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AURORA AUSTRALIS. fathers, and great will be the joy of the Great King and of his people.

¶ And because that his wife did see that his heart was set on this thing, she sayeth unto him;

My Lord, not because I would see thee gone from me, but because I would fain see thee accomplish this thing for which thy soul yearneth, I say unto thee; go and sell thy house and thy cattle and all that is thine and take also the gold and silver that is in my privy purse and do with it what thou wilt.

¶ Thus was made light the heart of the man Shackleton, but many were to be his sorrows;

For when he had gathered in all the monies for which he had sold his lands and all his goods, he did yet require many talents of gold wherewith to furnish his ship, which was not yet bought.

Then in his trouble did he say, Lo! are there not many men in the country of the Great King who possess many thousands of talents of gold and of silver, now will I betake myself unto them, and they will gladly give me of their shekels.

¶ Nevertheless it was not so, for one who owned many million pieces of gold did say unto him,

Nay, for I know naught of the land of which ye speak, nor of the pole of value which ye say is set up