[Sidenote: [TALE OF VIRGIL’S MIRROR.]] Whan Rome stod in noble plit, Virgile, which was tho parfit, [Sidenote: Hic ponit exemplum contra magnates cupidos. Et narrat de Crasso Romanorum Imperatore, qui turrim, in qua speculum Virgilii Rome fixum extiterat, dolosa circumuentus cupiditate euertit; vnde non solum sui ipsius perdicionem, set tocius Ciuitatis intollerabile dampnum contingere causauit.] A Mirour made of his clergie And sette it in the tounes ÿe Of marbre on a piler withoute; That thei be thritty Mile aboute Be daie and ek also be nyhte In that Mirour beholde myhte Here enemys, if eny were, With al here ordinance there, 2040 Which thei ayein the Cite caste: So that, whil thilke Mirour laste, Ther was no lond which mihte achieve With werre Rome forto grieve; Wherof was gret envie tho. And fell that ilke time so, [Sidenote: =P. ii. 196=] That Rome hadde werres stronge Ayein Cartage, and stoden longe The tuo Cites upon debat. Cartage sih the stronge astat[12] 2050 Of Rome in thilke Mirour stonde, And thoghte al prively to fonde To overthrowe it be som wyle. And Hanybal was thilke while The Prince and ledere of Cartage, Which hadde set al his corage Upon knihthod in such a wise,[13] That he be worthi and be wise And be non othre was conseiled,[14] Wherof the world is yit merveiled 2060 Of the maistries that he wroghte Upon the marches whiche he soghte. And fell in thilke time also, The king of Puile, which was tho, Thoghte ayein Rome to rebelle, And thus was take the querele, Hou to destruie this Mirour. Of Rome tho was Emperour[15] Crassus, which was so coveitous, That he was evere desirous 2070 Of gold to gete the pilage; Wherof that Puile and ek Cartage With Philosophres wise and grete Begunne of this matiere trete,[16] And ate laste in this degre Ther weren Philosophres thre, [Sidenote: =P. ii. 197=] To do this thing whiche undertoke, And therupon thei with hem toke A gret tresor of gold in cophres,[17] To Rome and thus these philisophres 2080 Togedre in compainie wente, Bot noman wiste what thei mente. Whan thei to Rome come were, So prively thei duelte there, As thei that thoghten to deceive: Was non that mihte of hem perceive, Til thei in sondri stedes have Here gold under the ground begrave In tuo tresors, that to beholde Thei scholden seme as thei were olde. 2090 And so forth thanne upon a day Al openly in good arai To themperour thei hem presente, And tolden it was here entente To duellen under his servise. And he hem axeth in what wise;