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

CACLIDES.
(OF A YOUNG KNIGHT WHO SLEW AN OLD KNIGHT AND MARRIED HIS WIDOW.)

[ XVII. ] Harl. MS. 7333.

[leaf 159, back, col. 2 (cont'd)]

Story.

Caclides was a wys emperoure regnyng in the cite of Rome; in þe Empire of̘ whom ther̛ were two knyghtis, oon was old̛, and þat oþir was yong̘. the old̛ man had weddid to wif a yong damyseƚƚ, and the yong knygℏt had weddid an old̛ woman̛; and botℏ thes men duellid̛ in oo cite, ny to-gidr̛. So hit happid in a certein day, that this yong knygℏt had a grete yȝe on the yong wif, that was yweddid̛ to the old̛ knygℏt, and was hily ravisshed in to hir love; and þougℏt "þat hit had be more conuenient me to haue had this yonge woman̛, and þe oþer man my wif̘." And in dede he spak to this yong woman̛, & she grauntid him; but she was kept, þat she mygℏt not breke oute, to do no trespas. So þis woman̛ lokid oute

oft tyme at her chamber wyndowe, for to here the swete song that the yong knygℏt vsid to syng; and afore this wyndow stode a feire fygge-tre, vpon̛ þe which a nyghtingale vsid to sit & syng; and therfore þe yong lady vsid ofte tyme to rise in the nygℏt to here this brid syng. At þe last the old man, her husbond, perceyved hit, and seid to hir, "Telle me the cause whi þou risest so ofte fro thi bed̛." "A! ser," quod she, "þere is sittyng in þe tree suche a brid̛, þat syngeth swetly, and I arise to here him." & þe knygℏt arose vp, and toke an arowe and a bowe, and shet at þe brid, & slowe hit; & drow his hert oute, & cast hit to her, & seid, "Take þere the hert of̘ him, for whos song þou ros vp so anygℏt fro me. And þerfore fro hennys forward̛ hold̛ thi bed̛." When þe yong knygℏt herd̛ telle how [leaf 160, col. 1] that he had slawe this brid, he thougℏt, "if̘ he knew how moche I love his wif, he wold̛ do to me as he hath do to þe brid; but hit shal not be so." He armyd him, and entrid in to the hous of̘ the old̛ knygℏt, and slow him; & sone after his old̛ wif̘ died̛, and þo he weddid the yong wif̘.

MORALITE.

DEre frendis, this Emperoure is oure lorde Ihesu Crist, Fader of heven̛. In his empire beth two knyghtes,—how so? Þe yong knygℏt was moyses, þat weddid the old̛ wif̘, scil. þe old̛ lawe, þat was byfore the natiuite of Crist: the old̛ knygℏt is our̛ lord̛ Ihesu Crist, the which is withoute, begynnyng; and he weddid a yong wif̘, when he made the new lawe, & fylid not þat othir, as is seid in the gospeƚƚ, Non veni soluere legem, sed adimplere, I come not to lose or vndo þe lawe, but to fulfille hit. but moyses & aƚƚ othir profitȝ and patriarkes desired for to se this new lawe of Crist, and to be weddid̛ þerwitℏ; but þei mygℏt not se hit. The lady ros vp ofte tyme for to here the swete song of the bird̛; by the lady we vndirstond þe soule, made to þe likkenesse of god, þe which owith to arise fro the bed of synne, and here þe song of þe word̛ of god, and of̘ holy scripture. The fyg-tre, þat stondith afore þe wyndowe, is þe Cros of Crist, þat stondith afore oure yȝen̛: the brid, þat syngeth so swetly, is þe manhode of Crist, þe which praied his fader for vs on the cros; and þere in þat tre was slayn̛ by men

for oure synnes. And þerfore we shuld̛ [wed] his wif̘, scil. his lawe, & lede þerwith pesable lyf̘, and haue euerlastyng lyf̘. Ad quam &c.

[Second Version. VII.]Addit. MS. 9066.

[leaf 13, back]

Story.

CIclides reigned̛ in Rome Emperoure, in whos Empire were ij. knyghtes, one olde, another̛ yonge. The olde knyght hadde wedded̛ a yonge woman, [mayde] and the yonge knyght *Had̛ wedded̛ [omitted] an olde woman; and thise ij. knyghtes dwelled̛ nere to-gedre. It *Happened̛ this [happed that the] yonge knyght sawe ones the wyf̘ of his felaw, the olde knyght, and anon̛ [omitted] he was take [omitted] in the love of her, and thought, it were more honest that I shuld̛ have sucℏ a wyf̘, *and my felaw to have suche a wyf̘ as I have [omitted] . ¶ This yonge knyght spake so to the yonge lady, that she consented̛; but she was kept so streight [omitted] , that in [omitted] no wise thei myght not [omitted] come to-gedre, for to fulfille her wille in feble dede. ¶ It fille so [omitted] , that the lady was wonte ofte sithes to rise, and

go to her chambre wyndow, for to here the yonge knyght, how meryly he songe. And before the wyndowe was a figge-tree, vpon the whiche a Nyghtyngale songe swetely. The lady *a-roose on nyghtes [rose a-nyghtes] for to here his songe. The olde knyght, whan he had̛ perseived̛ that, he said̛ to his wyf, "Telle me for what cause thou risest so ofte on [in] nyghtes, out of thi bedde?" ¶ She said̛, "sir̛, there is a nyghtyngale, that syngetℏ every [alle] nyght fulle swetely, and for to here his songe I rise out of̘ my [the] bedde *a nyghtes." [at nyght] ¶ Whan the knyght had̛ [omitted] herde [leaf 14] that, he toke a bowe and an arowe, and slougℏ the Nyghtyngale; and toke out the harte, and gaf̘ it to his wyf̘, and said̛, "Se, *Here is his hert [the hard of hym] that songe so merely, for whos songe thou aroose so ofte; from hens forward̛ thou shalt rest in thi bedde." ¶ The yonge knyght, whan he herde that the Nyghtyngale was slayn̛, he thought *in his hert, "and [with in hym selfe, Yf] he wist how moche I loved̛ his wyf̘, he wold̛ do to me as he did̛ to the Nyghtyngale, but it shaƚƚ not be so." ¶ Than he armed̛ hym, and went [entred] into the house of the olde knyght, and slougℏ hym; and [omitted] anon̛ after [after that] his wyf̘ died̛; and than he wedded̛ the olde knyghtes wyf̘, and afterward̛ ended̛ his lyf̘ in pease.

Declaracio.

Frendes, this Emperour is our lord̛ Ihesu crist, in whos Empire, that is in this world̛, were two knyghtes, one yonge, the other olde. The yonge knyght was Moyses, that wedded̛ the olde woman, that is, the olde lawe. ¶ The olde knyght was our lord̛ Ihesu crist, that is, god witℏ out begynnyng; and he wedded̛ a yonge maiden̛, that is, the new lawe that he made, and fowled̛ not the other; wherfore he said̛, I come not to breke the lawe, but to fulfille it. ¶ But moyses and aƚƚ the prophetes desired̛ for to wedde this lawe, that is to sey, crist, and thei sawe hym not. By the lady, that arose out of her bedde, we shaƚƚ vndirstond̛ the soule formed̛ to the symylitude of god̛, that owetℏ to a-rise out of the bedde of synne, and here the song of the holy scripture. ¶ The figge-tree before the wyndowe is the crosse of crist before oure eyen̛. The nyghtyngale, that songe swetely, is the manhede of crist, that on the crosse praied̛ to his fadir for synners; but he was slayn̛ of mankynd̛, and suffred̛ dethe for our synnes. ¶ Therfore we owe to wedde his wyf̘, that is, his lawe, and love her, and lede a pesible lyf̘, by the whiche we mow

please god̛, and so purchace vs ever lastyng lyf̘; to the whiche brynge vs oure lord̛ Ihesu Crist! Amen.