Page:History of the seven wise masters, of Rome (1).pdf/10

 himself, and insinuated that that was the cause the officers were satisfied, and carried the body to the place of execution, and hanged it up, yet the son would neither take it down nor bury the dead, though the father died to save his life.Even so, said she is your case with your son, who seeks your life and my honour. That shall not be, for to-morrow he shall die, said the Emperor.

When she had told her story, Cratoa, the third master came in, saying, Dread Sovereign, if your son die it shall happen to you as it did to a knight who killed a pye, that he exceedingly loved--thus--A knight married a wife, who took to unlawful pleasures which being perceived by the pye, (whom the knight had taught most languages) he told his master what had happened in his absence, for which the lady hated him, and to prevent it the future, she untiled the house, and cast down sand stones and water upon him which the pye took for hail, rain, and snow; so, when his lord came home, he told he was almost killed by reason of the heavy tempest that fell upon him. The wife hearing him say so answered, my Lord, you may now see error in crediting this bird, for there has not been a fairer day in the memory of man. The Knight, upon this, inquired of his neighbours, who confirmed what she said. He therefore, broke the neck of the