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

[V.]

Story.

SOmtyme there reygned in ye cyte of Rome a myghty Emperoure and a wyse, named Frederyk, whiche had onely but one sone, whome he loued moche. This Emperoure, whan he lay in the poynte of deth, he called vnto hym his sone, and sayd, " dere sone, I haue a balle of golde, whiche I gyue the vpon my blessynge, that yu anone after my deth shall gyue it to the moost fole yt yu mayst fynde. Than sayd his sone, "My lorde, without doubte thy wyll shall be fulfylled." Anone this yonge lorde, after the dethe of his fader, wente and sought in many realmes, and founde many foles. neuertheles / by cause he wolde satysfye his faders wyll, [he] laboured ferther, tyll he came in to a realme where the lawe was suche, yt euery yere a newe kynge sholde be chosen there / & this kynge hath only the gydynge of that realme but a yere / & at the yeres ende he shall be deposed, and put in exyle in an ylonde, where as he sholde wretchedly fynysshe his lyf / Whan themperours sone came vnto this realme, the newe kynge was chosen with grete honoure / & al maner of mynstralsye wente afore hym, & brought hym with grete reuerence and worshyp vnto his regal sete. And whan the Emperours sone sawe that, he came vnto hym, and salued hym reuerently, and sayd, "My lorde, lo! I gyue to ye this balle of golde, on my faders behalfe." Than sayd he, "I praye the, tell me

the cause why thou gyuest me this balle." Than answerd this yonge lorde, and sayd thus, "My fader," quod he, "charged me in his deed bedde, vnder payne of his blessynge, that I sholde gyue this balle to the moost fole that I coude fynde / Wherfore I haue sought many realmes, and haue founde many foles; neuerthelesse a more fole than thou arte founde I neuer, & therfore this is the reason. It is not vnknowen to the, that thou shalt reygne but a yere, & at the yeres ende thou shalte be exyled into suche a place, where as thou shalt dye a myscheuous deth / wherfore I holde ye for the moost fole yt euer I founde, that for ye lordshyp of a yere thou woldest so wylfully lese thy selfe / & therfore before all other I haue gyuen to the this balle of golde." Than sayd ye kynge, "With out doute thou sayeth me sothe / and therfore whan I am in full power of this Realme, I shall sende byfore me grete tresoure and rychesse, wherwith I may lyue, and saue my selfe frome myscheuous deth, whan that I shall be exyled, & put doune." and so it was done / wherfore at the yeres ende he was exyled, and lyued there in pease vpon suche goodes as he had sent before / and he deyed afterwarde a good dethe.

Moral.

¶ Dere frendes, this Emperour is the fader of heuen, the whiche byquethed the balle / that is for to saye, worldely rychesse, to foles & ydeotes, whiche sauereth but thynge that [signature A viij, back] erthely is. This Emperours sone / that is for to saye, a prechour and a dyscrete confessoure, serched about many realmes and londes, to shewe to mysbeleuynge men and foles theyr peryll. The realme wherin no kynge myght regne but a yere is this worlde. For who so had lyued an hondred yere, whan he cometh to the dethe, hym shall seme that he hath lyued but the space of an houre; therfore do as the kynge dyde, whyle yt ye be in power of lyfe / sende before you your tresour, yt is to saye, almes dedes, & other good merytory werkes / & certaynly, whan ye be put in exyle out of this worlde, ye shal lyue in pease, & shall fynde ye mercy of God plentefull, wherby ye shall opteyne euerlastynge lyfe. Unto ye whiche brynge vs he / that for vs deyed on the rode tree! Amen.