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

¶ Declaracio.

Frendes, this Emperour̛ is the fadir of heven̛, that longe before the sone toke flesshe, for the whiche many perisshed̛, in as mekeƚƚ as thei went to helle before the Incarnacion̛ of Ihesu crist. ¶ The Empresse, that conseivid̛ a sone, is blissed̛

mary. The firmament, that was put in more clerenesse, Illumynetℏ the world̛ by concepcion̛ of goddes sone. The pale mone is the face of the blissed̛ virgyne mary, that was shadowed̛ witℏ the holy gost. ¶ The liteƚƚ bridde, that went out of the one partie, forsothe is crist. The ij. bestes were the Oxe and the Asse. The bestes, that come from ferre countre, are the herdemen, to the whiche the Aungeƚƚ seid̛, ¶ "Behold̛, I shew to you grete Ioye, for this day is born̛ the savyour of the world̛." ¶ The briddes, that songe so swetly, are the aungels of god̛, that songen̛, Ioye be to god̛ above and pease to men, of good̛ wille in the erthe. ¶ The kyng of pule is aƚƚ mankynd̛, that whan he was in the power of the fend̛, man was contrarye to god̛. ¶ But whan our lord̛ was born̛, anon̛ man enclyned̛ to god̛, and sente for to have pease, whan eche of vs asketℏ [leaf 26, back] baptyme. ¶ Also the kyng yaf̘ his doughtir to the sone of the Emperour̛ in Matrymonye. So crist is redy to take thi soule to his spouse, but before or thou come to the paleys of heven̛, thou

behovest to passe the see of this world̛, in a bote of holy lyf̘. but whan thou art in thi bote, there arisetℏ a grete tempest, that is, tribulacion̛ of the world̛, temptacion̛ of the flessℏ, and suggestion̛ of the fende, that drownetℏ ofte sithes the vertues *and the grace that thou resceivest in thi baptyme; for that thou shalt in no maner falle out of the shippe of charite. ¶ Also the grete whale, that folowed̛ the maiden̛, is [By an oversight of the scribe, nearly four lines are repeated here, but with some variations difficult to account for if the MS was merely a transcript. Thus for 'shippe' he writes 'bote', and for 'maner' he has 'wise.' The repetition is given in the text, the words firstly written are as follows: "that thou resceivest in the baptyme not for that in no wise falle not out of the bote of charitee ¶ The grete whale that folowede the maidene is"] the deveƚƚ, that nyght and day is besy to drowne the soule in synne. do thou therfore as the maiden̛ did̛; Smyte fire of charite of the stone, that is, of crist, and the deveƚƚ shaƚƚ not noye the. ¶ But many begynne wele like the maiden̛, but afterward̛ thei were wery of good̛ werkes, and slepen̛ in synnes; and anon̛ the deveƚƚ swolowetℏ the synner. ¶ If thou fele thi self̘ in suche lif̘, that is, in the power of the fende, do as the maiden̛ did̛; witℏ the knyf̘ of bitter penaunce smyte the deveƚƚ, and̛ light vp fire of

charitee, and he shaƚƚ cast the to lond̛ of good̛ lyf̘. ¶ The Erle, that come witℏ his servauntes to sle the whale, Is a discrete confessour, dwellyng by the see, that is, the world̛, the whiche is redy witℏ wordes of holy writte for to slee the deveƚƚ, that is, for to put away his power, and to delyver hym fro the. ¶ Do thou therfore as the maiden̛ did̛, Cryng witℏ an higℏ voise, beyng a-know of thi synnes to thi confessour; and so maist thou be norisshed̛ in good̛ werkes from the power of the deveƚƚ, and be sent to the kyngdom̛ of heven̛. ¶ The Emperour shewed̛ the maiden̛ iij. vessels, that is, god̛ puttetℏ before man lyf and dethe, goode and Eveƚƚ; whiche he chesetℏ, that he shaƚƚ have. ¶ wherfore Salamon̛ seitℏ, before man is lyf and dethe; that liketℏ hym shaƚƚ

be geven̛ hym; neverthelesse we wote not whether we be worthi lyf̘ or dethe. ¶ By the first vesseƚƚ of gold̛, fuƚƚ of dede mennes bones, we shaƚƚ vndirstond̛ the world̛ or worldly men, as are thise riche men that shynen̛ witℏ out as gold̛, but witℏ in thei are fulle of dede mennes bones, that is, aƚƚ the werkes that thei have [leaf 27] done in this world̛ thei are dede as vnto god̛, by her dedely synnes. If thou may chese suche lyf̘, than shalt thou fynde as thou hast deserved̛, and that is helle. suche are like gay sepulcres, that witℏ oute are araied̛ right faire, and that somtyme witℏ clothes of silke and of gold̛ are covered̛ and hilled̛, but witℏ in thei are but drye bones. ¶ By the second̛ vesseƚƚ of siluer we shuƚƚ vndirstonde domysmen, wisemen, and myghty men of the world̛, that shynen̛ in her speche as it were siluer, but witℏ in thei are wormes and erthe. ¶ By the third vesseƚƚ of lede we shulle vndirstond̛ a symple lyf̘, that are tho that are goddes chosen̛ children̛; for thei chosen̛ a symple vesture, and a meke, and are subiecte to obedience for god̛.

¶ Sucℏ beren̛ precious stones, that be meritorie werkes, pleasyng to god̛, for the whiche at the day of dome thei shuƚƚ be wedded̛ to god̛, and shaƚƚ have the heritage of the kyngdome of heven̛. to the whiche god̛ brynge vs! Amen.