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

Story.

Betoldus regnyd a wis Emperoure yn þe Cyte of Rome; þe whicℏ ordeynyd for a lawe, that euery woman þat tooke an oþer man than hire husbond̛, þat þei shuld be put to perpetueƚƚ prison̛. There was a knyȝt hadde a faire wife, þat tooke an oþer vndir him, and in avowtry was with childe; and þerfore by the lawe þis woman̛ was [leaf 152, back, col. 2] demyd to perpetuaƚƚ prison̛, In þe whicℏ prison̛ sche broȝte fortℏ, and bare a faire childe, a sone. This child wex vnto the age of vij ȝere. The lady his modir vsitℏ euery day gretly to sorowe and to wepe. In a day þis childe sawe his moder wepe; he spake to hire, and seide, "Modir, why wepist þou? teƚƚ me þe cause of þi sorowing̘." "A! deer̛ sone," quoþ she, "I have gret cause to sorowe, and þou eke; For ouer our hedis ys passage and goyng̘ of peple, and þere shynitℏ the sonne in here clerenesse, and solas þer is y-had; and þou and I buþ here in perpetuel derkenesse, In so mocℏ þat I may

not see þe, ne þou me; And þerfore allas! that euer I was bore yn to þis wordle." Thenne spake the childe to his moder, "sucℏ Ioye or sucℏ liȝt as þou spekist of, sawe I neuer, and þerfore I knowe not what it meenytℏ; For here in þis derkenesse I was y-bore, and þerfore if I have mete and drynke y-nowe, it were plesing to me to dwelle here stille, aƚƚ the days of my life. And þerfore, modir, I pray þe, wepe not, but make me solas and comfort, and chere me." In aƚƚ the tyme of this lamentacion̛ bitwene þe moder and þe sone, the emperours stiward stod ouer hire hedys, and hurd, and hadde gret compassion̛ and pite; and went to þe emperour, and knelid, and praide for hire delyueraunce; and the Emperour grantyd his bone, and soo they weer̛ delyuerd, &c.