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Zabyon was a grete defensour of his frendis, and he had suche frendis whiche
a kinge hadde thought for to slee. And whan Zabyon knewe therof he wente unto
hem for to helpe hem agenste the same kinge. And thanne the king assembled
grete people and discomfited hem, and there was Zabyon taken, and the kinge
commaunded that he shulde be gretly turmented in caas that he wolde nat telle ho
were thei that were consentynge for to make him werre. And Zabyon aunsuered
and seide: for no peyne that myght be done unto him, he wolde never telle any-
thinge that shulde hurte his frendis; and evyn forthwithall, he, beynge in an en-
gyne, boote of his owen tunge to that entente that he shulde have no power for to
accuse his frendys. That same Zabyon leved forty-eight yer, and heraftir folowe his
seyengis. Zabyon seide to his dissiples: "Yf ye leese anythinge, loke ye seye nat that
ye have loste it, but seye that ye have made restitucion of that that was nat yours."
And seide to oon of his dyssiples: "Geete thee many freendys, and thei shull aswage
thi thoughtis." And seith: "A wyseman shulde kepe him from weddynge of a feyre
wyffe, for many oon wolde have her love, and by that the wyf might sette thee lasse
by here husbande." And seith that alle evell is in dilectacion of money. And oon of
his men came to him and seid that he hadde but oon soone and he was deed, to
the whiche he seid [fol. 10v] that he knewe wel that he was mortall, and nat immortall. Ande
seith that a man aught nat to doute ne feere the deeth of the bodye, but oonly the
deeth of the soulle. Thanne it was aunsuered him, seyng thus: "Wilt thu seye that
a resonable soulle maye deye?" And he aunsuerd and seide: "Loke whanne a reson-
able soulle is converted into the natur of a beest withoute usynge reason, nathwith-
standinge that it is a substaunce incoruptible, yet it is taken for deed for it losith
the lyffe of undirstandinge." And as he wente by the see-syde, he sawe a yong man
syttinge on the stronde, weepynge and sigheng for the advercitees of this worlde.
And this Zabyon came unto him and seide: "Soone, be nat in dyspeire, for and thu
were never so riche and thu were in the myddes of the see in peryle of thi body and
of thi goodis, yet woldest thu wysshe no goodis but that thi body myght oonly be
saved; and yf thu were a kinge, and taken into pryson and thyne enemyes wolde
slee thee and depryve thee of alle thi goodis and thy realme, thu woldest nat desire
noon erthely thinge, but oonly the deliveraunce of thi body." The yonge man aun-
suered him and seide that he seide true, and thanne seide Zabyon to him: "Loke
that thu thenke that and alle thes perilles hadde come to thee and thu haddest
eskaped hem, thu woldest have bene wele contente of the state that thu standiste
inne at this tyme." And so departed the yonge man from Zabyon gretly comforted.