouchesauf to commytte your sone vnder my rule ⁊ gouernaunce, I sholde enfourme hym as moche within v. yere. yf his wit therto wyll attayne as I and my felowes can. Tho stode vp the fourth mayster that to name had Malquydrac ryght lene of body ⁊ sayd, My lorde calle to your remembraunce how that I and al my predecessours haue serued emperours ⁊ haue receyued no maner of rewarde. Wherfore I shal aske none other thȳge but yt ye wyll delyuer me your sone to enfourme ⁊ teche / ⁊ I shall make hym to take asmoche scyence ⁊ wysdome within foure yere as I and al my felowes haue lerned in all our lyues. Than spake ye fyfth mayster yt was called Joseph, lorde I am old ⁊ many tyms I am called to your coūseyl / ⁊ yt my coūseyll ye knowe well hath auayled ⁊ perfyted you ⁊ yet I folowe ye same. But I desyre no more saue to delyuer me your sone ⁊ I shal enstructe ⁊ enfourme hȳ in as moche conynge ⁊ scyence that he wtin iii yere shal profyte ⁊ wyte as moche as I ⁊ alle my felowes. tho came forth the syxte mayster that was named Cleophas whiche sayd lyke the other promysynge to lerne ⁊ enfourme ye chylde in alle theyr connynges wtn two yere. The seuenth muyster (sic) rose vp ⁊ sayd, which also desyred the chylde ⁊ promysed for to lerne hym wtin one yere ye scyences and wysdome of them all. As all this was done. Than the Emperour sayde my trusty frendes I am moche bounden to thanke you all, and euery of you, for that eueryche of you haue so effectuelly desyred my sone to nouryssh ⁊ lerne. If I sholde now commytte hym to one and not to an other / therof sholde come ye descencyon ⁊ varyaunce amonges you. Therfore to you al ⁊ euery of you I commyt my sone to nourysshe and to teche. The maysters heryng this wt. grete thankȳges gyuynge to the Emperoure toke ⁊ receyued his sone, and ladde hym towardes the courte of Rome. ¶ Upon the waye spake Craton to his felowes, If we this chylde sholde lerne within the Cyte of Rome there is so grete resorte ⁊ concourse of people that it sholde hynder ⁊ lette hym in his lernynge ⁊ fantasyenge. I wote a fayre place withoute rome thre myle ryght pleasaunte ⁊ delectable: there lete vs do make a. iiii square chamber of stone ⁊ put hȳ therin ⁊ vpō ye walles of ye syde lete vs paȳte ⁊ wryte .vii. artes lyberales, so yt ye chylde al times may se ⁊ beholde therin his doctrine as wel as in his boke ⁊ this aduyse ⁊ counseyll pleased theym all. and was done accordynge in euery poynte. The maysters dylygently euery daye durynge .vii. yere taught ⁊ lettred the chylde. whiche maysters determyned amonge themselfe and sayde / It is good yt we examen our dyscyple how he is spedde in connynge ⁊ scyence. They al accorded to the same. Tho sayd mayster Pancyllas / howe shall we proue hym. Craton sayde, Lete euery of vs as he slepeth put vnder euery corner of his bed an olyue leue, and than we shall knowe yf he perceyued or felte ony thynge or not, this done he wakynge gretely marueyllynge lyftynge vp his eyen towarde ye rofe of the chamber feruently. The maysters seynge yt sayd. Wherfore lyft ye vp your eyen so sharply. He answered it is no merueyll, for in my slepe I saw the vppermost parte of the chamber inclyned towarde the erthe, or vnder me it was lyfte vp. This herynge ye maysters sayd amonge themselfe, Yf this childe may lyue he shal be a man of grete connȳge ⁊ fame.
How the Emperour by the coūseyll of ye grete prynces ⁊ lordes
of his Empyre wedded an other wyfe.
The prynces and grete lordes of the Empyre in the meane tyme came to the Emperour ⁊ sayd, My lorde ye haue only but one sone, it is possyble yt he myght happen to dye. And therfore it were profytable that ye sholde wedde an other wyfe to engendre and make mo chyldren to thentente that the Empyre of Rome be not lefte without heyre. Also ye are so myghty that yf it sholde happen you to gete many chyldren ye may promote ⁊ auaunce them all to grete dygnytees and lordshyppes. Therupon answerde themperour, It is your counseyll that I shall take an other wyfe, than seke me one yt is gracyous / pure vyrgyne fayre and gentyll borne, ⁊ than shall I folowe your counseyll and aduyse. They went ⁊ sought and serched many kyngdomes and londes ⁊ at the laste they founde the kynges doughter of Castyle that ryght fayre was ⁊ beateuouse, ⁊ her they gaue the Emperour to wyf. She behad her so well that anone in her loue he was taken so sore that he forgate and put in oblyuyon all the heuynesse ⁊ sorowe of his herte that he had taken for ye deth of his fyrste wyfe. And they lyued longe togyder wtout chyldren. And as Thempresse sawe yt she myght not cõceyue for she herde yt themperour had a sone wt seuen wyse maysters to lerne ⁊ nourysshe to ye behouffe [and] p[ro]fyte of Thempyre, she thought in herself ⁊ wysshed his deth. And from yt houre forth she ymagyned how she myght conspyre his deth. It hapned on a nyght as ye Emperour lay in his bed, he sayd to thempresse, My [most dear and best beloved wife, I shall now open to you the secrets of my heart, for under the sun there is no creature that I love so well as you and therefore trust in my love.
[Then said the fair Empress: if it be so as you say, I require of you, a little boon or petition. Desire what you will, said the Emperor and all that to me is possible, I shall fulfil, and give it to you. Then said the Empress, my dear Lord, you know I have no child yet by you conceived for which I am sore pensive and heave; but Fame that never conceals it self long to true joy, hath delivered this happy truth to me; that ye have one Son only the which is sent to the seven Wise Masters to be taught and governed, and him I hold and require for my own son: wherefore I beseech ye send for him that I may see him and have consolation of his presence, as though he were mine own. Hereupon answered the Emperor it is sixteen years past since I saw him, your will shall be fulfilled. Incontinent the Emperor sent unto the seven wise Masters a Letter sealed with his secret Sign, that upon pain of death they should bring his son in the feast of Penticost following.
