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

[ XLV. ] Harl. MS. 7333.

Story.

[leaf 180, back, col. 1]

FOlliculus a wise Emperoure Reignid̛ in the citee of Rome; the whiche ordeynid̛ for a lawe, that if a woman̛ dude avoutri vndir hir husbonde, þat the man shulde be departid̛ fro hir, & euer aftir he shulde be Redy with þe Emperour in bataile; and̛ yf so wer̛ þat he wan̛ þe victorie, he shulde have in the furste day of his victorie iiij. honoures, and̛ in the secounde day he shulde sustene iiij. hevynessis, þat he Enpridid̛ him not for the honours. So in thilke dayes þer was a knyght I-callid̛ Acheron̛, þe whiche hadde a fayre woman̛ to wyve; and̛ this woman̛ lovid̛ anoþere kniȝt, by weye of synne. hit bifel a cas, þat hir husbonde was I-Redden̛ to his contre, of the whiche Ridinge that oþere kniȝt had̛ certificacion̛; & so he come in, & lay by his wyf al nyght. And̛

in this place wer̛ iij. cokkes, that vsid̛ muche to crowe; And̛ as the lady laye in hir bedde withe the kniȝt, she harde the cokke crowe, and̛ she seide to hir sarvaunt, "what menitℏ this cok, that crowithe thus?" Þe sarvaunt answerid̛ in this maner, "the cok seithe in his songe, that thow dost thin husbonde wronge." then the lady seyde he shulde be dede; & so he was indede. Anon̛ the secounde coke began̛ to crow,—"what menithe this?" quod̛ the lady. & þe servaunt saide, "My felowe for his sothe sawe, hathe loste his lyf and̛ lithe ful lawe." "And̛ seithe he so?" quod̛ the lady; "Now for soþe he shalle lese his crowinge." The coke was dede Anoon̛; And̛ the lady was lede downe Anoon̛ Ayene; And̛ the thirde cokke crewe, with a gret voyse & a bolde. "Seye," quod̛ the lady, "in the develis name, what seithe he now?" And̛ the mayde avnswerid̛ in this maner, & saide thus, "seiþe the cokke, 'her̛, and̛ see, & sey nowte, þenne þu maiste have alle thi wille [sicthowte].'" [See note in paper edition.] Versus: Audi, vide, tace, si tu vis viuere pace. ¶ Þen saide the lady, "sle not that cok, by no wey." Aftir al this, þe kniȝt hir husbonde come home; and̛ or he had̛ be longe at home, [leaf 180, back, col. 2] he was certifijd̛ of the dethe of the cockes. He yede to the

Emperoure, and̛ askid̛ a devorce, as the lawe wolde. Þenne said̛e þe Emperoure, "thow most go with me in to bataille." "Ser, I assent," quod̛ he, "but I aske what sholde be to him that browte home the victorye." Þenne seyde the Emperoure, when the victor of the bataiƚƚ wer̛ come home, he shulde have in the first day iiij. worshipis; of the whiche this is þe first, he shalle be sette in a charr̛, & iiij. white hors shulle drawe hit to the palyse of the Emperour; The secounde is, þat aƚƚ his trespassours & Aduersarijs shulde folowe his chare behynde him, withe bounden̛ hondis & fete; The thirde is, that he shalle be cladde withe a cote þat is I-callid̛ Tunica iouis, ¶ and̛ alle men shul knele afor̛ him; and̛ the fovrthe is, that he shalle sitte that day be-syde the Emperoure. But the secounde day he shalle sustene þerfor iiij. hevinessis; For in the firste his cote shal be takin̛ fro him, & he shall be in Reputacion̛ as a fool. So withoute ony mor̛ of þis mater, he yede forthe to bataile, and̛ had̛ þe victorye; and̛ after took boþe honoures & dolours, as is

seide befor̛, lowely & obedientlye; For whiche grete lowlinesse þe Emperoure hilye avauncid̛ him, & he Endid̛ a fair̛ Ende, &c.

MORALITEE.

God men, þis Emperoure is Crist. Þe Emperour made a lawe, that If thi wyf, scil. thi flesh, do avoutry, þou moste be departid̛ fro hir, scil. fro fleshely affecciouns; for by synne is a man̛ deply in-dreynt in dethe euerlastyng. for synne is not lyȝt, but it is hevy, and̛ weythe mor̛ than lede; for yf lede faƚƚ fro a grete heȝt, hit gothe downe no forþere but þriliþe a litle downe in to the Erthe, but synne in twynkelynge of an ye þrillithe þrillid̛ [sic] alle the erþe, and̛ Restithe not or it come to helle. helle is in the middis of the Erthe scil. in the centr̛ of the erþe, as seithe the Philesophir; and̛ þerfor̛ [leaf 181, col. 1] a man moste be ware of synne. and̛ þerefore god̛ wolle, þat as sone as the fleshe hathe I-done avoutrye by synne, þat thow putte thi selfe to the bataile of penaunce, and̛ sustene þere mekely that is I-putte to the; and̛ therfor̛ seiþ Matth. Jugum enim meum suaue est, et onus meum leue, þis is to seye, My yoke, scil. penaunce, is swete, scil. for it turnithe to swetnesse, & my charge or my burdyn̛, scil. commaundement, is liȝt. The knyȝt, that weddid̛ the wyf, þat dude þe avoutrye, and̛ slow the cockis, is þe sone of god̛; for he weddid̛ the soule, & the soule trespassid̛ vndir him, by the synne of Adam, the first fader. by the firste cokk that is slayne, vndirstonde

prophetis, the whiche prophesied̛ and̛ tawte aȝenst synne; as seithe Matth. Jerusalem! ierusalem! que occidis prophetas, et lapidas eos qui ad te missi sunt, this is to sey, Jerusalem! that sleist prophites, & steynist hem that bethe I-sent to the, whi dost thow so? The secounde cok þat crowithe bethe apposteles & martris, that wer̛ I-slayne for sothefastnesse; and̛ the thirde cok, that is not slayne, beþe prelates & prechovris that beþe now, that dare not, ne wolle not seye sothe, but plesithe al men̛; and̛ the mor̛ harm̛ is. The worthi kniȝt Criste, seinge so many wronges don̛ to him by synne in this cas, he suffrid̛ mekelye boþe honours and̛ hevinessis, as dude the kniȝt; for he satte in the chaire, scil. vppon̛ an asse, and̛ iiij. white horse drow hit, scil. iiij. cardinall vertues, that wer̛ euermor̛ withe him. The secounde honour̛ was, that alle his Ivel doers sholde folow, scil. a multitude of peple come bifor̛ Crist & behynde, seinge, Osanna filio dauid! benedictus qui venit in nomine domini! Þe sone of dauid make vs safe! blessid̛ be he that comyþe in the name of the lord̛! The þridde honour was, that he shulde be clad with the cote y-callid̛ tunyca iouis, þat was whenne þe iewis strewid̛ clothis & flowris in the weye. The ferþe honoure was, þat he shulde sitte at the table withe the Emperour̛, and̛ so dude he;

he satte in the temple of Jerusalem̛. but in tyme of passioun̛, scil. in good̛ friday, the four honoures turnid̛ in to iiij. hevinesse[s], for [leaf 181, col. 2] þere as he furst Rode vpon̛ an asse, aftirward̛ þei toke him, as he had̛ ben a thef; & þerfor he saide, Tanquam ad latronem existis, cum gladiis & fustibus comprehendere me, As to a thef ye come oute, with swerdes & battes to take me. Ayenest þe secounde honour, wher as they come & mette him so Reuerently, þey browte him shamfully to þe house of Kayfas, withe many Reprevis & scornes. Ayenste the thirde honoure, that he shulde be cladde withe the cote of iouis, þei spoylid̛ [him] of al his clothinge; and̛ ayenste þe ferþe, þey did̛ him vpon̛ the crosse, and̛ spette on̛ his face, and̛ buffetid̛ him. Loo! goode siris, what scornis and̛ Reprevis that our̛ lorde Ihesu Criste sufferid̛ for the sovle þat dude avowtrye. late vs þerefor̛ suffr̛ for his love penaunce in this worlde, that we mowe come to his blisse. Amen!