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

[XXV. ]
PLEBEIUS THE EMPEROURE.
(HOW THREE KNIGHTS WERE MURDERED, AND HOW THE MURDERS WERE FOUND OUT.)Harl. MS. 7333.

[leaf 165, col. 1 (cont'd)]

Story.

PLebeius was Emperoure Regning in the cete of Rome; þe whiche ordeynid̛ for a lawe, that wacchemen shulde eche nyght go aboute þe cete, & visite eche house, þat þere was no misgouernayle þere in, wher by þe cite myght peril or harm̛, & þat þere were no manslauter, ne sodeyne detℏ in Eny house. So in a tyme þere was an olde knygℏt, named̛ Josias, þe whiche had̛ to wyf a freshe yonge wenche; and̛ this yonge woman̛ vsid̛ to syng so swetly, that mony men̛ drow for hir love to hir house, and̛ speke to hir for a maner love þat is forbode. And̛ this Emperoure had̛ in his hous iij. yonge knyghtes, scil. that is to seye, Pirellus, þat was stiward̛; Oliuerus, þe whiche vsid̛ to wynne victory in bataile in euery place; and the thirde was named̛ [Lemicius. The firste] knyght, scil. pirellus, yede prively vnto the forsaide woman̛, þe olde knyghtes wyf, and̛ proferid̛ hir many yiftis, yf so were þat she wolde assente to his desire. "what wolt þou yeve to me?" quod̛ she, "yf I fulfille thi wille?" "XX. marke," quod̛ he. "Then I graunte," quod̛ she; "but telle me what tyme & what oure þou wolte come with þi money, & I shalle in the mene tyme avise me yf I wolle fulfille thi wille; I shalle yeve the aunswere or longe tyme be." Afftir þat come Oliuerus to hir & spake to hir for the same mater, but he wist not that his felow had̛ be þere afore. Þen she saide to him, "Þou shalt Come, & do thi wille." when Oliuerus had̛ this aunswere, he was glad̛, & he yede his weye. And̛ þoo come the thirde knygℏt, ande spake to hir of the same mater, but he wist not that his Felawes had̛ ben

ther afore. And̛ tho he saide to hir, "what shalle I yeve to the, In conducion̛ [leaf 165, col. 2] þat I shalle do my wille withe the?" "Þou shalt yeve me xx. marke," quod̛ she, "an then I shaƚƚ tel the when and̛ in what houre, þat thow shalt come & ligge withe me." "I assente," saide he, & yede home to the place. And̛ sone aftir þe malicious woman̛ yede, and̛ discouered̛ to hir husbonde þe counsaiƚƚ of alle thre knyghtes. "And̛ þerefore, sir," she said̛, "I pray þe, sir, yef me counsaiƚƚ, how that I may have alle hir yiftes, and̛ save my selve fro synfiƚƚ werke." Þen spake hir husbonde, "Þowe shalt," quod̛ he, "sey to the fyrst knyght, þat he brynge his mony at mydnyte; and̛ to the secounde, þat he bring his money at þe thirde cokkis crow; ¶ and̛ to the thirde knyght, þat he bryng his mony in the morowe. ¶ And̛ I Shalle steke the dore aftir hem, & sle hem, when thei buthe entred̛; and so we shaƚƚ have þe mony, & þou shalt be vnfilid̛." Thenne aftirward̛ she saide to the iij. knightes, as ye haue hurd̛, & þat they shuld̛ come yn̛ the nyght folowyng, & thei shulde have hir wille. So the firste knyght come at mydnyght, and knokked̛ at the dore, trowing that hir husbonde were absent. she come, and̛ askid̛ the cawse of his cnokkyng. "A!" quod̛ he, "I am Pirel, the knyght." "A! be stille," quod̛ she, "hast thow browte þi money?" "yee," quod̛ he. "Entir then," quod̛ sche; openid̛ þe dor̛, & he enterid̛ in derknesse. the Olde knyght stekid̛ the dor̛ aftir him, & yede, & slow this knyght, an spoyled̛ him bothe of monye & of clothis, & drowe his body into a prevy caumbre. Aftir this, at þe iij. cockis croweyng, come þe Second̛ knyght, with his money; & as it was I-don̛ with þe first, so was it don̛ with the secounde; & his body was drawe into a chaumbr̛. In the morow come the thirde, and̛ knew nothing of the chaunce of his felowes; & when̛ he was comyn̛ in, hir husbonde smote him on̛ the hede, & he fel downe dede, and his body was drawe into þe same chaumbre. Then spake sche to hir husbonde, & seide, "sir, we have I-do a perilowse dede; þes knyghtes shul sone be sought, & yf thei be not I-founde, þere wolle be serche made for hem fro hous to hous, & yf they be founde with vs, we shulle have a foule dethe; & þerefor̛, sir, it is goode that we werke wysely." "Say thi best

counsaiƚƚ," quod̛ he. then saide she, "Þow knowest wel, þat þere is a lawe I-made, þat wacchemen̛ shulle goo aboute in tyme of þe nyght, & visite [leaf 165, back, col. 1] Eche house; and̛ on̛ of the wacchemen is my broþere; & when he comythe by the strete, I shal make him Entre priuely, & telle him of this dede, & so I truste that he wolle deliuer vs." then̛ saide he, "this is a gode counsaille, yf þou do as þou saist." So in tyme of the nyght, when wacchemen come blowyng hir hornes, þis yonge woman̛ heryng̘ the horne of hir broþere, come to him, & saide, "Gode broþer and frende, come to my hovse, for I have þere a certen̛ previte to shew to the." he come in, & she saide to him, "take now goode hede, my swet broþer, of that I shalle sey to the, & helpe to socour me in this gret nede, for þere fel a cas þe last nyght. A knyght come to my hovse, & spake vnRuly wordes to my husbonde, & so myn̛ husbond̛ kyllid̛ him, and̛ his body is hid̛ in a chaumbr̛; & yf oure house were I-serchid̛, & þe body wer̛ I-founde, we myght have a foule dethe; and̛ þerefore, der̛ broþere, as thow lovist me & my lyf, Remeve him in to som oþere place, þat he be not I-founde þere, & þou shalt have goode mede." "A! suster," quod̛ he, "I wolle not fayle þe, in lyf ne in dethe; and̛ þerefore take me his body in a sakke, & I shaƚƚ cast it into the see." She toke him þo the body of the firste knyght, & she wolde be-knowe of no mo. & [he] toke [it] than, & Ranne to the myddis of the cite, & þere was an arme of the see, & þere he caste it in. & when þis was done, he Ran a-yene to the house of his suster, and bad̛ hir to yeve him drinke, for he had̛ deliuered̛ hir of the knyght, in grete Ioye to hir. she yede to draw wyne in to the chaumbr̛, wher as þe oþer twoo bodijs lay; & þenne she cride with an̛ hie voys, and̛ saide, "O broþer myn̛, helpe me now! Þe knyght, þat þou castiste in to the water, is her̛ a-yene." he trowid̛ hir wordes, & entirid̛ with hir into the chaumbre, & saide, "how is this? I caste him into þe see, & now he is her̛ a-yene! take him me, & I shaƚƚ ordeyne For him in an othir maner." then sche toke him þe body of the secounde knyght; & he trowid̛ that it had̛ be the first, and̛ he tide a grete stone abovte his necke, & so he caste him into the water. And þoo he come a-yene to hir house, and̛ tolde how he had̛ I-doone. Sche

rose vp to fecche drink; and̛ as she was in þe caumbr̛, she cride as she did̛ afore, and̛ saide, "Out! broþer, out! for he is I-come ayene." when he harde that, he mervaylid̛ strongly, Trowing euer that it had̛ ben̛ the first knyght. Þen̛ [leaf 165, back, col. 2] in angir he toke him, & put him in a Sakke, & saide, "I caste the firste in the see, & sithen I fonde þe her̛ ayene; aftir that I put a gret stone aboute thi necke, & yit þou Rise; I triste now I shalle pley sikir with the." he yede with the knyght in to a foreste; and þere he made a grete fire, and̛ caste þe knyght þere in. And̛ as this waccheman̛ yede from him, he purposid̛ to sitte down, & esid̛ him selue. & þere come a knyght Ridinge bi þe same wey, be-cause that þere was made a crye of Tornement, for the whiche crye many knyghtes come thidir to the cite. when this knyght þat was accolded̛,—& hit was grete froste,— & he saw þe fyre, he descendid̛ of his horse, & yede to þe fyre & warmid̛ him. Ande as he stode so, the forsaid̛ waccheman̛ come to him, and̛ askid̛ what he did̛ there, & what he was. & he saide, "I am a knyght." "Nay," quod̛ he, "thow art a devil; firste I caste þe in the see, and̛ that oþere tyme I caste þe on̛ þe water in a sakke, and̛ the thirde tyme I caste the in þe fyr̛, and yit I Fynde the her̛ with thin horse!" he toke the knyght, & the hors, & caste hem boþe in the fere; & yede home, & tolde his suster, and̛ she yaf him goode salarye, & he went his wey. In the morow þes knyghtes weer̛ I-sought fro house to house, & non was I-founden, & þerefor was made grete lamentacion̛. Aftir hit happid̛, þat þis olde knyght, þat slowe the knyghtes, fel at stryf with his wyf, in so muche þat he wolde have smetin̛ hir; and when̛ she sawe þat, she cride with an hihe voyse, "A!" quod̛ she, "wolt þou slee me, as þou didest the iij. knyghtes? nay, þou shalt lye." Þe peple, þat was þere present, marvayled̛ þere of, and̛ tolde it to the Emperoure; & boþ wer̛ I-taken, scil. the knyght & his wyf, and̛ thei were compellid̛ to sey the sothe, from þe begynnyng to the endyng afore the Emperoure, & to telle how thei kyllid̛ þe iij. knyghtes; and so at the last þei had̛ a foule deþe.

MORALITE.

Dere frendes, þis Emperoure is oure lorde Ihesu Crist, þe whiche ordeynid̛ for a law, þat wacchmen̛, scil. prelates & confessoures, owe to go aboute þe cite of oure herte, puttyng awey vices, and̛ plontyng vertus. Þe olde knyght is this worlde, the whiche hath weddid̛ a wyf, scil. þe deville; and̛ wel may the worlde be I-callid̛ þe wyf of þe devil, for it is I-sette al in wikednesse. Now [leaf 166, col. 1] þe wyf, scil. þis worlde, singiþe so swetly, þat þe iij. knyghtes comithe to hit. by þes iij. knyghtes we vndirstonde þre kyndes of men̛, scil. men þat were afore þe advent of Criste; some in tyme of Crist; & some aftir Criste; For in euery state of þes iij. many ben deceyvid̛ by þe worlde, & kyllid̛ by the devil, and̛ spoylid̛ of all hir goodes, spirituely for to speken. What is þerefore to be do in þis cas? Certeynely, þat a waccheman, scil. a prelate or a confessoure, putte hem in the sakke of penaunce, to confession̛; & first late him be caste into the water of contricion̛; aftir late be put aboute his necke a grete stone, scil. þe yoke of penaunce, to confessioun̛; [In the MS. by negligence of the scribe, two lines are here repeated.] and̛ aftir late him be caste in to the fyr̛ of þe love of god̛, scil. that he love god̛ above al thinges, with al his herte, & with al his soule. Þe knyght, þat Ridethe to the turnament, is a man Redy to gete & to fonge vanytes of the worlde, & for to walke in peryll of synne; and̛ siche a man̛ most discende fro his hors of pryde, and̛ not Only to stonde be-syde the fyre of the love of god̛, but to be cast þere in, scil. þat he sette fully his hope in god̛, and̛ not be dul in the feithe, ne wauere in the comavndementes of god̛. & yf he do thus, he shalle have a goode mede, scil. a good Sentence in the day of dome, when he shalle here that shal be saide to him, Venite, benedicti Patris mei, percipite regnum quod vobis paratum est ab origine mundi, This is to sey, Comythe ye blessid̛ childerin of my fadre, takithe the kyngdom̛ þat was ordeynid̛ for yow fro the begynnynge of þe worlde. Ad quod &c. x