they should best go e about their affaires. To others, when they should
goe by sea or land: to me, purposing to take my journey hither, he
declared many things strange and variable. For sometimes hee sayd that
I should win glory enough: sometimes he sayd I should write a great
Historie: sometimes againe hee sayd that I should devise an incredible
tale: and sometimes that I should make Bookes. Whereat Milo laughed
againe, and enquired of me, of what stature this man of Assyria was,
and what he was named. In faith (quoth I) he is a tall man and somewhat
blacke, and hee is called Diophanes. Then sayd Milo, the same is he and
no other, who semblably hath declared many things here unto us, whereby
hee got and obtained great substance and Treasure.

But the poore miser fell at length into the hands of unpittifull and
cruell fortune: For beeing on a day amongst a great assembly of people,
to tell the simple sort their fortune, a certaine Cobler came unto
him, and desired him to tel when it should be best for him to take his
voyage, the which hee promised to do: the Cobler opened his purse and
told a hundred pence to him for his paines. Whereupon came a certaine
young gentleman and took Diophanes by the Garment. Then he turning
himselfe, embraced and kissed him, and desired the Gentleman, who
was one of his acquaintance, to sit downe by him: and Diophanes being
astonied with this sudden change, forgot what he was doing, and sayd, O
deare friend you are heartily welcome, I pray you when arrived you into
these parts? Then answered he, I will tell you soone, but brother I pray
you tell mee of your comming from the isle of Euboea, and how you sped
by the way? Whereunto Diophanes this notable Assyrian (not yet come unto
his minde, but halfe amased) soone answered and sayd, I would to god
that all our enemies and evil willers might fall into the like dangerous
peregrination and trouble. For the ship where we were in, after it was
by the waves of the seas and by the great tempests tossed hither