The Fourth Complaynte of the Empresse.

Whan thempresse herde that y^e chylde was not yet dede, she made grete noyse ⁊ cryenges in such wyse that she was herde thrugh the palays ⁊ sayd, Woo be to me that euer I was made Empresse, wolde god I had dyed whan I was broughte in too thyse partyes. whan the emperour herde y^e noyse ⁊ crye that she made, he entred in to the chamber, ⁊ conforted her as moche as he myght ⁊ demaunded the cause of her lamentacyon / whiche sayd, O myn owne lorde haue no wonder though that I be in this grete sorowe and agony for I am your wyfe, ⁊ in your company by your sone I am shamed as ye sawe me lately all be bled ⁊ scratched. ⁊ ye haue promysed me that he sholde therfor be hanged / ⁊ yet he lyueth. Wherfore sholde I not sorow. Themperour answered be content ⁊ pleased / and I shall do iustyse vpon my sone to morowe. But in that I forbare hym yesterday was at the meuyng of one of the maysters by an example. Than sayd she, Haue ye forboren to do iustyce for one worde, were it soo for all the worlde ye sholde not let to do iustyce / ⁊ ye saye for the example of one mayster ye haue lefte it. I fere me it shall happen with you ⁊ w^t youre maysters as vpon a tyme it fortuned too an Emperoure with his seuen wyse maysters. The empeperoure (sic) sayde I praye you tell me that example. She sayd.

To what entent sholde I laboure in vayne / for yesterdaye I shewed you a good example and it auayled not. for whatsomeuer I shewe for youre honoure and proufyte that the maysters of your sone torne vp and downe to your destructyon, as in this present example I shall clerely shewe you. To whome themperour sayd O my best beloued lady tell me that example, that by the same I maye the better beware / for though that I respyted my sones lyfe for one daye / I shal not therfore gyue hym his lyfe / for that is dyfferred / it is not therfore auferred. And she saide, gladly I shall shewe it for your proufyte. and began to tell it as here after foloweth.