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

[ LII. ]
PROTHEUS WAS AN EMPEROURE.
(OF A SON WHO LEFT HIS MOTHER IN ORDER TO RESCUE HIS FATHER FROM CAPTIVITY.)Harl. MS. 7333.

[leaf 189, col. 1 (cont'd)]

Story.

PRotheus Reignid an Emperoure in the citee of Rome; and̛ he ordeynid̛ for a lawe, that childerin̛ shulde sustene her̛ faderis in al maner of Nede, scil. yf that theye wer̛ of power̛ there to, or Richer̛ þan̛ hir faderis. Fel cas, that ther was a knyȝt namid̛ andronicus, and̛ he had̛ a faire gentil woman̛ to wyf, þe whiche conseyuid̛ of him, & bare him a sonne. The childe throfe, and̛ wel was

I-lovid̛ a-monge al men̛, for he was gracious in beholdinge. Hit happid̛, the knyȝt went on̛ pilgrimage, and̛ felle amonge thevis; and̛ þer he was cruely taken, & bounde; and̛ thenne he wepte, & saide, "alas! for what shalle I nowe do, for nowe I am presonyd̛ in a derke presoune, a-monge straungeres." And̛ as he was in making of his lamentacion̛, ther come to him a wyse man, and̛ saide, "der̛ frende, hast thowe not at home no wyf, nor childe?" "yis, sir," quod̛ he, "I have a wyf, & oo childe." "soþely," seide that oþer, "thenne I counsaille the, that thow write to thi wyf, & to thi childe, for thy Redempcion̛, seing that the law of the Emperour is swiche, that the childerin̛ owithe to sustene and̛ Releve hir faderis, in hir grete nedes; and̛ þerefor̛ sey to thi childe, that sithen he is thi childe, that he nowe helpe the; and̛ saye to thi wyf, that she socoure the in thi wrecchidnes, sithe ye bethe bothe oo fleshe." the knyȝt wrote letteris in this forme to the wyfe, & to the sone; and̛ whenne the wyf hadde sen̛ the letteris, she wepte so sor̛, that she was blynde for weping. And̛ the sone in the same maner made sorowe [leaf 189, col. 2] as muche as he myght ber̛, & saide to his moder, "A! der̛ moder, now is woo to yow I-nowe; neuer the les I wolle go, and̛ deliuer my fadir." "Nay," quod̛ the moder, "thow shaƚƚ not go, for thow art my Ioye, & my solas; and yf thow leve me be my self, hit wolle be cause of my dethe. And̛ also hit may happin withe the by the way, as hit is withe thi fadre; & so hit shulde be to me doble confucion̛ & woo. [Thow] hadde lever," quod̛ she, "deliuer thi fadir out of presoune, than̛ to norishe me & helpe me in my nedes, Sithen I have norishid̛ þe fro þe begynnyng of thi birthe; and̛ þerfor þow shalt abide at home witℏ me, for yf thowe go, I am but dede. & knowist thow not welle, that yf eny thinge be yevin̛ to two simplely, and̛ that on̛ be take or dede, al is in the powr̛ of him or hir̛ that is present?" thenne saide he, "modir, I her̛ thi wordes welle." þenne saide she, "thowe wot wel, & specialli I wote hit welle, that thow arte his sonne and myn̛ eke, for out of my wombe þou passediste. Now þin fadir is absent, & I am̛ present; þenne I conclude by goode probacion̛, that þow owist not to go from̛ me to thi fadir." Thenne spake þe sone, and̛ saide, "A! der̛ modir, thow

I be thi sonne, yit my fadir is cause of my generacion̛ in principaƚƚ, as thow erte of my conseyvinge; & my fadir yede in pilgrimage, and̛ thow dwellist at home. now he is takyn̛, & made soget to his Enmyes, & þou art free; So he dwellithe amonge his Enmyes, and̛ thowe a monge thi frendes; he liggithe strongli I-bounde, and̛ thow ert los. And̛ neuertheles thow erte blynde, and̛ he hathe no light but cheynis, and̛ woundes, & wrecchidnesses; and̛ soþely þere for̛ I wolle go to him, & deliuer him oute." And̛ so hit was don̛ in dede; and̛ al men̛ þere for̛ lovid̛ him, & commendid̛ his vertues, þat so deliuerid̛ his fadir fro barette.

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!