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

[ XXVIII. ]
EVFFEMIANUS A WYSE EMPEROUR.
(THE STORY OF GUIDO.)Harl. MS. 7333.

[leaf 167, col. 2 (cont'd)]

Story.

Evfemianus was a wise Emperour Reignynge in the citee of Rome; the whiche Emperour ordeynid̛ a lawe, þat who so euer come to his yate, and̛ gaf iij. strokes at the yate, and̛ the porter openid̛ the yate, he shulde come in to the Emperour, & have eny service þat he wolde aske. So þere was in that tyme a por̛ man̛ in the citee, callid̛ Gwido, [leaf 167, back, col. 1] and he thought in him selfe þus, in a tyme, "I am por̛, and̛ þerefore it is better þat I go to þe Emperoure, & serve him, þanne for to dwelle her̛ euer in poverte & sorow." he come to the yate, and̛ as lawe was, he yafe iij. strokes on̛ the yate. Þe porter openid̛, & askid̛, whie he cnokked̛? "For I canne serve my lorde," quod̛ he. "Þen̛ I shall brynge the afore him," seide the porter. when he was afore þe Emperoure, þe Emperoure seide to him, "dere frende, what maner of service canst thow do?" "Sir," quod̛ he, "I can serve yowe with þe beste in al maner of service; and̛, sir, the first that I can do is, I can slepe when oþere men̛ wakithe, & I cane wake when̛ oþere men̛ slepe; þe secounde is, that I can taste good̛ drinke; þe third is, that I can bed̛ men to mete; þe fourthe is, that I canne make a fire withoute smoke; the v. is, I can teche men to the holy lond̛, so that thei shul go saf, & come saf." "Þes beþe," quod̛ the Emperour̛, "goode & fair̛ poyntes, & nedeful to me; thow shalt abide here; I shalle make þe stiwarde of my house." & then he enclinid̛ his hede, & thonkid̛ him. And when Guido was sett in office, in the hote somer, when̛ alle men̛ lust Reste, he labourid̛

swyftly abovte, & purveide to the Emperour al maner of nedefuƚƚ necessarijs, þat he spente in wynter; & when oþere men̛ labourid̛ in winter, þen he Reste, for he had̛ labourid̛ afore; and thus he fulfillid̛ his service fyrst rehersid̛, scil. þat he couthe wake when oþere slepte, & slepe when oþere men waked̛. And̛ when the Emperour harde this, that he had̛ fulfillid̛ so welle & so wysely [the first service], he callid̛ to him his boteler, & seide to him, "dere frende; gvido þe stiward̛ saide to me, that he cowthe wel taste gode drynke; lat see; take vynegr̛, & wyn̛, & must, & put hem to-geder in a cuppe, & þenne we shulle her̛ what he shalle seye, when he hathe I-tastid̛ it." Þe boteler did̛ as the Emperour comaundid̛; and̛ when Guydo tasted̛ þe drynke, he saide, "hit was gode, it is gode, & it shal be gode," scil. vyneger was gode, & that is for þe preterit tyme; wyn̛ is gode, & þat is for the presente tyme; and muste shalle be gode, & that is for the future tyme. and̛ when̛ the Emperour hard̛ this, he commendid̛ þe stiwarde ouer alle his sarvauntes. then sone aftirwarde [was] the day of the nativite of the Emperour; & he clepid̛ Gwido to him, & seyde, "dere frende, þowe [leaf 167, back, col. 2] knowest wel þat þi thirde service is for to bid̛ men̛ to mete; and̛ þere for go, and̛ byd̛ al my frendes in the Empyre, that thei Ete with me in the day of my byrþe." Gwido went ouer þer [sic] al þe Empir̛, & he bad̛ noon̛ of his frendes, but al þe Enmyes of the Empire, so þat in the tyme of þe feste, the halle was fillid̛ with the Emperours Enmyes. when̛ the Emperour sawe this sight, he was hilie mevid̛ in his spirite, and̛ callid̛ gwido, & saide, "der̛ frend̛, thow toldeste me that thow covdest bid̛ men to mete, and̛ her̛ thow hast I-bede al myn̛ enmyes, a-yenste my precepte & wyl; what canst þou seye to this?" "Sir," quod̛ he, "ye chargid̛ me that I shulde bidde al your frendes to your feste, but I have not I-do so, and̛ why? for al-wey when your frendes come to yow, they wer̛ worshipfully Reseyvid̛, but so wer̛ not yowr̛ enmyes; and̛ ther fore I have bode hem to feste, that they may, by the goode feste & your good cher̛, bicome your̛ frendes." And̛ so it was or tyme þat þe feste was don̛, alle echon̛ wer̛, made his frendes. Þenne þe Emperour seide, "do now thi iiij. service." "yis, sir," saide he. he gaderid̛ a grete multitude of woode and̛

stikes, that were I-dried̛ in somer by fyr̛ & by sonne; & by vertu of hir drinesse he made a gret fire, withoute smoke, & þat so clere, þat the Emperour and̛ aƚƚ his frendes wer̛ warmid̛ & commfortid̛. Then þe [sic] saide the Emperour to him, "do now thi v. service, scil. teche men how they shul go to the holy lond̛; for þere comithe mony to me, and̛ wolde lerne to go thedir." Then̛ seide he, "sir, lat hem folow me to þe banke of the see." & knytes & Squieris folowed̛ him to the see. And̛ when he was þere, he lokyd̛ abovte in the see, & saide to the peple, "Sirs, se ye not þat [I] see?" "what is that?" quod̛ they. "lo!" he seide, "Rochis in þe see; for in a Roche is a bryde, þe whiche is in a neste, and̛ she hathe vij. briddis; & as longe as þat bridde dwellithe in hir nest, al the see is in tranquilitee, þat who so euer goþe þere by to the holy londe, he shalle in pes go & come; but when̛ þe brid̛ fleeþe oute a-wey, then al þe see is I-troubelid̛, & with oute dowte, yf any man̛ goo þene [sic] þenne, he shalle be dreynte; & þerefore lokithe welle, þat þe brid̛ be in hir neste, when ye shul go." "how shulle we know," quod̛ þey, "when̛ þe brydde is in hir neste, and̛ when she is oute?" He aunswerd̛, and̛ saide, þat she levithe neuer his nest, but for this cause. "Þere is," he seide, "a [leaf 168, col. 1] noþere birde, hir enmye; & þat birde stodiethe & laborithe with al hir myght for to infecte hir nest, or hir eyren̛, to distroye hir & hirs; & when she perseyvithe hir, she fleeþe, & þen is al the see I-trowbelid̛." Þenne saide they, "how shulle we defende & lete that brid̛, þat is enmye to hir, that she come not to the neste?" then seyde he, "Þere is no thinge vndir hevin þat þat brid̛ hatithe so muche as she dothe the blode of a lambe, For yf it wer̛ in the nest, or a-boute it, she dorste not come þere to." Þenne þei dide as Gwido seide to hem̛; & thei passid̛ to the holy londe, & turnid̛ a-yene withoute hurting or disese. when þe Emperour harde telle howe wyslye he had̛ fulfillid̛ his services, he avauncyd̛ him to hye dygnitee, and̛ to grete worshipe.

MORALITEE.

DEre Frendis; this Emperour is the Fadir of hevin; the whiche made a law, that eche man̛ þat yaf iij. strokes at the yate of þe palys, or of holy chirche, þen̛ the porter, scil. þe prest, sholde

opyn̛. the iij.strokes bethe prayere, almis, and̛ fastyng; for with outen̛ dowte, who so euer dothe thes iij. he shalle entir the yate. And̛ þerefor towching prayer̛ hit is I-wretyn̛ thus, Petite, et accipiatis, vt supra. and̛ towching fastinge Ierom̛ seithe thus, Tunc Est preclara apud deum abstinencia, cum animus Ieiunat a culpa, þis is to sey, hit is feyr̛ abstinaunce and̛ fastynge to the sight of god̛, when a man̛ absteynithe fro synne; also it is I-seide, ioel. ij. Conuertimini ad me, &c. be ye conuertid̛ to me. And̛ towchyng almes hit is I-seyde, Date elimosinam, & omnia munda sunt vobis, yevithe almes, and̛ al that is clene shalle be yevid̛ to yowe. Gwido knokkithe, for that he wolde mynystr̛ to þe Emperour—how so? Eche pore man, that comithe nakyd̛ out of the wombe of his modir, comithe and̛ knokithe at the yate of baptisme, & askithe baptime, in the whiche echon̛ of vs be-hotithe to do v. maner of services to god̛. the firste is to wake in goode werkes, when oþere men̛ slepithe in synne, & for to slepe, when̛ oþere men̛ [leaf 168, col. 2] wakithe, as dothe thevis & mychers; & so ye may in the somer, scil. in þis worlde, purvey for nedis of þe soule ayenste wynter, scil. þe day of dome. Þe secounde service is to taste gode drinke. Þe drynk is noute elles but passion̛ & penaunce; & þere of seithe oure sauioure þus, Potestis bibere calicem quem Ego bibiturus sum, "May ye," seithe Criste, " drynke of the same cuppe that I shalle drynke of, scil, suffr̛ the passion̛ þat I shalle suffre. And̛ þerefor seide Gwido, It was good̛, scil. penaunce in this worlde was gode to seintis, that bethe now glorious in hevin; It is good̛, scil. it is gode that we do penaunce in this worlde for our synnes; hit shalle be gode,—how so? when̛ a man shalle be glorified̛ in body & in soule, in the day of dome. The thirde is to bidde men to mete, as Gwido bad̛ alle enmyes; after the worde of oure saveoure, ¶ Non veni vocare iustos, sed peccatores ad penitenciam, þis is to sey, I come not to calle Rightwysmen, but I come to clepe Synful men to penaunce; and̛ þerefore eche of vs is bounden̛ for to shew and̛ teche þe wey of helthe to synful men̛. The iiij. seruice is to make fyre with oute smoke. that fire is not elles but that þou love god̛ & þy neybour̛, scil. god̛ aboue al thinges,

with al þi sovle, and̛ with al thi mynde, and̛ þi neyboure as thi selve, with outen̛ smoke of envy or wreþe. The v. is to teche men̛ to the holye londe, scil. þou muste teche or take the wey to hevene by the see of this worlde, for as the see Ebbithe & Flowithe, so þe worlde is now Riche, now pore, now hole, now seke. Rochis in the see is þe body of man̛; þe nest in the Rocℏ is the herte in the bodye; the brydde in the nest is the holy goste, that dwellithe in the body of man; the vij. chekenis ben þe vij. werkes of mercy. And̛ dowtles as long as this brid̛, scil. the holy gost, dwellithe in the nest of þe herte, as longe may the man̛ passe Restfully by this worlde toward̛ hevene; but yf the holy gooste passe oute, & fle awey fro synne, þen̛ is alle the see, scil. al the worlde, is trovbelid̛, & whi? for al that is in þe worlde oþere it is pride of lyf, wrong covetise of yen̛ or wrong [leaf 168, back, col. 1] covetise of Fleshe. the brid̛ that is enemy is þe devil, the whiche euery day & in eche hour̛ is besy to enfecte the nest of the holy goste with dedly synne; & whenne hit is so, the holy gost levithe the, & then hit shaƚƚ be to the a perlewse case. And̛ therfor do as Guido did̛, spercle the blod̛ of a lombe in thi nest, scil. have mynde of the passion̛ of Crist, that he sufferit for the; & yf thow do so, the holy goste wolle holde his nest, that thow shalte wel go to the holy londe, scil. þe kyngdom̛ of hevene. Ad quod nos &c.