Page:Gesta Romanorum - Swan - Wright - 1.djvu/205

Rh may see, and therefore, for two especial reasons, took away the beard. The first was, that she should look more like her author, and not grow too proud of her golden beard. Secondly, that by these means, I might protect my own bald pate. Again, I came to the third image, which bore a golden cloak. I took away the cloak, because, being of metal, in the winter time, it is extremely cold; and the image itself is made of stone, Now stone is naturally cold; and if it had retained the golden cloak it would have been adding cold to cold, which were a bad thing for the image. Also, if it had possessed this cloak in summer, it would have proved too heavy and warm for the season. However, I should not have borne it away even for these causes if there had not been written upon the breast, 'I fear nobody.' For I discovered in that vaunt, such intolerable arrogance, that I took away the cloak, merely to humble it." "Fair Sir," replied the Emperor, "does not the law say expressly that the images shall not be robbed, nor the ornaments upon them molested on any pretence?