Where as thei sihen gret richesse, Wei more than thei couthen gesse. ‘Lo,’ seith the king, ‘nou mai ye se That ther is no defalte in me; Forthi miself I wole aquyte, And bereth ye youre oghne wyte Of that fortune hath you refused.’ Thus was this wise king excused, And thei lefte of here evele speche And mercy of here king beseche. 2390 [Sidenote: [TALE OF THE BEGGARS AND THE PASTIES.]] Somdiel to this matiere lik I finde a tale, hou Frederik, [Sidenote: Nota hic de diuiciarum Accidencia: vbi narrat qualiter Fredericus Romanorum Imperator duos pauperes audiuit litigantes, quorum vnus dixit, ‘Bene potest ditari, quem Rex vult ditare.’ Et alius dixit, ‘Quem deus vult ditare, diues erit.’ Que res cum ad experimentum postea probata fuisset, ille qui deum inuocabat pastellum auro plenum sortitus est, alius vero caponis pastellum sorte[36] preelegit.] Of Rome that time Emperour, Herde, as he wente, a gret clamour Of tuo beggers upon the weie. That on of hem began to seie, ‘Ha lord, wel mai the man be riche Whom that a king list forto riche.’ That other saide nothing so, Bot, ‘He is riche and wel bego, 2400 To whom that god wole sende wele.’ And thus thei maden wordes fele, Wherof this lord hath hiede nome, And dede hem bothe forto come To the Paleis, wher he schal ete, And bad ordeine for here mete [Sidenote: =P. ii. 208=] Tuo Pastes, whiche he let do make. A capoun in that on was bake, And in that other forto winne Of florins al that mai withinne 2410 He let do pute a gret richesse;[37] And evene aliche, as man mai gesse,[38] Outward thei were bothe tuo. This begger was comanded tho, He that which hield him to the king, That he ferst chese upon this thing: He sih hem, bot he felte hem noght,[39] So that upon his oghne thoght He ches the Capoun and forsok That other, which his fela tok. 2420 Bot whanne he wiste hou that it ferde, He seide alowd, that men it herde, ‘Nou have I certeinly conceived That he mai lihtly be deceived, That tristeth unto mannes helpe; Bot wel is him whom god wol helpe, For he stant on the siker side, Which elles scholde go beside: I se my fela wel recovere, And I mot duelle stille povere.’ 2430 Thus spak this begger his entente, And povere he cam and povere he wente; Of that he hath richesse soght,[40] His infortune it wolde noght. So mai it schewe in sondri wise, Betwen fortune and covoitise [Sidenote: =P. ii. 209=] The chance is cast upon a Dee; Bot yit fulofte a man mai se Ynowe of suche natheles, Whiche evere pute hemself in press 2440 To gete hem good, and yit thei faile.