THE

PROCES

OF

THE SEUYN SAGES.

LORDYNGES, that here likes to dwell,
Leues yowr speche and heres this spell :
I sal yow tel, if I haue tome,
Of the seuen sages of Rome.

Whilom lifed a nobil man,

His

name was Dyoclician;

Of Rome and of al the honowre

Was he lord and emperowre.

An

emperès he had to wyfe,

The fayrest lady that bare life;

Of al gude maners ful auenaunt,

And hir name was dame Milisant.

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A childe thai had bytwix tham two,
The fayrest that on fote myght go,
A knaue child that was tham dere;
Of him sone sal ye selkuths here.
Sone efterward byfel this case,

The lady died and grauen was,

And went whare God hyr dight to dwell;

Tharfore of hir namore I tell,

Whether sho past to pyne or play,

Bot of the son I sal yow say.

When he was seuyn winter alde,

Of speche and bourding was he balde.
Florentine his name cald was.
Herkens now a ferly case!

His fader was emperoure of Rome,
A nobil man and whise of dome,
And Florentine, that was so fayre,
Was his son and als his ayre.

It was nothing that he lufed mare,
Tharfore he wold him set to lare;
And sone he gert byforn hym come
Seuyn maysters that war in Rome.
The tale vs telles, who to it tentes,
That thai kowth al the seuyn sienz.
And sone, when thai war efter sent,
Hastly to the court thai went;
Thai come byfor the emperoure,
And hailsed him with grete honoure.

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He said, "Lordinges, takes entent,
And sese whi I efter yow sent,

For ye er wisest men of lare,
That in this werld yit euer ware.
My son I wil ye haue forthi,
To make him cunnand in clergy;
And I wil that ye teche him euyn
The suteltè of sience seuyn;
And al yowr wisdom and yowr wit,
Mi wil es, that ye teche him it.
Whilk of yow now will him haue,
And fullfil this that I craue ?"

Maister Bancillas spak than,
For of that was he oldest man,
Lene he was, and also lang,
And most gentil man tham omang;
Ful perfiteli he kouth in partes,
And sadly of al the seuyn artes.
"Sir, he said, tak mi thi son!
Ful mekil thank I wil thè kun;
And trewly I sal teche him than
Of clergy more than ani man ;
That dar I vndertak ye here,
Within the terme of seuyn yere."

When this was said he held his pese;

And than said maister Anxilles ;

He was a man meteliest,

And, of eld als him semed best

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во

Of sexty winter and na mare;
And als he was ful wise of lare:
"Sir, tak me thi son, he said,
And you sal hald ye ful wele payd:
I sal him lere ful right and rath,
That I can and mi felous bath :
I vndertak he sal it lere

Within the space of sex yere.'

The thrid maister was litel

man,

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Faire of chere and white as swan;

His hare was white and nathing brown,

And he hight maister Lentilioune.

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He spak vnto the emperoure:

Tak me thi sun, sir, paramowre,
And I sal teche him, ful trewly,
Al maner of clergy

That ani man leres in this liue,
Within the time of yeres fiue."

The ferth maister a rede man was
And his name was Malquidras;
Of fifty winter was he alde,

Quaint of handé and of speche balde;
Him thoght scorn and grete hething,
That thai made so grete josyng.

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Syr, he sayd, I sal tel thè,

Mi felows wit fals noght to me;

Ne of thaire wisdom, o nane wise,

Wil I mak no marchandise;

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