Chap. 22. Merye iestes of fooles.

THere was a merry companion that sayde there were fowre kindes of fooles.* The first of thē that threaten so much y^t no mā careth for them. The second, that sweareth so much y^t none wyl beleue them. The third, y^t giueth so much away to others y^t they kéepe nothing for them selues. The fourth,* y^t hauing none to helpe them, wyl not helpe them selues. There was a foole, who when he saw the Sunne to shyne wept, & when it rayned, laughed: & being asked why he dyd so, answered that rayne cō∣meth after the Sunne shyning, & therefore he wept: and when it rayned he knewe that afterward the Sunne would shine, & therefore he laughed. There was a foole called Lobellinus, who vpon a time putting on a new coate knew not him selfe, & wēt about inquyring of euery body if they saw not Lobellinus? Then one raught him a good sowse on the eare, saying, this I giue not to thee but to Lobellinus, & therewith he remembred himself who he was. A Lord gaue his foole a new caote wher∣on were imbroidred a great many Asses heads. Thē a strange• séeing him, sayd vnto him: It apeareth y^t thou art a foole,* bicause thou wearest so many Asses heads vpon thy coate, which y^e foole hearing, went vnto y^e Lord his master & byd him take his coate again, for he would not weare it. Why so quod y^e Lord bicause y^e makest mee a foole, sayde he, in putting Asses heads vpon my coate. No said y^e Lord, they be deeres heads. Deeres heads, qoud the foole, where be the hornes? Then sayd y^e Lord, they haue no hornes yet for they be fawnes, & with that answere y^e foole was contented, & so he answered vnto whosoeuer mocked him ther∣with. Frederick the Emperor was wont to say, that they were 〈◊〉 most fooles in all the world, that beléeue the punishmentes Page  [unnumbered] and rewardes that shall be in the worlde to come, and yet lyue styll in theyr sinnes.* A certaine foolishe fellow hauing a lytle money, hyd it in a hole, & couered it with a stone, wherevpon he wrote: here it is. Another comming by, and reading the super∣scription, and maruayling what it should signifye, ouerturned the stone & caryed away the money, and layde the stone againe in his place, and wrote vpon it: It is not here.