How yt Dyoclesyan themperours sone complayned on thempres, ⁊ how yt he excused him of her complaynt.
Reading edition
And after yt all the maysters assembled togydr ⁊ toke theyr counseyll how ⁊ in what maner they shold brynge out ye chylde of pryson ⁊ lede to the palays. ⁊ tho they went to ye chylde there as he laye in pryson afore the mydday his wyll ⁊ his counseyl to here. To whome ye chylde sayd, what yt shall please you, shall please me, but in no wyse besye you not howe yt I shall answere, or what I shall saye, for wt joye I shal answere to all thynges yt shal be demaunded of me. Whan ye seuen maysters herde yt they were ryght glad, ⁊ clothed hym in purpure ⁊ in clothe of golde. ⁊ two maysters went afore hym, ⁊ one on his ryght honde, an other on his lyfte honde, ⁊ ye other thre folowed hym after. ⁊ afore them al went xxiiii men wt dyuerse instruments of musyke ⁊ brought hym wt grete melody and honour to ye palays. And whan themperour herde al this melody, he demaunded what it was. Then it was tolde hym, Syr emperour it is your sone, ye which cometh tofore you ⁊ afore all your lordes to speke and excuse hymselfe of all thynges yt are layde to his charge / Themperour sayd, yt is good tydynges, myght I here my sone speke. And whan ye chylde was come to ye palays he ran vnto his fader ⁊ sayd vnto hym, hayle fader ⁊ my moost honourable. And whan themperour herde ye voyce of his sone he was so glad yt for joye he fyl downe to ye erthe. but ye chylde toke hym lyghtly vp ayen. and whan he was come ayen to hymself, tho begā [the son to declare the whole matter to his father, and there came so great a multitude to the palace to hear the child speak, and the noise of them was so great that the child could not be heard. The emperour considering that, caused money to be thrown into the streets, that the people therwith should be busied out of the palace, the better to hear the child speak; but they regarded not the money. When the emperor perceived that he commanded silence on pain of death. And when they were all still, the child began to speak as followeth: O most dear father, before I speak anything, I entreat you that the empress with all her chamber-maids may be present. So the emperor commanded the empress with all her maids to come without delay. The empress hearing that (in great fear) came with her maids; and the child bade them to stand before the people in a row that he might see them. Then said the child, Sir, behold the chamber-maid that standeth there in green (whom ye know the empress loveth above all others), command her to be uncloathed before us all, and see what she is. The emperor said, Dear son, that would shame us all, to have a woman stand naked before us. He said, If it be a woman it is my shame; if not, let the shame abide in her. When she was uncloathed she appeared to be a man, whereat they wondered.]
