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

MORALITEE.

DEre frendes, þis Emperoure is the fadir of hevene; The twoo kniȝtes beþe oure lorde Ihesu Criste and̛ the fadir Adam̛, the whiche was shapin & formid̛ in the felde of Damaske; & god̛ was with oute begynnyng, and̛ is withe oute endynge. messagers wer̛ atwene hem, whenne the fadir saide to the sonne & to the holy gost, Faciamus hominem ad ymaginem & similitudinem nostram, This is to seye, lete vs make man̛ vnto our ymage and̛ to oure likenesse. but the kniȝt þat come to the howse of that oþere kniȝt, that was translatid̛ fro the felde of Damaske; & þere he sawe a faire mayde, scil. þe soule y-made to the likenesse of god̛, the w[h]iche Adam desirid̛. And̛ god̛ seinge that, yaf the soule to Adam, the w[h]icℏ was made to his oune likenesse, withe alle godes of this worlde. Aftir that, Crist come to grete pouerte, and̛ toke oure fleshe; as thes wordes berithe witnesse of his pouertee, Vulpes foueas habent, et volucres celi nidos; filius autem hominis non habet vbi capud suum inclinet, þis is to seye, lo! [leaf 184, back, col. 2] foxis haviþ dennys, & briddis of hevene haviþe nestis; but the sonne of man haþe not wer̛ he may reclyne or enbowe his hede. Þenne he enterid̛ in to the porche of the chirche, scil. in to the wombe of oure seint marie the virgine; &

þere he lay fro tyme of his consepcion̛ vnto the tyme of his nativite. in the tyme fitiþe to-gedir ij. men̛, scil. the fleshe & þe sprite; but the fleshe slowhe þe sprite, what tyme mankynde brake the comavndement of god̛. Thenne the peple ronne in to the chirche-yerde, scil. deuelis yede abovte, for to make that al mankynde shulde perisshe. The knyȝt, that profirid̛ to dye, was oure lorde Ihesu Criste, whenne he sayde, ¶ Quem queritis? whom seke ye? Ego sum, I am he that ye seche. Þenne the peple toke him, & ladde him to the Iubet. thenne whenne that oþer knyȝt, his trewe frende, sawe þis, &c. by the secounde knyȝt we must vndirstonde aposteles and̛ martiris, the whiche suffrid̛ dethe in the name of Criste; & þerefore seide Crist to his disciplis, Potestis bibere calicem quem ego sum bibiturus, þis is to seye, may ye drinke of the same cuppe þat I am to drynke, scil. suffre passion̛ as I shalle; and̛ thei seide, Possumus, We mowe. And̛ the thirde, þat seid̛, "sothely I slow him with myn̛ owne hondys," þat is euery synner, þat owiþ to graunte þe sothe in confession̛, for the entente þat the Innocent soule sholde not be slayne; & þenne yf he do so, withe oute dowte he shal not dye, but he shalle have euerlastyng lyfe. Ad quam &c.