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

MORALITE.

Deere frendis, þis Emperour is þe fadir of Hevene. The poore man, þat is so avauncyd, is þe poore man comyng̘ out of his moder wombe, and avauncyd heer̛ to wordly richesses and possessions; and þerfore saietℏ þe Psalm, De stercore erigens pauperem vt sedat cum principibus, He resede þe poore man fro filtℏede and tordis, and to sette him among̘ princis. And so þer ben many þat ben þis auauncyd. And thenne thei neythir knowe god ne hem selfe; they make diuerse and depe diches, scil. malice and wickidnesse aȝenst þe poore, in þe whicℏ þe deuel ofte tyme makitℏ hem selfe to faƚƚ; And þerfore it is y-rad þus, Qui foueam fecit alteri, sepe incidit in eam, He þat makitℏ a dicℏ to an othir, ofte tyme fallitℏ þerInne him selfe; And þat shewid wele by Mardoche. And þe man Gwido, þat goitℏ in þe forest with his asse for wode, is eche riȝtwisman̛, þat goitℏ in þe forest of this wordle, and gaderitℏ merytorie werkis; and he makitℏ his asse. scil. his body, bere hem, by the whiche þe soule may be glorified in þe blisse of hevene; and so he finditℏ his wife. scil. his conscience, and his childeryn̛, scil. vertuys. And in the dicℏ of þe stiward̛ fallitℏ a lion̛, an ape, and a serpent; and so ofte tyme fallitℏ þe lion̛ in þe kynrede of Iude, scil. god with a synner, as ofte tyme as he is redy to ȝive him grace; and

þerof seiytℏ dauid þe prophete, Cum ipso sum in tribulacione, &c. I am with þe synfuƚƚ, seiytℏ god bi his prophet here, in his tribulacion̛. Gwido drowe out þe lion̛, scil. þe riȝtwisman̛ drawitℏ out by þe corde of vertuys. Also he drowe out an ape, scil. þe wiƚƚ, contrary to reson̛, scil. whan it is maade obedient to reson̛, for among̘ aƚƚ bestis þe ape is most likenyd to a man̛, and so wiƚƚ, among̘ aƚƚ powers of þe soule, it is most specially to be licnyd to reson̛, scil. to assent and drawe vnto him. Also he drowe out a serpent, scil. penaunce, and þat for ij. skelis; The serpent beritℏ in his tunge medecyn̛, and in his taile venym̛; And so penaunce is bitter an[d] soor̛ pricking to þe doer, but it is a swete medecyn̛ for þe soule; and þerfore ecℏ man þat is riȝtℏwisse, owitℏ for to drawe vnto þe serpent of̘ penaunce. Also at þe laste he drowe vp þe stiward̛; And so doitℏ a riȝtwisman̛ or a saynt; he oftyn̛ tyme drawitℏ a man fro þe dicℏ of synne by goode ensampelis. And þat we see by ensampiƚƚ of crist, Non veni vocari iustos, set peccatores, Crist saietℏ, I com not to clepe riȝtℏwismen̛, but sinfuƚƚ men̛ to penaunce. And so dude seneca; he tauȝte Nero, the [leaf 199, back, col. 2] Emperour, mocℏ profit an[d] goode, But at þe laste he dude as a wickyd tiraunt, For he made seneca, his maister, do be slayne. Also crist ȝafe power to Iudas for to do miracℏis, as

he dude to othir apostolis, but in þe end̛ he betraid crist; and so it is nowe a days, For late many men̛ þat dreditℏ hire god teche foolis þe sothe, and doctrine of heltℏ, The foolis ȝelditℏ to hem aȝen scorne, and Iviƚƚ for goode. but þe lion̛ ȝelditℏ x. assis chargid with Marchandise, scil. crist shal ȝeve to þe riȝtwisman̛ x. commaundementys, chargid with diuerse vertuys, by þe whicℏ he may come to be richesse of þe kyngdom of hevene. Also þe Ape gaderitℏ wode, scil. a man, as ofte as he doitℏ dedis of charite, and þat is to gadr̛ to-gedir wode; and it is likenyd to wode for þis skile, for wode servitℏ for too profitis [MS. has 'pfitis' = 'perfitis'] , scil. to belding̘, and to fyre. So dede of charite is not only plesing̘ to man, but also to þe angelis of hevene; and þerfore it is saide þis, Magis gaudium est angelis dei super vno peccatore penitenciam agente, quam super nonaginta nouem iustos non indigentes penitencia, Hit is mor̛ ioy to þe angelis of god of oo synner doing penaunce, Than it is of Nyenty and nyne iuste men̛ mañ [sic] that neditℏ no penaunce. Also charite makitℏ redy the house of heuene for þe sowle. Also þe serpent ȝaf hym a stoone, y-colourid with threfolde colour. This stoone is crist, for skile þat we mowe by penaunce plese hym; And þerfore seiytℏ Ierome, Penitencia est secunda tabula post naufragium, Penaunce is the secunde table after naufragie. And þat crist hym selfe is a stoon, he shewitℏ an[d]

affermitℏ him selfe, saying̘, Ego sum lapis viuus, I am a quik stone; and þe stone, scil. crist, is colourid with a threfold colour, scil. with mygℏt of þe fader, with wisdom̛ of þe soone, and with grace of þe holy gost. And dowteles he þat hatℏ this stoone shaƚƚ haue habundaunce with owte defaute, ioy with oute hevynesse, and liȝt with oute derkenesse, in þe kyngdom̛ of heuene. And þis stoone, scil. crist, is so precious, þat he may not be solde for siluer and gold̛e, for with þe riȝtwisman he shaƚƚ euer abyde and dwelle. And þerfor howe shuƚƚ we mowe haue him? Certenly by wey of penaunce, and not by an othir way; and þerfore saiytℏ Augustinus, Venale habeo regnum celeste, I haue þe kyndom̛ of heuene to selle. And howe is þat bouȝt? Certenly by penaunce; and if we do so we shuƚƚ not as þe stiward̛ be hongid̛ in helle, but we shuƚƚ be sekir of þe heritage of heuene, as ben riȝtwismen. Ad quod nos ducat &c.