Page:Gesta Romanorum - Swan - Wright - 2.djvu/415

Rh of great value; the beauty and estimation whereof made him earnestly desirous to leave it as a perpetual memory and honour to his successors. Whereupon, he willed and ordained, that he among his male children, with whom this ring (being left by the father) should be found in custody, after his death, he, and none other, was to be reputed his heir, and to be honoured and reverenced by all the rest, as being the prime and worthiest person."

In process of time the ring fell to one who had three sons, and doubtful who should have it, he caused two other rings to be constructed exactly similar. "Lying upon his death-bed, and his sons then plying him by their best opportunities, he gave to each of them a ring. And they (after his death) presuming severally upon their right to the inheritance and honour, grew to great contradiction and square; each man producing then his ring, which were so truly all alike in resemblance, as no one could know the right ring from the other. "In like manner, my very good lord, concerning those three laws given by God the Father, to three such people as you have propounded," (the Jews, Saracens, and Christians) "each of them do imagine that they have the heritage of God, and his true law, and also duly perform his commandments, but which of them