Page:The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart.pdf/198

194 place vari-coloured spectacles before his eyes; others burn incense before his nose; others first put his feet closer together, and then again separate them; others adorn and strengthen his throne. Seeing this, I ask: "Who are these? and what do they?" The interpreter answered: "They are the privy councillors who instruct the kings and great lords." "I should not," quoth I, "allow this if I were in their position; rather should I wish to be able to use my own limbs and act as I wished." One man said: "He must not take everything on his shoulders; nor would he be permitted to do so!" Then said I: "These great lords are more wretched than peasants, being so bound that they cannot even move, except in accordance with the will of others." "Yet are they thus more certain in their own minds," quoth he; "but now look at these men!"

9. And I look back, and behold some of those who sat on these chairs did not allow themselves to be thus molested, and drove these councillors from them; and this was according to my wishes. But here I immediately found other evils. In the place of the few that had been driven away, there came many others, and they tried to blow and whisper into the ears, nose, and mouth of the ruler; to close and disclose his eyes in divers fashions; to stretch out his hands and feet now in this, now in that direction; particularly also did each one endeavour