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

[ XLVII. ] Harl. MS. 7333.

[leaf 183, back, col. 1 (cont'd)]

Story.

ENlopius was a gode Emperoure in þe citee of Rome, the whiche lovid̛ moste passingli love and̛ pes; and̛ þerfor wher so euer he knewe þat eny discorde or vnrest was Regnynge, he labovrid̛ to make Reformacion̛ of pes. so in that tyme þere wer̛

two knyghtes, on̛ of baldak, that oþer of lumbardye; and̛ thes twoo lovid̛ to-gedir Right muche, and̛ sent letteris eiþer to oþere by messagers; so that what euer the knight of lumbardy hadde of marchaundise in his londe, he sent hit to the toþere; in þe same maner þe kniȝt of baldak sent to the knite of lumbardye, of al maner thinges and̛ noveltees that wer̛ in baldak, and̛ not in lumbardye. So in a tyme þis kniȝte of lumbardye þoȝte, as he lay in his bedde, "switcℏ a frende I have in baldak, & I have sent to him many grete yiftis, and̛ so hathe [he] to me wel mo. for sothe now wolle I go visite him or þat I be dede." He come to the londe of baldake, & come to the house of his felow, the w[h]iche he saw neuer afore; and̛ whenne his felow saw him, he fel for gladnes vpon̛ him, & kiste him, and̛ wepte for Ioye; and̛ he saide, "thow art welcome to me as halfe my soule!" And whenne he hadde abide ther certeyne days, he saw in the house the fayrest damiseƚƚ to his ye, that euer he sawe; & he was Ravishid̛ in his mynde for hir, in so moche that he kepte his bedde, [leaf 183, back, col. 2] and̛ myte neyþer ete ne drynke wele. then̛

the oþer knight, þe lorde of the hovse, come to him, and̛ askid̛ the cause of his hevinesse, & of his seknes. Þenne saide he, "Þer is a damiselle in thin house, that I love, and̛ coveyte in myn̛ herte ouer al thinge in this worlde; and̛ dede I mot be, but I have hir love." And̛ thenne he badde him be stronge, and̛ of goode cher̛, and saide that he shuld̛ have al thinge that his soule wolde desire, yf it wer̛ in that house. and̛ a-non̛ he shewid̛ him al the women̛ of the house, Exsepte oon̛ damesel; and̛ thenne he saide, "Der̛ frende, is she her̛ amonge this company, þat þou desirist?" and̛ he saide, "naye." And̛ at the laste he shewid̛ afore him the damiselle; & whenne he sawe hir, he seide to his felaw, "[This is] she þat is my lyf and̛ my dethe bothe!" And̛ thenne he saide, "Þis damiseƚƚ is coume of gentil kynrede, and̛ I have norishid̛ hir of a childe, for she shulde have ben my wyfe; neuertheles þow arte come from fer contrees, for grete fervente love þat hathe I-bene a-twene vs of longe tyme, and̛ therfor̛ I wouchesaf þat thow have hir to wyf; I shalle yeve to the with hir grete habundaunce of Richesse." whenne the kniȝt herde the wordes, he Ros, & was hole; & saide to him, "der̛

frende, god̛ the yelde for the gentilnesse that thowe seist to me, & hast doon̛ for me many a tyme; but how that hit shalle be Rewarde & yolden̛, for soþe I not." Soone aftir ther was cride a generaƚƚ bridale, and̛ alle men that come to that feste, hadde grete medes & benefetis or they yede. and̛ aftir al this the knigℏt toke his leve, and̛ yede home ayene in to lumbardye withe his wyf; and̛ a Riche man̛ he was, and̛ alle his frendes were avaunsid̛ by þe goodes & Richesses that he browte from̛ baldak; and̛ his wyf was lovid̛ gretly of all men, and̛ browte forthe a faire dowter. Aftir hit happid̛, that the forsayde knyght of baldak was falne in to grete poverte, in so mucℏ that he had̛ not to lyve with. he thovte in a certeyne tyme, þat hit wer̛ beste for him for to go to his olde frende, þat he avaunsid̛ and̛ yaf to his damiseƚƚ, & be founden of him; and̛ that him thowte hadde ben the better þan̛ [leaf 184, col. 1] for to have livid̛ in wrecchidnesse, as he dude. he yede to lumbardye in pore araye, like a pore man, for he hadde litle in his purse; and̛ when he was in lumbardye, he enterid̛ into the cetee ther as his felowe was dwelle. And̛ whenne he come in to the citee, þe nyght was darke, and̛ he thowte to him

selfe, "it is now nyght, and̛ my clothis beþe not faire for a kniȝte, and̛ also I am barfote; and̛ yf I goo nowe to the hovse of my felawe, he shalle vnneþe knowe me in this clothing. nay," quod̛ he, "hit shalle not be soo." he lokid̛ abowte him, & he sawe a parishe chirche; and̛ he enterid̛ in to the yerde, & yede in to the In-gange, scil. in to the porche, and̛ þere he lay al nyght. & as he laye þere in the porche, too men̛ foute þere in the strete, and̛ that on̛ slowhe the toþere; and̛ sone the mankille[r] Ran̛ in to the chircheyerde; and̛ sone a multitude of peple ran̛ in to the chirche-yerd̛, & þere they sowte, but none thei coude fynde, but only the kniȝte in the chirche-porche. And̛ thei saide to him, "where is he that slowhe the man?" "I am he," quod̛ he; "takithe me, & bringe me þerfor̛ in the iebet." And̛ this he said̛, for he hadde leuer have ben dede, than so to live in pouertee. & thanne thei toke him, & browte him to presoun̛; and̛ on̛ the morowe he was demid̛ to be dede, and̛ he was ladde to the iebet; and̛ many folowid̛ him, and̛ amonge the peple was the kniȝt his felawe. and̛ when̛ he had̛ beholden̛ his

felowe, he saide in his herte "What! howe is þis? this is my felawe of baldak, that thei lede here to dethe." And̛ withe oute any tariinge he creyde withe an hie voyse, and̛ saide, "How! man̛, abide, abide, lete him leve! it is not he that slowe the man̛, hit is I?" And̛ tho they toke him, and̛ ladde hem bothe to þe Iebet, to be dede. And̛ among al oþir, the man that killid̛ the dede man̛ was þer present; and̛ he thowte in him selfe, "I am gylti of this dethe, and̛ the too kniȝtes bethe innocentes; for sothe it may not be, but that god̛ shalle take vengeaunce of me. hit is beste for me, that I now opyn̛ my synne, and̛ take penaunce therfor̛ than late thes [leaf 184, col. 2] innocentes perishe." And̛ he cride withe an hie voyse, "beþe ware, that ye do none harm̛ to the men̛, for I am gylti in the dede; þei beþe innocentes, and̛ I am he that slowhe the man̛: takithe me, and dothe me on̛ the iebet." Þenne the peple sette honde vpon̛ him, and̛ browte him with the two knites to the Iuge, & saide, "sir, we han̛ grete mervayle of thes iij. men, for the first saide, with his owne mouthe, that he slowhe the man̛; and̛ that oþere come, &

saide, nay, for he saide that he slowhe him; and̛ now the thirde comithe, and̛ seide that thei bothe bethe innocentes, and̛ that he slowhe him withe his own hondes; and̛ þerfor̛, sir, we beþe I-come to youre dome, for to loke what ye wolle seye in this cas." Þenne saide the Iuge to the firste knight of baldak, "whi, & for what cause seyde þou, that thowe slowhe the man̛?" "For soþe," quod̛ he, "& I s[h]alle seye soþe. I was some tyme a worthi knight, and a Riche, and̛ mony men̛ I fonde and̛ susteynid̛ vndir me; but withe in fewe yeris I felle in to grete poverte, in so moche that I have no thinge to spende, but as I begge my brede fro dor̛ to dor̛. And̛ so when̛ that I thinke of my grete nobilite that I have ben̛ Inne, and̛ of grete pouerte that I am̛ Inne nowe, I hadde leuere be dede than live; and̛ þerefore I saide that I slowe the man̛, in the entente that thei shulde slee me." Thenne seide the Iuge to the secounde kniȝt, "tel me whi that thow saide that þou slowhe him?" "for sothe, sir," quod̛ he, "and̛ I shalle tel yow. this knight her̛ hathe hiliche avaunsid̛ me, and̛ yafe to me my wyf; and̛ þere fore I lovid̛ him as moche as myselfe; and̛ þerefor̛ whenne I sawe him go to deþeward̛,

I cride withe a lowde voyse, and̛ saide that I slowe the man̛, in the entente þat I sholde be dede, and̛ he I-sauid̛." And̛ thanne saide the Iuge to the thirde man, "telle me whi that thow saide that þow kyldest him?" "Forsothe," quod̛ he, "and̛ I shaƚƚ telle yowe opinlye þe sothe; for sothelye I slowhe him [leaf 184, back, col. 1] with myn̛ oune hondes; and̛ þerfor when I sawe thes two knites wer̛ ladde to be dede, I thovte to my selfe, that god̛, that sethe al thinges, wold̛ þerfor̛ have I-takin vengeaunce of me, yf I had̛ suffrid̛ hem so go to dethe, sithen̛ I was synner; & þerefore I þouȝte I wolde not do so grete synne, and̛ that I wolde Rathir save þe Innocentes & dy my selfe, than for to dampne my selfe perpetuelly. & þerefor̛, sir, her̛ I have seide opinli the sothe, how that I slowhe þe man̛ with myn̛ ovne hondes." The[n] aunswerde þe Iuge, seinge þus, "sithen þou haste seide the sothe for salvacion̛ of the Innocentes, sothely þou shalt not be dede." and̛ alle men̛ comendid̛ the Iuge, that had̛ so hilie and̛ so graciouslye demyd̛ for the trewe trespassoure.

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.