Page:Gesta Romanorum - Swan - Wright - 1.djvu/138

cxii token thereof thou turnedst away thy face when thou servedst me of my cup, and that I saw with mine eyes; and for this cause I ordained for thee such a death; and yet thou shalt die, except I hear a better excuse. "Then answered Fulgentius, and said; Ah dear lord, if it might please your highness for to hear me, I shall shew you a subtile and deceitful imagination. Say on, quoth the emperor.

"The steward (quoth Fulgentius) that is now dead came to me and said, that ye told unto him that my breath did stink, and thereupon he counselled me that when I served you of your cup, I should turn my face away, I take God to witness, I lie not.

"When the emperor heard this, he believed him, and said, O my nephew, now I see, through the right wise judgment of God, the steward is burnt, and his own wickedness and envy is fallen on himself, for he ordained this malice against thee, and therefore thou art much bound to Almighty God, that hath preserved thee from death