Sapientes
The Wise Men
A king (usually identified as Herod) is advised by seven wise men; unbeknownst to him, they grow rich by (falsely) interpreting the citizens’ dreams for a steep fee. The king is afflicted with strange blindness whenever he leaves the city, and the wise men are unable to cure him. They seek the aid of Merlin, whose superior power and virtue are shown when he correctly interprets a man’s dream and – unlike the sages – refuses payment. Merlin is taken to Herod’s bedchamber, where he informs the king that deep beneath the room is a boiling pool fed by seven hot springs, which are the cause of his blindness; they dig up the floor, and find this to be true. Merlin then tells the king that the only way to stop the springs is with the heads of the seven deceitful and greedy advisors. They are beheaded, the springs stop flowing, and Herod’s blindness is cured.
Critical Literature
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