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

POLEMIUS A WISE EMPEROUR.
(OF THE THREE REPUTED SONS OF AN EMPEROR, AND HOW THE TRUE SON WAS DISCOVERED.)

[ XLII. ] Harl. MS. 7333.

Story.

[leaf 179, col. 1]

POlemius Reignid̛ a wys Emperoure in the citee of Rome, and̛ he weddid̛ a wyf of the kyngdom̛ of spayne; the whicℏ woman bare in his tyme iij. childerin̛. In a day whene þe Emperes was a-grevid̛ wiþ the kynge, she saide to him, "I telle þe sothely, on of thes childerin is þi sone, and̛ the oþere too beþe not thin." Þe Emperoure herynge thes wordes, seide to hire, "I pray þe, tel me whiche is my sonne?" "Nay," quod̛ she, "I wol not, for yf I dude, þou woldest sette al thi cure & þi love in him that wer̛ thi childe, and̛ not on̛ the Oþere; and̛ þerefore as longe as þou livist, þou shalt have of echon̛ lik cur̛, & love in herte." Þenne the Emperour heilde him stille, & wolde speke no mor̛ of that mater. And̛ whenne he laye on̛ his dethe-bed̛, he callid̛ the iij. childerin̛ to him, & seide, "deere frendes, I moste nedis dye nowe, and̛ I may not eschew hit; and̛ þerefor̛ I have her̛ a Rynge, þe whiche I yeve & bequethe to him of yow þat is my sone." And̛ aftir þes wordes he dide; & þe

Emperoure was, as is þe maner & Resoun̛, wurshipefulli buried̛. Aftir his buriinge the iij. childerin made distaunce for þe Ring, and̛ that longe, til tyme þat þe yonger broþer seide, "Þis is not worthe to make suche a stryf; late vs go to the kynge of Ierusalem, þat dwelliþe her̛ beside vs, & late vs stonde to his dome." Þenne seide þey, "Þat is gode counseiƚƚ," Þey yede to þe kynge, & tolde him howe, & vndir what wordes, þat hir fadir had̛ biquethe his ring þing [sic]. Anoon̛ þe kynge made þe Emperour to be had̛ out of þe Erþe, & made his body be y-bounde to a tree; & he made echon of hem to take a bowe & an arowe, and̛ bad̛ hem shete at him, echon̛ aftir oþere; for he that smote deppest in to the herte of him, he shulde have þe Rynge. they made hem Redy to this werke, in so moche that the firste toke an arowe, & shet a depe stroke in to the herte [leaf 179, col. 2] of the dede body; þe secounde smote deppere than the firste; & the yongest stoode a-fer, and̛ be-helde the folis shete. "Come nere," quod̛ the kyng, "and̛ shete thow; now late see, yf thow mow passe hem." water fel fro his yen̛, and̛ he saide, "nay, god̛ forbede, sir, that I shuld̛ do swiche a dispite to him þat me gate! I nolde do it for al

the wordle." Thenne seide the kynge, "I am now sekir þat thow art his lawfull sone, and̛ the othir too bethe bastardes, and̛ not of his blode, and̛ that is wel sene now; and̛ þerefor̛ have her̛ this Ringe, as for thi Right. wel wist youre fadir what he ment, when he bequathe the Ringe, & saide, 'I yeve hit to him of yow, that is myn'" &c. Amen!

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.

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

[leaf 18, back]

Story.

POleminus reigned̛ in Rome, that had̛ taken̛ hym a wyf̘ of the kyngdome of Spayn̛, that brought hym fortℏ iij. sones, that wexen̛ faire children̛. The Emperesse was on a tyme wrothe, and said̛ vnto the Emperour̛, ¶ "I say the for sothe, that one of the children̛ is thyne, and no mo." ¶ The emperour said̛, "I pray the telle me which of aƚƚ thise is my sone." she said̛, "I shaƚƚ not telle the, for yf I shuld̛ telle the, thou shuldest love hym, and cherissℏ hym, and not the other; Therfore while thou livest, thou shalt cherissℏ hem aƚƚ y-like." ¶ The Emperour, whan he hadde herd̛ this, he was in pease, and wold̛ no more speke of̘ the matir. Sone after he fille sike; and whan he had̛ laboured̛ in his last ende, he called̛ to hym his iij. sonnes, and said̛ to hem, "Children̛, I shaƚƚ not ascape this sikenesse, ¶ But I have a precious ryng, and I bequetℏ it to hym that is

my sone of you iij." whan he had̛ said̛ this, he died̛. sone aftir, whan he was buried̛, the iij. sonnes striven̛ for the ryng. than the yonger brother said̛, "we are brethern̛; it is not good̛ that stryf̘ be amonge vs. ¶ Here be-side there dwelletℏ a kyng; go we to hym, and as he demetℏ lette vs stonde to his dome, for he is a wise man." they saiden̛, "this is a good̛ counsaile." and anon they wenten to the kyng, and said̛ to hym, how her fadir had̛ bequetℏ a ryng to hym that is [leaf 19] his sone of hem three. ¶ The kyng, whan he had̛ herd̛ the tale, he said̛, "gothe, and take vp your fadir out of the erthe, and bynde his body fast to a tree; and than shaƚƚ I sey what is to done." Thei didde as he badde. ¶ Than said̛ the kyng, "eche of you must have a bowe and an arowe; and he that shetetℏ deppest in his fadirs hert, he shaƚƚ have the rynge." ¶ The eldest shotte, and smote depe in his Fadirs hert. after that, the Second̛ sone shotte, and smote depper than did̛ the first. Than said̛ the kyng, "for sothe thou hast smytten depper þan thi brother̛." ¶ The yongest brother stode aferre, and wept bitterly. The kyng said̛, "frende, shote as thi brethern̛ have done." "god forbede!" said̛ he, "that

I shuld̛ do that dispite vnto hym that gate me, and that I shuld̛ perissℏ his hert; for aƚƚ the good̛ in the world̛ wold̛ I not do that dispite to my fadir." ¶ Than said̛ the kyng, "witℏ out doute thou art his sone; and the other are not his sonnes; and therfore your fadir bequathe wele the ryng." and so the yongest sone resceived̛ it, and ended̛ his lyf in pease.

Declaracio.

Frendes, this Emperour̛ is our lord̛ Ihesu crist. The Empresse is holy chircℏ; the iij. sonnes are iij. maner of men. The rynge, that is rounde withouten an ende, betokenetℏ heven. ¶ By the first sone we shaƚƚ vndrestond̛ the Iewes and the Sarasynes, ¶ And by the second̛ we shuƚƚ vndrestond̛ false cristen men, ¶ And by the thirde goddes chosen̛ sone. ¶ The first sone that shotte, that is, the Iewes and the sarasynes, that trowe not that crist was borne of a maide, and suffred̛ detℏ, and was buried̛, and rose agayn̛. ¶ But the second̛ sone, that is, a false cristen man, that smote hym depper than the first whan he dothe a dedely synne; for he did̛ homage to god in his baptyme, Therfore he offended̛ god more grevously, whan he synnetℏ dedely, than the Iewe or the sarasyn̛. ¶ But the thirde brother, that is, a good̛ cristen̛ man, that sorowitℏ mekeƚƚ aƚƚ way whan he seetℏ god̛ smytten̛ and offended̛ by synne; for he wille in no wise shete, that is, to synne ayenst god̛. And therfore shaƚƚ the rynge be yeve to sucℏ one, as the wise kyng that demed̛ whicℏ of

the iij. brethern̛ shuld̛ have the ryng, that is, the second̛ persone of the Trinite, the wisedom̛ of the fadir, to whom aƚƚ domes are yeven̛. ¶ This is the wise kyng, that shaƚƚ deme at the day of dome whicℏ of thise iij. brethern̛, that is, whicℏ of thise iij. peple, shaƚƚ have the rynge. ¶ The first sone, tho ben the hethen̛ peple, that wold̛ not leve on god. ¶ The second̛ sone ar̛ false cristen men, that amend̛ hem not, while thei liven witℏ contricion̛, [leaf 19, back] confession̛, and satisfaccion̛. none of thise ij. peple shaƚƚ have the rynge, but be dampned̛ to helle. ¶ The thirde sone are aƚƚ trew cristen men and women, and tho that have be synners, and have amended̛ her lyf here, while thei lived̛ by contricion̛, confession̛, and satisfaccion̛, and other good̛ werkes of mercy. ¶ To hem shaƚƚ be yeven̛ the rynge that is rounde, and hathe none ende, by the whiche is vndirstond̛ the blisse of heven, that hatℏ none ende. ¶ To the whiche Ioye and blisse brynge vs this wyse domesman, whan he shaƚƚ sitte, and deme trewly aƚƚ thynge!