remission and pardon/ by almesse/ for to enclyne hymself to the
poure For pite is nothynge ellis but a right grete will of a debonaire
herte for to helpe alle men/ Valerius reherceth that ther was a Iuge
named sangis whiche dampned a woman that had deseruyd the deth for to
haue her heed smyten of or ellis that she shold dye in prison/ The
Geayler that had pite on the woman put not her anone to deth but put her
in the pryson/ And this woman had a doughter whiche cam for to se and
conforte her moder But allway er she entryd into the pryson the Iayler
serchid her that se shold bere no mete ne drynke to her moder/ but that
she shold dye for honger/ Than hit happend after this that he meruaylled
moche why this woman deyd not/ And began to espye the cause why she
lyuyd so longe/ And fonde at laste how her doughter gaf souke to her
moder/ And fedde her with her melke. whan the Iayler aawe this meruaill/
he wente & told the Iuge/ And whan the Iuge sawe this grete pite of the
doughter to the moder he pardoned her and made her to be delyuerid oute
of her pryson what is that/ that pite ne amolisshith/ moche peple wene
that it is agaynst nature and wondre that the doughter shold gyue the
moder to souke/ hit were agayn nature but the children shold be kynde to
fader and moder/ Seneca sayth that the kynge of bees hath no prykke to
stynge with as other bees haue. And that nature hath take hit away from
hym be cause he shold haue none armes to assaylle them And this is an
example vnto prynces that they shold be of the fame condicion/ Valerius
reherceth in his .v. book of marchus martellus that whan he had taken
the cyte of siracusane. And was sette in the hyest place of the cyte/ he
behelde the grete destruction of the peple and of the cyte/ he wepte and
sayde/ thou oughtest to be sorofull/ for so moche as thou woldest haue
no pite of thy self/ But enioye the for thou art fallen in the hande of
a right debonaire prynce. Also he recounteth whan pompeye had conqueryd
the kynge of Germanye that often tymes had foughten ayenst the romayns
And that he was brought to fore hym bounden/ he was so pietous that he
wold not suffre hym to be longe on his knees to fore hym/ but he
receyuyd hym cortoysly And sette the crowne agayn on his heed and put
hym in thestate that he was to fore/ For he had oppynyon that hit was as
worshipfull and fittynge to a kynge to pardone/ as to punysshe. Also he
reherceth of a co[=u]ceyllour that was named poule that dide