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

[ XIV. ]
ADRIANUS THE EMPEROURE.
(HOW A SON CONCEALED HIS FATHER IN HIS HOUSE, AND HOW HE WAS FOUND OUT.)Harl. MS. 7333.

[leaf 157, back, col. 2 (cont'd)]

Story.

Adrianus regned a wys emperoure in þe Cite of Rome; þe which ordeined̛ for the lawe, þat euery knygℏt aftir þat he mygℏt no more vse armys, for feblenesse, he shuld̛ be put oute of the empire; and if̘ [leaf 158, col. 1] þat he mygℏt be founde within þe empire, aftir that he were impotent, he shuld̛ be ded withoute pite. There was a knygℏt named̛ Porphirius, a wise man, and witty in armys & in alle his werkys. When he come in to age, & loste his strengthe, he callid to him his sone, that was a knyght, & seid, "Dere sone, thou knowest what is þe lawe of the emperoure; & now I am feble, and may no lenger vse armys, I mote be put oute of the empire, and þerfore I not how I shalle lyve." then seid his sone, "Fader, if hit happe the to dye, I am redy to dye with the. Neuertheles in sigℏt of aƚƚ men̛ thou shalt entry in to a shippe, and at nygℏt I shal previlye send aftir the; and then we shul duelle to-gidre alle oure lyf̘, and non shal know þerof̘ but I & my wif̘, þat shal servy the in my absence." then spake the fadir, & seid, "sone, I thonke the moche, but if̘ þou do so, I drede that þou shalt be accused, & suffre deth for me." then spak the Sone, "fadir, drede the not; þou shalt abide with me, and I shaƚƚ fynde the aƚƚ the daies of my lif̘." then the fadir entrid̛ in to a Shippe, in sigℏt of folke, as who seith, now go I oute of the empire, aftir the lawe; but in the nygℏt he come prevely agein to his sones hous, and his sonnes wif̘ servid̛ him. And euer when eny Counseiƚƚ shuld̛ be ydo in þe Empire, þe yong knygℏt was callid þerto; and þere was non that yaf better Counseiƚƚ than̛ the yong knygℏt did. At þe last, lordis of the empire had grete envy of his wisdom̛, and thei seid to þe emperour̛, "lord̛, wheþer the sone of Porphirie, þat yevith so wise Counseiƚƚ, haue not þe wisdom of his old̛ fader Porphirie? sothely, we trowith þat he hath aƚƚ of his fadir, & þat he holdith him in þe empire in

previte, þougℏ he ascendid̛ in to Ship; And if hit be founden̛ so, he were worthi a foule detℏ." "Hold̛ you stiƚƚ," quod̛ the Emperoure; "I trow to come to soth of this mater wele ynow." Anon he let calle the sone of porphirie. When he was come, the emperoure seid to him, "I commaund the, vpon̛ peyne of thi lif̘, that þou bryng me thre thynges to-morowe, that is to sey, thi best frend that þou haste in the world̛; Thi moste comfort; and thi moste enemy." "sir, hit shalbe do," quod̛ he. he yede home to þe castel, but he wist not how he mygℏt haue suche thre. He yede to his fadir, as he was wonte to do, when he had any grete Counseiƚƚ to do, and he askid Counseiƚƚ in this matter." "A!" quod þe fadir, "aƚƚ þis is for me, for to know whethir þou holdist me or noo; but take with the thi hound, thi litel Sone, and thi wif̘; & þou shalt make satisfaccion̛ to þe wiƚƚ of the emperoure." & so the [leaf 158, col. 2] knygℏt did; he toke tho thre, The Hound, the Child̛, and his wife; & yede to the emperoure. Þo seid the Emperoure, "Hast þou ydo as I commaundid̛ the?" "Yee, sir," seid the knygℏt, "For, ser, the best frend þat I haue in this world̛ is my hounde; & þis is my cause and my reason̛, For he woƚƚ neuer faile me ne forsake me, in wele ne in wo; and though I bete him as sore as I can, yit if̘ I profre him brede, or any chere do to him, he wol come to me ayene with good chere; and aƚƚ nygℏt he woƚƚ rest by my bed, and kepe me and my hous, þat no man greve vs; & ofte tymes I shuld̛ haue be robbid̛ & yslayn̛, ne had my hound ybe. And, sir, here is my sone, my moste comfort; & þis is my skile, For when I am in moste anger or tribulacion̛, þer̛ is no iogoloure þat can make me so fast lawe, as woƚƚ my sone; For he woƚƚ with his praty wordis & pleys make me foryete my anger, þougℏ I wer̛ as hote as fire. Also, ser, here I haue brougℏt my moste enemy, my wif̘; For grete labour̛ & thougℏt I haue in diuers contres & places for his sustentacion̛, as wele as for me & for my childryn̛, & yit she is euermore contrary to my wiƚƚ, & so is non but she." When the wif̘ herd̛ this, she cried̛, and seid̛ with a vois, as hit had be an horne, "O! wrecche, clepist þou me thi most enemy? Sir Emperoure, I pray you," she said̛, "here me, what I shal sey. this man̛, that is here present, susteyneþ in thi empire his sire,

aȝens your̛ lawe; and in his hous he hath duellid̛ sith the tyme that he was worthi to be put oute." And when she had put oute her venemous hert in this manere, then seid the knygℏt, "lo! ser," he seid, "what I told̛ you; is she not my enemy, þat accusith me so hily? wherfore I mygℏt be ded, but if̘ your̛ grace ordeined̛ othir weys for me." then the emperour seid, "Ne were thi wif̘, I mygℏt not haue know þe sotℏ, and þerfore þou shalt lede thi lif̘ with thi enemy. Go thi wey; I woƚƚ not dampne the, and as long as þou levist, susteyne thi Fadir?" thenne the knygℏt yeld̛ thonkyng to the emperoure, and yede home, and feire ende made.

MORALITE.

Dere Frendis, this emperour̛ is the deviƚƚ, þat makith lawe among synners, scil. þat eche knygℏt, aftir that he hath passid tyme of Armys, scil. that eche good man̛ þat truly hatℏ, levid̛, and kept him, & servid god in aƚƚ the tyme of his yongith, þat he then in his elde be put a-bak fro þe kyngdome of heven̛, by the vice of Covetice. For that vice is more redy to an old̛ man̛ þan to a yong, as we mowe se alday; and þerfore seitℏ Seneca, Cum omnia peccata senescunt, sola cupiditas iuvenescit, This is to sey, When aƚƚ vices wexith old̛, oonly Covetise [leaf 158, back, col. 1] wexith yong, þat is to sey, in an old̛ man. The knygℏt, þat susteyneth his Fader, is euery good Cristen̛ man̛, that is ybound to susteyne in the hous of his hert, by meritory werkes, oure Lord̛ Ihesu Crist, þe which heng for vs vpon̛ þe cros; but many puttith him oute by synne. Þe hounde, þat is þe moste frende, is the tong of a good Cristen̛ man̛, þe which praieth continuelly, like a berkyng hound: wherof seith holy Writ, Breuis oracio, scil. iusti, penetrat celum, þat is to sey, A short orison̛ of the rigℏtwis man̛ or of̘ the iust man̛ thirlith or perissheth heuen̛. By the liteƚƚ Child̛ þat pleietℏ, So we shulle vndirstond a clene soule, vywassh by baptyme; þe which pleieth and hath dilectation̛ in penaunce, by the which a man̛ getith the loue of god, & þe ioy of heuen̛, & by the which a man is deliuered̛ oute of tribulacion̛ & of angir; vnde ieronymus, wherof̘, as seith Jerom, ¶ Penitencia est secunda tabula post naufragium, þat is to sey, Penaunce is þe secunde table aftir

Shipbreche. By the wif̘ þat accusith the man̛, is vndirstond̛ the flesshe, þat bryngith many yuels in to a man̛, & tiseth him to synne; as seith the Appostiƚƚ paul, Datus est michi stimulus Carnis mee, angelus sathane, vt me colaphizet, þat is to sey, there is yoven̛ to me a pryk of my flessh, an aungeƚƚ of̘ þe devylle, to turment me; and þerfore this flessh is to be chasticed̛, þat hit be not founde in synne, in tyme of deth, lest hit be founden̛ þi enemy. And þerfore let vs study for to norissh our̛ Fadir, and hold̛ oure lord̛ Ihesu Crist so within vs, þat the deviƚƚ in þe day of dome haue no þing to putte forth ayens vs, þat may greve our̛ soulis; and then we shul veriliche trust to come to þe kyngdom of heuen̛. To þe which he vs bring, qui cum Patre &c.