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

Story.

SOmtyme there dwelled in Rome a myghty emperour, the whiche was named Dunstane. In whose Empyre dwelled a gentyll knyght, ye whiche had two sones. One of his sayd sones wedded hym selfe, agaynst his faders wyll, to a comune woman of the bordell. The knyght herynge this exyled his sone frome hym. And whan he was thus exyled, he begate on this woman a sone / and sone after that, he wexed seke

and nedefull, wherfore he sente messengers to his fader, besechynge hym of his mercy. This herynge, his fader had compassyon and ruthe of hym, wherfore he was reconsyled. And whan he was thus brought agayne to his faders grace / he gaue his sone, whiche he had begoten afore of this nedeful woman, to his fader. And he kyndely receyued it as his sone, and norysshed tt. whan his other sone herde this, he sayd to his fader, "Fader," quod he, "it semeth yt thou arte out of thy ryght mynde, the whiche I preue by this reason. For he is out of his mynde, that receyueth a false heyre / & nouryssheth hym / whose fader hath done hym anguysshe & dysease afore. But my brother, whiche begate this chylde, hath done the grete Iniurye, whan that he wedded ye comune woman agaynst thy wyll and commaundement. Therfore me semeth, that thou arte oute of thy ryght mynde." Thenne answered ye fader, and sayd, "By cause that thy brother is reconsyled, thou arte enuyous to me, and also vnkynde to thyn owne brother / wyllynge for to put hym from my felawshyp for euermore / & sothely none vnkynde man shall haue myn herytage, but yf that he be reconsyled. But yet yu were neuer reconsyled of his vnkyndenesse, for thou myght haue reconsyled hym, but thou woldest not / therfore of myn herytage getest thou no parte.