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

[ LVII. ]
ALEXANDIR AN EMPEROURE.
(HOW ALEXANDER KILLED A BASILISK THAT HAD DESTROYED A GREAT PART OF HIS ARMY.)Harl. MS. 7333.

Story.

[leaf 192, back, col. 1]

Alexandir was a myȝti Emperour̛ in the citee of Rome, þe whiche bisegid̛ a citee of þe kynges of Egipte; in tyme of whiche besegeing̘ he loste many knyghtes, and̛ men̛ of his hoste; and̛ that withe owtin wounde, he knew not howe; but sodenly euery day the[y] fille downe dede. Alexandir hadde her of grete wonder, & grete hevinesse þerwithe; and̛ þerefor̛ he lete be browte to him wyse philesophris, that wer̛ wyse & experte in diuerse siens, & he saide to hem, "goode maisteres, I pray yow shewithe me yovr̛ witte, & tellithe me how it is, that my men̛ þus deyithe sodenlye, withoute eny stroke or hurtyng̘." "sir," quod̛ on̛, "hit is no mervayle, for ther̛ is a cocautrice withe in the walle; and̛ as ofte tyme as she hathe enye syght of youre men̛, þei bethe dede, thorowe the venyme that passithe from̛ hir syght." Þenne saide Alexandir, "Is þer no Remedy a-yenste that sorye beste?" "yis," quod̛ they, "a goode Remedye. late sette a bright myrrour wel I-polyshid̛ betwene your host and̛ the cockatrice; and̛ thenne, whenne she wolle loke forthe, she shalle loke in the glas, & hir owne beholdyng shalle bowe & passe to hir ayene; & she shalle be deseyuid̛, and̛ dye, & oure men shul be savid̛ fro dethe." Þe Emperour didde in dede as the philesophir conseilid̛ him; and̛ so anoon̛ whenne þe myrrour was I-sette vp, þe cockautrice was slayne, & þey entrid̛ into þe citee, & whonne hit.

MORALITEE.

DEre Frendes, this Emperoure may welle be callid̛ Eche Cristin man̛, that hatℏ an host to-geder of vertuys; for with oute the host of vertuys may no man̛ fyȝte gostly. The sitee, that

we owe to be-sege abowte, is þe worlde, in the whiche is an̛ hie castelle, scil. Vanitas vanitatum, þis is to seye, Vanite of vanytes; & in the walle, scil. vanite, is a cokautrice, scil. pryde of lyfe; wronge covetise of yen̛, and̛ wronge covetise of fleshe; and̛ thorow this pryde bethe vnnumberable peple in-fecte and̛ dede, in euerlastinge dethe. And̛ þere for̛ ther is a goode Remedye, scil. to considre thin owne foulnesse, howe that þou nakid̛ entredist into the worlde, & with what kynne cloþ þou ert I-cladde in̛ þin endyng. Yf enye man̛ askithe wherfore & whie a proude man̛ deyethe þerefor̛ euerlastingely? sothely hit is for the host of vertues failithe; and̛ þerfor̛ I saye, sete [leaf 192, back, col. 2] vp a cler̛ myrrour, scil. an holy conscien̄s, & by that consciens considre thi foulenesse, febilnesse, & fragilitee, and̛ so thow shalt see thin owne faute. & þenne, yf the cocautrice be destroyed̛, scil. pryde of lyfe, wronge covetise of yen̛, and̛ wronge covetise of fleshe, certenlye þou shalt entre, & wynne the citee off hevene, &c.