XCVII.
Balliuorum frequens mutacio non est vtilis.
We rede how on̛ a tyme Tyberius Cesar askid̛ Josephus whi he wold̛ not change ofte his Baillays & his servandis, [&] he ansswerd̛ agayn̛ & sayd̛ þat he wold̛ spare þe peple; ffor baillays & servandis þat er long in offes hase ans enogℏ, & wiƚƚ not aƚƚ-way be gaderhand̛ vnto þer selfe; & euer þai þat er putt in of new er gredye, & gaders samen vnto þerselfe aƚƚ þat evur þai may. "And þis," he said̛, "I can̛ shew you be exsample of a man̛ þat was wowndid̛ & lay in þe way. And a grete multitude of fleis come vnto his wownd̛ & satt þer-on̛ & bate hym̛; & he was so sore þat he myght nott remew þaim away. So þer come a man̛ & fand̛ hym̛ & had compassion̛ on̛ hym̛, and onone he drafe away þies fleis & killid̛ þaim at satt vppon̛ his wownd̛. And þan̛ þe wowndid̛ man̛ said̛ vnto hym̛ on̛ þis maner of wise; 'Thow hase done me ane iƚƚ turn̛, ffor þe fleis at þou hase slayn̛ & dongen̛ away war now fillid̛ with my blude, & þerfor̛ evur þe langer þai wold hafe bytten̛ me þe les. Bod þe fleis þat wiƚƚ com̛ vnto my wownd̛ of new, wiƚƚ bite me war