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

[ LXVI. ] Harl. MS. 7333.

[leaf 199, back, col. 2 (cont'd)]

Story.

Ancelmus regnyd emperour in þe cite of Rome, and he weddid to wife þe kynges doȝter of Ierusalem, þe whicℏ was a faire woman̛, and long dwelte in his company; but she neuer conceyvid, ne brouȝt fortℏ frute, and þerof were lordis gretly hevied

and sory. Happing̘ in a certeyne evenyng̘, as he walkid̛ after his soper in a faire greene, and þoȝte of aƚƚ þe wordle, and specially þat he had noon heyr, And howe þat þe kynge of naplis strongly þerfore noyed him eche ȝere; And so, whenne it was nyȝt, he went to bedde, and tooke a slep, And̛ dremyd this. He sawe the firmament in his most clernesse, and moor̛ cler þan it was wonyd to be, And þe mone was mor̛ pale; and on a party of þe mone was a faire colourid brid, And beside hire stoode too bestis, þe whicℏ norisshid þe brid with hire heete and brethe. Aftir þis come diuerse bestis and briddis fleyng̘, and þei song so swetly, þat þe Emperour was with the song̘ awakid. Thenne on þe morowe þe Emperour hadde gret merveile of þis sweuen̛, and callid to him divinours, and lordis of aƚƚ þe Empire, [leaf 200, col. 1] and saide to hem, "Deere frendis, tellitℏ me what is þe interpretacion̛ of my sweuen̛, and I shaƚƚ wel reward̛ you; And but if ȝe do, ȝe shuƚƚ be dede." And then þai saide, "lord, shewe to vs thi dreme, And we shuƚƚ teƚƚ þe the interpretacion̛ of it." And then þe Emperour tolde hem as is saide before, Fro bigynnyng̘ to endyng̘. And then þei were glad, and with a gret gladnesse spake

to him, and saide, "ser, þis was a goode sweuen̛; For þe firmament þat þou sawe so clere is þe Empire, þe whicℏ hens forward̛ shaƚƚ be in prosperite; The paale mone is þe Emperesse, þe whicℏ hathe conceivid, and for hire conceiving̘ is þe mor̛ discolourid; The litiƚƚ bryd is þe faire sone whom þe Emperesse shaƚƚ bryng̘ fortℏ, when tyme comitℏ; The too bestis ben riche men and wise men, þat shuƚƚ be obedient to thi childe; þe oþer bestis ben oþer folke, þat neuer made homage, And nowe shuƚƚ be subiet to thi sone; The briddis, þat song̘ so swetly, is þe Empire of Rome, þat shaƚƚ ioy of þi childis burtℏ; and, sir, þis is þe interpretacion̛ of your drem." when þe Empresse hurde þis, she was glad y-nowe; and soone she bare a faire sone, and þerof was maade moche ioy. And when þe kyng̘ of Naplis hurde þat, he thowte to him selfe, "I haue longe tyme holdyn̛ werr̛ ayenst þe Emperour, And it may not be but þat it wol be tolde to his sone, when þat he comytℏ to his fuƚƚ Age, howe þat I haue fouȝt aƚƚ my lyfe ayenst his fadir. Ȝe," thowte he, "he is nowe a childe, and it is goode þat I procour for pese, þat I may haue rest of him, when he is in his best, and I in my worste." So he wrote letteres to þe Emperour, for pese to be had; and þe

Emperour seyng̘ þat he dude þat mor̛ for cause of drede than of love, He sent him worde a-ȝen, and saide, þat he wold make him surte of pese, with condicion̛ þat he wold̛ be in his servitute, and ȝelde him homage aƚƚ his life, eche ȝer. Thenne þe kyng̘ callid his conseil, and askid of hem what was best to do; And þe lordis of his kyngdom̛ saide, þat it was goode to folowe þe Emperour in his wiƚƚ. "In þe first ȝe aske of him surte of pese; to þat we say þus, Thowe hast a douȝter, and he hatℏ a sone; late matrimony be maad bytwene hem, And so þer shaƚƚ be good sikirnesse; Also it is goode to make him homage, and ȝelde him rentes." Thenne þe kyng̘ sent worde to þe Emperour, and saide, þat he wolde fulfiƚƚ his wiƚƚ in aƚƚ poyntys, And ȝive his doȝter to his sone in wife, yf þat it were plesing to him. This answere likid wele þe Emperour, but he sent worde aȝen, þat he wolde not assent to matrimony, but if þat his doȝter hadde ben̛ a virgine fro hire natiuite. The king̘ was herewith hiely glad, for his doȝter was sucℏ a cleene virgyn. So letteres were maade of þis couenaunt; and he made a shippe to be ordeyned, to lede his douȝter with a certayne of knyȝtis and ladeys to þe Emperour, to be mareyd̛ with his sone. And whenne þei were in þe shippe, and hadde far passid fro þe londe, þer Rose vp a

gret horribiƚƚ tempest, and draynt aƚƚ þat were in þe ship, except þe mayde. Thenne þe mayde sette aƚƚ hire hope strongly in god̛; & at þe laste, þe tempest sesid; but þer folowid̛ strongly a gret whale, to devowre þis maide. And whenne she sawe þat, she moche dradde; And whan þe nyȝt com, þe maide dredyng̘ þat þe whale wolde haue swolewide þe ship, smot fire at a stone, and hadde gret plente of fire; And as long̘ as þe fire laste, þe whale dorst come no nere, but abowte cockis crowe þe mayde, for gret vexacion̛ þat she hadde with þe tempest, feƚƚ on slepe, and In hire slep þe fire went out; And when it was out, þe whale com nye, and swolewid botℏ þe ship and þe mayde. And when þe mayde felte þat she was in þe wombe of a whale, she smot, and maade gret fire, and greuously wondid þe whale with a litiƚƚ knyfe, In so moche þat he drowe to þe londe, and deyde; For þat is þe kynde, to drawe to the londe when he shaƚƚ dye. And in þis tym̛ þer was an Erle namyd pirius, And he walkid in his disport by þe see, And afore him he sawe þe whale come toward̛ þe lond. He gaderid gre[t] helpe and strengℏt of men; [and] with diuerse instrementis thei smote þe whale in euery party of hym. And when þe dameseƚƚ hurde þe gret strokys, she cryde

with an hye voys, and saide, "Gentiƚƚ siris, havitℏ pite of me, For I am þe dowter of a kyng̘, and a mayde haue y-ben sitℏ I was borne." Whenne þe Erle hurde þis, he merveilid gretly, and openyd þe whale, and tooke out þe dameseƚƚ. Þenne þe maide tolde by ordr̛ how þat she was a kyngys dowter, and howe she loste hire goodis in þe see, And how she sholde be maryed to þe son̛ of the [leaf 200, col. 2] Emperour. And when þe Erle hurde theise wordis, he was glad, and helde þe maide with him a gret while, tiƚƚ tyme þat she was wele confortid̛; And thenne he sent hire solemply to þe Emperour. And whenne he sawe hire comyng̘, and hurde þat she had tribulacions in þe see, he hadde gret compassion̛ for hire in his herte, and saide to hire, "goode dameseƚƚ, þou hast sufferid moche angre for the love of my soone, neuerthelese, if þat þou be worthi to have him, I shaƚƚ sone preve." The Emperour late make iij. vesselles, and þe first was of clene goolde, and fuƚƚ of precious stonys owtewarde, And withinne fuƚƚ of deede bonys; And it had̛ a superscripcion̛ in theise wordis, Thei þat chese me shuƚƚ fynde in me þat þei seruyd̛." The secunde vesseƚƚ was aƚƚ of cleene siluer, and fuƚƚ of precious stonys; and outwarde it had þis superscripsion̛, Thei þat chesitℏ me, shuƚƚ fynde in me þat nature and kynde desiritℏ. And þe thirde vesseƚƚ was of leed, And with inne was fuƚƚ of

precious stonys; And with oute was sette þis scripture, thei þat chese me, shuƚƚ fynde [in] me þat god hatℏ disposid. Theise iij. vessellys tooke þe Emperour, and shewid þe maide, seying̘, "Lo! deer̛ dameseƚƚ, here ben thre worthi vessellys, And if þou chese on of theise, wherein is profit, and owitℏ to be chosyn̛, thenne þou shalt haue my sone to husbonde; And if þou chese þat that is not profitable to þe, ne to noon̛ othir, forsothe þenne þou shalt not haue hym." whenne þe dowter hurde þis, And sawe þe thre vessellys, she lifte vp hire yen̛ to god, and saide, "Thowe, lord, þat knowist aƚƚ thing̘, graunt me þy grace nowe in þe nede of þis tyme, scil. þat I may chese at þis tyme, wherthorowe I may ioy þe sone of þe Emperour, and haue him to husbond." Thenne she byhelde þe first vesseƚƚ, þat was so sotilly maad, and radde þe superscripcion̛; And þenne she thowte, what haue I deservid for to haue so precious a vesseƚƚ, And þoȝ it be neuer so gay with oute, I not howe fowle it is with Inne; so she tolde the Emperour þat she nolde by no way chese þat. Thenne she lokid to þe secunde, þat was of siluer, and radde the superscripcion̛ and thenne she saide, "my nature & kynde askitℏ but dilectacions of þe flessh; Forsothe, ser," quod she,

"and I refuse þis." Thenne she lokid to þe third, þat was of leede, and radde þe superscripcion̛; And then she saide, "Sotℏly, god disposid̛ neuer Iviƚƚ; Forsotℏ þat whicℏ god hatℏ disposid woƚƚ I take and chese." And whenne the Emperour sawe þat, he saide, "goode dameseƚƚ, opyn̛ nowe þat vesseƚƚ and see what þou hast fondyn̛." And when it was openyd, it was fuƚƚ of golde and precious stoonys. And thenne þe Emperour saide to hire aȝen, "Dameseƚƚ, þou hast wisely chosen, and wonne my sone to thyn husbond̛." So þe day was sette of hire bredeale, and gret ioy was maade; and þe sone regnyd̛ after þe decese of þe fadir, the whicℏ maad faire ende. Ad quod nos perducat! Amen.

MORALITE.

Deere frendis, this Emperour is þe fadir of Heuene, þe whicℏ maade man or he tooke flessℏ. The Emperesse, þat conceivid, was þe blissid̛ virgine, þat conceivid̛ by þe Annunciation̛ of þe angiƚƚ. Þe firmament was sette in his most clernesse, scil. þe wordle was liȝtid̛ in aƚƚ his parteys, by þe concepcion̛ of þe Empresse, our lady.

The pale mone was þe state of our lady, liȝtid and shadewid with þe grace of þe holy gost; And not only in þe face, but in aƚƚ þe body of hire was maad faire, and she with childe like as an othir woman̛ wer̛, In so moche þat Iosep wolde priuely haue lefte hire. The litiƚƚ brid, þat passid fro þe syde of þe mone, is our lord ihesu crist, þat was borne at mydnyȝt, And lappid in Clothis, and sette in þe crybbe. The two bestis ben þe oxe and þe asse. The bestis, þat come fro fer parteys, ben þe herdis, to whom þe angiƚƚ saide, Ecce anuncio vobis gaudium magnum, lo! I shew to you a gret ioy. The briddis, þat songe so swetly, ben angelis of hevene, þat song gloria in excelsis Deo. The king̘ that helde suche werre, is mankynd̛, þat was contrarie to god̛, while þat it was in power of þe deviƚƚ, But when our lorde ihesu crist was I-borne, thenne mankynde enclyned to god, and sent for pese to be had, when he tooke baptime, and saide, þat he ȝaf him to god, and forsoke þe deviƚƚ. Nowe þe king̘ ȝafe his douȝter to þe sone of þe Emperour, scil. eche on̛ of vs owe to ȝive to god̛ our soule in matrimonye; for he is redy to Receyve hire to his spouse, As is saide, Osea, Disponsabo eam mihi, I shaƚƚ wedde þe soule to me. But thenne, or þou come to þe palys of hevene, þou most go by a gret see of this wordle, and in þe ship of

good life. Thenne ros vp a gret tempeste, scil. tribulacion̛ of þe wordle, temptacion̛ of flesh, and sugiestion̛ of þe deviƚƚ And so by theise tempestis ben ofte tyme drenchid þe vertuys þat þou tooke in baptime; Neuerthelese þou shalt not faƚƚ out of þe ship or þe boote of charite, If þat þou holde þe in a faste hope, and bileve; For as þe apostiƚƚ seitℏ, Spe salui facti sumus et inpossibile est sine fide salvari, we ben y-savid thorowe goode hope, And it is inpossible to be I-savid with oute goode bileve and feitℏ. The whale, þat folowitℏ, and svitℏ for þe maide, is þe deviƚƚ, þat is abowte nyȝt and day for to kiƚƚ þe sowle. And þerfore late vs smyte fire of charite And of love fro þe ston̛ of crist, whicℏ seiytℏ, Ego sum Lapis angularis, I am a corner stone; and certenly while it is þis, þe deviƚƚ may not noye þe. But many vnwise men doitℏ as dude þe mayde, thei cese, and arn wery of hire goode werkis, and slepitℏ in synne; And when þe deviƚƚ seitℏ þat, he drenchitℏ þe synner in Iviƚƚ thowtis, and Iviƚƚ consenting̘, and Iviƚƚ werkis. And þerfore, if þat þou feele þe in sucℏ life, And so be in þe develis power, do thenne as dude þe mayde, smyte þe deviƚƚ with þe knyfe of penaunce, And liȝte the fire of charite, And withoute dowte he shaƚƚ caste þe to

þe lond of goode life, woƚƚ he neƚƚ he. The Erle, þat come with his seruauntis to sle þe whale, is a discrete confessour, þat dwellitℏ biside þe see, scil. biside þe wordle, and not in þe wordle, scil. in wordly dilectacion̛; And he with his wordis of holy scripture shaƚƚ sle þe deviƚƚ, and do away his power, and deliuer him fro þe deviƚƚ, so þat he cry as dude þe dameselle, scil. by confession̛, And thenne he may be norisshid by goode werkys, and so be sent to þe kingdom̛ of hevene. The Emperour shewid̛ to þe dameseƚƚ iij. vessellis, scil. god settitℏ afore a man life and dethe, goode an[d] Iviƚƚ, And þat that he woƚƚ chese, he shaƚƚ haue. And þerfore salomone seiytℏ this, Ante hominem mors et vita; quod placuerit dabitur ei, ymmo nescimus si digni sumus vita vel morte, Afore a man lietℏ bothe life and [dethe], þat that likitℏ him he shaƚƚ haue, but we knowe not whedir that we ben worthi life or detℏ. And þerfore saide a certayne saynt, in vitis patrum, this in verse,

Sunt tria que bereMe faciunt sepe dolereEst primum durum,Quoniam scio me moriturum; Est magis addendoMoriar, set nescio quando,Ende magis flebo,Quia nescio quo remanebo.This is to say,

Thre thinges ben, in fay, That makith me to sorowe all may:On is þat I shalle henne;An othir, I not neuer when;The thirde is my most care,I wot not whethir I shall fare.

Secundum illud in vitas patrum, Ther ben iij. thingis þat I drede; On is, þat I shaƚƚ passe; anoþer is, I not when, and come afor̛ þe dome;

The third is, I not whedir þe sentence shaƚƚ go for me or aȝenst me. By þe furst vesseƚƚ, þat was fuƚƚ of deede bonys, vs most vndirstonde þe þat þe [sic] wordle, or wordly men,—And whi? For riȝt as þe vesseƚƚ was shynyng̘ withoute, and with Inne was but dede bonys, so it is by þe myȝty men and riche men of þis wordle, þat hatℏ golde, and goodis shynyng̘ly, and havitℏ hire werkis dorke, and deede by dedly synnys. And þerfore, man, if þou chese sucℏ a vessel, scil. sucℏ a life, certenly þou shalt fynde then þat þou [leaf 200, back, col. 2] deservedist scil. Helle; And sucℏ may be likenyd to faire sepulcris, þe whicℏ ben maade faire withoute, And rially ornyd with precious clothing̘ of silke and of palle, And with Inne ben nothing̘ but deede bonys. By þe secunde vesseƚƚ, þat was of siluer, we vndirstond̛ þe myȝty iuges of this wordle, þe whicℏ in hire speche shynytℏ lyke siluer, And is not but a worme or erthe, scil. shaƚƚ not yn þe day of doome ben mor̛ wortℏ þan wormys, or ellis worse, for if þei dey in synne, thei shuƚƚ haue perpetueƚƚ peyne. And sucℏ is sette afore our yen; But god defende vs, þat we take no sucℏ life, þat we leese not þerfore þe life þat is euerlastyng̘! And by þe thirde vesseƚƚ, þat is of leede, we shuƚƚ vndirstonde simple life, whicℏ þat þe chosyn̛ childryn of god chesitℏ, þat þei mowe be weddid to ihesu crist In a simple Abyt;

And sucℏ fynditℏ and havitℏ precious stonys, scil. merytory werkes, plesing to god, for þe whicℏ þei shuƚƚ in þe day of̘ dome be weddid to god, and haue þe heritage of hevene. Ad quam nos perducat &c. Amen.