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

MORALITE.

Deere frendis, þis Emperour is þe deviƚƚ, þat tooke a wyfe, scil. wickydnesse, of whom he hatℏ bygete mony sonys and doȝtris. And he ordenyd for a lawe, that eche woman̛, scil. flessℏ, after tyme þat it were clensid̛ fro synne, shulde write in þe dore of his herte some notable thing̘ þat plesid to þe deviƚƚ. And what is þat? Certenly þis it is, þat þoȝ a synner shryve him of aƚƚ his synnes, ȝit þe devel couetitℏ þat he holde withinne him wiƚƚ and purpose of synnyng̘; and þat is aȝenst þe word̛ of saynt petir, Sicut canis ad vomitum, ita homo ad peccatum, qui iterat vias suas ad vomitum. He likenitℏ and seiytℏ, þat þe synner þat turnitℏ aȝene to his synne and to his Ivel weyis, he may be likenid̛ to an hound þat turnitℏ aȝen to his vomyt. The Emperesse wrot in the dore of þe hertis of synnerys, Rex sum regens, et meus est totus mundus, I am gouernyng̘ þe wordle, and aƚƚ þe wordle is myn̛, scil. aƚƚ my hert is in þe wordle, and not to god̛. The lady, þat ȝede after to chirche with melodeys, is a man þat goitℏ with goode [leaf 198, back, col. 1] vertuys, And not only to

be purified̛ of his synnes, but neuer to turne to hem aȝen. And̛ þerfore he writitℏ in þe dore of his herte, Infans, &c. She is an infaunt, towchyng̘ synnes and synnyng̘, Hanging̘ at þe pappis of feitℏ and of hoope, The whicℏ ben two pappis of the cristyn man, by þe whicℏ he may drawe out melke of goode vertuys; And withoute vertuys, and withoute feitℏ, it is vnpossible þat a man̛ shaƚƚ be safe. But whenne the Emperesse, scil. wickydnesse of þe deviƚƚ, hatℏ envie to sucℏ a man, and seyitℏ, "Þou shalt norissℏ me ij Childeryn̛," scil. ij. serpentis, By theise serpentis we vndirstond̛ pruyd of and wrong̘ couetise of flessℏ; For þe whicℏ two of[t]e tyme a man deyitℏ. And þerfore late vs euer be abowte so to plese our god, þat we mowe come to þe blisse of hevene, &c.