[26] At this seyinge that other youled and toke him in armes and wepynge seyde: “O Combabe, wherfore hastow wrought gret mescheef? Wherfore hastow don thiself suche a despyt that never yit no man ne sayde? I preyse this not at alle. O herde herte, that wast hardy for to don suche thinges, that I wolde thou hadde neer soffred ne I neer seen! Me wantede not this answere. But for als moche as it was goddes wille, first shaltow han vengeaunce of oure grace, the dethe of thi false chalengeres hem self, and after schal comen a gret yifte, moche gold and gret plentee silver and Assuriene clothes and rialle destreres (royal chargers). And thou shalt come before me withouten that ony man presente thee, and noon schalle lette thee fro sight of me, thoghe I be abedde with my wyf.”
1
Right as he seyde, right so he didde. Tho weren ladde to dethe anon, but to him the yiftes were goven and grettere frendschipe was graunted. And it semede that Combabe hadde not his pere in Assurye for wisdom and for blisse.
And after, ther as he besoghte to finissche the remenant of the temple, for he hadde laft it unfinissched, he was sent eftsones and broght it to an ende, and abood there fro thens fromward. And be cause of his vertue and wel doynge, the kyng vouchede saf that his ymage in brasse scholde ben set in the seyntuarye. And so for gerdon Combabe dwelleth yit in the close, formed of brasse be crafte of Ermocle the Rodien, lyk a womman in schappe, but clothed as a man.
2
The storie telleth that his beste frendes, for solas of his wo, chosen to parte his lot; for thei gelten hem and ladde that same manere lyf. But othere men rehercen prestes lore to this matere, how that Iuno lovynge Combabe putte it in the thoghtes of manye to gelden hem, in the entente that he scholde not mourne allone for manhode.
De Syria dea. Lucian of Samosata. Austin Morris Harmon (Translator). United States. Perseus 5.0.
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