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

[ II. ]
EMPERATOR LUCIUS.
(OF A KNIGHT WHO ASSISTED A SERPENT AGAINST A TOAD, AND WAS IN TURN SAVED BY IT. )Harl. MS. 7333.

Story.

Lucius was a wise Emperour regnyd in þe Cite of Rome, yn þe hous of whom þer was a nobiƚƚ knygℏt̘, þe whicℏ knyȝt as he rode or ȝede in A Certeyne day in ernndis of þe emperour̛, he sawe after a serpent and a toode fiȝte to-geder; But þe tode hadde ny þe victorie, and ny ouercome þe serpent. And [leaf 151, col. 2] whenne the knytℏ sawe þis bataiƚƚ, he com to, An smot the toode, and deliuered þe serpent fro detℏ. So aftirward̛ whenne the knyȝt was on his bed, and grete lobour þat he hadde on the day Afore made him to slepe hard̛; And alle þe tyme þe toode had̛ folowid̛ him afer. And whenne the knyȝt was a-slepe, þe toode enteryd in to his bed̛, And ȝede vp on þe brest of þe knyȝt, afore þe herte, And ther he fastenyd̛ his iiij feete. And when þe knyȝt was wakid̛ of his slepe, he perceyvid þe toode, and with a ferdnesse clepyd his Chambirlayne, and bad him to geete a liȝt. And whenne the candeƚƚ was liȝt, þey sawe fully the toode sitting on his brest; And none of hem migℏt pluk it awey with no crafte. And þenne seide þe knyȝt, "Allas! þis is þe toode þat I smot for þe serpent; Allas! now it woƚƚ sle me." And so sat þe toode alle þat ȝere, and secke his blod, in maner of a childe att þe pappis of his modir, So that the knyȝt was ny distroyd̛ and lost, Nethir þer was no leche that myȝt helpe him. Tho þis knyȝt made his testament, and made him redy to his detℏ; And ofte tyme he

vsid to ligge ny þe fire, for to haue comfort and recreacion̛ of̘ þe fire. And as he lay in a certeyne tyme by the fire, in siȝyngis and gryntingis, he lokid toward þe dore of þe haƚƚ, and he saw þe serpent, whicℏ þat he helpe aȝenst þe toode, stonde in the dore. And anoon̛ þe knȝyt cride to his seruauntis, and seide, "goo ȝe out of þe haƚƚ echon, for I se it for whos love I suffre this torment; for I trowe that now he woƚƚ fiȝt with this toode, that thus noyiþ me." And chargid hem þat þei shuld̛ come aȝen witℏ oute delay, whenne he cryde after hem, þat þei shulde helpe þe serpent in aƚƚ þat þei myȝte aȝenst þe toode; For if þe toode slo þe serpent, þe same toode woƚƚ sle him after. And the seruauntis ȝede out of the haƚƚ echon. And the serpent enterid in to þe halle; And whenne þe toode saw him come, he drow out on of his feet fro þe brest, And after þe secunde, and so þe third̛, And þe furtℏ. And he sterte to þe serpent, in þe myddis of þe haƚƚ, And þer thei fouȝte to-geder. And whan the knyȝt sawe þis, he was ynly glad, and cryde After his seruauntis, and seide, "helpiþ now, helpe, helpe, aƚƚ that ben my meyny!" And whenne þe seruauntis hirde hire lord crye, they come in with a swift cours, and slow the toode withe staffis and swerdis. Tho þe serpent ascendid in to þe brest of þe knyȝt [leaf 151, back, col. 1] , wher as the toode had y-fastenyd̛ his feete; And yn þe same place wher as the toode had sette his first foote, he drow out aƚƚ þe venyn̛ þat was lefte in þe knyȝt, and [cast] it out afore aƚƚ men. And þen þe knyȝt commaundid to his seruaunteȝ, þat þei shuld ȝeve swete milke to þe serpent; And so it was y-do in dede. And þo þe serpent drow to the dore, and bowid doun his hede to þe knyȝt, As thonkyng̘ him for saving of his life; And after þat þe serpent was no more y-seyn̛, and the knyȝt receivid̛ hele, And endid faire his life.

MORALITE.

Dere frendis, this Emperour is the fadir o hevene; The knyȝt is euery good cristin man that lovitℏ god with perfite herte; The serpent is our lord Ihesus Crist; And þe toode is þe deviƚƚ. Theise two fowte to-geder vn to þe time þat þe toode, scil. the deviƚƚ, had ny þe victorie, In so mocℏ þat he hadde ny take in to his power aƚƚ

his peple, afore þe Advente of criste. And þerfor, man, do as dyd þe knyte; helpe þi lord aȝenst the deviƚƚ, by doyng of meritory werkis, and so he shaƚƚ be confoundid. So at þe laste þe deviƚƚ had envenemyd aƚƚ mankynd, And lay vpon̛ our brestes, and held̛ in þe bond of seruitute of synne, scil. oure first faderis, witℏ aƚƚ hire ofspringe And drowe hem to heƚƚ, vnto þe time þat þe serpent com aȝen, scil. our lord Ihesu Criste, þat sterte in to þe crosse, and fowte þer with þe toode, and cast out aƚƚ þe venym of synne, bi his blessid passion̛. And þerfor we sholde ȝeve to him swete mylke, scil. by shewing of goode werkis of kyndnesse, Abstinence fro synne, and almysdede; And þenne witℏowte dowte we shuƚƚ ende faire, and have the blisse of heven̛.