A record of auncient histories, entituled in Latin: Gesta Romanorum Discoursing vpon sundry examples for the aduancement of vertue, and the abandoning of vice. No lesse pleasant in reading, then profitable in practise.

The Argument.

¶ we ought in euery vocation and cal∣ling to beehaue our selues iustly and to vse the poore man with equite, we must not iniury the rich man.

The mightie men are to be honoured and not defrauded of their dignitie & estate being men of cinceare life: they that did contrary to the meaning of dutifull behofe heerin are worthie of euerlasting death.

The 38. Historie.

SOmetime there dwelt in Rome a mighty Emperour named Donate, which dyd let make thrée Images of the which one held out his hand straight vnto the people and had on his finger a ring of Gold.

The second Image had a beard of gold. And the third had a mantell of Purple, commaunding vpon paine of death that no man should beare these Images of the ring, the beard, nor the mantell. It befell afterward vppon a time that one Dyonise tyrant, came into the tem∣ple and toke away y^e ring from the first

Image, the beard from the second, and the mantell from the third. And when he had thus done, he was foorthwith ac∣cused vnto the Emperour and brought before him, and straightly examined of that trespasse, why hée dispoyled the Images against the Emperours com∣maundement. Than aunswered Dio∣nise and said as followeth.

My Lord it is lawfull to answere for mée, when I entred into the Tem∣ple, the first Image held foorth his hand straight to mee, as who would saye, I giue thee this ring, and therefore I toke the ring at the guift of the Image, bée∣ing loth to refuse his gentle offer.

And when I law the second Image hauing a beard, I thought thus with in my selfe.

I knew sometyme the father of this Image which had no bearde, and now his sonne hath a beard which is against reason, the sonne to haue a bearde and the father none, and therefore I tooke from him his bearde, that he should bée like his father.

After that whan I saw the third I∣mage

clothed in a mantell of Golde, I thought that a mantell of gold was not behoueable to him in winter, for gold is naturally colde, which might be cause of his death, and therefore I tooke it from him bicause it was to colde in winter, & to hotte in sommer. When Dionise had excused him by these reasons, the Empe∣rour answered and said. Thou hast ans∣wered wickedly for thy selfe, what shold cause thée rather than any other man to dispoyle these Images, for as much as I commaunded that no man should take any thing away from them, & thine owne mouth hath condempned thée. A∣none the Emperour called to him one of his Squires, and charged him to smyte of his head, and so it was done.

The Morall.

This Emperour betokeneth Almightie God the Father of Heauen. The thrée Images betokeneth the poore men, the rich men, and the mightie men of this worlde. The tyrant Dionise, béetoke∣neth

all officers in euery estate lewdely behauing themselues, which take away from poore menne the ringe of theyr fin∣gers, and saye thus. I may take that is giuen me. But when the poore man hath ought to doe, he must needes put foorth his hand to giue whether he will or no, if hée shall spéede. They take also the beard from the rich man an say thus.

This man is richer thā his father was, therefore take we his liueloode from him and make him like his forefather. They take also the mantell of ••olde from the mightie men, when they sée any man of honour & of good ••••••ing, w••ling to cor∣rect such misdo••••s, then saye they, this man is to colde for he enclyneth nothing to our opinions, and also he is to hot of power in working against vs, therfore goe we and take from him the mantill of might, and so they accuse him and put him out of office.

But certainely all such men stand in perill of euerlasting death. From the which saue vs he that shed his precious bloud for vs.