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

Declaracio.

Frendes, to vnderstond̛ gostly, This Emperour is every cristen̛ man, that is myghty and riche, and for habundaunce of richesse and of myght raisethe hym self̘ ayenst god̛, as he that obeyetℏ not to goddes wille, neither to his preceptes, but walketℏ by þe forest [leaf 7, back] of this world, huntyng aboute worldly vanytees. ¶ But ofte sithe ther risetℏ a derke clowde in a temptacion̛ of the fende, that suche one departetℏ hym from aƚƚ his peple, that is, from aƚƚ the werkes of mercy, and taketℏ a grete hete, that is, delectacion̛ of synne; and so he puttetℏ of his clothes, that ben̛ his good̛ vertues, the whiche he resceived̛ in his baptyme, and gotℏ into the watir, That is, flesshly affeccions, in the whiche a synner delitetℏ hym moche. ¶ But whan a man bethynketℏ him of his synne, he begynnetℏ to flee by contriccion̛, but yit he fyndetℏ not his clothes; tho be the vertues, the whiche he hatℏ lost by his synne. ¶ Wherfor̛ he gothe to

the knyghtes house, that is, reason̛; but reason̛ betitℏ hym, as ofte as he manly stondetℏ agayn̛ synne, For withstondyng of synne is paynfuƚƚ; and reason̛ vndirtaketℏ hym that he hathe offended̛ god̛, and lost heven, and purchasid̛ helle payn̛. ¶ Than after, whan he come to the house [o]f [Part of the margin of leaf 7, back, seems to have been written on a loose slip, which was then removed, so that beginings of some of the lines lack the first letters; these are in square brackets.] the Erle, that is, to his conscience, anon̛ it grucchetℏ ayenst hym, and puttetℏ hym to prison̛, That is, he involves hym in grete sorowes and diseases of hert, for his synne, tille he come to the way of helthe. For whan a man hathe do synne, his conscience grucchetℏ; as the appostle saitℏ, Aƚƚ that is done ayenst conscience, edefietℏ Helle. ¶ Than he gothe to his owne paleys, that is, to his owne hert, and thynketℏ what and how moche he hatℏ offended̛ ayenst god̛, and may not be resceived̛; for by synne god̛ is put out of the hert. ¶ And the [e]mpresse, that is, holy chirche, to the whiche he shuld̛ be wedded̛, [kn]owetℏ not a synner, tille he be at the horse-taile, by the [p]ament, That is, thou owest to have in mynde, fro the begynyng of thi lyf̘ vnto this tyme, ¶ what that is, how, and̛ where, and for what cause, and how ofte thou hast offended̛ god̛;

and so rynne to the hermyte, that is, a secrete confessour, and shew to hym how thou hast offended̛ god̛. And so it folowetℏ, that thou may recover, and gete agayn̛ thi clothes, that are the vertues, that is lost by synne; and go to the paleys of holy chirche, where the porter, that is, the prelat, shaƚƚ take the in. and god̛ shaƚƚ open̛ to the the dorre of the kyngdome of heven, whan thou diest; ¶ And aƚƚ thyn̛, that ben the aungels of god̛, shaƚƚ there know the; and there thou shalt reigne in the hevenly Empire; to the whiche [leaf 8] bryng vs the Emperour̛ of heven̛ Ihesu crist! Amen.