"The first, my lord, is this: 'Whatever you do, do wisely; and think of the consequences.' The second is: 'Never leave the _highway_ for a _byway_.' And, thirdly: 'Never stay all night as a guest in that house where you find the master an old man and his wife a young woman.' These three maxims, if you attend to them, will be extremely serviceable." The emperor, being of the same opinion, ordered him to be paid a thousand florins; and so pleased was he with the first, that he commanded it to be inscribed in his court, in his bed-chamber, and in every place where he was accustomed to walk, and even upon the table-cloths from which he ate. Now the rigid justice of the emperor occasioned a conspiracy among the vicious and refractory of his subjects; and finding the means of accomplishing their purposes somewhat difficult, they engaged a barber, by large promises, to cut his throat as he shaved him. When the emperor, therefore, was to be shaved, the barber lathered his beard, and began to operate upon it; but casting his eyes over the towel which he had fastened round the royal neck, he perceived woven thereon, "Whatever you do, do wisely, and think of the consequences." The inscription startled the tonsor, and he said to himself, "I am to-day hired to destroy this man. If I do it, my end will be ignominious; I shall be condemned to the most shameful death. Therefore, whatsoever I do, it is good to consider the end, as the writing testifies." These cogitations disturbed the barber so much that his hand trembled, and the razor fell to the ground. The emperor, seeing this, inquired the cause. "Oh, my lord," said the barber, "have mercy upon me: I was hired this day to destroy you; but accidentally, or rather by the will of God, I read the inscription on the towel, 'Whatever you do, do wisely, and think of the consequences.' Whereby, considering that, of a surety, the consequence would be my own destruction, my hand trembled so much, that I lost all command over it." "Well," thought the emperor, "this first maxim hath assuredly saved my life: in a good hour was it purchased. My friend," said he to the barber, "on condition that you be faithful hereafter, I pardon you." The noblemen who had conspired against the emperor, finding that their project had failed, consulted with one another what they were to do next. "On such a day," said one, "he journeys to a particular city; we will hide ourselves in a bypath, through which, in all probability, he will pass, and so kill him." The counsel was approved. The king, as had been expected, prepared to set out; and riding on till he came to a cross-way, much less circuitous than the high road, his knights said, "My lord, it will be better for you to go this way, than to pass along the broad road; it is considerably nearer." The king pondered the matter within himself. "The second maxim," thought he, "admonishes me never to forsake the highway for a byway. I will adhere to that maxim."