A Schole of wise conceytes wherein as euery conceyte hath wit, so the most haue much mirth : set forth in common places by order of the alphabet / translated out of diuers Greeke and Latine wryters by Thomas Blage ...

263 Of a Marchaunt and a Iewe.

A Certein prodigall fellowe hauing wasted al his Fathers goods, applied his minde to prac∣tise deceyt. It happened on a time, that he wrap∣ped a piece of ordure in a cloute and brought it into the market, saying that he had a precious thing which was of such force, that if any mā ta∣sted the least crum therof, he should haue fulfil∣led whatsoeuer he thought of. But a Iew, whose maner is priuily to mark al things, thought if he did buy it, that he would haue o•• his minde many

townes and lordships when he tasted of it (by∣cause he would be exceding riche) he came ther∣fore secretly vnto him and asked the price, wher∣vnto this prodigall fellow sayde: Auaunt, thou shalt not buy it, for thy clothes declare, that thou art not able. The Iewe sayde to him, how kno∣west thou? tel mée the price: he answered .700. crownes: the Iewe payd him the money, vpon condition, that if he had fayde true, he should en∣ioy it: but when he had tasted it, he spit it out, and sayd it was ordure. Then the seller hauing per∣formed his promise, pleaded the cause before the Maior, and enioyed the money.