ABSTRACT
The tale tells that in times, whether long past or near at hand it skilleth not, there was found in the land of the Beefings, which is compassed by water, and in the town called of Lud, a wondrous Lamp which lightened the nations. And the light of it was renewed every seven days on the last day of the week, and for that the Lamp itself was called the Day of Saturn. But SOlne there be that give other rede of that name, for they say it was called the 'Day' because it lightened the nations, and 'of Saturn' because oftentimes the light seemed hard and harsh to them of little worth and skill, and that the god Saturn is fabled to have been no easy god of temper. But the Lamp was served by a chieftain whom they called Out-giver (for in this tongue everything is called something else), and it was his to watch it and to order its light and to do the services that befell. And of these services not the least, God wot, was to sally forth against certain wights which sent Books in numbers from what men called the press. And to deal therewith Out-giver had with him a stout following of champions, and they were girt each with two swords. And the name of the one was Fool-quelIer, and the name of the other was Praise-giver. And whatsoever man Fool-queller bit, that man went anguishing for many days; but on whose shoulder soever they laid Praise-giver, proud man was he for the rest of his life. And for the light that the Lamp shed on
evil men's ways and the sharp bitings of Fool-qucller there were that loved not the Day of Saturn; howsoever, the more folk and the wiser did set great store by it.
