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

ALEXANDIR A WISE EMPEROUR.
(HOW A SON SAVED THE LIFE OF HIS FATHER).

[ XXXVIII. ] Harl. MS. 7333.

[leaf 175, back, col. 1 (cont'd)]

Story.

Alexandir was a wyse Emperoure Reignynge in the citee of Roome; his possessioune was moche, and̛ amonge al oþer vertues that he hadde, he was large of his mete. And̛ he ordeynid̛ a lawe, that no man shulde at his borde Ete the blake syde of the playse, but al the white syde, withe outen̛ tvrnynge; and̛ yf enye man dud̛ the contrarie, he shulde lese his lyfe. but then he grauntid̛, that the trespassour shulde aske iij. bonys or he deyde, Of what thinge that he wolde aske, to save his lyfe, and̛ hit shulde be grauntid̛ to him. So hit happid̛ in a tyme, that ther̛ come an Erle to court, & his sone come withe him, and̛ they wer̛ of fer̛ contrees; & happed̛ [leaf 175, back, col. 2] as þei Sete at mete, the Erle was servid̛ with a plays, and̛ he had̛ goode wille to ete, & he ete the blake syde, and̛ also white. & anoon he was accusid̛ to the Emperour̛; and̛ the Emperour seide, he shulde be dede witℏ outen̛ delay, as law wolde. Þenne the Erles sonne seing this, knelid̛ afor̛ the Emperoure, & seid̛, "lord̛, for love of him that

dide on̄ cros, graunt me that I may deye for my fadir." "I assent," quod̛ the Emperoure, "for al is on to me, so þat on be dede." "sir," seyde the sone, "sithe I shaƚƚ dye, I aske the law of yow, scil. þat I may have iij. peticiouns or I deye." "yis," quod̛ the Emperour, "aske what thow wolte, ther may no man̄ denye hit." "sir," quod̛ he, "I aske firste to have youre dowter by me a nyȝt in my bed̛." The Emperour grauntid̛ that peticion̛, for lost of observaunce of the lawe; but hit was gretly ayenste his herte. So the yonge man̛ hadde hir with him al nyght, but he folid̛ hir not; and̛ þerfore on the morowe the Emperour was hilie plesid̛. Tho he askid̛ the secounde peticion̛, and̛ saide, "sir, I aske al your tresoure." the Emperour grauntid̛ hit, for he wolde not be founde contrarie to his lawe. And̛ then whenne the yonge man̛ had̛ his tresoure, he delte his anoon̛ to por̛ & to Riche, in so moche þat he wanne ther by the wille & the love of Eueri man̄. And̛ then he askid̛ the thirde petucion̛, in this forme, "sir," he saide, "I aske þe Ien of alle the men þat seye my fadir turne the playse, þat þei be pikid̛ oute." & so thowte þei on aftir anoþer, yf I seye so, myn yen shul be pickd̛ oute. so hit fel, þat þer was noon̛ that wolde seye that he sawe hit, scil. þat he sawe

the Erle turne the playse in the dishe. "loo! sir," quod̛ the yonge man̄," yife me nowe a Iuste dome." "Now for sothe," quod̛ the Emperoure, "siþe ther is non þat wolle seye it, ne noon accuser is I-founde, þere shalle noon̛ be dede." And̛ so he saveid̛ his fadris lyfe, and̛ was hilie comendid̛, and̛ weddid̛ the Emperours dowter.

MORALISING.

[leaf 176, col. 1]

DEre frendes, þis Emperoure is the fadir of hevin, that made this lawe, þat no man sholde turne the playse. by this plays we may vndirstonde wordly goodes, the whicℏ vs ouithe not to torne by the blak part, scil. not to fonge hem by avarice, or covetise, or falshed̛, but that we holde vs contente withe swicℏ as god̛ sent; & yf we do þe contrarie, we shulle be dampned̛. The Erle, that comytℏ withe his sone, is Adam, þe first fadir, þat come fro the felde of damask to the contree of paradyse; þe whiche soone turnde þe plays, scil þat he ete of the apple, by the whiche he was dampnid̛. thenne þe sonne of Adam, scil. oure lorde Ihesu Criste, profird̛ him to the

Emperour of hevene, for to deye for his fadir Adam̛; and̛ the Emperour of hevene grauntid̛ hit, that he shulde dye for his fadir Adam, scil. al mankynd̛. Neuertheles or he dide, he made iij. peticiouns, scil. for to have the dowter of the Emperour with him, scil. to have þe sowle with him in hevene; as is saide, Os. ¶ Desponsabo te michi, ¶ I shaƚƚ wedde þe soule to me. Þe secounde þat he askid̛, þe tresoure of the kyngdom̛ of hevene, vnde, Sicut disposuit mihi pater meus regnum, sic dispono vobis, ¶ As my fadir haþe ordeynid̛ the kyngdom̛ to me, so I dispose hit to yow. Þe þirdde he askid̛ alle þe yen of the accusers to be don̛ out, scil. he askyd̛, [There is a repetition here of a line, by negligence of the scribe.] that alle develis, þat excitithe men to synne, myȝte be shut fro the lyt of euerlastyng grace. And̛ so he savid̛ mankynde fro dethe, & browte hem to þe kyngdom̛ of hevene. Ad quod nos &c.

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

[leaf 17, back]

Story.

Alexaundre reigned̛ in Rome; and amonge aƚƚ vertues that he had̛, he was right large. Therfore of grete nede he ordeyned̛ for a law, that no man shulde turne the playse in the dissℏ, but aƚƚ only he shuld̛ ete the white side, and in no wise the blak̘ side; and yf any man did̛ the contrarie, he shuld̛ dye. ¶ But before he shuld̛ dye, he shuld̛ aske iij. peticions of the Emperour̛, what that he wold̛, except his lyf̘, and he shuld̛ graunte hym theym̛. [leaf 18] It fille ones, that an Erle of a ferre countre witℏ his sone come to the Emperour̛, and at mete was sette before hem a playse. The Erle had̛ a good̛ apetite to ete. whan he had̛ eten̛ the white side of the playse, he ete the blak̘ side; and anon̛ he was accused̛ to the Emperour, that he had̛ done agayn̛ the law. ¶ The Emperour said̛, "do hym to dethe, witℏ outen any delay, after that the law asketℏ." The sone of the Erle, whan he had̛ herd̛ that his fadir shuld̛ be dede, he went to the

Emperour, and said̛, ¶ "Gracious lord̛, for the love of hym that died̛ on the crosse, lette me dye for my fadir." ¶ The Emperour̛ said̛, "it liketℏ me wele, that one dye for brekyng of the lawe." The sone herd̛ this, and said̛, "Sithen̛ it is so, that I shaƚƚ dye, I aske the benefice of the lawe, that I may have iij. peticions, before I dye." Tℏe Emperour said̛, "aske what thou wilte; no man shaƚƚ denye the the lawe that is made." ¶ "lord̛," he said̛, "thou hast a faire doughtir, and gracious to the sight of every man; I aske that she may lye by me aƚƚ nyght." The Emperour graunted̛ hym. Neverthelesse he defouled̛ her not; In that the sone of the Erle mekeƚƚ pleased̛ the Emperour. ¶ "The second̛ peticion̛, I aske thi Tresoure." The Emperour̛ graunted̛ hym aƚƚ his tresoure, for his law that he had̛ made. The sone toke the tresoure, and dalte it to poore men and riche; wherfore he had̛ the wille of the peple. ¶ "The third̛ peticion̛ is, I aske the eyen̛ of alle hem that sawe my fadir turne the playse in the disshe." ¶ Anon̛ was made an Inquysicion̛, who sawe the Erle turne the playse in the disshe. One thought, "yf I sey ye, I shaƚƚ lese bothe myn̛ eyen̛." thus the second̛ said̛, and the third̛, and aƚƚ other; so that there was not one, that sawe the

Erle turne the playse in the disshe. ¶ Than said̛ the sone of the Erle to the Emperour̛, "Beholde, my lord̛, and yeve a rightfuƚƚ dome." Than he said̛, "sithe it is so, that no man knowetℏ, that saw thi fadir turne the playse in the disshe, I wille not that he be dede." And thus the sone saved̛ the fadirs lyf̘; and after the Emperours dissease, he wedded̛ his doughtir.

¶ Declaracio.

Frendes, this Emperour is the fadir of heven; that made this lawe, that none shuld̛ turne the playse. ¶ For the playse we shaƚƚ vndirstonde worldly goodes, that we shaƚƚ not turne the blak̘ side, that is, by covetise and falsehede to gete the goodes of the world̛; but we be content witℏ resonable mete and drynk̘, and clothyng; for yf we draw and do the contrarie, we shaƚƚ be dampned̛ to ever lastyng dethe, but we amend̛ vs. ¶ The Erle, that come witℏ the sone, is Adam, the first [leaf 18, back] fadir, that come from the feld̛ of damysene to the court of paradise, that anon̛ agayn̛ turned̛ the playse agayn̛ the lawe, whan he ete of the playse, ¶ That is to sey, whan he ete of the apple, wherfore he shuld̛ be dampned̛ to ever lastyng dethe. ¶ That saw the sone of god, that is, the sone of Adam, our lord̛ Ihesu Crist, that toke flessℏ of Adam; therfore he is called̛ his sone. he offred̛ hym self̘ to the detℏ, to the Fadir of

heven̛. ¶ The fadir graunted̛ hym the detℏ for mankynde; ¶ Neverthelesse he asked̛ iij. peticions of the fadir or he died̛. The first he asked̛ his doughtir, that is, mannes soule, to have her witℏ hym in the blisse of heven̛; as Osee the Prophete saitℏ, I shalle wedd̛ her to me. ¶ The seconde he asked̛ the tresour of heven̛, as he seitℏ hym self̘, as my fadir hatℏ disposed̛ to me the kyngdome, so I dispose it to you. ¶ The thirde he asked̛, that aƚƚ her eyen̛ shuld̛ be put out, that is, that aƚƚ the devels be drawen out from the light of goddes grace, that steren̛ men to synne. and so crist saved̛ mankynd̛ from ever lastyng detℏ, and ladde hem to the Empire of heven.