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

[ XX. ]
BONONIUS THE EMPEROUR.
(OF THE THREE JEALOUS PHYSICIANS.)Harl. MS. 7333.

[leaf 161, col. 1 (cont'd)]

Story.

BOnonius was regnyng a wys emperour̛ in the cite of Rome, but in aƚƚ his tyme he lay as he were seke; and þerfore he sent messangers in to diuers contres, for to wete if̘ þere were any lechis þat mygℏt hele him, þat he mygℏt be brougℏt vnto him. And at the last þere was oon yfounde, callid̛ Aueroys, þat was sotiƚƚ in crafte, and a good practiser. When he was brougℏt byfore the emperoure, and saw him, he seid to him, "Sir, rest you mery, and ioyeth in oure lord̛." And he bad him shew his vryne; and so it was ydon̛. Whenne he had yseyn̛ his vryne, he ordeyned a medycyn̛, and yaf hit to the emperour̛, by the which the emperoure had his hele. And the Emperoure yaf to him many feir̛ yiftis, and made him to abide with him; and there he heled many seke. So there were thre lechis in þe cite, þat had grete indignacion̛ and envie of̘ this leche; and þerfore thei counseiled̛ to-gidre how thei mygℏt distroy him. "doth aftir my counseiƚƚ," seid oon of̘ hem, "and we shul distroy him withoute any hurt, and þat in this maner. Somday we shul passe oute of this cite to visite seke men̛ of̘ his cure, and I shal stond in

his wey, and þat fer from the citee, by the space of a myle. And when he comyth to me-ward̛, I shal lifte vp myn hond, and make vpon̛ me þe signe of the crosse, and I shal sey, Allas! allas! maister, what eiletℏ the, thou art lepre? And oon of you shal stond fro me the space of̘ ij. or iij. myle; and when he comyth to him, he shaƚƚ afferme my word̛, and sey as I seid. And þe thrid of̘ vs shaƚƚ be thre or four̛ myle beyonde; and when he seth him nye, he shal begynne to go, and make lamentacion̛, and seyn, oute, alas! my maistre is ymade lepre. And when he seth vs alle accorde in oon, he shaƚƚ trow in vs, and then for drede he shal bycome lepre; for so a lepre may be made." And then thei seid, this was a good counseiƚƚ. And so thei aspied among hem when Aueroys shuld̛ ride oute of the cite; and þis forseid man̛ stood oute of̘ the citee, by the space of iij. myle, & made contynaunce as he had be goyng; the seconde was two myle fro him, and þe thrid was foure myle. When Aueroys was y-come, the first mette with him, and lift vp his hond, and made the signe of̘ the cros, and seid, "maister, what eileth you?" "nougℏt but good," quod̛ Aueroys, "what, whi seist þou so? what seest þou in me?" "Forsotℏ, I se thou art lepre." "And I sey thou liest in thi hed," quod̛ Aueroys; and smote his hors, and rode forth. Neuertheles he [leaf 161, col. 2] dradde moche of the forseid word̛, and gretly dullid therwith. Anon aftir an oþer mette with him, and seid, "Alas! maister, þat euer I shuld̛ see þe in sucℏ astate." "Why, man?" quod̛ he, "what seest þou in me?" then seid þat oþere, "thou art a grete lepre." And if he dred afore, he dred̛ moche more after; neuertheles he rode forth. And the thrid met with him, and cried̛ with a lowde vois, "A! good maister, turne ayen̛, for þou art a foule lepre." Then he thougℏt, þat hit mygℏt not be fals, that thre had so affermed̛ & toke so grete drede, that, he becom a foule lepre; & toke a myrrour̛, and when he saw him self̘, he wepte bitterly; he vndirstode not þe malice of̘ his iij. enemys. Tho he turned̛ ayen̛ to the Emperour̛, and shewid̛ him his sikenes; and þe Emperour̛ was hevy therfore, and seid to him, "good maister, be not hevy, for as long as þou levist, thou shalt haue aƚƚ thi necessaries of̘ me." Then seid he, "if I had oo thing

þat I desire, I shuld̛ be deliuered̛ of̘ this infirmyte." "Telle me what þat is," quod þe Emperour̛. "Sir," quod̛ he, "if̘ I myght bathe in blode of goetis, I shuld̛ be hole of this infirmyte." then þe emperoure, as sone as he mygℏt, let ordein a [vesselle] fuƚƚ of̘ blode; and he entrid̛ yn anon, & he was hole as he was ywasshe and ybathed therin, & he was as clene as the flessh of a liteƚƚ childe. When the Emperour̛ saw him, he seid, "I am more iocund þen any man̛ may trowe, þat I se the hole, but, ser, I merveiƚƚ þat thou were so sodeinly smyten̛ with lepre." "Now I perceyue wele," quod̛ Aueroys, "þat I was not smyten̛ with lepre naturelly; for if hit had be naturelly, forsoth I had not be hole so sone, but I fynde in doctrine, that a man may be made lepre thurgh drede. The felawis of̘ myne met me in the feld̛, and by her assent, echon̛ stonding in diuers places, told̛ me þat I was smyten̛ with lepre, and for drede þerof I was lepre." When the emperoure herd̛ this, and had founde by clere probacion̛ þat it was soth, he made hem to be drawe to the gybet, atte the tailles of the hors, & so made hem to be hongid. And aƚƚ men hily commendid the emperour̛, þat he had yoven̛ so iust a dome; and Aueroys duelleth stille with the Emperour̛, & feir̛ endid̛ his lyf̘.

MORALITE.

GOod men, this Emperour̛ is eche good cristen̛ man̛; the which ofte tyme is syke thorow synne, Quia nemo sine peccato viuit, For no man may lyve withoute synne; the which sike man̛ sendith messangers, scil. praiers, Fastyng, & almesdede, for help of̘ his soule. Atte the laste þei fyndeth a wys leche, scil. a discrete confessour̛, [leaf 161, back, col. 1] afore whom thou must shew water of confession̛, and vryne of contricion̛; aftir þe whiche, this discrete confessour̛ hatℏ to deme thi lyfe, and to considre the vryne of contricion̛, & by þat he moste ordeine for medicynys of penaunce. And then þou moste submytte the to him, and receiue thi penaunce, and so thou maiste duelle with the kyng, withouten̛ ende. Now, sirs, the iij. envious lechis, þat hath so grete envy, betℏ the flessh, the deviƚƚ, and the world̛, the whicℏ stireth a man to do yveƚƚ.—And what then? forsotℏ thei

spietℏ when þat he passith the cite, scil. whan̛ þat he goth oute of þe commaundement of god; and then thei metith witℏ him, for to cry and sey þat he is a lepre, scil. a synner. for lepre is not callid in holy writte but synne, ensample of dyna; for as long as she was in the hous with iacob her Fader, so long she was vnkaugℏt, but when she yede fortℏ, by Sechem she was ravisshed & filed. And so as long as we beth within the boundis of the commaundementȝ of god, we beth not in the lepre of synne; and þerfore let vs hold̛ vs within þe commaundementȝ of̘ god, þat we beth not smyten̛ with lepre. And if̘ hit hap þat we infect, let vs do as did the emperour̛ with Aueroys. The Emperoure made a vesseƚƚ to be yfeld̛ with blode of gotes; and so let vs fiƚƚ oure hertes witℏ good and meritory dedis or werkis, and let vs be bathid þerin, scil. be ywassℏ fro aƚƚ thoughtis of synne; and so by the consequest we shuƚƚ be clansid. And then serche we within oure wittes, who hit was þat stired vs to synne; and when we haue yfounde hem, let vs sette hem to the taiƚƚ of an hors, scil. fro þe begynnyng of oure lyf̘ to shew aƚƚ þat we haue ydo afore to a discrete confessour̛, & for to hong oure synnys in a gybet, scil. in wille neuer eft sonys to do synne; and so we may come to euerlastyng lyf̘. Ad quam &c.