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

[The remaining stories are from MS. Addit. 9066, with, where possible, a second version from Camb. MS. Kk. 1. 6.]

(ANDROCLES AND THE LION.)

[ XVII.]Addit. MS. 9066.

Story.

[leaf 28]

Annuus reigned̛ in the Citee of Rome, the whiche amonge aƚƚ the goodes of the world̛ he loved̛ mekeƚƚ to playe witℏ houndes and hawkes. ¶ It fille ones, that he went to a forest, forto hunte the hert; and sone he sawe an herte come rynnyng before hym, and houndes rynnyng aftir hym, in so mekeƚƚ that he was left behynde, that he saw neither the herte ne the houndes; and so he beleft alone, for aƚƚ his servauntes folowed̛ the herte. and he was mekeƚƚ desolate and hevy, for he sawe no man; And anon̛ smote the horse witℏ the sporres, agayn̛ none, and he rode thurgℏ aƚƚ the forest, and founde no man. ¶ But agayn̛ Even̛ come rynnyng a lyon̛, haltyng on his right foote, and come to hym. the Emperour was aferd̛, and wold̛ have fledde, but the lyon̛ toke hym by the foote, and shewed̛ to hym his hurt on his foote. whan the Emperour vndirstode that,

he went downe of his horse, and drew out the sharpe thorn̛ out of the lyons foote; and after that he gadred̛ herbes, witℏ the whiche he heled̛ his foote. ¶ Whan the lion̛ was hole, he lad̛ hym to his cave, and there he was aƚƚ nyght. and on the morow he bowed̛ his hede to the lyon̛, and toke his horse, and rode aƚƚ that day, and coude fynde in no wise passyng out of the forest. ¶ he sawe that, and went agayn̛ to the lions denne. the lyon̛ was out, but agayn̛ Even̛ he come, and brought witℏ hym. ij. fatte shepe; and whan he found̛ the Emperour, after his kynde he made hym good̛ cher̛, and offred̛ hym botℏ the shepe. ¶ The Emperour was hungry, bicause he had̛ not eten̛ of aƚƚ day; he toke an Iren̛, and smote fire of a stone, and araied̛ hym flessℏ, and Ete, and dranke watir of the floode; and so he lay aƚƚ nyght witℏ the lyon̛. ¶ on the day folowyng he lept on his palfray, and rode aƚƚ day, and coude fynde no goyng out of the forest, wherfore he was hevy and sory. ¶ Efte sones he went to the lyons denne, but he found̛ not the lyon̛; and agayn̛ Even̛ come a female Bere to hym; and whan he sawe her, he was gretely aferd̛. but the Bere made hym chere in her maner, and of the pray that she had̛ goten̛ and take, she layed̛ it before hym. he smote fire, and araied̛ it, and ete; and after that he had̛

eten̛, thei layen̛ bothe to-gedre. and the Emperour knew her flesshly, and she brought fortℏ a sone, like the Emperour. than the Emperour wold̛ have fled̛, but he durst not, for the bere; [leaf 28, back] But efte sones he knew her, and she brought forthe the seconde sone, that also was like the Emperour. ¶ The third̛ tyme he knew her, and she brought forthe a doughtir, that was like the modir, the bere. that sawe the Emperour, and was wondir sory. ¶ It fille on a day, that whan the Bere was ferre gone, for to take her praye, the Emperour toke his .ij. sones, that he had̛ goten̛ of the Bere, witℏ hym, and fledde; and whan he was in fleyng, The lyon̛, that he hadde heled̛ before, come agayn̛ hym, and ledde hym out of the forest. ¶ The Bere come home, and whan she found̛ not the Emperour, she ranne fast witℏ her doughtir. and [whan] she sawe the lyon̛ by hym, she was aferde, and durst not come nere hym; but toke her doughtir, and rent her aƚƚ to peces, and went agayn̛ to her place. ¶ The Emperour, whan he was come out of the forest by the lyon̛, he was right gladde; And than the lyon̛ went from hym. ¶ Than the Emperour went to his owne Casteƚƚ, witℏ his .ij. sones. the dukes and the lordes and aƚƚ other wise men were right gladde, for of .iij. yere thei had̛ not sene the Emperour. the sones, whan

thei were come to age, were made knyghtes, and were stronge werriours, and wente aboute in many straunge londes, and goten̛ mekeƚƚ good̛ by dynte of swerd̛; and aftir in pease thei ended̛ her lyves. and bothe thei died̛ on one day, and in one grave were buried̛; and on the stone of her grave was this scripture, ¶ Here lietℏ .ij. sones of the Bere, whiche the Emperour gate witℏ drede.

¶ Declaracio.

Frendes, this Emperour may be said̛ every cristen̛ man that is vayn̛, waveryng, and erryng fro the faithe, that playetℏ witℏ houndes, that is, with lustes of the flessℏ, that in no maner renten̛ the soule. the herte rynnetℏ before such one, that is, the vanyte of the world̛. that man vnwise folowitℏ witℏ aƚƚ his myght, in so mekeƚƚ that he lyvetℏ alone, witℏ out any vertu. after this he gothe alone into the forest of this world̛, ¶ whan vtterly he puttetℏ aƚƚ his witte and vndirstondyng in it, in so mekeƚƚ that he maketℏ no force of god̛, ne of thyng that longetℏ to god̛. ¶ But the lyon̛ haltyng cometℏ agayn̛ hym. ¶ This lyon̛ is crist, that haltetℏ in the foote, that is, in man that is his membre; for he is hede, and we are his membres. man haltetℏ as ofte as he lyvetℏ in poverte, [leaf 29] or in tribulacion. ¶ Do thou therfore as the Emperour̛ did̛; come down̛ of the horse of pride, and the thorne of poverte, or of tribulacion̛ do thou therfore drawe out fro hym, That is, yeve hym almesse, and shew to hym the way of helthe, and than hast thou drawen̛ out þe thorne of the foote; as our lord̛ seitℏ, ¶ That ye done to one of the lest of myne, ye done it to me. ¶ Afterward̛ the lyon̛ fedde the knyght in the forest. So crist forsaketℏ not a synner, but that he fedetℏ hym witℏ his grace, that he falle not into helle; as it is written̛ in the psalme, ¶ I am witℏ

hym in tribulacion̛. Therefor̛ he yevetℏ to the synner .ij. Shepe, that is, tyme of penaunce, and tyme, that is, grace, of rysyng, by the whicℏ he may gostly be susteyned̛. ¶ But often aftir, this wrecched̛ man that knowetℏ not the way out of the forest, that is, out of the world̛, he knowetℏ not what detℏ he shaƚƚ dye, or where, or how, but rynnetℏ to the Bere, that is, to the flesshly lustes; witℏ the whiche he dothe synne als ofte as he assentetℏ to flesshly lustes, witℏ the whiche he dothe synne, that is, he hathe delite of the bere, of the whiche he hathe goten̛ .ij. Sones and a doughtir. ¶ The .ij. sones are concupiscence of lyf̘ and concupiscence of Eyen̛, that are likened̛ to a synner. ¶ The doughtir, that was like to the Bere, is the sensualite in man, that is alway redy to eveƚƚ as is in Genesyes written̛, The wittes of man are aƚƚ way prone to eveƚƚ at aƚƚ tymes. wherfor god said̛, It ever forthynketℏ me, that I made man; I shaƚƚ for-do hym, that is, the steryng of the sensualite are done away by cristes passion̛. do thou therfore as the Emperour did̛; flee witℏ thi .ij. sones to a discrete confessour; and yf the bere, that is, flesshly lust, folow the witℏ the sensualite, drede not, but have aƚƚ way god in thy eyen̛. ¶ Than anon̛ the lion̛, that is, crist, shaƚƚ come to the agayn̛, yf thou calle hym, ¶ wherfor he seitℏ, seketℏ, and ye shuƚƚ fynde; knokketℏ, and it shaƚƚ be opened̛ to you. and yf god be witℏ you, the bere shaƚƚ flee, that is, temptacion̛ and so shalt thou come to the chirche, that is, fightyng, in the whiche thou shalt be resceived̛; of the whiche comyng from synne and doyng of penaunce is a more new Ioye in hevene to aungels, than of nyntye and nyne rightfuƚƚ men that neden no penaunce. ¶ The .ij. sones shaƚƚ be .ij. knyghtes, workyng good̛ werkes, witℏ the whiche thei shuƚƚ do dyverse batailes ayenst the deveƚƚ; and after thei shuƚƚ be buried̛ in oo tombe, that is, in perfite charitee, for the whicℏ man shaƚƚ have the kyngdome prove [sic]of heven̛. Amen.

Second Version. 18.Cambr. MS. Kk. 1. 6.

[leaf 232]

Anius regned in Rome, The which a-mong̘ aƚƚ þe godes of þe world̛ he louyd mych to pley with houndys & hawkes. It fiƚƚ ones þat he went in-to a forest for to hunt the hert. And sone he sawe an hert come rynnyng̘ by-fore hym / & the houndes folowed after swyftly In so myche þat he was left behynd þat he sawe noþer þe herte ne hounde, & so he was left a-lone, for aƚƚ his seruauntes folowyd the herte / & he was myche desolate & heuy for he sawe no manne / he smote þe hors with þe spores agayn̄ none & he rode þorogh aƚƚ the forest & fonde no man̄. But A-gayn Euenyng̘ come rynnyng a-gayn̄ hym A lyon̄ haltyng on his right fote & come to hym. The Emperour was a-ferde & wolde haue fled, But the lyon̄ toke hym by þe fote & shewid hym his hurt fote. Whan the

Emperour vndirstode þat / he went down̄ of his hors & drewe out the sharp thorne of þe lyons fote, & after þat he gadred herbes with þe which herbes he helyd his fote / whan þe lyon was hole he led hym to his cave / And þer he was aƚƚ nyght / And at morn̄ he lowted his hede to þe lyon̄ / & toke his hors & rode aƚƚ day & coud̛ fynd no wey out of the forest / [Whan] he sawe þat he went þens & went to þe lyons denne a-gayn̄ / The lyon̄ was out but A-gayn̄ euene he come & brought with hym .ij. fat shepe / The Emperour was hungry bycause he had not ete of aƚƚ day: he toke An yren & smote fyre of a stone / & arayed hym flesshe & ete & dranke water of þe flode. And so he lay aƚƚ nyght be þe lyon̄ / On þe day folowyng̘ he lepe vp on his palfray & rode a-way, & he coude fynd no goyng̘ out of the forest. Wherfor he was heuy & sory / Eft sones he went to the lyons denne / but he fond not þe lyon̄. But a-gayn̄ euene come a femaƚƚ bere / And whan he sawe hir̛ he was gretly A-ferde, But þe bere made hym chere in her maner of þe pray þat she had gote [leaf 232, back] & take; she leyde it by-fore hym; he smote fyre & a-rayed it & ete it,

& after þat thei had ete thei lay to-geder / And þe Emperour knew her̛ flesshly, And she brought forthe a sone lyke to þe Emperour / Than the Emperour wolde haue fled, but he durst not for þe bere / But eftsones he knew her̛, And she brought forthe also þe second̛ sone þat was lyke to þe Emperour / Then in tyme he knew her & she brought forþe a doughter þat was lyke þe bere. That sawe þe Emperour right wonder sory. It fiƚƚ on a day þat whan þe bere was ryght ferre gone for to take her̛ pray, The Emperour toke his .ij. sones þat he had̛ gote of þe ber̛ with hym & fled̛, & while he was in fleyng̘ The lyon̄ þat he had̛ heled̛ by-fore come a-gayn̄ hym & led hym out of þe forest / The Bere come home & whan she fond not þe Emperour she ran fast after with her̛ doughter / And whan she saw þe lyon̄ by hym she was a-ferd̛ & durst not go nere, but toke her doughter & all to-rent her̛ & went a-gayn̄ to her place / The Emperour, whan he was come out of þe forest by þe lyon̄, he was right glad, & þe lyon̄ went fro hym. The Emperour went to his own̄ casteƚƚ with his .ij. sones. The dukes & the lordes & oþer wyse men̄

were right glad for .iij. ȝere thei had not sene þe Emperour by-fore. And þe Emperour .ij. sones whan þei were com̄ to age þei were made knyghtes / & were strong̘ werryors, & went about in many rumes & gate myche good by dynt of sworde, & after in pees þei endyd her lyf̘ / & boþe deyde on o day, & in o graue were buryed, & on̄ [þe] stone of her graue was þis scriptour / "her̛ lyth þe .ij. sones of þe bere byryed, with the Emperour getyn with drede.