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

MORALITEE.

[leaf 171, col. 1]

DEre frendes, þis Emperoure is oure lorde Ihesu Crist; þe fair̛ dowter is þe soule of man, made like him selfe, & clansid̛ fro original synne by baptyme; & hit is swyfte in Rynnynge, scil. goode werkes, while that he is in his innocense, & þat so swifte, that no dedely synnys may ouercome hir; & so thei lese hir hedes, scil. hir̛ power̛, whenne þat þey maye not ouercome hir. Þe por̛ man̛, þat Imagenithe þes cautilis, is the devil, þe whicℏ studijthe nyght & day to ouercome innocence; and̛ þerfor he purveithe him of iij. cavtilis, first of a garlonde. [By] the garlonde we maye vndirstonde pryde, & by this Reson̛, For a garlonde is not sett on the arme, ne in non̛ oþere party of the body; hit is I-sette vpon̛ the hede, for it shulde be sene. in

the same wyse wol the prowde man be sen, & sprede his hemmys; and̛ þere fore seithe Austine, Cum superbum videris, filium diaboli esse non dubites, þis is to sey, when thowe seist a proude man̛, doute the not þou seest the sonne of the devel. Þerefore when the devil castithe this garlonde of pryde in thin yen̛, wepe, as did̛ the damisel; & do of that garlonde of pryde, and̛ caste it into the diche of contrucion̛, & so þou shalt yeve þe devil a buffet, & ouercome him. Thenne whenne þe devil seeþe þat he is ouercome, he temptithe a man yn an noþere synne, & castithe afore him a gurdil of lecheri; of whiche maner girdil thus seithe Gregorius, Cingite lumbos vestros in Castitate, þis is to seye, or þis is to vndirstonde, Gurdiþe youre lendys in chastite. for who so euer is gyrd̛ with the gyrdeƚƚ of lechery, certenlye he levithe the Rynnyng of goode lyf, & is ouercome with the devil; as the Apostle seithe, Nullum Opus bonum sine Castitate, þis is to seye, Þere is no gode werke with oute Chastite. & ther-for do as she did̛; smite the gurdiƚƚ in thre, scil. in prayer̛, fastyng, and̛ almesdede, and̛ withe oute dowte, þenne þou shalt ouercome the devil. Aftir ward̛ this por̛ [leaf 171, col. 2] man̛, scil. þe deuil, castithe forthe a purs with a balle,—what is that? ye wit wel a purs is opin above, and̛ shut be-nethe, & that betokenithe the hart of man, that shulde

euer be opyn̛ to hevenly thinges, & shut to Erthely thinges. Þe twoo cordis, that seruithe to Opyn̛ þe purs, & to shitte, signifiethe love of god̛ & of thi neybour̛; the bal that is Rounde, & colovrid̛ so diuerselye, betokenithe the vice of covetice, that is meuid̛ as wel in the olde as in the yonge; and̛ þerefor the Reson̛ that is wretin̛ aboute is trewe, wher it is I-seyde, Qui mecum ludit, nunquam saciabitur, for the covetouse man̛ can̛ neuer be fillid̛. & ther-fore lete vs be ware that we pleye not with the balle of covetise, as she dude; for yf we forsake god̛, & yeve vs to transetorie godis, and̛ vanites, sothely we shul neuer þenne come to the glorie of euerlastynge lyf. Ad quam &c.