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

[ XXXVI.]Harl. MS. 7333.

[leaf 173, back, col. 1 (cont'd)]

Story.

SOlemius was Emperoure in the citte of Rome, the whiche hadde a dowter that was fair̛ and̛ glorious to the syte of men̛ and̛ he louid̛ hir so muche, that he ordeynid̛ to kepe hir nyght & day with v. armed̛ knyghtes; & he ordeynid̛ a gret master, sotil & connynge in many crafftes and̛ artes, for to Enforme & for to theche the kniȝtes the best maner wher by thei myght kepe the mayde. Also this Emperoure had̛ a grehounde, that he lovid̛ moche; & he bad̛ the master of kniȝtis to kepe him welle eke. And̛ after this, the Emperour made a stiwarde [leaf 173, back, col. 2] in his house, ouer al thes. So in a certeyne nyght, as he lay in his bed̛, he thowte to visite þe holy londe, & he thowte to fulfille it in dede; and̛ he ordeynid̛ þerefore and̛ made al thinge

redy for his viage. And̛ when al thing was Redy, he clepid̛ to him his stiwarde, and̛ saide, "frend̛ myn̛, I purpose to go to the holy londe, & ther-for I commytte to þy power̛ my dowter þat I love moche as myn̛ oune harte; and̛ ther-for I charge the she want nothynge, but þat she have alle thinge that a goode virgine shulde have, that may torne hir to Ioye and̛ to comforte. Also þat þow do welle with my grehounde." And̛ he [saide], "I leve in to thi kepinge the v. kniȝtes, that bethe the keperes of my dowter, þat hem want or lak nothing; and̛ yf þou do al this wele in myn̛ absence, þow shalt have, when̛ I come home ayene, faire yiftes and̛ grete avaunsmentes." Thenne saide the stiwarde, "ser, whan ye go, I pray god̛ go with yowe, and̛ youre wille shalle be fulfillid̛ towching my persone." the Emperoure yede to the holy londe, and̛ the stiwarde kepte wel his charge a longe tyme aftir his goynge; til in a certeyne day he sawe the damiseƚƚ walke by hir selve in a gardyn̛. Þo was he Ravashid̛ into the love of hir, and̛ yede to hir, and̛ ayenste hir wille lay be hir in synne; and̛ when the synne was I-do, he hatid̛ hir more than euer he did̛ eny creature, & put hir oute of the palyse, in

so muche that for defavte she beggid̛ hir brede fro dor̛ to dor̛. And̛ when̛ the kniȝtes sawe that she was aweye, thei yede to the styward̛ and putte to him suche a cryme. What dude he but yede, & spoyled̛ al the kniȝtes of hir goodes, and̛ put hem oute of the palys. whenne they were putte oute of the palyse, some of hem, for defaute of godes, bicome thevis, some man-killers, and̛ dude muche harme; and̛ when þe master of the kniȝtes saw this, he blamid̛ him; & þerefore he slowhe him anon̛. Þe stiwarde kepte wele the grehounde, but at þe laste he brak loos, and̛ Ranne aweye. At the laste tithinges come to the Stiward̛, that the Emperour drewe homeward̛, and̛ wolle sone be at home. the stiwarde thought to him selfe, "hit may not be but I shalle be accusid̛ of my wicked̛ service, þat I have done. Aha! I shaƚƚ do wel ynow; my lorde is gracious, & ther-for I shaƚƚ go my selfe, & accuse me, & put me in his [leaf 174, col. 1] grace." when the styward̛ harde telle, that the lord̛ was nye at the palys, the styward̛ made him nakid̛, and̛ toke iij. cordes in his honde, & met so with his

lorde; and̛ when the Emperour̛ saw the stiward̛ come ayenste him in swiche aray, he mervaylid̛ hilie in his herte. And̛ when the Stiward̛ come in to him, he knelid̛ downe, and̛ salude the Emperour. Þenne the Emperoure seyde, "sey, man, how is it, þat thowe metist me in swiche a-Ray, sithe thow art my stiward̛, & sholdest have mette with me withe a gret host?" "A! lorde," quod̛ the stiward̛, "ther is happid̛ with me swiche a cas sithe ye went, þat it is most semynge that I mete with yow thus." "what cas is that?" saide the Emperoure. "A! sir, ye must aske of me firste whi and̛ wherfore I ber̛ thes iij. cordes in my honde." "whi," quod̛ the Emperoure, "berist þou þe iij. cordes?" "sir," saide he, "þe first cord̛ is to bynd̛ me honde & fote, and̛ that so strongly, til blode brest oute in eche side, for I have wel deservid̛ hit; The secounde corde is to bynde me to the fete of horse, so longe, til tyme þat þe pavement have I-frett the fleshe fro the bone, for, sir, that peyne is litle I-nowhe in sight of the trespas that I have trespassid̛ to yowe; and̛ the thirde corde is to honge me withe in a Iebette, so longe, til tyme that briddis come to my body, and̛ have etyn hit vp, for, sir̛, this peyne is litil y-now for

swiche a trespas as I have I-do to yowe. & þerefor, gracious lorde, I aske grace & mercy, for I dar not confesse myn synne, tyl tyme that I have graunt of youre grace." "Sey what hit is," quod̛ the Emperour, "for sothely þou shalt have grace, what so euere hit be, for the gret pite that I have now in þi contricioun̛ and̛ lownesse." "Allas! lorde," saide he, "for I have stolne the floure of virginitee fro your douter, and̛ put hir out of the palis, that I wot welle, For grete favte she beggithe hir mete fro dor̛ to dor̛; and̛, sir, þi kniȝtes I have Robbid̛ & spoyled̛, and̛ put hem̛ oute of the palys, þat for mischef thei Robbithe and̛ spoylithe, for hir lyf-lode; and̛ the master of hem I have slayne; but thi grehounde I fedde wele, and̛ tyde him with a cheyne, but he brake his cheyne, and̛ Ran̛ awey, that I not wher he is." when the Emperour harde thes wordes, he was hili mevid̛ in mynde, & thought that it was a cursid̛ man̛; and̛ þo he seyde thus, "& hast thowe [leaf 174, col. 2] foylid̛ my dowter, and̛ put hir oute of the palis, that I lovid̛ so muche; & hast þou put oute and̛ Robbid̛ my v. gode kniȝtes, & slayne the master, hir techer? Now for sothe, & be seyntes that I

have sowte, wer̛ not that I grauntid̛ to the grace, þow shuldest not scape þe foulest dethe þat I coude deme; Neuerþeles my worde mot stonde, and̛ þou art a wyli felowe. Þou shalt go now, & seche my dowter, for thow shalt wedde hir to wyfe; and̛ yf eny harme come to hir hens forward̛ in thi defaute, soþely þou shalt have dobble peyne. and̛ go brynge the kniȝtes ayene, and̛ sette hem as they wer̛, and̛ Restore hem to hir goodes ayene, and̛ also the grehounde, and̛ tye him stronglye; þat þere neuer mor̛ fro hennys fortheward̛ be founde defavte in the, towching eny of them." Then the stiward̛ knelid̛, and̛ thonkid̛ the Emperoure for his mercy & grace; and̛ yede abowte in the Empir̛ to seche the mayde, the kniȝtes, & the grehounde; & he fonde hem, & browt hem home, and̛ with grete worshipe weddid̛ the mayde, and̛ Restorid̛ ayene the goodes to the kniȝtes, and̛ Endid̛ fair̛.

MORALITEE.

DEre bretherin̛, this Emperoure is oure lorde Ihesu Criste; the fair̛ dowter is the soule of man, made to his owne likenesse; þe v.

kniȝtes beth the v. wittes, armid̛ thorow vertu of baptisme, and̛ thes bethe yeve to kepe the sovle. the master of the kniȝtes is Reson̛, the stiward̛ is euery liuer to whom god̛ hathe yeven a sowle to kepe, vp peyne of lesynge of euerlastinge lyffe. But then the wrecchid̛ man̛ ofte tymes hathe no mynde of perilis that bethe comynge; & þen̛ he lesithe his soule by synne, & puttithe it oute from̛ the palys of hevene, and̛ so it gothe fro dor̛ to dor̛, as a corrupt and̛ a filid̛ virgine. & also he puttithe oute the v. kniȝtes, scil. þat is to seye, ynwittes, and̛ spoylithe hem of good̛ vertues; and̛ so sum of hem beþe thevis, & some lurdaynes. so þe siȝte seeþ vnleful sites, þe eris herynge vnhonest and̛ vnleful talkinges, lesynges, & bacbitinges, and̛ detracciouns; and̛ no [leaf 174, back, col. 1] wonder, for hir gouernour, scil. Reson̛, is slayne, as ofte as a man is gouernid̛ by sensualite, and̛ by sterynge of fleshe, and̛ not by Reson̛. but the grehounde, scil. the fleshe, is I-fed̛ deyntili, & bounde with the chayne of luste, the whiche ofte tymes brekithe, & dothe many Evelis. but, sirs, þe Emperoure comithe nowe fro the holy londe, scil. our̛ lorde Ihesu Criste is to come from̛ the holy londe, scil. from̛ hevene, to þe dome; and̛ ther-for, yf we do wysely, late vs do as the Stiward̛ did̛, when he harde telle of the

comynge of his lorde, scil. for to thinke that develis and̛ al the worlde wolle accuse vs to him, but yf we come afor̛, and̛ accuse oure selvene. And̛ þerfore let vs do awey oure clothinge, scil. oure olde lyf, and̛ ber̛ iij. cordes in oure hondes, scil. on̛ to bynde vs with, scil. contricione; the whiche byndethe not Only hondes & fete, but al the membris of vs boþe inward̛ and̛ outward̛ hit owe to bynde so strongly, that vnto the tyme þat the bloode, scil. synne, go aweye in euery syde; for as þe apostle seithe, In quacumque hora ingemuerit peccator, salvus erit, þis is to seye, In what tyme or in what houre the synner is contrite or sory for his synnys, he shalle be saf. The secounde corde, that is to drawe him by the pavyment, is confession̛ of thi mouthe, shewinge thi liuinge, fro the begynnyng of thi perfite discrecion̛ vn to that daye of confession̛; and̛ þere withe, scil. with confessioun̛, þow Owiste to be drawe so longe, til tyme that the fleshe, scil. delectaciouns of flesshely affecciouns, be Rubbid̛ awey, from̛ the bone, scil. þi mynde, by þe stonis of penaunce, for as the ston̛ is harde in felinge, so is penaunce hard̛ in sufferyng. Þe corde, that thow shuldeste have to honge the with, is satisfaccion̛; for the Apostel seithe, Suspendium Eligit anima mea, This is to seye, My soule hathe choson̛ hongment; for Right as a thinge is Raysid̛ fro þe

erthe by hongynge, Right so is the synfulle Raisid̛ fro synnys to god̛, by honging of Satisfaccion̛. And̛ thenne he owithe to be so longe in the Iebette, scil. in fulfillinge of satisfaccion̛, til tyme þat briddes, scil. angeles of hevene, be fillid̛ with his goode workis; for it is seide thus, Maius gaudium Est in celo coram angelis dei super vno peccatore penitenciam agente, quam supra nonaginta nouem iustos non Indigentes penitenciam, þis is to sey, it is mor̛ Ioye in hevene by-for̛ þe aungelis of god̛ vpon̛ oo synner doyng penaunce, þan vpon̛ nyntye & nyne Iust men̛ or Rightwis men that nedithe no penaunce. And̛ þerfore, yf thow do so, scil. honge the so in the Iubett off Satisfaccion̛, Sothely then the Emperoure of hevene wolle have compassion̛ and̛ pitee of þe, and̛ yeve the mercye. And̛ when the stiwarde hade grace, he yede aboute the Empire, and̛ so most þou do, scil. go aboute thi doynge of diuerse werkes of mercye, til thow have founde thi soule ayene, þat thow haddist loste, and̛ bring hir ayene to the palys of holye chirche. & sette thenne þi v. wittis in a Right stat, & gouerne hem wel; & bryng home thi grehounde, scil. the fleshe, and̛ fede it so scarsly, that hit breke no more loos; and̛ so fro that tyme fortheward̛ so gouerne thi lyf, that it hap the nomor̛ to misrule noon̛ of hem; and̛ then, with oute dowte, þou pursuest for þe lyf that euer shalle laste in blisse. Ad quam nos perducat &c.