[601]*And if a man schal telle soth, Of guile and of soubtilite Is non so slyh in his degre To feigne a thing for his beyete, As is this vice of which I trete. 7090* He can so priveliche pyke, He can so wel hise wordes slyke To putte awey suspecioun, That in his excusacioun, Ther schal noman defalte finde. And thus fulofte men be blinde, That stonden of his word deceived, Er his queintise be perceived. [Sidenote: =P. ii. 366=] Bot natheles yit otherwhile, For al his sleyhte and al his guile,[602] 7100* Of that he wolde his werk forsake, He is atteint and overtake; Wherof thou schalt a tale rede, In Rome as it befell in dede.[603] [Sidenote: [TALE OF LUCIUS AND THE STATUE.]] Er Rome cam to the creance Of Cristes feith, it fell per chance, [Sidenote: Hic loquitur de illis qui laruata consciencia Sacrilegium sibi licere fingunt. Et narrat quod, cum quidam Lucius clericus famosus et Imperatori notus deum suum Apollinem in templo Rome de anulo suo, pallio et barba aurea spoliasset, ipse tandem apprehensus et coram Imperatore accusatus taliter se excusando ait: ‘Anulum a deo recepi, quia ipse digito protenso ex sua largitate anulum hunc graciose michi optulit; pallium ex lamine aureo constructum tuli, quia aurum maxime ponderosum et frigidum naturaliter consistit, vnde nec in estate propter pondus nec in yeme propter frigus ad dei vestes vtile fuit; barbam ab eo[605] deposui, quia ipsum patri suo assimilare volui,[606] nam et Apollo, qui ante ipsum in templo[607] stetit, absque barba iuvenis apparuit. Et sic ea que gessi non ex furto set honestate[608] processisse manifeste declaraui.’] Cesar, which tho was Emperour, Him liste forto don honour Unto the temple Apollinis, And made an ymage upon this, 7110* The which was cleped Apollo. Was non so riche in Rome tho; Of plate of gold a berd he hadde, The which his brest al overspradde; Of gold also withoute faile His mantell was of large entaile, Beset with perrie al aboute, Forthriht he strawhte his finger oute, Upon the which he hadde a ryng, To sen it was a riche thing, 7120* A fin Carbuncle for the nones,[604] Most precious of alle Stones. And fell that time in Rome thus: Ther was a clerk, on Lucius, A Courteour, a famous man, Of every witt somwhat he can, Outake that him lacketh reule His oghne astat to guide and reule; [Sidenote: =P. ii. 367=] How so it stod of his spekinge, He was noght wys in his doinge. 7130* Bot every riot ate laste Mot nedes falle and mai noght laste: After the meede of his decerte, So fell this clerk into poverte