Page:Disciplina Clericalis (English translation) from the fifteenth century Worcester Cathedral Manuscript F. 172.djvu/46

   Then the disciple: "Though the things I have heard are fixed in my mind, yet they spur my soul on to wish to hear more." The Master said: "I will tell the gladly," and he began thus:

"It was saide of suche a Richeman in the Citee goyng, that a bagge ful with a thowsand talentis bare with hym and moreover a serpent of gold havyng eyen of jacynt in the same bagge, and al that he lost. And suche a poore man makyng ther his iourney fond it and yave it to his wif, and how that he found it to hir rehersed. The womman heryng this saide: 'That god hath yeven kepe we.' Another day a Bedil went bi the wey so to cry and to proclame: 'Who that hath founde suche money do yield it ageyn and without forfaiture or fraude he shall have therof an hundred talentis.' This heryng, the fynder of the money saide to his wif: 'Yield we the money and want any synne, we shuln have therof an hundred talentis.' To this the womman: 'If god had wold that he shuld enjoie the money he shuld nat have lost it. That god hath yeven kepe we.' The fynder of the money laboured as to yield it and she vttirly denyed it. And whether she wold or nold, to the lord he hath yold it and that he promised asked. The Richeman ful of wikkidnes saide: 'That me lackith another serpent wite yee.' This that he saide was of a shrewde intencioun, as that he wold nat to the poore man yielde his promyse. The poore man saide he fonde nomore. And the men of that Citee fauorable to the Richeman, derogaunt and sharp agenst the fortune (f. 128) of poverte beryng hym haate, drewe hym and bitoke hym to the Right. Forsoth the poore man cried and swore, as it is above saide, that he fonde nomore. But while the word of this poore and richeman ran to the Ministres tellyng, the same smote and cam to the earis of the kyng. That as he had herd, called toguyder the Richeman and the poore and to hym[silf] comaunded to presente the money. Al thynges brought to the kyng, the philosophre whiche was cald the help of wrecchis with other sapient men cald and of his accusers to noye and to accuse, here and mark yee, the philosopher comaundith. This herd [and] evenly moeved with pitee on the poore man, [he] cald hym vnto hym and saide: 'Tel me, my brother if thow have the money of this man? that if thow have nat, with help