Page:Gesta Romanorum - Swan - Wright - 2.djvu/54

42 were all apparently the same. After their father's death the first son said, "I possess that precious ring of my father." The second said, "You have it not, I have." To this the third son answered, "That is not true. The elder of us hath the estate, the second the treasure, and therefore it is but meet that I should have the most valuable ring." The first son answered, "Let us prove, then, whose claims to it have the pre-eminence." They agreed, and several sick men were made to resort to them for the purpose. The two first rings had no effect, but the last cured all their infirmities. (5)

My beloved, the knight is Christ: the three sons are the Jews, Sacarens, and Christians. The most valuable ring is faith, which is the property only of the younger, that is, of the Christians.