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

Story.

CEsar in the Citee of Rome reigned̛, a fuƚƚ wise man, that toke a *faire maiden̛ [right fayre mayde] to wyf̘, the kynges doughtir of Sire, by the whiche he had̛ a fulle faire childe. ¶ The child̛, [whan he] [supplied from Cambridge MS]

was come to a [omitted] lawfuƚƚ age, he made sleightes and wyles, how he myght put his Fadir to dethe. the fadir mervailed̛ gretly [grete] of the sone, and went to the Empresse, and praied̛ her to telle hym, wheþer he were his sone, and goten̛ of hym. ¶ She herd̛ this, and was gretly greved̛, that he asked̛ suche a thyng of her. she affermed̛ witℏ an othe, that she was never knowen̛ of none [omitted] other man but of hym, and that he was his Fadir, and he is thi [omitted] lawfuƚƚ sonne. ¶ The Emperour herd̛ this, and mekely spake to his sone, and said̛, "O! good̛ sone, I am thi Fadir, that gate the, and [by me] [supplied from Cambridge MS] thou come into this world̛, by way of generacion̛, and thou shalt be myn̛ heire. why woldest thou sle me? and I have norisshed̛ the, and aƚƚ that is myn̛ is thyn̛. I pray the, cease the of thi [this] wikkednesse, and sle me not, for yf [and if] thou do, it is to the a [omitted] grete synne afore god̛." ¶ The sone toke [no] [supplied from Cambridge MS] hede to his Fadirs saiyng, but fro day to day his malice encreased̛; and strengthed̛ hym aƚƚ way to sle his fadir. ¶ Whan the Fadir sawe this, he went into a deserte place,

and ledde witℏ hym his sone, beryng a swerd̛ in his hond̛; and toke it to his sone, and said̛, "My sone, slee me here, for here is a prive place, and lesse sclaundre shaƚƚ be to the here to slee me, than in other [another] place." ¶ The sone herd̛ this, and anon̛ cast the swerd̛ from hym; and kneled̛ before his fadir mekely I-noughe, and asked̛ hym [omitted] mercy, Saiyng, to *hym, "have mercy on me [his fader "A! fader, have mercy on me, have mercy on me] , for I have synned̛, and do to me from hens forward̛ as it liketℏ the." ¶ Anon̛ the Fadir kissed̛ hym, and was right glad̛; and lad̛ hym witℏ hym to [home to] his paleys. and aftir the dethe of the fadir, the sone reigned̛; and so in pease [leaf 44, back] and rest he [omitted] ended̛ his lyf̘.