Page:Gesta Romanorum - Swan - Wright - 2.djvu/526

514

"Our compiler here means Justin's Abridgement of Trogus; which, to the irreparable injury of literature, soon destroyed its original. An early epitome of Livy would have been attended with the same unhappy consequences."—.

This is compounded of two stories, apparently from the Golden Legend, fol. 218. 'A monke that had ben a rybaude in y$e$ worlde and a player, tempted by a wycked spyrite, wolde returne agayne to y$e$ worlde. And as Saynt Bernarde reteyned hym, he demaunded hym wherof he sholde lyue. And he answered hym y$t$ he coude well playe at the dyce, and he sholde well lyue therby. And Saynt Bernarde sayd to hym. If I delyuer to the ony good wylt thou come to me agayn euery yere that I may parte halfe agayn with the. And he had grete joye thereof, and promysed hym so to do. And than Saynt Bernarde said, that there sholde be delyvered to hym twenty shyllynges. And than he wente hys waye therwith. And this holy man dyd