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

[As the next Story appears also in the Second Version of the Gesta, Additional MS. 9066, British Museum, this latter text is printed, solid, under that from Harleian MS. 7333, and has been collated with MS. Kk I. 6, in the University Library, Cambridge. The various readings are shown in the footnotes.]

EMPERATOR BETOLDUS.
(OF THE WOMAN WHO WAS IMPRISONED FOR ADULTERY, TOGETHER WITH HER INFANT SON. )

[ V. ] Harl. MS. 7333.

Story.

Betoldus regnyd a wis Emperoure yn þe Cyte of Rome; þe whicℏ ordeynyd for a lawe, that euery woman þat tooke an oþer man than hire husbond̛, þat þei shuld be put to perpetueƚƚ prison̛. There was a knyȝt hadde a faire wife, þat tooke an oþer vndir him, and in avowtry was with childe; and þerfore by the lawe þis woman̛ was [leaf 152, back, col. 2] demyd to perpetuaƚƚ prison̛, In þe whicℏ prison̛ sche broȝte fortℏ, and bare a faire childe, a sone. This child wex vnto the age of vij ȝere. The lady his modir vsitℏ euery day gretly to sorowe and to wepe. In a day þis childe sawe his moder wepe; he spake to hire, and seide, "Modir, why wepist þou? teƚƚ me þe cause of þi sorowing̘." "A! deer̛ sone," quoþ she, "I have gret cause to sorowe, and þou eke; For ouer our hedis ys passage and goyng̘ of peple, and þere shynitℏ the sonne in here clerenesse, and solas þer is y-had; and þou and I buþ here in perpetuel derkenesse, In so mocℏ þat I may

not see þe, ne þou me; And þerfore allas! that euer I was bore yn to þis wordle." Thenne spake the childe to his moder, "sucℏ Ioye or sucℏ liȝt as þou spekist of, sawe I neuer, and þerfore I knowe not what it meenytℏ; For here in þis derkenesse I was y-bore, and þerfore if I have mete and drynke y-nowe, it were plesing to me to dwelle here stille, aƚƚ the days of my life. And þerfore, modir, I pray þe, wepe not, but make me solas and comfort, and chere me." In aƚƚ the tyme of this lamentacion̛ bitwene þe moder and þe sone, the emperours stiward stod ouer hire hedys, and hurd, and hadde gret compassion̛ and pite; and went to þe emperour, and knelid, and praide for hire delyueraunce; and the Emperour grantyd his bone, and soo they weer̛ delyuerd, &c.

MORALITE.

Seris, þis Emperour is þe Fadir of hevene, þat ordeynyd a lawe, that if ony woman̛, &c. scil. If ony sowle, þe whicℏ is spouse of

god, trespassid in avowtrye, scil. In eny dedly synne, Thenne hit schuld̛ be demyd to perpetuel prison̛ of heƚƚ. And þerfore, þou soule, if þou trespace in ony dedly synne aȝen þe wiƚƚ of þi lord god, þi spouse, þorȝ whicℏ synne þou art dampnabiƚƚ in to sucℏ a prison̛, Thenne behovitℏ the gretly to sorowe and wepe, For þou art þanne a-sundrid fro þe liȝt, and fro þe glorie of hevene above þine hed̛. The sone þat seitℏ, as long as I may have mete and drinke y-nowe, bitokenitℏ þe Riche and þe myȝty wordly man̛ of þis wordle, þe whicℏ in hire hertis, when prelatis and prechours spekitℏ to hem euerlasting liȝt and Ioye of hevene, thei sey, "Ȝe, þe whilis we may be heere, and have sucℏ solas and comfort as we have, we sette not bye oþer hevene, ne rekke we how long we bide in sucℏ derkenesse of synne, and of thraldom;" and þat is gretly to be sorowid. This stiward, þat heritℏ this lamentacion̛, ys our lord, that heritℏt the priueteis of [leaf 153, col. 1] our hertys, and lovitℏ contricion̛ for synnes. What doith he? He goitℏt to þe Fadir of hevene, and praitℏ for vs to be loosid fro þe hard blynde hertis, In so mocℏ,

that if we woƚƚ vs selfe be deliveryd̛ out of prison̛, we mow, And come to euerlastinge blisse, and þe liȝt above, Ad quam nos et vos perducat, &c.

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

[leaf 8]

Story.

Betaldus in the Citee of Rome reigned̛, a fuƚƚ wise man; that made a law, that what woman that [omitted] were wedded̛, and were take in avowtrye, her husbond̛ livyng, She shuld̛ be take, and put into [in] perpetueƚƚ prison̛. ¶ There was that tyme a knyght, that had̛ a right faire wyf̘, that did̛ avowtry, and was with childe, ¶ wherfor, after the law, she was put *into [done in] prison̛; and *ther she was, and the child̛ also, [and when tyme come, she had a fayre sone in the prisone, and there the child was.] tille he come to the [omitted] age of vij.; [vij. zere] and the modir every day wept, and sorowed̛ bitterly. ¶ The child̛, whan he saw his modir so wepe and sorow, he said̛ to her, "O! modir, whi wepe ye, and for what cause are ye so sorye?" ¶ The modir said̛, "O! my swete sone, a grete cause have I *so to sorow, [to wepe] and thou also; ffor above oure hede there [omitted] is a [a grete] transite of men, and there the sonne shynetℏ [is shynyng] in his clerte, and aƚƚ solace is there, [omitted] and we are [are here] in a contynueƚƚ

derknesse, so grete, that thou may not se me, ne I the. Allas! allas! that ever I was conseived̛ of my modir̛." ¶ The sone [childe] said̛, "O! swete modir, suche a [omitted] Ioye and lyght as ye speke of saw I never̛, ne perseived̛, for I was born̛ here in this derke prison̛; but [for] while I have here [omitted] , plente of mete and drynk̘, it pleasetℏ me wele to live here aƚƚ my lyf-tyme. And therefor̛, modir, wepe not, but shew me solace, and so shaƚƚ I shew [omitted] to you." ¶ While this lamentacion̛ [wemytacion] was made bitwene the modir and the sone, The Steward̛ of the Emperour stode over [aboue] her hedes, and herd̛ her wordes; and whan he had̛ herd̛ her *wordes, and her [omitted] lamentacion̛, he had̛ rewthe on hem, and went vnto [to] the Emperour̛, and kneled̛, [knelyd on his kne] and praied̛ for the modir and the sone, that thei myght be delivered̛ out of prison̛. ¶ The Emperour, that was mercyfuƚƚ, graunted̛ that thei shuld̛ be delyvered̛, So that yf the woman trespassed̛, *efte sones, [eft sone] her̛ payn̛ shuld̛ [shalle] be dowbled̛. and so thei were delyuered̛, and the woman lived̛ holilye [holyly afterwarde] aƚƚ her lyf-time, and ended̛ in pease.

Declaracio.

Frendes, this Emperour is the Fadir of heven̛, that made this law, that yf a wedded̛ woman, that is, the soule, the whiche

is goddes wyf̘, do dedly synne, [she] shaƚƚ everlastyngly be take to the prison̛ of helle, yf she dye in dedly synne, and wille not amende her. ¶ Wherfor, yf thi soule have done avowtrye ayenst god̛, that is, dedely [leaf 8, back] synne, grete cause of sorowyng thou hast, For thou art departed̛ from the light and the Ioye of heven̛. ¶ The sone, that said̛, "while I have plente of mete and drynk̘," By hym are vndirstonde thise grete worldly men, that whan thei here speke of the grete light and blisse of heven̛, thei make no force, for they have here welfare and likyng of the world̛; ¶ And also men of holy chirche, whan thei preche of holy chirche, and of the grete glorie and blisse that is in heven̛; And some say as the sone said̛, ¶ "Have we plente of metes and drynkes, and solace of the world̛ in aƚƚ thyng, we desire no thyng of the Ioye of heven̛." ¶ Thise ben heretikes, of hem that saiden̛, that is gretly to sorow. The Steward̛, that herd̛ the lamentacion̛ of the modir and of her sone, Is oure lord̛ Ihesu crist in heven̛ above vs, that knowetℏ aƚƚ oure wordes, and aƚƚ oure werkes, and the lest thought of oure herte; ¶ And whan he heretℏ the lamentacion̛ that we make for our synne, he hathe rewthe and compassion̛ of vs, and lovetℏ mekeƚƚ that we have contriccion̛ of oure synne. ¶ Than he gotℏ to his fadir, and besely praietℏ, that we may be delyvered̛ out

of prison̛ of synne, yf we wille; And so it folowitℏ we shaƚƚ have the everlastyng light and Ioye and blisse of heven̛. To the whiche brynge vs aƚƚ the mercifuƚƚ lord̛ and pacient lord̛ Ihesu crist! Amen.