The seven sages in English verse / edited from a manuscript in the public library of the University of Cambridge by Thomas Wright.

A TALE.

Scho sayed, "Hit was a emperour, A man of ful mykil honour, And hadde seven clerkys wyse, And broghten up a usage, That dyde swyth gret damage. Who so anny swevene by nyght, O morne when the day was bryght, And rych gyftis with hym nam, For the clerkis schuld telle Of the sweven that walde byfalle, [ 2300] And wannyn riches to hare byhove, And broghten men in mysbyleve. And the emperour for wynne, Mayntend hom in synne, At lete ham have al hare wille,

And ate the last speddyn ille. The emperour hadde a maladye, A wondyrful for the maystry; Whan he wolde by any way Out of Rome wende to play, [ 2310] Withouten toun as he come, Anon hys syght hym was bynom. Thare-fore he was sore agremed, And oft sythes sore aschamed. Of hys clerkis cautel he toke, And badde ham loke in hyr booke, Yf thay myghten with ony clergye, Hele hym of that maladye. Bot thare was non of ham that couthe Telle hym no thyng with mouthe, [ 2320] How he myghte hele wyne Of that maladye that he was inne. At the last hyt was hym tolde Of a wys clerke and a bolde, That was hotyn Merlyn, That couthe many a medicyn; And anon he was sought, And byfore the emperour broght. Merlyn onon with gret honour Gret anon the emperour. [ 2330] Ate schortys wordys for to telle, The emperour wolde no langer dwel, Bot tolde Merlyn al hys cas, Wych maner and how hit was. 'Sire,' quod Merlyn, that was bolde,

'Of thynges that thou haves tolde, Cawe unto thy chambyr y-fere, And in skyle ȝe schal here Why and whare-fore hyt hys, That ȝoure syght fares amys.' The emperour and Merlyn anoon Into the chambyr thay gonne gone; [ 2340] When thay were in chambyr brought, Merlyn told hym of hys thought, And sayed, 'Syre emperour, i-wys, Undyr thy bede a caudron hys, That buyles both day and nyght, And that revys the thy syght, And thy lyf there-fore hys worthy forlore, Bot any medicyne ben don ther-fore; And yf thow levest nought me, Remou thi bed and thow mayst se.' [ 2350] The bed was remoude sone; Bot thare was more fyrst to doon, Er the caudron wer founde: Hyt was depe withinne the grounde. The emperour sawe atte the laste, That the caudron boylyd faste; And anoon undirstood Merlyn was trew and couthe gode, And sayed, 'Merlyn, par charité, What mervyle may thys bee?' [ 2360] 'Sire,' quod Merlyn, 'i-wys I wyll telle the how hyt hys. Thys sevene walmes sygnyfye

Seven devels in thy companye, That ben thy seven clerkys, That wyssys the to wykkyd werkys. Thay been rycher of tresour Than artou, sire emperour. [ 2370] Thou havest maynted thaym ther-ine, And God hys wroth for that synne.' 'Maystyr,' quod the emperour, 'Myght we wet with ony tresour, With any concel arly or late, Thys sevene walmys for to abate?' 'Ȝe, sire,' quod Merlyn, 'Thow myght don hyt wylle a[nd] fyne. Thyn sevene clerkys in the halle, Sende aftyr the gretest mayster of alle, [ 2380] And smyte of hys hede, And anoon when he hys dede Thow schalt fynde abatynge adone The gretyst walme of the caudrone.' The emperour taryd nowt, The grettest mayster in was broght, And fulfylde Merlyns rede, And lete smytte of hys hede; And went to the caudron anoon, Than was the maystyr walme agoon. [ 2390] "Quod [the] emperour, 'by saynt Martyne, I fynde the trewe, mayster Merlyn; For oght that man kan saye thare-to, As thou concels I wole doe.' "Quod Merlyn, 'Sire, so mot I waxe,

Thane most thou slae thy clerkys; For by the deth that I schal dee, Thou schal never see with eye Withoute Rome toune i-wys, Wille ony of ham on lyve hys.' [ 2400] "Quod the emperour, 'So mot I thryve, Thare schal none leve on lyve.' He clepyd hys tormentours anoon, And lete gyrde of the hedes ilkon, And went to the caudron tho; Than were the walmes a-goo. When thay were all slawe, Than the caudron was up-drawe. "Quod Merlyn to the emperour, 'Sire, take knyghtes of honour, [ 2410] And leppe to hors and wend to play Out of thys cité a jorné or twae, And say anon ryght How lykkys the nou thy syght.' The emperour wolde no langer abyde, He dyde hym anoon to ryde, And lopyn to hors ilkon, And wente out of the cité anoon. Tho the emperour come without the ȝate, Til he was lyght hym thought to late, [ 2420] To knele and thanke the kynge of myght, That he hadde hys eyen syght. Than hadde Merlyn grete honour, And lafte with the emperour. Lo, sire," quod the emperesse,

"Wylke a mykyl wykkednes The sevene clerkys hadde welne do, Ne hadde Merlyne take hede ther-to. By God almygty that hys in hevene, Thus wil thy clerkys sevene [ 2430] Do by the, or ellys worse, Yf thou lyvest, thow schal have cursse." Quod the emperour, "by Goddys hore, He schal never tene me more; He that makes al thys sorowe, Certys he schal be dede to morwen." The day was comen, and nyght gon, The emperour raes onnoon, There ne most be no lete, Anon hys sone was forthe fete, [ 2440] And ladde ther he schulde dee; There was many a wepyng heye As the childe was forth ladde, Ryght als God almyghty bade. The sexte maystir than com be, That was hoten maystir Jesse, And sayed anoon, "Sire emperour, Certys thou dost lytil honour, For word of a womman To do deth swylk a man [ 2450] And thy sone scholde bee, And he leve langer than ȝe. And yf thou lattys hym lese the lyfe For tales of thy wyf, Also mot the bytyde

As dyde the knyght in hys pryde, That deyed for dole of hys wyfe Was woundyt wyth a lytyl knyfe." Quod the emperour, "By Goddys belle, That tale thou schalt me telle." [ 2460] "By God," quod mayster Jesse, "Thou schalt nout here a worde of me, Bot thy sone be after sent, That hys went to juggement." The emperour comaunded anoon After the childe for to goon. Than waster many a glad man, And mayster Jesse hys talle bygane.