In Paris lived a wise and wealthy master who was so respected that he was frequently asked by spiritual and temporal officials to pronounce final judgments in difficult cases.
One morning as he was returning home with his entourage after the early mass, a poor man approached him on the street, leading his young son. The father asked the master for his support; he claimed that he was related to the master and had not turned to him earlier because he still had some means, but now had given out all of his money. He particularly wished this because of the boy, and for the master to raise him.
The master responded coolly to the request and said that he knew nothing of this relationship; however, he agreed to allow that the father and son could remain with the servants in the kitchen. “Your son can become a cook,” he said, “when he is not suited to something higher.”
The two were certainly satisfied with this, and lived for some time in the master’s house. The boy developed both bodily and spiritually, and he was soon permitted to bear platters and pots into the dining room and then to serve at the table. The master liked the lad, talking with him occasionally and found in his answers that the boy was not lacking for wit and astuteness. By talks with good friends, he decided to enroll the boy in his school.
The boy showed himself to be exceptionally gifted and learned so easily that he seemed a miracle to everyone. When he became 20 years old, he sat one day by the master in his room, who asked the boy if he had remembered anything from the decisions and measures to which he was a witness.
“I remember more than one decision,” replied the young man, “but one I especially admire because of your exceptional wisdom. It happened one day that two of your students came into dispute without witnesses. One of them came to you and complained that he was beaten by the other; the latter however denied this and called the accuser a liar.
“When despite many questions you were unable to bring the truth to light, you called both of them before you and said that both should be punished for their strife. You then gave first one and then the other a good boxing. Through this discipline, however, the two showed quite different behavior: the accuser was very upset and felt that his insult was only rewarded with disgrace, but the other only laughed and appeared to make nothing of the penalty.
“With that you pronounced the judgment that the first was indeed mishandled by his companion and had rightfully complained about him.”
The master said, “You’ve represented the matter absolutely correctly, but do you know from where I took this decision?”
“Without wishing to offend your honor,” said the youth, “I believe I know that you used the judgment of the wise Salomon as an example, where it stands written in the Book of Kings.”
“Here you are also correct,” said the master, “that I took the judgment of Salomon as a pattern. However, added to that is a second decision that I also want to tell you about. I see that with you, no seed falls on fallow ground.
“A man’s wife once had borne three sons, and it was the general belief that they all were the sons of the husband. Once, however, as a dispute between the couple occurred the wife said out of anger that on a baleful day she reached out her hand to him but that he was a dumb and worthless person. The man remained calm, and asked on what she based her accusation.
“At first, she did not wish to speak but after a while was unable to hide the poison and said, ‘My accusation is well-founded; don’t you believe, you idiot, that you have three sons from me when only one is actually your child?’
‘This is not happy news,’ replied the man, ‘if what you say is true. But at least tell me which of the three my son is.’
‘No!’ answered the wife, ‘Stay as dumb as you were; you will never learn it from me!’
“Soon thereafter the wife died. Then, as the husband also lay on his deathbed, he stated that only his true son should inherit everything. As soon as he was buried the dispute amongst the three sons over the bequest began, then naturally, each believed himself to be the true son.
“The land’s wisest judge was to decide, so he ordered that the father’s body be exhumed and set up as a target. The three sons would then shoot at it, and the one who shoots the dead body directly in the chest would be recognized as the rightful heir.
“And so it was done. Two of the brothers shot at the body and wounded it, but the third made not attempt to reach for the bow. He was asked why he did not shoot. He replied that he would not shoot an arrow into the body, even if it meant losing the whole inheritance, because the two wounds that the father had received felt to him as though they had occurred to his own body.
“Now, the judge had asked that two more wise men be present at the test. He called them to a secret counsel, and the decision of all three was that the son who had refused to wound the father’s body was judged the real son.
“And this decision, as with mine, is also taken from the wise judgment of Salomon, as you will soon see. I have come to know you as an intelligent man, and from this day forth you should think of my house as your own and have my full trust.”
From that day on, the master called the young man as counsel in all his dealings, and more and more it was shown that the young man was wise and astute; the general opinion was spoken that no one was more worthy to be the master’s successor than he was.
Once, as the two again sat together in a room, the master said, “For me and others in Paris it is a great joy to see how splendidly you prove yourself, so I want to give you new proof of my trust by sharing a secret with you that no one else knows. There is a hiding place in my house, which I will show you. If there is suddenly danger of a war in the city, you can hide there. It would be a great shame if you should meet with misfortune. At my age nothing is lost, but you are fully suited to replace me.” The young man gave the master words of heartfelt thanks, adding that his own life would be worthless should something happen to the master.
Some days later, as the master was in a circle of his students in a room in his house, there occurred suddenly the sounds of nothing but weapons. The enemy had entered the city, robbing and plundering and taking the citizens away as prisoners. Even the master and his students were captured and led away; only our young man rescued himself by fleeing quickly into the hiding place he had been shown, remaining there as long as the enemy raiders had withdrawn.
He then ventured out, finding that a large part of the citizens had returned. However, the master remained missing. As a result, the young man was put in the hallowed place of he who had disappeared. Honor and riches flowed to him, and he was able to enjoy his situation for some days.
One day as he wandered freely with his entourage, an old priest from the neighborhood met him and spoke to him. He said that he was a relative of the missing master, who had given him charge of a small church. “Only because the good sir supported us with donations were I and my people able to feed ourselves.
“But now he is gone and extreme poverty has befallen us. I know that you are thinking of visiting my church very soon, but I lack everything needed to receive you in a worthy manner, so I must ask you either to forgo your visit or to let me have a small support.
“I hope for your welfare that out of love for my relative, your master, who has raised you to such great honor.”
The young man regarded this speech in a highly unfriendly manner and he replied, “Either have your old ears been fooled by lies, or your own senselessness is speaking. How could he who did not even know how to protect himself from being imprisoned, raise me up?”
“He who elevated you,” said the old man, “can also humiliate you. Then one who is disloyal will never do well, and what he believes he has he will lose in shame.”
These words embittered the young man so that he raised his hand to strike the priest — and at that same moment received a powerful blow to the ear. “Well,” came a voice back to him, “you have shown yourself to be an evil branch from a bad tree, you wretch, although you emblazon yourself with a handsome appearance and bright words.
“You appear as a glowing shrine with golden locks, but who within himself hides a putrefying skeleton; and it is clearly proven that you and your pitiful father lied about belonging to my family. Never in our lineage was there found such an unworthy branch. So take yourself and him away from here as quickly as you can if you don’t want a taste of chains and prison.”
It was then shown that the unfriendly attack and everything that the young man believed to have experienced since then was nothing more than a mirage to blind the young man’s senses. It had been put forth by the master, who now sat fresh and healthy before him on his chair.
“Do you now see, you fool,” said the master, “where and who you are? If you had withstood this little test, then I swear to you that you would have been given everything that you already thought you had. Now get up and remove yourself, and come never again into my sight if you value your life. The young man so reaped the shame that comes to all who are disloyal.
This same master tells still another story. He had a trusted room servant who was required to sleep in the bedroom with him. The servant began service as a small boy, and grew up in the master’s house. The master treated him well, although he was somewhat careless and did not like getting up at night to help with putting on and taking off the master’s shoes. The master accepted this with great patience, only once saying that it would be better if the servant behaved differently. To this, the servant’s impertinent answer was that it was a wonder to him that the master to whom God has given all one could wish — honor, wealth and wisdom — found no rest at night and instead plagued him and others.
With few words, he master corrected his audacity and later thought about punishing him for his cheeky answer. A few days later, the master secretly laid a sack with five guilders in the servant’s bed. The following night, the servant found the money. “Dear God,” he said, “how could these five guilders have gotten here when certainly no one’s hand has touched my bed? I would like to assume that you, oh Lord, have sent the money to me and that you loan me still more so that I can begin a business and free myself from this yoke of servitude that binds me.”
With that, he hid the money and waited for more gifts, letting himself believe that he had received a gift from heaven. When the next night came, the boy was as if transformed. The thought of his treasure would not let him sleep as he considered back and forth how he should arrange his business trip. As soon as the master needed him, he was at hand and reached him his outer clothes and footwear.
“Ah,” said the master, “now you’re quite the valiant and service-ready lad. Did perhaps my warning bear so much fruit?” “Certainly,” replied the servant boy, “it was only right that I take your reprimand to heart.”
After a few more days, the master placed ten guilders in the lad’s bed. When he found the new gift, he fell into unbridled joy because his belief was strengthened that God wanted to free him from his life of service. But with the money also came more cares such that his eyes knew no sleep. Not long thereafter, he found 20 guilders that the master had hidden. These, too, the lad took with hearty thanks to God. But mixed with feelings of thanks were mixed impure stirrings resulting in arrogant talk and the firm conviction to leave his life of service that he held unwillingly.
When the master saw this changed behavior, he talked to him in the evening and said, “How is it that such a contradiction makes itself known in your behavior? At night your hands are deft in carrying out your service, but you have such a dark and arrogant expression as though it were beneath your worth to serve me?”
The lad did not answer, because although his heart was swollen with anger, he was ashamed to bring it to the light of day.
“It has come so far with you,” continued the master, “that untruthfulness and foolishness fight to gain control of you. With deceit, you have kept secret the money that you found. But in your foolishness, you believe that God himself sent this treasure to you although you must also tell yourself that you have not earned this grace, as God raises the modest and denigrates the arrogant.
“For a number of days you spoke of your amazement that in spite of the gifts I have from God, in spite of my reputation, my wealth and my wisdom I cannot find peace at night. In spite of your cleverness, you cannot understand that although using a trick I have brought it about that you enjoy even less sleep than I do. You certainly have not as much to think about since you have not the honor. Money you have no more of than a small mound of bags that you have accumulated, and as for wisdom you have no great burden to bear to justify being so arrogant.
But on me heaven has bestowed these three things in such a rich measure that I indeed must care and be watchful how I use this reward in a rightful manner so that I do not presume now to earn a reward that should be assured in Heaven.
“He who seeks honor must be watchful not to go against God’s laws, because when reputation and image comes at such a high price so as to damage laws and statutes suffer damage it would be better to be an errand boy than a judge who is unworthy of seeing eternal light.
“He who is granted riches must consider what is due God and what is due mankind, whether rich or poor, so that selfish wellbeing doesn’t rot the soul and send it to Hell.
“Finally, a wise one must reflect on how he uses his wisdom to the honor of God and not to satisfy his own ego and quest for recognition. Further, since it is so with imperfect mankind that he only goes backwards when not going forward, I must concern myself with maintaining my knowledge, as it seems to me insulting to sacrifice at old age what I with God’s help gained in my youth. I have always endeavored to pronounce judgments according to God’s laws; if my decisions were always the right ones it is for that reason.
“But understand this, you fool: no heavenly being gave you this purse to test your wisdom. Receive the money as your property although you are not worthy of it, and use it for your business travels to Paris. But do not dare to return here as long as I live if you wish to keep safe of limb!”
With that the master also here showed his mercy and justice; the arrogant good-for-nothing finally earned the shame he was due, as always happens to his kind when they betray their true nature if only for a short time.