180 THE PLEASANT HISTORY OF CHAP.

great trouble, and infinite joy, when he had
learned to manage and govern the wooden
beast, I. leave to speak for tediousness’ sake,
only the high virtue of all issued from the
wood.

‘Of this wood the glass case was made,
being larger than the glass by half a foot and
more square, upon which verge was deciphered
divers many strange histories in gold, in silver,
in sables, yellow, azure, and cynope; and these
colours were very curiously wrought and inter.
laid together, and under each history the
words so engraven and enamelled, that any
man might read the whole story.

‘Believe it, the world never produced a
thing of greater worth, lustre, or pleasure.
In the upper part thereof stood a horse in his
natural glory, fat, fair, and fiery, which braved
a stately hart which ran before him; but
seeing he could not overtake the hart in
swiftness; at which he infinitely disdained, he
went to a herdsman standing by, and told him,
if he would help him to take a hart which he
would show him, he should have all the profit
of the conquest, as the horns, skin, and flesh.

‘Then the herdsman asked him what

means he should use to get him. The