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A MEDIEVAL LEGEND OF WINCHELSEA 97
treasure himself, he decided that no one else should have it. He therefore hollowed out the trunk of a great tree, put the box in it, closed up the ends, and threw it into the sea. The waters carried the trunk to the door of Godwin, who dwelt in the next town—evidently Rye. Godwin who was a righteous and innocent man was preparing to hold a Christmas festival, and the appearance of this log was a source of rejoicing, as it would evidently make a capital yule log. So the Smith carried home the tree trunk, and put it in his fireplace. On Christmas Eve the fire was lighted, and the heat caused the money within the box to melt and the metal ran out. Godwin's wife saw this, and taking the log from the fire, she hid it. The result was that Godwin the Smith became rich, whilst the Winchelsea man was forced to beg his
vigilia, ignis trunco supponitur, metallum intro latens liquescit, et exterius defunditur. Quod videns uxor dicti Godwini, ignem subtrahit, truncum movet et abscondit. Sicque ut dominus praedictae pecuniae victum quaereret hostiatim, dictusque faber de paupere fieret inopinate dives, devulgatur quia in vicinio quod miser ille pecuniam suam demersisset, cogitavit ergo uxor dicti Godwini quod eidem misero in aliquo cautius subveniret, cogitans dictam pecuniam fuisse suam, fecit uno die panem unum, et in eo xl. solidos abscondens dedit ei. Quem infortunatus ille accipiens piscatoribus super litus obviavit, panem eis pro uno denario vendidit, et recessit. Venientes itaque piscatores ad domum dicti Godwini, prout fuerunt assueti, dictum panem extrahunt et suis equis elargiri proponunt. Quem agnoscens domina domus, avenam pro eis dedit et eum recepit. Idemque miser finetenus pauper undique remansit.
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