Selection 4

How two young gentlemen that came to Friar Bacon to know how their fathers did, killed one another, and how Friar Bacon for grief did break his rare glass wherein he could see anything that was done within fifty miles about him.

It is spoken of before now that Friar Bacon had a glass which was of that excellent nature that any man might behold anything that he desired to see within the compass of fifty miles round about him. With this glass he had pleasured diverse kinds of people. For fathers did oftentimes desire to see thereby how their children did, and children how their parents did, one friend how another did, and one enemy sometimes how his enemy did, so that from far they would come to see this wonderful glass. It happened one day that there came to him two young gentlemen (that were countrymen and neighborsʼ children) for to know of him by his glass how their fathers did. He, being no niggard of his cunning, let them see his glass, wherein they straight beheld their wishes which they (through their own follies) bought at their livesʼ loss, as you shall hear. The fathers of these two gentlemen (in their sonsʼ absence) were become great foes. This hatred between them was grown to that height that wheresoever they met they had not only words but blows. Just at that time as it should seem that their sons were looking to see how they were in health, they were met and had drawn and were together by the ears. Their sons seeing this and having been always great friends knew not what to say to one another but beheld each other with angry looks. At last one of their fathers, as they might perceive in the glass, had a fall and the other, taking advantage, stood over him ready to strike him. The son of him that was down could then contain himself no longer but told the other young man that his father had received wrong. He answered again that it was fair. At last there grew such foul words between them, and their bloods were so heated, that they presently stabbed one the other with their daggers and so fell down dead.

Friar Bacon, seeing them fall, ran to them but it was too late, for they were breathless ere he came. This made him to grieve exceedingly. He, judging that they had received the cause of their deaths by this glass, took the glass in his hand and uttered words to this effect:

Wretched Bacon, wretched in thy knowledge, in thy understanding wretched; for thy art hath been the ruin of these two gentlemen. Had I been busied in those holy things, the which mine order ties me to, I had not had that time that made this wicked glass. Wicked I well may call it that is the causer of so vile an act. Would it were sensible, then should it feel my wrath, but being as it is, Iʼll ruin it for ruining of them. And with that he broke his rare and wonderful glass whose like the whole world had not. In this grief of his came there news to him of the deaths of Vandermast and Friar Bungay. This did increase his grief and made him sorrowful that in three days he would not eat anything but kept his chamber.

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