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

[ XLIX. ]
DAMASCENUS A WISE EMPEROUR.
(OF INGRATITUDE, AND HOW IT WAS PUNISHED.)Harl. MS. 7333.

[leaf 186, back, col. 2 (cont'd)]

Story.

Damascenus was a wyse Emperoure Reignyng in the cete of Rome; þe whiche ordeynid̛ for a lawe, þat yf Eny man̛ deliuerid̛ a virgine fro the honde of hir Ravissher̛, it shulde be in the wille of him that deliuerid̛ hir for to wedde hir, yf him luste; ne she shulde not be weddid̛ to noon̛ oþer man̛, withe outen̛ graunte & assente of him that had̛ takyn̛ hir̛ fro the hondes of the Ravisher. So hit felle in a tyme, that ther was a tiraunt namid̛ Pompeius, & he hadde I-Raveshid̛ a virgine, and̛ browte hir into a wilde forest; and̛ whenne he had̛ synned̛ with hir, he wolde

have slayne hir. ther come Ridyng by the forest a gentil knyȝt; and̛ whenne he harde the horible crie of a woman̛, he smote the hors withe the sporis, & Rode to hir. And̛ whenne he come, he sawe hir stond̛ nakid̛, save hir smokke; and̛ thenne he askid̛ of hir, "ert thow she that cridest?" "ye, sir," quod̛ she, "for this man̛ Raveshid̛ me, and̛ hathe taken̛ from̛ me my virginitee; and̛ now he wolde sle me, & he hathe thus nakid̛ me, for to smyte of myn̛ hede; and̛ þerefor̛, for the love of god̛, helpe me I pray yowe." thenne saide the teraunt, "sir, she lithe, for she is my wyfe, and̛ I fonde hir̛ in bordeƚƚ withe a-noþer man; and̛ þer for I wolde sle hir nowe." Þenne saide the knyȝt, "I trowe mor̛ to the woman̛ þanne to the, for I se opyn̛ signys in hir visage, that thow haste Ravishid̛ hir, and̛ Oppressid̛ hir withe mastrie; and̛ þerefor̛ I and̛ þerefor̛ I and̛ þerefor̛ I [sic] [leaf 187, col. 1] wolle Fite for hir." And̛ so thei foȝte to gedir, and̛ grevousely thei wer̛ I-woundid̛, but the knyȝt had̛ the victory, & that oþer fledde. And̛ thenne the knyȝt spake to the woman̛, "lo! woman̛, what I have sufferid̛ for the, and̛ howe I have savid̛ the; wolt thow now be my wyfe?" "ye sir," quod̛ shee, "that I desire ouer alle thinge, and̛ þerto I yeve the my trewthe." Þenne seide he, "her̛ be syde is my castelle; go thedir a-for̛, & a-bide þer, while I go to my frendes & kynne, for to purvey for the bridale to be made; for I wolle make a grete fest, for oure worshipe and̛ comfort." "sir," quod̛ she, "I shalle do as þow biddist." She yede to his castelle, and̛ þer she was worshipfulli Resseyvid̛; and̛ the knyȝt Rode a-bowte to his frendes, for to make al thing redy þerto. In the mene tyme þe tiraunt Pompeius come to the casteƚƚ, & prayde hir for to come, & speke withe him a worde at the yate; and̛ whenne she was comyn̛, he yaf hir so sotil wordes, & fair̛ bihestes, that she lete him in, & grauntid̛ to be his wyf. Afterward̛ the knyȝt come home, & he fonde the yate of his casteƚƚ stoken. He cnockid̛, but vnneþe he myght have eny aunswer̛; and̛ at the laste þe woman̛ come, and̛ askid̛ whi he cnockid̛ so? And̛ þenne he seide, "what! deer̛ love, whi makest þow hit nowe so straunge to me? late me come in, I pray þe." "Naye for sothe," quod̛ she, "þou shalte not come her̛ Inne, for I have him withe me that I lovid̛ furste, or I knew the." "Dameseƚƚ, have mynde how

thow yafe to me i feithe, for to be my wyfe, and̛ how that I savid̛ the fro dethe; & yf þou wolte not sette by thi feithe, loo! her̛ the woundes that I sufferid̛ for the, and̛ for thi love." A-noon̛ he caste of his clothis, and̛ shewid̛ to hir the woundis; but she wolde not loke on̛ him, but shutte fast the dor̛, and̛ wolde no mor̛ speke withe him. the knyȝt seenge the wronge, he yede to þe Iuge, and̛ þer he made a grete compleynte on̛ Pompeye þe tiraunt, & on̛ the woman̛. After that the compleynt was made, þe Iuge made hem boþe to apper̛ a-for̛ him; and̛ what tyme thei come afor̛ him, þe knyȝt seide to the Iuge, "My lord̛, I aske the benefice of [the law]. [leaf 187, col. 2] ye wit wel that it is law, þat yf a man̛ deliuer enye virgyne fro the hondes of hir Rav[i]sher, it is in the power̛ of the deliuerer to have the woman to his wyf after; and̛, sir, I have her̛ deliuerid̛ a woman̛ in the same case, and̛ þerefor̛ me semithe that she shulde be my wyf, yf that I wolde have hir. Also, sir, I chalange hir for a-noþer Resoun̛; she haþe yevin me hir feithe to be my wyf, and̛ vpon̛ that she Enterid̛ in to my casteƚƚ, and̛ many Richesses & worshipis she had̛ by me; and̛ I have Redyn̛ a-bowte, to purveye for oure mariage." Thenne saide the Iuge to Pompeye, "Der̛ frende, thow knowist welle that the knyȝte deliuerid̛ the woman̛ from̛ þi wickidnesse, & toke of the grete woundes for hir love; and̛ her̛ by thow knowest wel that she is his wyf, yf he wolle have hir. And̛ thenne aftir this saluacion̛, þou come to his yate, [and] withe thi faire flateringe deseyvedist hir; and̛, sir, þerefor̛ in this same daye I shalle se the honge in the Iubet." & thanne seide þe Iuge to the woman, "woman̛, thow knowist welle how that this man̛ savid̛ the fro dethe, and̛ toke the awey fro thi Ravissher̛, and̛ also thow yaf him feithe for to be his wyfe; and̛ so by double Resone thow shuldest be his wyf, scil.by the lawe, and̛ eke by the feithe that thow madest to him. and̛ now aftir this kyndnesse, þou hast consentid̛ to the wille of thi Ravisher, and̛ lete him entre in to the casteƚƚ of the knyȝt; and̛ þerefor̛ I deme the to be hongid̛ þis same day in the Iubet." And̛ so it was I-do in dede; and̛ al men̛ hilie commendid̛ the Iuge, that yaf to hem so Iust & so Ritfulle dome.

MORALITEE.

DEre frendis, þis Emperoure is the fadir of hevene; the wiche ordeynid̛ for a lawe, that yf eny virgine wer̛ [leaf 187, back, col. 1] Ravishid̛ by dedely synne, þenne he that deliuerid̛ hir shulde wedde hir to wyve. The woman̛, that was Ravishid̛ and̛ ladde into the forest, is the soule of man̛, þe whiche was putte oute of Paradys by the synne of Adam, & browte into the forest of this worlde, wher̛ [s]he livid̛ in grete wrecchidnesse, and̛ [was] deflowrid̛ by the Ravissher, scil. the devil; and̛ þerefor̛ it is wreten, ¶ Ierem. iii. tu autem fornicata es cum amatoribus multis, þis is to seye, he seithe, "for sothe thow hast do fornicacion̛ withe many lovers." And̛ this Ravisher, the devil, deflowrithe not the soule only, by lost of blisse, but also he wolde have slayne hir̛ in euerlastinge peyne. & þenne she cride witℏ an hie voyse; scil. the wrecchidnes and̛ the perille of hit was herd̛ with the knyȝte Ihesu Crist, ¶ or elles the crye was made what tyme that adam, oure first fadir, cride for Oyle of mercy, & whenne patriarkis and̛ prophetes cride for Remedye, seinge, O! domine, visita nos, O! lorde, come and̛ visite þou vs, þenne þe knyȝt, scil. Ihesu Criste, come don̛ fro hevene, & heilde bataille withe the Ravisher, scil. þe devil; and̛ thenne they two foute to-geder, that eyþere of hem was grevously woundid̛, scil. Crist in his fleshe, and̛ the devil in his lordshipe; and̛ þerfore saithe Isaye, Fortis impegit in fortem, et ambo conciderunt, ¶ þis is to seye, A stronge delte or fel in vp on̛ an oþer strong, and̛ bothe they fil doune to-gedir. Aftir this the woman̛, scil. the soule, tooke baptym̛, & bond̛ hir þer to Criste, whenne that she saide, Abrenuncio Sathane et omnibus pompis eius, I forsake the devil, and̛ alle his pompys; also whenne she seithe, Credo in deum patrem omnipotentem, ¶ I trowe or I beleve in god̛, fadir Almyti. Aftir that Criste ordeynid̛ for hir bridale, scil. þe vij. Sacramentes of holi chircℏ, of whiche he ordeynid̛ a stronge castelle a-yenste the deville and̛ al enmyes; and̛ þen̛ he badde the soule holde hir in the vertue of that castille, tylle tyme that he yede a-boute, to ordeyne for the bridale, scil. crist, þe dowtiest knyȝt, ascendid̛ vppe in to hevene in the day of ascencion̛, and̛ ther he ordeynid̛ for vs a dwelling place in euerlastynge [leaf 187, back, col. 2] ioye, that we myȝte be with him, aftir the daye of dome, in Ioye. But

in the mene tyme comythe the Ravissher, scil. þe devel. & he with his sotil cautellis & falshedes blindithe & disseyuithe þe soule, and̛ defoulithe hit by synne; and̛ so he Entrithe the castelle of þin̛ herte. And̛ þenne comithe to the yate the knyȝt, scil. crist; as the Gospelle makithe mencion̛, ¶ Ecce sto ad hostium, & pulso; siquis apperuerit michi, introibo ad eum, & cenabo cum illo, this is to seye, loo! I stonde at þe dore, & cnocke; who so euere opyn̛ to me, I shalle enter to him, and̛ I shalle suppe withe him. but wher̛ as the devil is, he may not entre, ne the wrecchid̛ man wolle not opne to cryst, by doyng of penaunce; and̛ Crist seinge that, castithe of his clothis, and̛ spoylithe him naked̛, & shewithe to the his woundes, that he sufferid̛ for the, for to make a man to have mynde what he suffrid̛ for̛ him. ¶ for ther was on him noon̛ helthe, from the toppe of his hede vnto the sole of his fote; as seythe holye writ, O! vos omnes qui transitis per viam, attendite et videte, si est dolor sicut dolor meus, This is to seye, O! ye al that goþe by the wey, herkenithe & seithe, yf ther be eny sorowe as is my sorowe. And̛ yit for al this, þe wrecchid̛ man̛ wolle not converte him, but ligge stille in synne; and̛ þerfore swiche wolle be demed̛ withe the Ravissher, scil. wiþ þe devil, to euerlastynge turmentes. And̛ þerefor̛ late vs opne the yates of oure hertes, by meritorye werkes, that Criste may entre into oure hertes, and̛ þat we come to the blisse þat neuer shaƚƚ mysse. Ad̛ quod̛ nos perducat &c.