¶ _Of the endytement of Jesu of Nazareth._ xci.
¶ A certayne Jury in the countye of Myddelsex was enpaneled for the kynge to enquere of all endytements, murders, and felonyes. The persones of this panell were folyshe, couetous and unlerned: for who so euer wolde gyue them a grote, they wolde affyne and verifye his byll, whether it were true or fals, withoute any profe or euydence; wherefore one that was * * *
_the Jury loking_ on the grote and nothing on the byll as was their _costome_, which byll whan it was presented into the courte, _the judge_ said openly before all the people: lo! syrs, here is the _straungest byll euer_ presented by an enquest: for here they haue indyted _Jesu of Nazareth_ for stelyng of an asse. Which whan the people harde it, it _made them all to laughe_, and to wonder at the folysshenes and shamefull periury _of the Jury_.
By this ye may se, it is great parell[139] to enpanell _men upon an_ enquest, whiche be folysshe and haue but small _witte or honesty_.
¶ _Of the frere that preched agaynst them that rode on the Sonday._ xcii.
¶ In a certayne parryshe, a frere preched and _said moche_ againt them, that rode on the Sonday euer lokyng upon _one that was there_, spurred redy to ryde. This man, perceuyng that _the frere loked at_ hym, sodenly halfe in angre answered the frere thus: _I meruayle that ye say so_ moche agaynste them that ryde on the Sonday: for Christe _rode into Jerusalem_ on Palme Sonday, as thou knowest well it is wrytten * * * _To_ whome the frere sodenly answered and sayd thus: _but knowe ye not also what came_ thereof? Was he nat hanged on the Fryday after! Whiche hearing _all them that were_ in the churche fell on laughynge.
¶ _Of the one broder that founde a purs._ xciii.
¶ There was a certayne man that had two sonnes unl_yke eche other_. For the eldyst was lustye and quycke, and vsed moch_e betimes to_ walke into the fyldes. Than was the yonger slowe, and vsed _moche_ to lye in his bed as long as he myght. So on a day the elder, as _he was vsed_, rose erly and walked into the fyldes; and there by fortune he founde a purse of money, and brought it home to his father. His father, whan he had it, wente strayght to hys other sonne yet lyenge than in his bed and sayd to him: o thou slogarde, quod he, seyst thou nat thyne eldest brother, howe he by hys erly rysyng had founde a purse with money whereby we shall be greatly holpen all our lyfe, whyle thou sluggynge in thy bedde dost no[140] good but slepe? He than wyst nat what to say, but answered shortly and said: father, quod he, if he that hathe loste the purse and money had lyne in hys bedde that same tyme that he loste it, as I do nowe, my brother had founde no purse nor money to day.