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

[XXXIV. ]
AGIOS A WISE EMPEROURE.
(THE ALLEGORY OF MERCY, TRUTH, JUSTICE & PEACE.)Harl. MS. 7333.

[leaf 172, col. 2 (cont'd)]

Story.

Agios was a wyse Emperour Reignynge in the citee of Rome; the whiche lord̛ had̛ iiij. dowteris, of wiche on̛ was clepid̛ Mercy, þe secounde sothefastnesse, the thirde Ryghtwyssenes, and̛ the iiij. Pes. he also had̛ a sone passyngly wyse and̛ witty, and̛ was clepid̛ vsias, and̛ no man myght be likenid̛ to him in no kynne sciens. he had̛ also a sarvaunt with him, whom he moche avauncid̛, and̛ that withouten ony deseruinge. So the Emperoure in this maner is thought in a certeyne day to preve þat sarvaunt, & seide to him, "der̛ frend̛, I have hili avauncyd̛ the to grete dignitee, and̛ þerefor thow arte the more be-holden̛ to me. I commytte here to thi kepynge swiche a contree; and̛, sir, yf thow kepe it wele, þou shalt have more avauncement; and̛ in the oþer syde, yf I fynde in the eny maner of tresoune, þou shalte suffre ther-fore þe foulest dethe." Þenne spake þat oþere, and seide, "sir, in al that I can or may I shalle fulfille

your wille." Sone aftir that he had̛ be gon̛ to this contree, he dud̛ trespas & transgressiouns a-yenste þe wille & comaundement of the lorde. when̛ the Emperoure harde telle þis, he come thidir, and̛ put a defaute to this forsaide sarvaunt; the sarvaunte was provde, & sturdy, and̛ yaf but litle credence to him. Then þe Emperour beynge in gret wrethe, for violacion̛ of his precepte & comaundement, callid̛ to him iiij. cruell tormentours, and̛ comaundid̛ to on̛ of hem, þat he & his felowes shoulde bynde him honde & fote, & caste him in presoune; [leaf 172, back, col. 1] to the secounde he comaundid̛ to helde him qwyke; and̛ to the thirde & to the iiij. he comaundid̛, that their shulde finally sle him. Thenne thes tormentoures purposyng to fulfille the comaundment of the Emperoure, Thei toke this wrechid̛ man̛, and̛ turmentid̛ him with al maner of peynis. And̛ hit happid̛, that on̛ of the dowteres, scil. þat is to sey, mercy, yede by the presoune þe same tyme, & as she harde this man̛ crye in peynis, she ran̛ to the prison, & lokid̛ in, and̛ sawe this man̛ in tormentes a-monge þilke tormentours; & when she sawe þat piteful sight, she myght not but have pyte,—for hit is þe propirte of mercy to have pite & compassion̛. & so she Rente of the clothinges of hir body, & of hir hede, and̛ pullid̛ of hir heer̛, and yellid, and cride; and̛ Ranne with alle hir myght to hir fadir, the Emperour, and̛ knelid̛ to him, and̛ seide, "Alas! my dere fadir, am I not thi dowter, and̛ art þow not mercyfulle? have mercy of suche a sarvaunt; for yf þow have no mercy of him, þou art not mercyfulle, and̛ yf thow be not mercyfulle, withe oute dowte þow shalt not have me þy dowter." Anon̛ come hir syster sothefastnesse, and̛ askid̛ of hir fadir whi hir suster wepte so? "for mercy, þi suster," quod̛ he, "wol algatis þat I have mercy of this man̛ in presoune." Then seide sothefastnes, with a Sterne countenauns, "Nay, fadir, late it not be so. god̛ forbede þat þowe yeve him mercy, for am not I thi dowter sothefastnes or truthe? And̛ thow hast euer be trewe & sothefast, & it is truthe that he have peyne & dethe, þerefor, fadir, pursue trewthe, as thow hast be holden̛ her̛ afore; for yf thow pursue not truthe, thow shalt not have me thi dowter no mor̛." Thus as mercy and̛ sothefastnesse wer̛ togeder in stryf, come the thirde dowter, scil. Rightwisnesse; and̛ for she

hard̛ swiche noyse amonge hem, she askid̛ of Sothefastnesse, hir sister, what was the cause? And̛ for sothefastnesse myght not telle but trewþe, she seide, "Oure sister," quod̛ she, "namyd̛ mercy, wolle algates that oure fadir have mercy of this traytour̛ in þe presoune." Anon̛ Rightwisnesse ran̛ to hir fader, and̛ saide, "fadir, am not I Rightwysnesse þi dowter, and̛ thi selfe art callid̛ Rightwis? And̛ þerefor, [leaf 172, back, col. 2] fadir, do & shewe Rightwisnesse in this trespasour̛, for yf þou do not, ne wolt not shewe no right, þow shalt not have me to thi dowter." thenne the fourthe dowter, scil. Pes, herynge this discencion̛ a-twene hem, and̛ that mercy, hir sistre, myght not opteyne ne prevayle in hir purpose, she for-soke al the Empeyr̛, and̛ yede into anoþere fer contree. And̛ when̛ the Emperoure hard̛ telle how that she was gon̛ ther-fore out of his londe, and̛ saw swiche a distaunce amonge the systeres, he wist not what was beste to done; for yf he turne to mercye, he shulde offende truthe & Rightwysnesse, and̛ yf he follow the wille of truthe and̛ of Rightwisnesse, he shulde not have mercy and̛ pes to his dowteres. he clepid̛ to him his wise sone, and̛ vpon̛ this mater askid̛ his counseiƚƚ. "Fadir," quod̛ the sone, "commytte this mater to me, & I shalle take good̛ vengeaunce of this trespassour, and̛ bring home a-yene pes, þi dowter." Then seide the Emperoure, "A! der̛ sonne, this is a grete promissioun̛ that thowe makest to me, yf thou fulfille it in dede, that thowe seist, and̛ þerefore, sone, I shaƚƚ do as thow askist." The fadir yaf al his pouer̛ to his sonne. Then the sonne callid̛ his sustir mercy, and̛ toke hir with him, and Ronne to-gedir ouer hillis and̛ dalis, til tyme that thei come to the casteƚƚ, wher̛ the sarvaunt laye in prisoune; & thenne he myght not but have pitee of him, for he hadde mercy with him, and̛ þerefore he hadde no power̛ but to take him oute of presoune, and̛ presentid̛ him to his fadir. And̛ when̛ pes harde telle howe hir brothir had̛ browte ayene þe trespassoure, she come a-yene to the Empyr̛; & the sone made acorde a-monge the susteris, and̛ that mercy & truthe mette to-gedir, Rightwisnesse & pes hathe I-kyste.

MORALITEE.

DEre Frendes, this Emperoure is the fadir of hevin; the transgressoure, that Resseyved̛ þe contree, was Adam, the first fadir, that dude ayene the comaundement of god̛, when that he yete of the appiƚƚ; and̛ ther-for he was [leaf 173, col. 1] yoven to iiij. tormentoures. the firste tormentour, þat sette him in presoune, is þe prison̛ & the exile of this present lyf; and̛ ther-fore it is wretin̛ and saide thus, Heu mihi! quia incolatus meus prolongatus est, this is to seye, "Alas! for my dwellynge place is proloyned̛ or y-made fer, scil. ioye of paradys, that was lost by synne. The secounde Tormentour, þat hilde him, is the wrecchidnesse of this worlde, the wiche Tormentiþe vs with almaner of peynis & wrecchidnesses. The thirde, that slowhe him, is dethe, þe whiche iugylithe and̛ sleithe vs alle. The iiij. þat devourithe him, bethe wormes; for when a man deyithe, he is yevin to the mete of wormes. And̛ therfore the iiij. tormentours of this worlde bethe þe preson̛ of this worlde or exil, þe wrecchidnesse of the worlde, dethe, and̛ wormes; the whiche wolle have vengeauns and̛ peyne, for trespas of the first man̛, vnto the ende of the worlde. for the preson̛ holdiþe vs, wrecchidnesse of the worlde bryngithe in alle evelis, deþe sleþe vs, & wormes gnawiþe vs. but oure lorde Ihesu Crist, sone of the hie Emperour, toke mercy with him, and̛ lepte ouer hillis and̛ dalis, scil. þat is to seye, the wrecchidnesses of this worlde, and̛ enterid̛ the prisoune of helle, & toke vs oute. whenne mercy sawe this, that the sarvaunt was turnid̛ ayene, she had̛ no mater to playne, ne soþefastnesse had̛ no cause to pleyne, for hir fadir was founden̛ true; and̛ Ryghtwyssenesse, the thirde suster, was not pleyning, for in the transgression̛ rightwyssenesse was excusid̛, so þat dethe was had̛ & lyf ayene, perisshing̘ & fyndynge ayen̛. Then pes seynge hir sistris alle in acorde, and̛ Echon̛ of hem havinge hir purpose, she turnid̛ ayene; For whenne contencions & stryf wer̛ cessid̛, then̛ pes was felashipid̛ among hem̛. And̛ now have ye hard̛ playnli how that mercy and̛ sothefastnesse mette togeder, & Rightwisnesse & pes kiste. To the kyssyng of hevenliche Reconsiliacion̛ he bringe vs, that is named̛ saluator Ihesus, Qui cum patre &c.