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

MORALITEE.

DEre Frendes, this Emperoure is þe Fadir of hevene; that ordeynid̛ for a lawe, that childerin shulde honour and̛ worshipe hir Faderis & hir moderis, and̛ sustene hem. but who is thi fadir, and whoo is thi moder? Certeinly Crist is our̛ fader̛, For he hathe to vs a fadirlye affeccion̛, and̛ not [leaf 189, back, col. 1] a modirly; For ye knowe welle, þat yf a childe forfete or Trespasse, þe fadir wolle sternely Repreve him, bete him & scorge him, but the modir tretithe him liȝtly and̛ swetlye. and̛ so Criste wolle suffre vs to be turmentid̛, angrid̛, & bete for oure defavtis, as oure principaƚƚ fadir; & þere for̛ hit is seyde in Deuto. Nuncquid non ipse est pater tuus, qui possedit te, & fecit, & creauit te? This is to seye, Wheþere is not he thi fadir, that owithe þe, & made the, & shope the? scil. Crist, the punyssher̛. Bute thy modir is þe worlde, that bihotithe to the swetnesse & dilectabilities. Now oure fader yede a pilgrimage, as is mencion̛ made in þe Ps. Extraneus Factus sum fratribus meis, This is to seye, I am̛ made a straunger to my bretherin. Now Criste is I-bounde, scorgid̛, and̛ crossid̛ not in him selfe, but in his membris; and̛ þerefore seithe the Apostle, Ad hebreos, Quicunque est in mortali peccato, iacet in Carcere diaboli, This is to seye, Who so euer be in dedely synne, he is in presone of the devil. and̛ þerefore oure fadir wolde, that we shuld̛ goo, and̛ by the thraldom̛, scil.by doinge of the vij. werkis of mercy, also go and preche, & shew þe kyngdom̛ of god̛. and̛ þerby thow may become the childe of criste,

for who so euer prechithe fructuovslye the worde of god̛, he winithe þe fadir, and biyiþ crist; for he seithe, Quod vni ex minimis meis fecistis, michi fecistis, This is to seye, Þat ye doþ to þe leste of myne, ye dothe to me. but the modir, scil. þe worlde, letithe not a man̛ folowe crist in pouerte, & in oþer gode werkes; but he seithe to man̛, "I may not live, yf that thow chese, and go þe weye of penaunce, & folowe criste, that was por̛." And̛ this moder is blynde, and̛ makithe oþere blynde also; and̛ seithe Eche day to men̛, "Come to me, I am present to the; & late vs vse goodis, & strengithe, & fairhed̛." but, dere frend̛, yf that thow be a goode kynde childe to god̛, thow wolte avnswer̛ þus, "the fyrste partie is but of the fadir, & the secounde of the modir; the soule is hiȝt to god̛, & the body to the worlde, scil. Erthe. & þerfor̛ do not aftir the worlde, ne abide not age, vnpower, or blyndnesse, for the oblacion̛ that thowe wolde make þenne is the lesse acceptable to god̛; and̛ triste not to the worlde by no wey, For thenne he wolle desceyve the as thin Enmye, [leaf 189, back, col. 2] but go to Crist, and̛ thenne thow shalt have euirlastinge lyf. Amen̛!