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

[ XXVI. ]
CESAR THE EMPEROURE.
(HOW A GREYHOUND SAVED A CHILD FROM A SERPENT.)Harl. MS. 7333.

[leaf 166, col. 1 (cont'd)]

Story.

Cesar the Emperoure was a wyse man̛ Reigninge in the cete of Roome; In whos Empire was a knyght, named̛ folliculus, þe whiche knight louid̛ ouer al thinges in the worlde Iusting and̛ tornement. & this knyght had̛ a litle babe to son̛ and̛ no mo childerin; & he ordeynid̛ for fostering & noreshing of this childe iij. norisis, scil. on̛ to wasshe his clothis, anoþere to fede or to pasture him with pappe, & þe þirde to bringe him on̛ slepe [leaf 166, col. 2] with songes & Rockynges. Also this knyght lovid̛ passantly þe grehounde, with the faucon̛, by-cause þat þei neuer faylid̛ of theire pray comunly. Hit happid̛, þat this knyght made a tornement to be proclaymid̛ to don̛, in a greene place ny to his castel; & many come ther to. when þe day come, the knyght armid̛ him, and̛ yede forthe; þe lady, & al his meyne, and̛ the norisse yede forthe also, & lefte þe childe in the cradille; þe grehounde lay by a walle, and̛ þe favcon̛ sat on̛ a perche. Þere was in a certein̛ hole of the same castell a serpent I-bred̛ & broute forthe, & had̛ be þere longe tyme; and̛ when this serpent harde so grete a noyse of peple goyng oute toward̛ the tornement, she put oute hir hede at an hole, & sawe the chylde by him selve. she come oute, for to sle the childe; and̛ when the faucon̛ sawe that, she made gret noyse with hir winges, and̛ þere with awoke þe grehounde fro slepe, þat the grehounde myght go & defende þe childe. Then the grehounde awakid̛, by stirynge of the faucones wynges, & shoke him selve, & be-helde þe serpent, and̛ Rhan fersly to hir; & þe serpent was on̛ the on̛ side of the cradiƚƚ, & the grehounde on̛ the oþere, for to defende the childe in þe cradeƚƚ. & þei foute sore togeder, & þe serpent boot þe grehonde grevously, þat he bled̛ stronge; and the grehounde Ran̛ woodly to þe addr̛, & slowhe hir; & so with hir fiting þe cradil ouertornid̛; but the cradiƚƚ had̛ iiij. feet, that kepte the childes fase fro the grounde. & when the Grehounde had̛ I-slawe þe serpent, he yede to his kenell, biside the walle, and̛ likkid̛ his wounde. And̛ by that tyme the tornement was cessid̛ & doon̛

The norisshis come home; & when þei sawe the cradiƚƚ I-tornid̛ vpsodoune & þe flor̛ blody, & þe grehound̛ blody, also thei trowed̛ þat the grehounde had̛ slayne þe childe; & þerefor withoute tareynge, or thei wolde goo to the chylde, thei seide, "Go we, fle awey, or we be dede!" And̛ as thei yede, þe lady met with hem, as she come fro the play; & she askid̛ of hem whi thei fledde? & þei saide, "wo is to yow & to vs, for þe grehound̛, þat ye love so welle, haþe slayne your sone, & lithe by the waƚƚ al blody!" The lady fel downe on̛ a swoune, and̛ saide, "Alas! is my sonne dede?" And̛ as she cried̛, þe knyght come fro the tornement, and̛ askid̛ the cause of hir criinge. [leaf 166, back, col. 1] Þenne sche saide, "Wo is to yow & to me, for your̛ grehounde hathe slayne youre sone!" then þe knight was halfe woode for wo; he Enterid̛ into the halle; and̛ [when] the grehounde sawe his lorde come, he aros, and̛ as he myght, he made Ioye with his lorde, as he was wont to do. But the knyght anon̛ in his woodnesse, trowing the wordes of his wyf, drowe oute his swerde, and̛ smote of his grehoundis hede; and̛ þo he yode to the cradiƚƚ, & turnid̛ hit vp with his honde, & saw his childe Safe & sounde, and̛ biside the cradell lay the sarpent dede; & by that he vndirstode, þat the grehounde had̛ slayn̛ the serpent, for defens of the childe. And̛ then̛ he cride with an̛ hihe voyse, "Allas! allas! for at the wordes of my wyf I have slayne my gentil grehounde, þat failid̛ neuer of his pray, and̛ also savid̛ the lyf of my childe; þerefore I wolle take penaunce." he brake his sper̛ in thre partijs, & put his wyf in preson̛, and yede him selfe to the holy londe; & þere he livid̛ al his lyfe, & his son̛ helde his eritage; & so he made a fayre ende with the worlde.

MORALITEE.

Dere frendes, þis Emperour̛ is the fadir of hevin̛; the knight in þe Empyr̛ is eche worldly man̛ þat þat the worlde þat [sic] lovithe tornementes & Iustinges, scil. vanitees of the worlde. Þe childe in þe cradil is a childe wasshe in baptisme; þe cradil hathe iiij. feet, þat the visage myght not touche the erþe; so þe contryte hert most have iiij. fete, that is to sey, iiij. cardinales vertutes, þat hit tovche not erthely thinges,

ne do no thing but that shulde be plesynge to god̛. Þe Firste norise, that is sette to wasshe þe childe, is contricion̛, the whiche wasshithe awey synne of man̛; & þerefor̛ seithe Ambrose, Lacrime lavant delictum Quod pudor est Confiteri, ¶ This is to sey, teris wasshithe synne that is shame to be shewid̛. the secounde noryse is confessioun̛, the whiche fedithe a man in goode werkes; for as the body liuithe be kyndly mete, Right so dothe the sovle by gostly mete. Þe þirde norise, þat Rockithe the childe to slepe, is verey satisfaccion̛ for synnis, [leaf 166, back, col. 2] þe whiche makithe a man̛ to Reste in euerlasting Ioye. The knyght yede to the tornement, scil. as ofte as a man goþe to the Iolytees of worldlye speculacions, & hathe delectacion̛ in hem, in þat þat he is I-ocupied̛ aboute þe worlde, & in vnlefuƚƚ desiris. Now þe childe, scil. þe soule, is lefte by hit selfe withoute helpe; for as þe A-postel seiþe, Non potestis deo seruire & mammone, þis is to seyne, ye mow not bothe serve god̛ and̛ the devil, or to the worlde or to the fleshe. Þe serpente in the hole is þe devil, þe whiche euer more goþe abovte to seche whom he maye devoure, scil. to sle a soule by dedely synne. Þe Faucon̛ seynge this, makethe a flakeryng with his wynges,—what is that? this faucon̛ is þi consiens, that hathe twoo wynges, to stire þe grehounde of Reste; oo wynge is hope to have euerlasting Ioye, þat othir wynge is drede of euerlastinge payne; & þen̛ þe faucon̛, scil. consciens, makithe soun, as ofte as he grucchithe ayens dedely synne; & þerefore þe apostle seithe, Omne quod fit contra conscienciam, Edificat ad Jehennam, ¶ vt supra. And̛ when the grehounde, scil. Reson̛, is styrid̛ fro slepe of synne þen̛ he fitithe with þe serpent, in that þat it stirithe a man to goode. The serpent, scil. þe devil, woundiþe the grehounde, scil. Resoun̛, as ofte as he bryngithe a man̛ to live wilfully, & not by Resoun̛; & so is þe blode sperkelid̛ aboute the cradil, when þat þe vertus, þe whiche thow toke in baptisme, be depressid̛ & destroyed̛ by the deviƚƚ; & so þe cradil of thin herte is tornid̛ vpsodowne, scil. to the erthe. Neuerþeles for þe foure fete, scil. þe iiij. cardinal vertues, whiche a man Recevithe of god̛, a soule dieth dieþeth [sic] not, scil. is not dampnid̛, as longe as she dwellithe in the body; & þerefore seithe oure saveoure, ¶ Noli mortem Peccato is,

set vt magis convertatur et viuat, This is to seye, I wol not the dethe of a synner, but that he be conuertid̛, & live. The norisshes seeþ & fleeþe, scil. contricion̛, confession̛, & satisfaccion̛, scil. when a man̛ lithe in synne, and̛ wol not be conuertid̛ to god̛. Þe grehounde sleeþe þe serpent as ofte as Resoune ouercomithe the devil, & convertithe a man to god̛. The lady cryde, & fel to grounde, þat is when a wrecchid̛ soule torniþe [leaf 167, col. 1] to Erþely thinges, & delicates of þe worlde; & þen̛ it criethe so hie, þat the knyght, scil. þe man, drawiþe oute þe swerde of a frowarde wille, as ofte as he folowithe deliciousnes of the fleshe; and̛ then he sleeþe Reson̛, þat sauid̛ þe soule ayenste þe serpent, scil. þe devil. And̛ þerefore, man̛, yf thow hast don̛ by instigacion̛ of þe fleshe, do as did̛ the knyght; turne vp þe cradil of thin herte by meritory werkes, & þen̛ þow shalt fynde þi soule saf, & breke þi sper̛. scil. þi lyf, in iij. partiis, scil. in prayng, fastinge, and̛ almes; & þen̛ go to the hooly londe, scil. þat is to sey, þe kyngdom̛ of hevyn̛, &c.