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

[ XC. ]
(HOW A KING'S SON SHARED HIS REWARD.)Addit. MS. 9066.

[leaf 81 (cont'd)]

ÞEre was a kyng̘ some tyme, that had̛ ij. sonys, an̛ Eldre, and̛ an yongere. to the Eldre he be-quathe his kyngdome, and̛ gafe it hym in his lyfe: And̛ the yonger he sette to the scole, for to lere, for he bequathe hym̛ right nought. The Eldre brothere dwelled̛ at home with his fadre in solace; the yonge sone beynge atte scole, spendid̛ Euyƚƚ the money that was take hym̛ to the vse of the scole. There come a Frende to the kyng̘, and̛ passyd̛ by the scole, and̛ he sawe how the yonge sone gafe hym to no studie, ne to his lyrnyng̘, but spendid̛ Euyƚƚ his tyme, and̛ tolde the kyng̘. The kyng̘ sente for his sone, and̛ askid̛, why he wold̛ not lyrne? and̛ he seide, hit longed̛ not to hym, syne he was a kynges sone. then seide þe kyng̘ to hym, "for thou seyste thy brothere be with me at home in delites, Therfore thou woldiste lede his lyfe; but wete wele, thou may not; for when̛ I am̛ dede, thy brothere hathe wherof̘ he may lyve, for I gafe hym aƚƚ my kyngdome; and̛ I putte the to scole, that thou myght helpe thy selfe after my dethe." But [whan̛] the kyng̘ perseyued̛ he wolde not profite in scole, but that he wolde dwelle in his Fadres house, with his Eldre brothere, and̛ not laboure, he sete hym̛ Euery day atte mete with his knaues. The childe was ashamed̛, and̛ prayde his fadre, that he myght go a-gayne to the scole. the kyng̘ saide, "nay." Then the childe wente, and̛ prayde his Frendes, that they wolde pray his fadre for hym, that he myght go to the scole. and̛ so they didden̛; and̛ the kynge graunted̛ hem̛ here prayere, [leaf 81, back] but he gafe hym not so large expenses as he did̛ be-fore. On a day he made the childe to go with hym in to a Chambre, in the which were dyuerse cofers, with money of̘ the kynges. The kyng̘ toke the keyes of the cofers to the childe, and̛ seide, "opyn̛ oon of̘ thes Chestes, which that thou wilte; and̛ that thou fyndes there in, thou shalte haue." he openyd̛ a cheste, and̛ fownde xxtis; and̛ he saide, "for sothe thou shalte haue no more of me." But the Fadre loked̛ to the Erthward̛, and̛ fownde a peny, and̛ gafe it hym, and̛ seide,

"haue this penny, and̛ now haste thou xxtis and̛ a penny." The Childe toke his money, and̛ wente to the scole; and̛ while he was in the way goyng̘, he mette a man̛ beryng̘ at his back a panyere. the Child̛ asked̛ hym what he had̛ in his panyere? he seide, a wonderfuƚƚ fyshe, that had̛ a goldyn̛ hede, and̛ a syluer bodie, and̛ a grene tayle. The Childe sawe the fyshe, and̛ asked̛ whether he wolde selle it? he seide, "yee." "what shaƚƚ it coste?" he seide, xxtis. then̛ the Child̛ toke hym xxtis; and̛ than lafte no more with hym̛ but a peny. and̛ while the sellere tolde his money, the childe bownde the fyshe in the panyere. that sawe the sellere, [ande seide], "aƚƚ thofe I solde the þe fyshe, I solde the not the panyere; who so shaƚƚ haue þe panyere, shaƚƚ gyve me a penny, for it is so worthe." The childe wiste wele he myght not bere it with oute a vesseƚƚ, and̛ gafe hym̛ a peny. now, as ye han̛ herde, he hathe paide aƚƚ his money, that his Fadre toke hym̛ to the scole. and̛ the childe toke the panyere with the fyshe, and̛ bare it at his bak̘. he sawe a litiƚƚ be-side a fayre manere, and̛ mette a man̛, and̛ asked̛, if̘ any man̛ dwelled̛ there? he saide, "yee, a grete lorde and̛ a gentiƚƚ; for there is non̛ that dothe any thing̘ for hym̛, be it neuer so litiƚƚ, but he yeldes it hym̛ wele a-gayne." The childe wente to the courte, and̛ fownde the porter, and̛ saide he wolde speke with the lorde. The porter asked̛ hym, what he wolde with the lorde? The childe seide, he had a presente. The porter seide, "The maner is in this courte, that I shulde se the presente or it come to the lorde." and̛ the child̛ shewed̛ hym the gyfte. when̛ the porter saw it, he seide, "this hede is myn̛; for it is the maner, who so brynges a beste or a fyshe for a presente, I shaƚƚ haue the hede for my parte." the childe thought, if̘ the hede shuld̛ be Cutte of̘, the presente shulde be the worse, and̛ the more abhomynable. The childe seide, "I pray the, suffere, and̛ thou shalte haue halfe my mede." the porter graunted̛. Then wente the childe, and̛ come to the vshere of the halle, that saide, he shulde haue the bodie of̘ [leaf 82] the fyshe; for it was the maner of this courte. To whom the childe seide, "if̘ thou wilte be Curteyse as the porter was, to whome I graunted̛ halfyndele my mede, and̛ that shaƚƚ be more I shaƚƚ gyfe the the halfyndele."

and̛ he graunted̛ hym̛ to Entere. Then̛ come the childe to the Chambreleyne, and̛ he asked̛ the tayle, sayeng̘, "it is the custome of the courte, that I shuld̛ haue the tayle." To whome the childe seide, "I graunted̛ the porter the halfyndele of̘ my mede, and̛ to the vshere halfe that lafte ouere, and̛ nowe I pray the, suffere me to Entere, and̛ I shaƚƚ gyfe the parte of̘ that comythe to me." the Chambreleyne graunted̛, and̛ lete hym̛ Entere, hopyng̘, as his felawes didden̛, to haue some grete thing̘. The childe come to the lorde, and̛ gafe hym this presente, the which the lorde hely resseyued̛, and̛ saide, "this is a fayre gyfte; Aske therfore some good̛ thing̘, that I may gyve the; and̛ if thou aske wisely, I shaƚƚ gyve with that to the my doughter to wife, with my kyngdome." This herden̛ the seruauntes. Some cownseyled̛ hym̛ to aske a maner, anothere cownsayled̛ hym to aske golde or syluer; and̛ othere tresoure. This herde the childe, and̛ seide to the lorde, "lorde, these men̛ cownseylen̛ me to aske a maner, golde and̛ syluere, but I say you, I wiƚƚ aske non̛ of aƚƚ these, but if̘ ye gyfe me any thing̘, me moste gyve the porter the halfeyndele, and̛ to the vshere halfe that leuyth ouer, and̛ the Chambreleyne moste haue a parte, as the Cause is be-fore seide. But I pray you, lorde, that ye wolde graunte me xij. buffettes, of the which the porter shaƚƚ haue the vj. the vshere iij. and̛ the chambreleyne iij." and̛ this was done. the lorde sawe that slely and̛ so wisely he had̛ asked̛, and̛ gafe his kyngdome with his doughter. This kyng̘ is Criste, that had ij. sonys. be the Eldre sone are vndirstondyn̛ aungells, to which is geuyn̛ the kyngdome that reigneth with the fadre, with oute laboure. the yonge sone is man̛, that is putte in to the worlde, that is fuƚƚ of wrechidnesse, as vnto a scole, for to lyrne to loue god̛. man̛ is the fyshe; as the prophete witnesseth Abacuk, facies hominis quasi pisces maris. the porter is the worlde; and̛ right as by the porter so by the worlde we may transite. the hede of þe fyshe is the loue that he wolde haue, for right as golde is moste preciouse of aƚƚ metalles, so is loue moste preciouse of aƚƚ thing̘. but gyfe the porter, that is, the worlde, vj. buffettes, that is, vj. werkes of mercy. Be the vshere is vnderstonden̛ the fleshe, that will haue the body, be

þe which are vnderstondyn̛ delites; but gyfe hym̛ iij. buffettes, that are wakynges, prayers, and̛ fastynges. [leaf 82, back] The chambreleyn̛ is the deuyƚƚ, that wil haue the grene tayle, that is, the lyfe; but gyfe hym iij. buffettes, that is, mekenesse, charite, and̛ mercy. and̛ so chesyng̘ and̛ deuydyng̘, the kyng̘, that is, Criste, shaƚƚ gyfe to the his doughter, and̛ the kyngdome, that is, the blisse of heuyn̛. to the which bryng̘ vs Iesu Criste! Amen, &c.