o cleave to the deceitfulness of this
present life,--the interpretation whereof I will declare to thee anon.
The unicorn is the type of death, ever in eager pursuit to overtake the
race of Adam. The pit is the world, full of all manner of ills and
deadly snares. The tree, which was being continually fretted by the
two mice, to which the man clung, is the course of every man's life,
that spendeth and consuming itself hour by hour, day and night, and
gradually draweth nigh its severance. The fourfold asps signify the
structure of man's body upon four treacherous and unstable elements
which, being disordered and disturbed, bring that body to destruction.
Furthermore, the fiery cruel dragon betokeneth the maw of hell that is
hungry to receive those who choose present pleasures rather than future
blessings. The dropping of honey denoteth the sweetness of the
delights of the world, whereby it deceiveth its own friends, nor
suffereth them to take timely thought for their salvation."

XIII.

Ioasaph received this parable with great joy and said, "How true this
story is, and most apt! Grudge not, then, to shew me other such like
figures, that I may know for certain what the manner of our life is,
and what it hath in store for its friends."

The elder answered, "Again, those who are enamoured of the pleasures of
life, and glamoured by the sweetness thereof, who prefer fleeting and
paltry objects to those which are future and stable, are like a certain
man who had three friends. On the first two of these he was
extravagantly lavish of his honours, and clave passionately to their
love, fighting to the death and deliberately hazarding his life for
their sakes. But to the third he bore himself right arrogantly, never
once granting him the honour nor the love that was his due, but only
making show of some slight and inconsiderable regard for him. Now one
day he was apprehended by certain dread and strange soldiers, that made
speed to hale him to the king, there to render account for a debt of
ten thousand talents. Being in a great strait, this debtor sought for
a helper, able to take his part in this terrible reckoning with the
king. So he ran to his first and truest friend of all, and said, 'Thou
wottest, friend, that I ever jeopardied my life for thy sake. Now
to-day I require help in a necessity that presseth me sore. In how
many talents wilt thou undertake to assist me now? What is the hope
that I may count upo