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

MORALITEE.

DEre frendes, this Emperoure is oure lord̛ Ihesu Criste; þe Emperes is holy chirche; þe iij. childerin bethe iij. kyndes of men̛; þe ringe that is rounde betokenithe hevene. by the firste sone we vndirstonde Iewes & sarsinis; by the secounde sone fals Cristen men, that aftir hir baptim drawithe toward̛ þe devil; and̛ by the thirde sone we vndirstonde the chosyn̛ childerin of god̛. Nowe þe firste childe shetithe, scil. Iewes & sarasins, the whiche trowithe not that he was I-bor̛ of a virgine, & toke passion̛, & suffrid̛ deþe, and̛ was I-buried̛. Þe Secounde sone is a fals Cristen man̛; he smitethe depper, whenne he dothe a dothe a dedely synne, þe whiche in tyme of

baptime made homage to god̛, & forsoke the deviƚƚ and̛ alle his pomperis; & in þat that he made an homage, he grevithe god̛ mor̛ þan̛ a Iewe or a sarasyne, þat nevir made none. But the thirde sone, scil. a gode Cristen̛ man, he sorowithe muche, whanne he sethe god̛ so smiten̛ by synne, & he wolle [leaf 179, back, col. 1] not shete by no maner; and̛ ther-fore to him, as to the worthi childe and̛ a trewe sone, is yeven̛ the Rynge, scil. þe Ioye of the kyngdom̛ of hevene. Ad quod nos perducat &c.