Early English versions of the Gesta Romanorum / edited by Sidney J.H. Herrtage

Story.

[leaf 155, col. 1]

Appolanius regnyd in Rome, þe whicℏ maade to be ordenyd, as for a lawe, þat ecℏ man sholde, vp peyne of detℏ, kepe þe day of þe burtℏ of þe Emperour, as for a festfuƚƚ day. And þerfore he callid to him virgilie, þe philoȝophre, & saide, "Goode maister, I suppose wele, þat þer ben many trespassis don̛ aȝenst my lawe, þe whicℏ ben kept so prively, þat I may not knowe hem; And þerfore I wolde pray þe to make for me some crafte, by þe whicℏ I may come to the knowlicℏ of sucℏ prive trespace." So shortely to seyn̛, this virgilie made by his crafte an ymage or a statute, and sett him in þe myddys of þe Cite, þe whicℏ sholde shewe and telle to þe messagers of þe Emperour the namys of hem þat breke þe lawe of þe emperour; and by this were mony men accusid. In þis same tyme þer was a smitℏ in þe Cite, that was y-callid Focus, þe whicℏ helde not þe day of þe Emperour. So as he lay in his bed, he thowte þat þis ymage accusid

many, and he dradde þe mor̛; But Erly in the morowe he ros, and ȝede to þis ymage, and saide, "Sey þou, felawe, that accusist so mony, and tellist sucℏ talys, I make avowe to god, that if þou be so bold to telle of me, I shaƚƚ breke þine hed; what loreƚƚ art thou!" and so he ȝede ȝe [sic] home his wey. The Emperour sent messagers to him in þe same day, as he was y-wonyd afore, for to knowe who was culpable in his lawe. Whenne þe messagers were y-come, þe ymage saide to hem, "Hold vp your hedis, and reditℏ what is written in my front." And þei founde þis y-wreten, Tempora mutantur; Homines deteriorantur; [qui voluerit veritatem dicere, caput fractum habebit;] this is to sey, `tymys ben chaungid; and men ben hyndred, or turnyd, or I-made worse; but he þat woƚƚ sey sotℏ, shaƚƚ haue a broke hede,' "and þerfore goitℏ home, and tellitℏ your lord aƚƚ þat ȝe haue seyne, & hurde, and rad." They ȝede home in hire way, and tolde þe Emperour aƚƚ þes thingis. Thenne spake þe emperour, with a grevous contynaunce, "I commaunde þat ȝe go aȝen y-armyd, and if ȝe finde ony þat woƚƚ offende or threte him, bring him to me y-bound fot and hond." Thei ȝede aȝen to þe ymage, and saide,

"do vs to knowe, if þer be ony þat thretenitℏ þe; For we ben redy to venge þe." "Takitℏ," quoþ þe ymage, "Focus, þe smytℏ, for he kepitℏ not þe day of þe Emperour." Anoon thei brouȝte þe smytℏ afore þe Emperour; and the Emperour reprevid him, for he kepte not þe day of his burtℏ. Herkenitℏ nowe the answere of the smytℏ.—"Sir," he seide, "me most euery day nedis laboure, and deserue viij. pense; And I may not gete hem but I travaile þerfore; And þerfore, sir, I may not kepe your day more than oþer." Thenne saide þe emperour, "how so? wherfore most þou [leaf 155, col. 2] haue euery day viijd?" The smytℏ saide, "forsotℏ, sir, for ijd me most euery day ȝelde and paye, As for my dette; me most leene ijd; spend ijd; and lese ijd." Thenne saide þe emperoure, "telle me this tale more expressely." "Sire," quoþ focus, "I pay euery day ijd to my fadir; for whenne I was yong, he spende ecℏ day so mocℏ vpon̛ me, and for he is nowe an old man̛, and may not helpe him selfe, I most nede, by way of kinde and of reson̛, ȝeld him ijd. Also I lene ijd to my sone, for his sustinaunce, desiring̘ that he reward hem to me

aȝen, when I faƚƚ in to age, and may not worcℏ, as I do nowe to my fadir. And, sir, I leese ijd, that is to sey, vpon̛ my wife." "Why on þi wife?" quoþ þe Emperour. "Sir, for ȝe knewe neuer woman, but if she hadde on of theise poyntys, scil. þat is to sey, or she woƚƚ folewe hire owne wiƚƚ, or contrarie þe wiƚƚ of hire husbond, or ellis she is of an hot complexion̛. Also, sir, I spende ijd vpon̛ myselfe, in mete and drinke; and ȝe wite wele, þis is litel y-now." Tho seide þe emperour, "By my lewte, þis is wel answeryd, and Resonabilly spoken." The emperour deyde sone after, and focus þe smytℏ was I-chosen into þe Emperour, for the goode acounte þat he made of his viijd.