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

[ XXXIII. ] Harl. MS. 7333.

[leaf 171, col. 2 (cont'd)]

Story.

DOmicianus Reigned̛ a wise Emperour in þe cetee of Rome, & in his Empyer̛ was a gentil knight, þe whiche had̛ only asonne, that

he moche lovid̛. In a tyme þis sonne come to him, and̛ saide, "fadir I am a yong man̛; sothely, yf it be youre wille, I wolle go a-bowte to castelles & kyngdomes, & purchase me frendes, þat I may, when ye beth gon̛ henys oute of this worlde, haue knowlech." "yis," quod̛ the fadir, "hit shal wele like me, so þat þou shew to me, when̛ thow comyst ayene, what frendes þow hast getyn̛." Þenne seide he, "yis, fadir, þi wille in that cas shalle be fulfillid̛." The yonge man̛ travaylid̛ by certeyne kyngdomis, contreis, & cetees; & at the ende of iij. yeer̛ he come home to his fadir. & þe fadir was hili gladdid̛ with his presence, & seide, "sonne, how seist thow? hast þow purchasid̛ eny frendes?" "ye, sir," he saide, "[I have] founden̛ iij. frendes sithe I yede; and̛ the first frende I loue more than my selfe, and̛ ther-fore I wold̛ for his love shede my blode, yf nede wer̛; [leaf 171, back, col. 1] the secounde I love as moche as my selfe; But the third̛ I love litil, in syght of the oþere." Þenne seide þe fadir, "sone, hast thow previd̛ ony of thes iij. frendes?" "Nay, sir," quod̛ he. Þenne quod̛ the fadir, "do þou aftir my counsaiƚƚ, & hit shall like the. Go, & slee a Sweyne, & put it in a sacke; and̛ at mydnyte [go] to þe firste frende, & sey to him, 'deer̛ Frende, help me nowe in my grete nede, for thorow chaunce I have slayne a man̛, and̛ he is her̛

vpon̛ my backe in a sacke;' & then̛ thow shalt see what thi frend̛ wol sey to the. Aftir that, go to þi secounde frende, and so to the thirde; and̛ write al hir aunsweris in thin herte." Þe sonne yede, as the fadir saide to him; and at mydnite he com̛ to the yate of the firste frende, þe whiche þat he lovid̛ more than him selfe, & cnockid̛ at his gate. Anon̛ as his frende harde him cnocke, he Ros, & lete him in, & seide, "frende, þou art welcom̛." "A! frende," quod̛ that oþere, "I am come to the in my grete nede, for I love thi bodye more than my selfe, and̛ þerefore socoure me in this myschieff; for I have thorow vnhappe slayn̛ a man̛, & he is her̛ vppon̛ my backe in a sacke; and̛ þerefore, I pray the, that thow wolt hide him, & hele the cors of this dede man̛ in some prive place of thin house; for yf þe cors be founde with me, doutles I mot be hongid̛ for him." "ye," quod̛ the oþere, "thowhe thowe were my fadir, I wolde not do that for the; for sithe thow hast slayne the man̛, thow arte worthi to be dampnid̛ for him. Neuerþeles, for the gret frendshipe þat hathe I-be a-twene vs her̛ afore by longe tyme, I shalle yeve to the ij. ellene of lynone clothe, for to lappe in̛ or for to keueryn̛ þy body, when that thow arte hongid̛." Thenne the yonge man̛ yede to þat othir frende, that he louid̛ as moche as him selfe, and̛ knockid̛ at his yate. Anon̛ when̛ he harde þe cnokkyng, he ros, & openyd̛ þe dor̛, & kyste him, and̛ worschipfully Resseyvid̛ him. Þenne spake the yonge man, & saide, "A! goode frende, helpe me nowe in my grettest nede þat I euer had̛. I have thorowe Encomberment slayne a man, [leaf 171, back, col.2] and̛ he is here with me, and̛ þer-fore, for al the frenshipe that is be-twene the & me, leye him in sum previ place of thin house; for

yf he be founde withe me, I am but dede." "Nay," quod̛ that oþere, "that þou canst not make me do; ber̛ him hens, & make the mury with him,—whi woldist thow slee him? But yette frende, I shalle tel the, I wolle not have a-do withe him; [but] for the grete love þat hath I-be be-twene vs twoo, I shalle go with the to the iebet; and̛ aftirward̛ I shaƚƚ purveye me of an noþere frende." Þe yonge man̛ was hevy with thes wordes; and̛ yede to anoþere frende, scil. him þat he lovid̛ but litle, & cnockid̛ at the yate. he ros vp, as sone as he harde his voyse, and̛ lete him in, & kiste him, and̛ saide, "frend̛, þat is halfe my soule, welcome be þou to me!" þenne saide that oþer, "sothelye I am̛ ashamed̛ to speke with the, for I have do litle for þe, or ellis nought, neuer in al my lyve; and̛ þerefore with grete shame I may shew the myn̛ eronde." "ye, hardly," seide that oþere, "shew me what thow wolte." "For sothe," quod̛ that oþer, "I have vnhappili slayne a man̛, & her̛ I ber̛ his body on̛ my bak, and̛ þere-fore, I praye the, helpe me in this gret nede, and̛ yf ye wolde hide the bodye in youre house, ye myte not do for me a better torne, for yf it be founde with me, I am but dede." "Nay," quod̛ that oþere, "I wolle not hide the body, but I wolle dye for the to morow on̛ the Iubet; and̛ þerefore, I praye the, love thowe neuer frende so wel as me aftir my dethe, but yf he wolle dye for the, as I shalle." when the yonge man hard̛ him sey þus, he felle downe on̛ his knees, & praide him that he wolde for-yeve him, þat he had̛ lovid̛ the oþere twoo frendes so moche, and him so litle or not.—"and̛ ther-for fro hens forward̛ I shaƚƚ neuer love my selve so moche as þe." [The] oþere tooke him

by the necke, & kiste him; & he yede home, & tolde his fadir how it was with þe iij. frendes, &c.

MORALITEE.

[leaf 172, col. 1]

GOod̛ men, this Emperour is the fadir of hevene; by the knyght but[he] vnderstonde prelatis of holy chirche; by the sonne is vndirstonde euery Cristen̛ man. And̛ so many of vs getithe vs frendes, but thei faylithe vs in oure nede; and̛ þere-fore seithe þe wise man, Est amicus meus, et non permanebit in tempore necessitatis, This is to seye, ther is a frende at the table or at the mete borde, the wiche wolle not or shal not abide in tyme of nede. Þe furste frende, that thow lovist more than̛ thi selve, is this worlde; for we sethe euery day that men̛ wolle for the worlde, & worldly thinges to be hadde, putte hem selve in perilis of see, in perelles of bataiƚƚ, and̛ of dampnacioune. And̛ ther-for it is wel I-previd̛, that thei loviþe more the worlde than hem selve, but in tyme of nede, scil. of deth, when the soule shalle passe fro the bodye, aftir the wille of god̛, & þat þe body be yevin to wormes, thenne the worlde, þat þowe louist so muche, shalle faile þe; In so muche that yf þou have too elles of lynon̛ clothe, to lappe thi body Inne, it is a grete thing. The secounde frende, that thow louist as muche as thi selve, is thi wyfe & thi childerine, the whiche in tyme of dethe wil go with the to the sepulcure, and̛ wepin a litle for the, but when̛ þou arte in the erthe, þey gothe home, and̛ studiethe whom they mow have in thi stede. The thirde frende, that thow lovist so litle, is oure lorde Ihesu Criste, for yf thowe come to him with a clene herte, in tyme of thi nede, he wolle not fayle the; & þerefore it is I-seyde, In quacumque hora peccator ingemuerit, salvus erit, þis is to seye, in what hour̛

the synner waylithe, or is sory for his synns, he shalle be saf. And̛ þerefore when the synner deservid̛ by his wickednesse euerlasting dethe, thenne Crist, goddis sonne come, & toke dethe for him on̛ the Iubet off̘ þe crosse. And̛ þerfor̛, goode siris, lat vs bowe owre [leaf 172, col. 2] knees, and̛ aske mercy of him, that we plesid̛ thes othir two so moche, & him so litle, þat is an vnmutable frende, a gentil frende, & a myghty frende. Now pray we him enterly to be oure frende, whos frenshipe neuer failithe, Qui cum patre et spiritu sancto omnia regit secula. Amen.