Читать книгу The History of the Seven Wise Masters of Rome - Various - Страница 11

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[In the city of Rome was a Burgess which had a fair Garden, wherein he had a noble Tree, the which every year brought forth fruit of good vertue for whosoever eat thereof that were sick of any manner of sickness or leprosie he should soon be whole and receive his sight. It happened on a day, as the Burgess went into his garden to visit the Tree, he espied under the Tree a fair young Imp, and called to him the Gardiner and said: my friend, of this young Imp I give thee charge for I trust of that to plant a better Tree than this is. The Gardiner said: I shall it gladly do. Another time the Burgess came again into his garden to visit the young Plant, and it appeared unto him that it grew not so much as it should do, and he said to the Gardiner: how may this be and he said, it is no wonder, for this great Tree hath so great arms and branches, that the air may not come to the root of the young tree, then said the Burgess, cut and hew off the arms and the boughs, that the air may come thereto. The Gardiner did as he commanded. The Burgess came again another time to see the young plant, and thought that it grew never the better and said to the Gardiner, what is it that letteth this plant not to grow now: and he said, I suppose the height of the Old Tree letteth the Sun, that the rain may not come thereto, and therefore it cannot grow. Then said the Master unto him, hew down that tree to the ground, for I hope of this Plant to have a better than ever] this was. The gardyner heryng his mayster obeyed hym, ⁊ hewe downe the tree. And as this was done y^t yonge plant all holy perysshed and came to nought. wherof came grete harme, for whan y^e poore ⁊ the seke people perceyued y^t the tree was so destroyed they cursed all them that were of counseyll ⁊ helpers therto / by the whiche they all afore tyme were heled ⁊ cured of theyr infyrmytees ⁊ maladyes. Then sayd the Empresse vnderstande ye what I haue sayd. Yes ryghte well. Than sayd she, I shall declare to you what I haue sayde.