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Calepondinus in Rome reigned̛, that toke a maiden̛ to wyf, that conseived̛, and brought fortℏ a faire childe. The child̛ wexed̛, and was put to scole. ¶ Whan he was xx. wynter of age, he desired̛ 'the heritage of his Fadir, and seid̛ to his Fadir, ¶ "Sir, ye are olde, and mow not rewle the Empire; yf ye gaf̘ me the Empire, it shuld̛ be youre profite." ¶ The Emperour seid̛, "sone, there is now
grete hungir in the Empire, and I drede, yf I yeve the the Empire and the power, yf I had̛ nede, haply thou shuldest denye me my wille." ¶ The Empresse, that loved̛ more her sone than her husbond̛ said̛, "sir that may not be, for ye have but oo sone, and therfore I trow alway that he wille fulfille your wille; wherfore it is good̛ to you to graunte hym the Empire." ¶ The Emperour said̛, "I wille have of hym an obligacion̛, that what houre he risetℏ hym self̘ ayenst me, and fulfille not my wille, whan reason̛ is, I shaƚƚ depreve hym of the Empire." the sone graunted̛, and made an obligacion̛, and sealed̛ it. ¶ Whan this was done, the Emperour was put from his dignyte, and his sone was crowned̛. ¶ whan he was made Emperour, he was reised̛ in to pride, in so mekeƚƚ that he neither dred̛ god̛ ne man, and did̛ many wronges; and the fadir suffred̛ hym paciently. ¶ It happed̛ aftirward̛, that there was a grete hungir in the land̛, and the olde Emperour began to nede; and wente to his sone, and asked̛ his sustenaunce of hym, and for a tyme he sent hym. but in a short tyme aftir, the fadir was greuously sike, and called̛ to hym his sone, and said̛, ¶ My sone, I have grete thirst; yeve me a draught of thi must." the sone aunswered̛, "I shaƚƚ not, for must is not good̛ for thi complexion̛." ¶ The fadir said̛, "yeve me of
anoþer tonne of wyne." than the sone seid̛, "nay, for it is not clere I-nougℏ and yf it shuld̛ now be touched̛, the wyne myght be troubled̛; and therfore I wille not touche it, tille I se it clere I-now." ¶ The Fadir seid̛, "yeve me of the third̛ tonne." he said̛, "naye, for the wyne is stronge and myghty, and therfore it is not worthe for the sike." ¶ "yeve me than," he said̛, "of the fourthe tonne." the sonne seid̛, "nay, for it is to feble, and witℏ out sustentacion̛ or comforte. It must be wyne confortatif̘ that shuld̛ be yeven to the sike." ¶ The fadir seid̛, "yeve me therfore of the fifte tonne." he aunswered̛, "nay, for drastes that are in the tonne; and suche is not worthe to a sike man, scarsely for hogges." [leaf 34, back] ¶ Whan the Fadir sawe he myght not have, he suffred̛ paciently tille he were hole; and than the Fadir went to the kyng̘ of Jerusalem, and playned̛ to hym of his sone, and shewed̛ to hym an obligacion̛, that he myght put out his sone, witℏ out any contradiccion̛. ¶ The kyng herd̛ this, and called̛ his sone, to aunswere to the Fadir. ¶ whan the sone might not resonably aunswere, the kyng depreved̛ hym of the Empire, and restored̛ agayn̛ the Fadir. and than aƚƚ praised̛ the kyng, for he had̛ so rightfully yoven̛ the dome.
Frendes, this Emperour is crist, the sone of man, to whom is yoven̛ the Empire of aƚƚ this world̛; But in the gifte he toke of hym an obligacion̛, his Baptyme, that he shuld̛ forsake the pompe and aƚƚ the pride of it. ¶ The olde Emperour, that is, crist, is sike, as ofte as cristen̛ man or woman falletℏ in dedely synne, and breketℏ his comaundementis; wherfore gretly he thrustetℏ the helthe of oure soules, and asketℏ of vs our yonge age. ¶ But froward̛ man aunsweretℏ, I may not yeve to god̛ my yonge soukyng age, for it is must, that is, over sone to assay the way of god̛; and that is not trew, for a childe of oo daies age is not witℏ out synne. ¶ Wherfore Seint Gregory telletℏ, that a childe of v. yere of age the fendes token out of his Fadirs lappe. yf god may not have of the must of so yonge age, he asketℏ the age of eldre childhode, that is, of x. or xii. yere. ¶ But froward̛ man aunsweretℏ, and seitℏ, the wyne is not clere I-now, that is, the child̛ is not apte to serve god̛, in that he is inparfite; ¶ For yf he be stered̛ to god̛, he must be troubled̛ in his body. that is agayn̛ the doctryne of the wise man, that seitℏ, he that lovetℏ his sone, chastisetℏ hym, and delyueretℏ his soule fro helle. ¶ Also he asketℏ wyne of the third̛ tonne, that is, of the tonne of yonge mannes age. but man contrarious aunsweretℏ, the wyne is over myghty, it is not good̛; for a felle man, that is, yonge man, is stronge and myghty, therfore he owetℏ to spende it aboute worldly thynges, and not in penaunce, for he myght be made feble. ¶ Also he asketℏ wyne of the fourthe tonne, that is, of age, that is, that thou yevest hym service in the service of god. but froward̛ man aunsweretℏ, and seitℏ, man in his olde age is feble, and may not fast, Ne do penaunce, for suche shuld be cause of his dethe. ¶ Also he asketℏ of the fifte tonne, that is, of the old̛ man, that may not goo [leaf 35] witℏ oute a staffe, yit he asketℏ of man that state, that he turne to hym. ¶ Froward̛ man aunsweretℏ, and seitℏ, this wyne is over feble, for yf he fasted̛ oo day, it behoved̛ hym to make his grave; And lawe wille not that an vnmyghty man shuld̛ slee hym self̘. ¶ Also he asked̛ of the vj. tonne, whan man for eld̛ or blyndnesse may no further walke to synne, and myght failetℏ hym
for to do evel. ¶ God asketℏ drynke of suche one, that is, the helthe of his soule; But wrecched̛ man, that is put in dispaire, seitℏ, Allas! allas! while I myght serve god I wold̛ not, and now dwellen̛ in me the drestes of aƚƚ goodnesse. wherto shuld̛ I now be turned̛ to my god̛? ¶ But allas! many ther ben̛, that wille yeve hym no wyne. wherfore crist playned̛ to the kyng of Jerusalem; and therfore shuld̛ suche gone into everlastyng turment, and rightwise men in to everlastyng blisse.
Calepodius in Rome regned̛ þat toke A mayde to wyfe þat conceyuyd & brought forthe A fayre chylde. The Childe wax & was put to scole / Whan he was of xx wyntyr̛ age he desyryd his faders herytage & seyde to his fader, "Syr, ye are old & ye con not rule the Empyre, yf ye yafe to me the Empyre / It sholde be your profyt" / The Emperour seyde, "Sone, þer is now grete hungre in
the Empyre, And I drede if I gafe to þe the Empyre & þe power / If I had nede happyly þou sholdyst denye me of my wylle" The Emperice, þat louyd her son more than her husband, seyde, "syr, þat may not be, for ye haue but o sone, And þerfor I trow þat he wole Alway folow your wyƚƚ / Wherfor It is good to you to graunt hym þe Empyre." The Emperour seyde, "I wole haue of hym an obligacion̛, þat what oure he reysyth hym-selfe a-gayne me & fulfyƚƚ not my wyƚƚ whan reson is, I shaƚƚ priue hym of the Empyre"/ The sone grauntyd & made an obligacion & selyd it / Whan this was done / The Emperour was put fro his dignyte / And his sone was crowned. whan he was made Emperour he was reysyd in-to pryde, In so mych he dred God ne man, And dyd many wronges. And þe fader suffred hym pacyently / It happed after þat þer was a grete hungre in the lond / And the olde Emperour bygan to haue nede / & want to his sone & asked of hym his sustenaunce / & for a tyme he sent hym. But in A shorte tyme after the fader was greuously syke / & called̛ his sone & seyde / "A, my sone, I haue grete þryst / Gyf me A draught of thi wyne moste" / the sone
Answerd / "I shaƚƚ not, for muste is not good for thi complexion" / The fader sayde, "þan gyf me of A-noþer ton of wyne" / The sone seyde / "Nay / It is not clere y-noghe / & if it sholde now be touched the wyne myght be troubled, And therfor I wol not touche it / Tyƚƚ I se it clere I-nogh" / The fader sayde / "Gyf me of the .iij. tonne" / he seyde, "Nay, for the wyne is strong̘ & mighty, And therfor It is not worthe for þe syke" / "Gyf me, þan" / he seyde, "the .iiij. tonne" / The Sone seyde, "Nay, for it is feble & with out susten [leaf 227, back] awnce or comfort / It most be wyne comfortable þat shold̛ be yeue to the syke" / Therfor the fader seyde, "Gyf me of .v. tonne." he answerde, "Nay, for drastes are in the tonne, & such is not worthe for A man̄, scarsely for hogges" / Whan the fader sawe he myght not haue / he suffred pacyently tyƚƚ he waxe hole, And than he want to the Kyng̘ of Ierhusalem, & playned̛ to hym of his sone & shewed hym an obligacion þat he myght put out his sone with out contradiction̄ / The kyng̘ herde þis & called to hym the sone to answere the fader / Whan þe sone myght not resonably Answere / The kyng̘ pryued hym of the Empyre, And restoryd Agayne the fader, And than aƚƚ preysyd the kyng̘ for he had so wysely geuen the dome.