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

[ XIII. ]
AGYOS THE EMPEROURE.
(OF THE GRATITUDE OF AN EMPEROR TO A KNIGHT WHO HAD SAVED HIS LIFE.)Harl. MS. 7333.

Story.

[leaf 157, back, col. 1]

Agyos was a wyse emperoure in the Cite of Rome, and lovid̛ wele bataiƚƚ; the whiche had a knygℏt with him ynamed̛ Gerinaldus, a strong man and a myghty; in the feld̛ he was a lyon̛, and in halle he was a lambe. this forseid Emperour̛ had a feir̛ doughter, the which the erle of Palester had previly ravisshede and deflourid̛; the which Erle was a grete wariour̛, & strong in bataiƚƚ; and þe deflouryng of this maide greved̛ the emperour̛ more than̛ did the ravisshing & withdrawing of her. And to wete what were best to be do in this cas, he made a grete Counseiƚƚ to be had; And seid̛ to his lordis, "Dere Frendis, ye know wele what dispite is ydo to me by the defloracion̛ and violence that is ydo to my doughter. And

þerfore I purpose to yeve bataiƚƚ ayen̛ this Erle; And þerfore beth redy, eche man in his degre, ayen̛ such a day to passe with me." "lord̛," quod̛ thei, "we shul be redy to stond̛ with you [in] lyf̘ and detℏ." When thei were in bataiƚƚ, there was hard̛ stryf̘, and alle the Emperours men̛ were yfeld̛ to grounde, and þe Emperour̛ was in poynt to be beheded̛; But in this hard̛ cas com þe forsaid̛ knyght Gerinaldus, & fougℏt bytwene this Emperoure and his enemys; and witℏ the manly fightyng of him the emperoure passid̛ with þe lif̘; but the knygℏt abode, & rested̛ neuer tylle he had killed̛ the erle; Neuertheles he had many sore woundis, & he fougℏt tyƚƚ the blode ran̛ to his fote. When the Aduersaries saw that the lord̛ was ded̛, thei fled awey; And the knygℏt pursued̛ vnto the tyme that he come where the emperoures doughter was y-sette; And he brougℏt her oute to the Emperoure, her Fader; For the whiche victory and bringing agein of the doughter, he was hily commendid̛ by aƚƚ the empire. Hit happid after this, that the knygℏt had a grete cause to be sped in the Court of the emperoure; and þerfore the knygℏt come to the emperoure, and praied̛ him to be fauorable in his cause, in as moche as reason̛ wold̛ suffre. And the Emperoure went to his Iustices, and seid̛, "Goth, and yeveth rigℏt vnto this knygℏt, as reason̛ wol asky." And when the knygℏt had herd̛ thes wordis, he cried̛ with a lowde voys, and seid̛, "Allas! allas! who wold̛ haue ytrowed̛ that the emperoure wolde haue seid̛ this! For what tyme þou was in bataiƚƚ, & shuld̛ haue lost thi hede, anon I set my self̘ for the, and so thou ascapidist; now in my cause thou sendist anoþer then thi self̘, and þerfore alas! þat euer I was ybore, for sorowe!" And even̛ forthwith he strepid̛ him, and shewid̛ his woundis that he had receiued̛ for him in bataiƚƚ, and seid, "loo! what I haue suffred̛ for the, where as I put non vnworthier thing for the then my owne body; and now thou sendist anoþer to sit in my cause! Forsoth I servid̛ neuer suche anothir lord̛!" When the emperoure herd̛ þes wordis, he was confusid̛ in hym self, and seid, "O! dere frend̛, this that þou seist is sotℏ; þou savedist [leaf 157, back, col. 2] me fro dethe; thou keptist me, and broughtist ayen̛ my doughter; & þes woundis þou haddist for my love. now, sothly, I shal come

doune, & sytte for the in my owne persone, þat shal turne the to grete ioy & comfort." & so hit was ydo; the Emperoure discendid̛, and determyned̛ the knyghtes cause, in so grete plesaunce to þe knygℏt, þat aƚƚ men commendid̛ the emperoure, þat disposid̛ so wele for his true knygℏt.

MORALITE.

Good men, this emperoure may be callid̛ euery good Cristene man, or els aƚƚ mankynd; the whiche hadde a feire doughter, scil. the soule y-made to þe liknesse of god. The erle is the deviƚƚ, that by etyng of the appiƚƚ ravisshed̛ þe soule, & deflourid̛ her; And so aƚƚ mankynde was in his seruitute vnto þat þere come a strong knygℏt, scil. oure lord̛ Ihesu Crist, þat fougℏt bytwene þe deviƚƚ and mankynd̛, when he heng on the crosse; for if̘ þat had not ben̛, we had be loste, and perpetuelly dampned̛; and he brougℏt ayene the doughter, scil. þe soule, for the which he suffred̛ smert woundis. but then the knygℏt havith a cause to spede, scil. oure lord̛ Ihesu Crist wold̛ fynde in vs a perfite lyf, and þerfore he knokkith on vs eche day, that we be redy to him; for he seitℏ, ¶ Ecce sto ad ostium, & pulso; siquis apperuerit, introibo ad eum, & cenabo cum illo, & ille mecum, This is to sey, lo! I stond atte the dore, and knok; who þat openyth to me, I shal go in to him, and I shal sowpe with him, and he with me. But many don̛ as did the emperoure, þei settith anoþer man̛; scil. if̘ thei shuld̛ do penaunce, þei settith anoþer to fulfiƚƚ her fawtis. ¶ Non sic impii, non sic, This is to sey, Not so wikked man̛, not so. Do hit thi self̘, for god set not anoþer for þe, but he suffred his owne bodye be woundid̛ for þe; And þerfore in confusion̛ of vnkynd men̛ he hongith opynly on þe Cros naked̛, to shew hem his woundis. And þerfore, seres, let vs be kynd ayen̛ & suffre for him som penaunce or peyne, þat we be not founden̛ in þe daye of dome withoute som good thing or dede; for he þat suffrith for the loue of god any peyne in this world̛, he shal haue þerfore an hundrid̛ folde mede, and euerlastyng lif̘. Ad quam, &c.