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

Story.

Merelaus regnyd a wise Emperour; and he had weddid̛ to wife þe kyngys dowter of hungery, þe whicℏ was a faire woman, and fuƚƚ of werkis of mercy. So in a certeyne tyme, þe Emperour as he lay in his bed, purposid to visite þe holy lond; And þerfore in þe morowe he callid to him þe Empresse, and his brothir, And þenne he saide, "Dame, it may not be laynd, or helid, or kepte fro þe, þat I woƚƚ to þe holy lond; þat is my ful purpose; and þerfore I ordene and sette þe in my stede, for to rule and gouerne þe Empire, in worship to me, and profite to my peple." Thenne saide she, "sithen it may be noon othir way, be it don as þou wolt haue

it, And I shal be turtiƚƚ in your absence þat hadde lost hire make: for I trowe þat ye woƚƚ turn home aȝen in goode helthe." The Emperour confortid̛ hire with faire and swete wordes, and kiste hire, and tooke his leve, and passid his wey. whenne he was gon, his brothir wex prout, and depressid̛ riche and poor̛, And ȝit stirid the Emperesse to synne; but she, as a goode woman shulde do, seide þat she wolde not by no way assent to synne, as long̘ as hire husbond̛ livid. but he wolde not leeve so, but euermor̛ stirid hir̛ þerto, whenne þat he myȝt fynde hire by hire oone. At þe laste, whenne þe Emperesse sawe þat he wold̛ not be corectid, ne amendid of his foly, she callid to hire iij. or iiij. worthi lordis of the Empire, and saide to hem, "Seris, ye wete wele, þat my lord maad me þe principalle of his Empire, and þat his brothir shulde be stiward vndir me, And þat he shulde not do withoute me; And he depressitℏ, as ye see wel, poor̛ and simple peple, spoilitℏ riche and grete, and moor̛ harme wolde do, if þat he myȝte; For þe whicℏ I charge you, þat ye strongly bynde him, and caste him in prison̛." Thenne saide þei, "certenly, he hatℏ do mekeƚƚ Iviƚƚ sitℏ he went, And þerfore with glad hertis we shuƚƚ fulfiƚƚ your wiƚƚ." Anoon̛ þei laide hondis vpon him, And bond him in þe prison̛, witℏ bondis of yre; And there þerfore [sic] he was many day. So at þe laste word come, þat þe Emperour was in comyng̘ home; And þenne thougℏt he to him selfe, "If my lorde come hom̛, and fynde me her̛, he woƚƚ sper̛ the cause of myne enprisonement, and þenne she woƚƚ telle him þe cause, howe þat I temptid hire to synne, And þenne shaƚƚ I neuer haue grace of him, and happely lese my life." And [leaf 201, col. 2] [The book has two "leaf 201, col. 2" milestones in succession, although the surrounding milestones appear to be correct. While the question could possibly be answered by consulting the manuscript, we have simply replicated the milestones as they are in the book.] thenne anoon he sent a messag̘ to þe Empresse, p[r]ayinge hire þat she wold fowche safe to come to þe prison̛, and speke with him a word. whenne þe Empresse hurde þe message, she com don̛, and askid of him what he wolde. Thenne said he, "gentiƚƚ lady, haue mercy on me, for if my lord fynde me her̛, I am but ded." "If y knewe," quoþ she, "that þou wolde leeve thy foly, And þat I myȝt fynde þe a goode honest man, ȝit þou shuldist haue grace." And he saide, "Ȝis;" and þerto he made surte of feitℏ. Thenne she brouȝt him out of þe prison̛, and gert bathe him, And clyppe him, and shave him; And

thenne she araide him in precious clothing̘, and saide to him, "Brothir, nowe take þi palfray, and come with me, And ride with me aȝenst our lord." The empresse rood to meete with him, with þis stiward, and many othir lordis and mynystris, in a grete multitude. And as thei wer̛ riding̘ þer ran an hynde in þe wey, with a swifte pase; And þenne aƚƚ þat sawe hire svyd̛ aftir with houndis, as hard as thei myȝte, So þat noon was lefte with þe lady, but only þe stiward. And when he sawe þat, he said, "Dame, heere bisid̛ is a prive forest, and it is long̘ sitℏ I lovid you; go we nowe þidir, and lat me play with the." Thenne saide she, "sey, foole, howe menyst þou? dude I not ȝisterday deliuer þe out of prison̛, for þou sholdist leeve þi foly, and nowe þou turnyst þerto soone aȝen? I telle þe nowe as I dude afore, þat þer shaƚƚ noon do it with me but myne husbond̛ þat may chalange it by lawe." Thenne saide he, "forsotℏ and but þou assent to me, I shaƚƚ hong þe by the heir̛ vp on a tre here in þe forest, wher neuer noon shaƚƚ mete with the, And so þou shalt haue a fowle ende. [leaf 201, back, col. 1] "Thenne saide she, "And þoȝ þou smyte þe hed fro my body, and vse in me aƚƚ maner of tormentis, þou shalt neuer compelle me to synne." Thenne he nakid hire evene to þe smok, and hong̘ hire by þe heeris vp on an Oke; And he bond hire horse by þe tre. And whenne he hadde don̛ þus, he rood to his felowis aȝen, And saide, þat a gret multitude of peple had stolyn̛ and Ravisshid þe lady from hym; And þerfore was maade gret sorowe ouer aƚƚ the Empire. Aftir, within thre days, ther huntyd an Erle in þe forest; And as þe houndis ronne after þe wolfis, thei felte a sauour, and lefte hir̛ rennyng̘, and tooke hire cours vnto þe tre. Whenne þe Erle sawe þat, he merveilide hiely, and smot þe horse with þe sporis, and pursuyd, tiƚƚ he com to þe tre where the lady heng̘. And whenne þe Erle sawe hire hong̘ ther by þe heeris, he hadde gret compassion̛ of hire, by cause þat she was so faire; and saide to hire, "sey, woman̛, what art þou, And whi hongist þou þus?" And she was on live, by þe mirakiƚƚ of god, and saide to him, "I am a woman of̘ straunge contre, And howe I hong̘ her̛ I not; god wot!" And thenne saide þe Erle, "whose horse is þis, þat stonditℏ by þe tre?" "Sir," quoþ þe lady, "it is myne." The Erle trowid she was

some grete gentiƚƚ woman̛, and hadde of hire þe mor̛ pite; and saide to hire, "A! deer̛ frend, þou semyst a gentiƚƚ woman̛ and dame. I haue at home a litiƚƚ childe to dowter, And if þou wolt vndirtake to norisℏ hire vp, and teche hire, þou shalt be deliueryd fro this peyne, And þerto haue goode Reward." Thenne saide she, "sir, in as moche as I may I wiƚƚ fulfille your wille." Þe Erle took hire downe, and brouȝt hire to his casteƚƚ, and took his douȝter in to hire kepyng̘; And þerfore she ley in þe same chambir þat þe contesse lay in. And þe contesse hadde a dameselle ligging̘ bytwyne hire and þe Empresse, and euery nyȝt was liȝt brennyng̘ there in a lampe; And she bare hire so wel, þat she was lovid of aƚƚ men. But þis Erle hadde in his haƚƚ a stiward, and he lovid moche þe Emperesse, and ofte tym̛ spake to hire of synfuƚƚ love, And euer she answerid to him ayen, and saide, þat she hadde y-made a vowe to god, þat she shuld neuer love noon by sucℏ maner love, but him þat þe lawe of god wolde þat she lovid Thenne saide þe stiward, with gret indignacion̛, "Þou wolt not graunte me by no way?" Thenne saide she, "no, what woƚƚ þe mor̛ þerof? I woƚƚ kepe þe vowe þat I haue maade to god." The stiward ȝede away, and þoȝte, "I woƚƚ be vengid of þe, if I may." It happid in a certeyne nyȝt, þat þe dor̛ of þe Erlis chambir was I-lefte opyn̛; & þe stiward perceyvid it, and went in, And fond aƚƚ on slepe. And whenne he fond aƚƚ on slepe, he lokid aboute by liȝt of þe lampe, And sawe þe bed of þe Emperesse; And whenne he sawe þe Emperesse liggyng̘ with the Erlis douȝter, he drowe out a knyfe, and cutte the [leaf 201, back, col. 2] throte of the childe; and thenne putte priuyliche þe knyfe in the hond of þe Emperesse, for intent þat þe lord, whenne he wakid, myȝt see by the liȝt of þe lampe þe blody knyfe, and deme in his herte þat she hadde slayne þe childe with hire owne knyfe, and so to ȝive hire Iviƚƚ dethe. Aftir aƚƚ this, þat þe stiward hadde slayne þe childe, and putte þe knyfe in the hond of þe Emperesse, It happid þe contesse to wake; And as she lokid vp, and out of the bed, she perceyvid howe þat þe Empresse hadde in hire hond a blody knyfe. And with that siȝt she was ny out of mynde, And saide to hire husbond, with an hye vois, "Ser, ser, awake, and loke to þe bed of þe lady, and see what she holditℏ in hire hond̛?" The

Erle wakid, and lokid to þe bed̛; And whenne he sawe þe blody knyfe, he was not a litiƚƚ trowbelid in spirite, And cride to hire, and saide, "Awake, þou woman̛, what is þat in thi honde?" Thenne þe Emperesse awoke thorowe cryinge, And þe knyf̘ feƚƚ out of hire honde; and she lokid aside, and sawe þe childe ded̛, and felte þe bed fuƚƚ of bloode. Thenne she cryde with an hye voys, and saide, "Out Allas! my lordis douȝter is slayne!" Whenne þe countesse hurde þat hire douȝter was ded̛, she cryde to hire lorde with a soroufuƚƚ voys, and saide, "go sle þis deviƚƚ or woman̛, whedir she be, þat þus hatℏ slayne our douȝter." And þen þe countesse spake to þe Empresse, and saide, "It is opynly seeyn̛, þat þou hast kilde my childe with þi knyfe, and with thyne owne hondis, And þerfore þou shalt haue a fowle detℏ." Thenne saide þe Erle to hire, with gret sorowe of herte, "Woman̛, if drede of god were not, sothely I wold smyte thyn̛ hed fro þe body with my swerde; sithen I savid þe fro detℏ, and þou now hast slayne my douȝter. Neuerþelese for me shalt þou haue noon̛ harme; but sone, I charge þe, go out of my contre, for if euer I fynde þe after þis day in myne count[r]e, sothely þou shalt neuer ete bred." The Empresse was fuƚƚ of sorowe, And dude on hire clothis, And took hire palfray, and rood toward þe eest; And as she so rood by þe way, she sawe a pair̛ of Galowis on þe lefte hond, And Cacchepollis ledyng̘ a man̛, for to be ded. The Empresse mevid thorowe pite, smot þe hors with þe sporis, And went to þe Iebet, and saide to þe cacchepollis, "Deer̛ frendis, I am redy to bey þis man fro dethe, if ȝe woƚƚ saue him for mede." "Ȝis," quoþ þei. So þe lady accordid with hem, and savid þe man; And thenne saide þe lady to him, "Deere frend̛, be nowe fro hense forward a trewe man̛, sitℏ I savid þi life." "Ȝis, lady," quoþ he, "and þat I bihote þe." And so he folowid þe lady. And whenne þei were come ny a cyte, the lady saide to him, "go afore in to þe cite, and Ordayne for me an honest hostery." And he so dude; And she dwelte in þe cyte by many days, And men of þe cite had hye mervaile of hire fairenesse, And ofte tyme spake to hire, for doyng̘ of synne, but þei myȝte not spede. Happid soone aftir, þat þercome a shippe, I-chargid with many maner of Marchaundise; And whenne þe lady hurde speke

þerof, she sade to hire seruaunt, "go to þe shippe, and loke if þou see ony goode clothis for me." The seruaunt entrid þe shippe, and fonde þer many diuerse precious clothis; And he saide to þe maister of the shippe, þat he shulde come, and speke with his lady. The maister graunted̛. The seruaunt ȝede home agayn̛, and tolde hire howe þe maister wolde come. So þe maister come to hire, and worshipfully salusyd hire; And þe lady spake to him for clotℏ for hir̛ weryng̘, And he grauntid hir̛. So the seruaunt ȝede aȝen with him to þe ship; And þan þe maister saide to him, "Deer̛ frend, I wolde shewe to þe my consaile, if I may triste þe; And if þou woƚƚ my consail kepe, sotℏly I shaƚƚ wele reward þe for þi mede." Then saide þat oþir, "I woƚƚ swer̛ vpon̛ a booke, þat I shaƚƚ kepe thi consail, and þerto helpe þe, in aƚƚ þat I may." Then saide þe maister, "I love hir̛ more þan þou wolt leve, ther is in hire sucℏ a fairnesse, And þerfor I wold ȝive aƚƚ the goode þat I haue, for to haue of hire my wiƚƚ; And if I may haue hire by thyn̛ helpe or consail, do aske of me what þou wolt, and I shaƚƚ pay þe." Thenne saide the seruaunt, "teƚƚ me how þou wolde I dude, þat she weere at the." Then̛ saide he, "Þou shalt go to hire, and say to hire, þat I woƚƚ not late out my clotℏ by no way to no creature, and so make hire come to me to shippe; But late hire not come to shippe tiƚƚ tyme þat ther rise a gret wynde, For thenne I shaƚƚ leede hire away with me, And she shaƚƚ not scape." "This is a good conseil," quoþ þe traitour; "but ȝive me my mede, And then [leaf 202, col. 1] I shaƚƚ fulfiƚƚ your wiƚƚ." when the traitour hadde receivid̛ his meede, he went to his lady, and tolde hire howe þe maister wolde not sende his clotℏ oute of his shippe,—"But he prayd you, þat ye woƚƚ come down̛ to þe watir, and þer ȝe shuƚƚ see and haue clothis at your owne wiƚƚ." The lady trowid þe traitour, and went to þe ship; and when she enterid þe ship, þe traytour seruaunt aboode withoute. And then þe maister, seyng̘ a gret wynde to rise vp, he sette vp sayle, and faste rowyd̛; And when þe lady perceyvid þis treson̛, she was gretly mevid in mynde, and saide, "what kynnys treson̛ is þis, þat þou hast y-do to me?" "Nay," quoþ he, "it is noon̛ othir treson̛ but þat I shaƚƚ comune with þe flesℏly, And wedde þe to wife." Thenne saide she,

"Sir, I haue maade avow to god, þat I shaƚƚ neuer do þat trespace, but with him þat I am bounden to in lawe." "Sey not so," quoþ he; "þou art nowe in myddes of þe see, And þerfor but þou consent to me, I shaƚƚ caste þe in myddes of þe watir." Thenne saide þe lady, "sitℏ it shaƚƚ be so, ordeyne me a place in þe ship, And I shaƚƚ do þy wiƚƚ or I dye." The maister trowid to ℏire wordis; and she drowe a curteyne, when she was in, betwyne hire and him; And thenne she knelid don̛, And made hire prayeris to god in theise wordis, "My lord god, þat hast y-kept me fro my ȝowthede, kepe me now in þis in þis in þis [sic] hour, þat I be not filid, þat I may ȝive þe my sowle with a clene hert." when þis orisone was y-maad, þer ros vp so gret a tempest in þe see, þat þe shippe brake, and aƚƚ were adreynt, excepte þe lady And the maister. The lady drowe to a bord, the whicℏ bare hire to þe londe; And þe maister tooke an othir bord, and so passid to þe londe, But neither of hem knewe of otheris saluacion̛. The lady went to an Abbeye of nonnys, and ther she was worshipfully receivid; And dwelte þer long̘, and livid̛ an holy life by long̘ tyme, In so moche þat god lent hire grace þat she heelid many syke folke; And þerfore aƚƚ syke in euery syde þe Abbay drowe thedir to be heelid, And ioyefully were sped. Nowe þe brothir of hure husbond, þat hongid hire by þe heir̛, was a foul lypre; The knyȝt þat slowe þe Erlis douȝter, and putte the blody knyfe in hire hond, was def and blynde; The seruaunt þat hadde bytrayd hir, was haltyng̘; And þe maister of þe ship was halfe out of mynde. when the Emperour hurde telle, þat suche an hooly and a vertuys woman̛ was in sucℏ a place, he saide to his brothir, "Deere frende, go we to þat abbay, þat þe hooly woman̛ may heele þe of þi lipre." Thenne saide he, "Ȝa, lord, if I shulde." Anoon withoute tareyng̘ The Emperour, in his owne persone, tooke his brothir, and went to þe nonnys; And when þe nonnys hurde telle of þe Emperours comyng̘, Thei went ayenst him with procession̛. The Emperour enspered of the prioress, if þat þer were ony sucℏ an hooly woman̛ therynn̛ among hem, And she saide "Ȝa,"; And he baade, þat she shulde come fortℏ; And þei maade hire come fortℏ, and speke with þe Emperour. The emperesse hydde hire face with a wympiƚƚ, for she wolde not ben y-knowe;

And so she come to him, and worshipfully she salusid him. And thenne þe Emperour saide to hire, "faire lady, can ye heele my brothir of lepr̛? If ye conne, aske of me what ye woƚƚ, And ye shuƚƚ haue it." The Empresse lokid abowte hire, and she perceyvid that þe brothir of þe Emperour stood þer a foul lepr̛, and wormys spronge out at þe visage on ecℏ syde; And for þe Emperour was þer with his sike brothir, aƚƚ syke peple that was þer abowte com̛ thedir to be heelid. And thenne saide þe Emperesse to þe Emperour, "ser, if ye gaf me aƚƚ your Empire, I may not heele your brothir, but if he were confessid Among̘ aƚƚ þe peple." [leaf 202, col. 1] [The book has two "leaf 202, col. 1" milestones in succession, although the surrounding milestones appear to be correct. While the question could possibly be answered by consulting the manuscript, we have simply replicated the milestones as they are in the book.] The Emperour turnyd̛ to his brothir And baad him make opyn̛ confession̛, þat he myȝt be clansid̛. Thanne he maade confession̛ of aƚƚ his life, Except howe þat he hongid þe Emperesse by þe heyris, but that wold he not towche of. Thenne saide þe emperesse to þe Emperour, "sir, If I putte medecyn̛ to him, it is but veyn̛ þat I do, for he is not ȝit fully confessid." Thenne þe Emperour turnyd̛ to his brothir, and̛ saide, "Þou ȝoman̛, what soory wrecchidnesse is in þe? Seist þou not wele, þat þou art a lotℏly lypr̛? wolt þou not telle aƚƚ fortℏ, þat þou may be maade hoole & cleene? Shryve þe anoon̛, or ellys þou shalt be putte out of my company for euermore. "A! lord," quoþ he, "I may not shryue me, tyl tyme þat I haue surte of þi grace and mercy." Then saide þe Emperour, "What! hast þou trespassid vnto me?" "Ȝis, sir," quoþ þat othir, "I haue hiely trespassid ayenst you, And þerfore I aske mercy or I shalle sey what it is." The Emperour thougℏt no thynge of þe Emperesse, for he trowid þat she had ben ded many day afore; And þerfore he saide to him, "teƚƚ boldely what þou hast trespassid ayenst me, for dowteles I forȝive the it." Thenne saide he, howe þat he stirid þe Emperesse to synne, And þerfore hongid hire by þe heerys. Whenne þe Emperour hurde þat, he was ny wood in herte, and saide, "A! false harlot, veniaunce of god is faƚƚ vpon̛ þe; And if I hadde knowyn̛ þis byfore, I shulde haue put þe to þe fowlist detℏ þat ony man myȝte haue." Thenne saide þe knyȝt, þat slowe þe Erlys douȝter, "I wote not of what lady ȝe [leaf 202, col. 2] spekyn, but þer heng a lady by þe heyre in sucℏ a forest, and my lord þe Erle tooke hire

down̛, and brougℏt hire to his casteƚƚ, to be his norishe; and I lay aboute to synne, and for I myȝt not haue my wiƚƚ of hire, I slowe my lordis dowter, as she lay slepyng̘ with hire in þe bed; And þenne I putte þe knyfe in þe hond of þe Ientilwoman̛, for she shulde bere þe blame þer of; And þerfore þe Erle putte hire out of his Erldom, but I not whedir she becom, after þat tyme." Thenne saide þe thefe, þe traitour, "I knowe not of what lady ye speke, but þer was a faire lady þat savid me frome detℏ, fro þe iebet, when I sholde haue be hongid, and paide for me a grete summe of money; and aftir þat I falsly bitraid̛ hire to a maister of a ship, þat he shulde haue hire to his concubyne; And when̛ I hadde vndir a gret trayne brouȝt hire to his ship, he sette vp sayle, and ladde hire away; but what bifelle aftirward I ne wist, ne whedir she bicome." Thenne saide þe maister of þe ship, "sotℏly and suche a lady received I into my ship, by deceyte of hire seruaunt; And whenne I was with hire in myddys of þe see, I wolde haue synnyd with hire, and she turnyd hire to praiyng̘; And when she hadde maad hire praieris, þenne þer ros a tempest, & brake þe ship, and [all] was dreynt, And I socourid me witℏ a bord, and so I was brougℏt to londe; But what bicom̛ of þat lady, whedir she was dreynt or savid̛, I not." Then cryde the Emperesse with an hye vois, and saide, "Ȝe ben aƚƚ cleene confessid, and þerfore I woƚƚ nowe medecynys put to you." And so she heelid hem aƚƚ. Thenne þe lady shewid̛ hire face Among̘ hem aƚƚ. whenne þe Emperour hadde knowlicℏ of hire, he ran for gladnesse, and halsid hire, and kist hire, and wepte rigℏt soore as a childe for gladnesse, and saide, "nowe blessid be god, for I haue founde þat I haue hiely desirid̛!" And witℏ moche ioy brouȝt hire home to þe palys, and faire life endid, in pes and in charite.