And again he recounted all that had happened; and the good friend of his father directly said, that he would do all to save his life and his reputation. And it by chance happened that a man had been killed in that town, and none knew by whom; but several people having noticed the youth going along at night with the sack upon his shoulders, they concluded that he was no other than the murderer.
In short, they informed of him, and the youth was taken and pronounced guilty of the offense; but his father`s friend all the while exerted himself to compass his escape. And when he saw that there was no way left to save him from death, he said to the Alcalde, that he did not wish to have the sin of killing that young man upon his conscience, for, in fact, it was not he who had killed the man, but a son of his own, and the only one he had; and in this way did he succeed in saving the life of his friend`s son, by the hard sacrifice of his own.
“And now, my Lord Count Lucanor, I have told you how friends are to be tried, and I told that this example is good, in order for a man to learn who are his friends in this world, and those whom he ought to put to the test before he trusts to them in any great exigency, so as to ascertain how far they would go along with him in a dangerous way. You may be certain, that if some few be good friends, yet the most part are fortune`s friends, and according to its shifts and turns will they stick close or abandon you.
And if you consider of this in a spiritual sense, everybody declares that he has friends, but when calamity or death approach, they too often find themselves driven to have recourse to the ministers of religion to intercede with God for them, who alone can help them, to whom they turn like the son of the good man. And such is the great goodness of the Saints, in particular of the Holy Mary, that they cease not to importune the Lord in a poor sinner`s favor; and however much the importunity and the trouble they bear on his account, they refuse to inflict justice on him, just as the half friend of the young man`s father would not inform of him though smitten by him in the face.
Sent his own son Jesus Christ
And when the sinner finds no means of escape but turning to God, as the young man returned to his father, then does God, like the father and true friend, pitying man, who is his creature, act by him as did the good friend, for he even sent his own son Jesus Christ, who died for us without any fault, and whose freedom from all sin delivered man also from his state of sin, showing thereby that he was the true son of God, obedient and faithful, and full of love and mercy in all his acts.
“And now, Senor Count Lucanor, consider well what kind of friends be the most faithful and the best, and for whom ought a man most to exert himself in order to obtain their friendship. “These reasons gave much satisfaction to the Count, and Don Juan being of opinion that this example was very excellent, caused it to be inserted in this book, and he also made these verses, to the following purport, which, being translated, were Man. ne`er shall find so true a friend as he Who gave his life, man`s race from death to free.
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