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

CESAR WAS A WISE EMPEROURE.
(THE EMPEROR AND HIS COOK.)

[ XXXVII. ] Harl. MS. 7333.

[leaf 174, back, col. 2 (cont'd)]

Story.

CEsar was a wise Emperoure Regnynge in the citee of Rome; the wiche had̛ a forest, in þe whiche he made to be plontid̛ & sette many vynis and̛ trees. And̛ he made ouer this forest a stiward̛, named̛ Ionathas, a wise man̛ & a Redy; the whiche he chargeyd, vp gret peyne, that he shulde kepe wele switche thinge as he had̛ I-sette in that forest. And̛ this Ionathas entirid̛ into this office, and̛ kepte it wel & wisly, til a cas felle, that a sweyne enterid̛ into hit, and̛ wrotide, and̛ shent the yonge plantis, that wer̛ nulye sette. Anon̛ as the keper saw this harme, he hente of the Swynis tayle; and̛ þe swyne yede oute ayene, with a grete crye. Neuertheles hit com ayene the next day, and̛ did̛ mor̛ harme than he dud̛ afore; and̛ then Ionathas smote of his lyfte er̛; and̛ the swyne Ranne oute, with a gret crye. but yit, not withestondinge þis, It come ayene the thirde day aftir; and̛ then Ionathas smote of his right er̛; [leaf 175, col. 1] and̛ euer he Ranne ayene, with an orible crijnge, as he did̛ afore. but

yit it wolde not leve þere bye, but come a-yene in the Fourtℏ daye, and̛ did̛ moo ivelis; and̛ tho Ionathas tooke a spere, and̛ smote him thorow the ij. sidis; & sent the body to the Cook of the Emperoure, and̛ comaundid̛ that he shulde araye hit for the Emperours mete. And̛ when̛ the Emperour was sette to mete, he was servid̛ of that sweyne; and̛ thenne the Emperoure askid̛ of his sarvaunt, wher̛ the herte was þerof, for the lovid̛ the herte of euery beste more than he did̛ al the bodye. Aftir þenne the servaunt Ran̛ into the kechin, and̛ askid̛ wher̛ the harte was of the hogge; for he saide, the Emperoure askid̛ þere aftir. the Coke had̛ I-ete hit afor̛, for it was fatte & likynge; and̛ þerfore he bad̛ the sarvaunt sey, to the lorde that the hogge had̛ non̛ herte. And̛ the sarvaunt yede, & tolde the Emperour that the hog hadde noon̛ harte. "Þat may not be," quod̛ the Emperoure, "for ther is no best but hit have an herte; & therfore byd̛ him sende hit me, in peyne of lyfe." Þenne þei yede to the kechin, and̛ bad̛ that he shulde sende the herte, in peyne of dethe. "A!" quod the Coke, "sey to him, þat but yf I preve þat

þat I seye by good Resoune, ellis I put me to his wille & dom̛." when the Emperour̛ harde this, he assignid̛ a day of aunsweringe. when the day come, the coke come, and̛ saide with a gret woys afore alle men, "worshipful lordes, this day is the daye of aunsweringe; and̛ furst I put vn to yow, that the swyne had̛ non herte, ¶ and̛ þat by this Resoune; euery thowte comithe fro the herte, & þerefore what savorithe good̛ or evil, hit be-houithe that he think hit by the harte." "Al this is sothe," quod̛ the Emperoure. "And̛ now shaƚƚ I shewe by Resons, that he had̛ none harte; for he Enterid̛ in to your̛ foreste, and̛ þere þe forster kit of his tayle; and̛ ther-for̛, yf he had̛ had̛ an̛ [leaf 175, col. 2] harte, he wolde have thought on̛ that loste; but that he did̛ not, for he entired̛ in to the forest ayene, and̛ then the forster smote of his lyfte Er̛; yf he had̛ had̛ an̛ herte, he wolde have thowte on̛ that lost; but yit dude he not, for he come a-yene the thirde tyme, and̛ then̛ he loste his Right Er̛; and̛ yf ther had̛ be an harte on̛ him, he wolde have thovte on̛ that lost of the twoo Eris,

and̛ of the tayle; but he dude not, for he come ayene, and̛ dude so muche harme, that the forster slowhe him with his sper̛, & sent him to me to dyte for youre dynere."

MORALITEE.

DEre frendes, þis Emperoure is oure lorde Ihesu Criste; the forest is holy chirche, in the whiche bethe plantid̛ the comaundementes of god̛; the forster is dethe, that sparithe no man̛; the swyne is a synner, that enterithe in to holy chirche, and̛ foylithe the comaundementes of god̛, ne sethe hem not in no place. Þenne it is seide to the forster̛, that he cut of his tayle, scil. deþe comythe to some of thi blode, wher thorow thow shuldeste be ware, and̛ amend̛ thi lyfe, or he smytithe of the tayle, scil. takeþe awey þi Richesse, wherby thow shuldeste be smyten̛, & turne to the knowleche of god̛. Also the secounde tyme he cuttithe awey the lyfte er̛, scil. dethe takithe fro the þi broþer, or thi sustre, for thi conuersioun̛ and̛ amendement; and̛ he takithe a-wey thi rite Er̛, when he takithe a-wey thi sone, or þi douter, or thi wyf, that thow most lovest, for thow shuldest a-mende the. neuerþeles al thes puneshynges takithe god̛ in a wrecchid̛ man̛, but yit we vncorrigible wrecchis conne not

sece of oure synnynge. [leaf 175, back, col. 1] Whenne god̛ seeþ þat, he comaundithe dethe to sle him; and̛ he sendithe the body to the Cooke, scil. þe deuil, for to swolewe him, & dite him in helle. And̛ when the Emperoure shall sitte at mete, scil. at the last dome, then he wolle aske the harte, scil. þe soule; For Crist lovithe mor̛ a soule than al the worlde. then in the day of dome shalle the wikid̛, cook, scil. the devil, stonde aduersari ayenste vs, and̛ alegge, þat þe synner hathe non̛ herte, scil. no soule,— —"þe whiche shold̛ have y-be obedient to god̛, but he was euere Obedient to me, & neuer to þe, and̛ þerefore, Iuge, deme þis soule to be myn̛, and̛ to be dampnid̛, for it is Right; for as aftin tyme as þou scorgediste him with thi punyshementes, for to make him to obeye to thi commaundmentes, he wolde neuer, but Encline to me, and̛ tel Right nowte of thi preceptes." And̛ þerfore late vs be ware of the cursid̛ cooke, and̛ love we the blessid̛ Emperoure. Qui cum Patre &c.

[ Second Version. X. ]Addit. MS. 9066.

[leaf 16, back]

Story.

CEsar was Emperour̛ of Rome, that had̛ a forest, in the whicℏ he hadde [omitted] planted̛ vynes, and other dyuerse trees many; and he ordeyned̛ over his forest a [a wyse man] Steward̛, whos name was Ionatas, biddyng hym, vpon [on grete] payn̛, to kepe the vynes and the plantes. ¶ It felle afterward̛ [after] this ordenaunce of the [this] Emperour, that Ionatas toke in [the] cure of the forest; *and vpon̛ [but on] a day there entred̛ a swyne, and the new plantes in the forest he wroted̛. ¶ Whan Ionatas sawe [sye] the Swyne entre, he cutte of his taile; and the Swyne made a [a grete] crie, and went [ran] out. [Neuertheles he entred agayne, and dyd myche harme in the forest. Whan Ionatas saw that, he kytte of his left ere. The hogge made a grete crye, and went out.] [supplied from Cambridge MS] ¶ And [omitted] notwithstondyng this, he entred̛ agayn̛ [tyme] the thirde day. That saw Ionatas, and cutte of his right ere,

the whiche witℏ an orryble [correction supplied from Cambridge MS] crie yode out. ¶ Yit the fourth day *the swyne [he] entred̛ the forest, and did̛ [leaf 17] many harmes. ¶ Whan Ionatas sawe that the hogge wold̛ not be ware, he smote hym thurgℏ witℏ his spere, and slougℏ hym, and delyuered̛ the [his] body to the Cooke, for to arraye the next day to the Emperours mete. ¶ But whan the Emperour was served̛ of this [his] swyne, he asked̛ of [omitted] his servauntes, "Where is [was] the hert of this [the] swyne?" be cause the Emperour̛ loved̛ the hert best [most] of any beest, and more than aƚƚ the beest [body] . ¶ The servauntes asked̛ of the Coke where the hert of the Swyne was, for the lord̛ asked̛ there after. The Coke, *whan he [whych] had̛ araied̛ the hert, he sawe it was *good̛ and [omitted] fatte, and ete it, and said̛ *to the servauntes [omitted] , "Say [Seyth] to the Emperour, that the hogge hade no hert." The servauntes said̛ to the Emperour̛, *that the hogge had̛ no hert [the answere of the coke] . The emperour said̛, "it may not be; and therfore say to hym, vpon̛ [on] payn̛ of detℏ, that he send̛ me the hert of the swyne, for there is no beest in aƚƚ the world̛ witℏ oute an hert." ¶ The seruauntes *went to the Cooke, and said̛, vpon̛ [seyde to the coke on] payn̛ of detℏ, he shuld̛ sende the Emperour the hert. He said̛, "sey [Seyth] to my lord̛, but yf I preve

*myghtily by clere [clerly by myghty] resons, that the swyne had̛ no hert, I put me fully to his wille, to do witℏ me what [as] he wolle." ¶ The Emperour, whan he herd̛ this, he assigned̛ a day of aunswere. whan the day was comen̛, the Coke witℏ an higℏ voice said̛ before aƚƚ men, "¶ My lord̛, this is the day of myn̛ aunswere. First I shaƚƚ shew you that the Swyne had̛ no herte; this is the reson̛. Every thought cometℏ from the hert, Therfor̛ every [if eny] man or best feletℏ [fele] good̛ or eveƚƚ; it folowetℏ of necessite that by this the hert thynketℏ." ¶ The Emperour said̛, "That is troutℏ [trew] . Than said̛ the Coke, "now shaƚƚ I shew by resons, that the swyne had̛ no hert. First he entred̛ the forest, and the Steward̛ cutte of̘ his taile. Yf he had̛ hadde [omitted] an hert, he shuld̛ have thought on his taile that was lost; but he thought not ther vpon [on] , for efte sones he entered̛ the forest, and the forster kitte of his lifte ere. yf he had̛ hadde an hert, he shuld̛ have thought on his lifte ere, but he thought not, ¶ For the third̛ tyme he entred̛ the forest. that saw the forster, and cutte of his right ere; where [wherfor] yf he had̛ had̛ an hert, he shuld̛ have thought that he had̛ lost his taile, and bothe his eres, and never shuld̛ have gone agayn̛ *no more [omitted] , wher̛ he had̛ so many evels. ¶ But yit the fourthe tyme he entred̛ the forest; the Steward̛ sawe that, and slougℏ hym, and delyuered̛

hym to [omitted] me, to araye to your mete. ¶ Here mow ye se, lord̛ [lordes] , that I have shewed̛ by worthi resons, that the swyne had̛ no hert." And thus scaped̛ the Coke.

Declaracio.

Frendes, this emperour is our lord̛ Ihesu crist. the forest is holy chirche; the plantes are the [leaf 17, back] holy sacramentes, that are ordeyned̛ ther in, and goddes comaundementes. ¶ The Steward̛ is dethe, the whicℏ sparetℏ none. The Swyne is a synner, the whicℏ defouletℏ the sacramentes, and goddes preceptes, ne kepetℏ hem not, as he shuld̛ do. God seetℏ that, and biddetℏ the forster, that is, dethe, that he cutte of his taile. this taile is thi kynnesman, or thi speciaƚƚ frend̛, the whicℏ detℏ sleetℏ, that thou shuldest amende thi lyf̘; or els he dothe away thi taile, that is, thi richesse. ¶ Also he dothe away thi lyft ere, that is, thi brother, or thi Sustir, that thou shuldest amende the. ¶ And thou do not, he dothe away thi right ere, that is, he sleetℏ thi sone, or thi doughtir, or thi wyf̘, that thou shuldest amende thi lyf̘. ¶ But ofte sithe

wrecched̛ man, thougℏ he suffre aƚƚ this, yit he dothe many synnes ayenst god̛, and so he is vncurable. ¶ God, whan he seetℏ this, he biddetℏ detℏ slee hym, and take him to the Coke, that is, the deveƚƚ, the whicℏ swolwitℏ the hert, that is, the soule, in the paynes of helle. ¶ But whan the day of dome cometℏ, than god shaƚƚ sitte in his dome, and wold̛ have the hert, that is, the soule; for he lovetℏ more one soule than aƚƚ the world̛; For the soule he yaf̘ his precious blood̛, whicℏ he wold̛ not yeve for aƚƚ the world̛. ¶ In that dome shaƚƚ stonde our aduersarie, that is, the fende, the shrewd̛ coke, agayn̛ the synner̛; and he shaƚƚ allegge, that the synfuƚƚ man hatℏ none hert, that is, no soule, the whicℏ shuld̛ obeye to god in aƚƚ thynges. ¶ Than shaƚƚ the deveƚƚ sey, "he was obedient to me, and to his god inobedient; therefore, rightfuƚƚ domesman, deme hym myn̛, to be dampned̛ witℏ me; for many a tyme thou hast scourged̛ hym, that he shuld̛ obeye to thy comaundementis, But that he wold̛ not, but to me obeyed̛." wo shaƚƚ be to hym, that so shaƚƚ be founden̛ at the day of dome! Therfore studie we so to lede our lyf̘, that we mow come to everlastyng blisse. Amen.