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

[ Second Version. XXX. ]Addit. MS. 9066.

[leaf 44]

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.

¶ Declaracio.

Dere Frendes, this Emperour is oure lord̛ Ihesu crist; The fadir is eche cristen̛ man; the Empresse is holy chirche. But ofte sithes the sone, that is, an eveƚƚ cristene man, [is] froward̛ and contrary to god̛, for he obeyetℏ not the comaundement. he asketℏ of holy chirche yf he be verrely his sone; and holy chirche aunsweretℏ, and seitℏ, "ye, sir, of me he toke baptyme, and therefore he is his sone." ¶ Crist by prelates and prechours

enformetℏ vs, that we shuld̛ leve synne, and that we be not contrarie to his preceptes; but he speketℏ to vs, and seitℏ turne to me, thou synnefuƚƚ wrecche, and I shaƚƚ take the. but the synfuƚƚ man wille not bow, for wordes ne for betynges; ¶ wherfore our lord̛ Ihesu ledetℏ hym in to deserte, that is, for his synne Adam, the first Fadir, was take out of paradice in to deserte of this world̛, and bare witℏ hym the swerd̛ of goddes rightwisenesse, that is, that he shold̛ dye for synne that he had̛ done; for yf synne had̛ not be done, dethe shold̛ not have ben̛. Now hathe the sone the swerd̛ of power, by the whiche the sone of god̛ shuld̛ dye; as it is written̛, thou shuld̛ not have power in me, but yf it were yeven to the fro above. ¶ O! how many are yit that crucifien̛ crist by her synne! ¶ Do þou therfore as the Emperours sone did̛; Cast fro the the swerd̛ of wikkednesse, and knele, that is, meke the, in the way of penaunce, and afore god, thou shalt fynde grace; and so in pease thou shalt ende thi lyf, and purchace the everlastyng kyngdome of heven. to the whiche bryng vs he, that for oure synne dyed̛ on the roode! Amen.