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

Second Version. 28.Cambr. MS. Kk. 1. 6.

[leaf 236 back (cont'd)]

[A]ntonius in þe Cite of Rome regned, a man right wyse, þat had a fayre doghtur þat hight Ierabelle, & was desyryd of many. Neuerþeles she made a-vowe to god þat she wolde neuer take husband̛ / but he myght do .iij. þingys / þat is, to change þe wynd̛ fro þe northe in to þe est Whan þe fader wolde. The second was, to mete aƚƚ þe elementes, As vn-to þe brede & le[n]gthe, & how meny fete þe elementes conteynyd̛ / The .iij. is he shold̛ bere fir̛ in his bosom̄ by þe bare flesshe with out brynnyng̘ of his flesshe // Many grete men whan þei herd her̛ a-vowe þei wold̛ not byse hem for to haue hir̛, & so she dwellyd̛ many wyntris in hir̛ maydyn̄-hoode / Ther was þat tyme in ferre contres a gentiƚƚ knyght, whos name was plebeus, þat on a tyme as he lay in his bedde he þought with-in hym-self, "I am A pore knyght; If I myght by eny wey haue þe

Emperours doghter, I shold not aƚƚ only be promotyd to riches, but also aƚƚ my kynred̛" / Than he went to þe Emperours pales & knokkyd at þe gate / The porter askyd whi he knokkyd̛; he seyde, "I am a knyght of ferre contres, plebius is my name / I come for [leaf 237] to haue þe Emperours doughtur to wyf̘" / The porter seyde, "haue kepyng̘ of þi-self̘, & wite wele þer shaƚƚ no man haue þe doughter of my lorde, but if he do .iij. þinges / On̛ is to change þe wynde / mete þe Elementes / & bere fyre in his bosom̄ with-out hurting̘, & he þat puttyth hym to do þes .iij. þinges & faylyth he shaƚƚ be put of̘" / The knyght seyde, "by-fore I com̄ heder I herd̛ þis processe, but with-out dout I shaƚƚ fulfiƚƚ þe peticion̄ of þe mayde" // Whan þe porter herd þis he lete hym entr̛, & [he] come & stode by-fore þe Emperour, & askyd þe mayde to wyf̘ / "If þou fulfiƚƚ þe peticion̄ of my doughter, þou shalt haue her to wyf̘" / he seyde, "syr, I am redy to fulfiƚƚ hem // .iij. þingis þer be þat your doughtur wold̛ haue fulfilled̛ / The first is, to change þe wynde fro þe northe in-to þe este / lo! I am redy for to proue þat" / The knyght had an hors þat

was woode, & gaf hym a drynke by vertu of þe which drynke he was delyuerd of his wodnes / Whan þis was done he put his hede toward þe Este and seyde / "behold̛! for þe wynd is fro þe norþe in-to þe Este" / The Emperour seyde, "what is þis to changyng̘ of the wynd̛?" / he seyde, "yes, syr. What is þe lyf̘ of man or best but a lytiƚƚ wynd̛? As long As myn hors was wode so long̘ it was in þe northe, for aƚƚ euyƚƚ comytℏ out of þe norþe / I gaf hym a drynke þat his woodnes shold̛ cese, & now he hathe his hede in-to þe Este, & is redy to bere aƚƚ byrthens, & so þe wynd̛ is changyd̛ fro þe northe in-to þe Este" / The Emperour seyde, "forsoþe, þou hast wele prouyd þe firste peticion̄, let vs now se for þe second peticion̄ is þis for to mete aƚƚ þe elementes after aƚƚ her deuysons" / "Se now, I shaƚƚ cle[r]ly proue it." / Anone he made his squyer to lye doun̄ on þe grownd̛, & he bygan to mete fro þe hede vn-[to þe fete] þe lengthe, þe depnes. whan þis was done he seyde to þe Emperour / "Sir, leue me, þei are not .vij. fete & an half̘ fully in þe lengthe of þe Elementes, & also many in brede" / "what is þis to þe .iiij. Elementes? seyde þe Emperour / The knyght seyde / "Syr, it is

wele knowe to you þat in A man are .iiij. Elementes, and seth I haue mote þe membres of my squyers body, so haue I þe Elementes, & so, As me semyth, is a-soylyd þe second peticion̄." The Emperour seyde, "forsoþe / Rigℏt wele þou hast prouyd it. / Go now to þe .iij. [leaf 237, back] peticion̄" / The knyght seyde, "I am redy to fuƚƚ fiƚƚ your wyƚƚ" / Anone he toke a brenneng̘ cole & .iij. dayes bare it in his bosom̄ with-out hurting of his flesshe / This sawe þe Emperour, & seyde / "Say me, frende, how þis may be, for þe toþer .ij. clerly I sye, but how it may be of þe fyre vtterly I not" / he seyde, "Syr, my moder gaf̘ me a precious stone by vertu of þe whiche þe fyre may not noye me" / This Emperour heryng̘ þis was gladde gretely & seyde, "forsoþe, wysely þou hast fulfilled þe peticions of my doughter & þerfor þou shalt haue her to wyf̘" / And Anone þe Emperour made a cry þat aƚƚ sholde come to þe weddyng̘ & many come & þe weddyng̘ was celebrate with grete Ioy, & so bothe lyued in pees, & yeldyd her soules to god.