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

[ IX. ] Harl. MS. 7333.

Story.

[leaf 154, back, col. 1]

Fredrericus was a wise Emperour, regnyng̘ in þe Cite of Rome, the whicℏ hadde a faire douter; And whanne þe Emperour was in his detℏ-bedde, he bequathe to his dowter aƚƚ his Empire. So what tyme þat a Certayne Erle hurde of this, after þe detℏ of þe Emperour, he come to þe dameselle, and sterid hire to synne, and anoon the dameselle enclined to his wordis. So whanne þe dameselle was filid with synne, he put hire out of hire Empire; And þan she made lamentacion̛ more than ony man can trowe, And ȝede into an oþer kyngdome or cuntre. So it happid in a certayne day, as she sat in hire sorowe and weping, she sawe afer comyng to hire-ward a faire yong knyȝte, sitting vp on a faire hors; & come to hire, and salowid hire, and askid of hire þe cause of hire sorowe. Thanne saide she, "My worshipfuƚƚ lord, I haue gret cause to sorowe. I am come of gret blode & Riaƚƚ; the Emperour was my fadir, and when he deyde, he made me his eyr̛, for he had no moo children þan me. Whan he was ded, þer come a knyȝt, and spoiled me of my virginite; and after þe synne, he put me out of myne heritage, In so mocℏ that I aske nowe my brede fro dore to dore; And, lording myne, if it be your wille, þis is þe cause of my sorowe." Tho spake þe knyȝt, and

saide, "Now sotℏly, damyselle, þis is yveƚƚ I-do, and grete compassion̛ I haue on þe; And þerfore, if þou wolt graunte to me oo thing, sotℏly I shaƚƚ fiȝte for thyne heritage, and behote þe the victorie." "A! lord, alas!" quoþ she "for I have nothing to ȝeve þe but my selfe." "And I aske noon oþer of þe, but that þou be my love, and love non̛ so wele as me." And þenne saide she, "Ȝis, lord, and þat I behote the." Thenne spake he, "Ȝit I woƚƚ haue an oþir certayne of þe, as þis: If it happe me to dye for þe in batiƚƚ, and not to have victory, þat þu sette out my blody serke on a percℏ afore, for twey skilis; the first is, þat þe siȝte of my serke may meve þe to wepe, as ofte tyme as þou lokist þeron; The secunde skile is, for I woƚƚ, that whenne ony man comytℏ to þe, for to haue þe to wife, þat þou renne to þe serke, and biholde þe serke, and sey to þi selfe, "god forbede þat euer I sholde take ony to my husbond, after þe detℏ of þis lord, whicℏ deyde for my loue, and Recoueryd myne heritage!'" And þenne saide þe lady, "My worshipfuƚƚ sir, aƚƚ þis, with þe grace of god I shaƚƚ fuƚƚfiƚƚ." And when þe knyȝte hurde þis, [leaf 154, back, col. 2] he ȝafe Bataile aȝen the Erle, and hadde þe victory. Neuertheles he gate his detℏ ther, and biquaþ his serke to his love, for whom he deyde, commaundyng̘ þat she shold holde covenaunt. Thenne whan she hurde of his detℏ, She made grete lamentacion̛ many days; But whenne she sawe his blody serke, aƚƚ her bowelis weere troubelyd more than tunge may telle; And hongyd it vp on a perche in hire chambir, And at euery tyme þat she lokid on þe serke, she wepte fuƚƚ

sore. The lordis of þe lond, seying howe the Empire was wonne, To hire they come, and wolde have I-hadde hire to wife. Thenne whenne she had enteryd þe chambir, and sawe þe blody serke, she seide with a lamentabiƚƚ voys, "Allas! þat I shold take ony husbond, after þe lord that daide for me, And wan myne heritage!" And so she answerid to aƚƚ þat come to hire for that erende, and fayr̛ endid hire lyfe, &c.

MORALITE.

Deere frendis, þis Emperour is þe fadir of hevyn. Þe only douȝter, that is so faire and so fresh, is þe soule of man, þat is made to his owne likenesse, to whom god hatℏ ȝevin and bequeþon his Empire, þat is to sey, paradise. But þenne comitℏ an Erle, scil. þe deviƚƚ, and excityþ hire to synne, As whenne he saide, Quacumque hora inde comederitis, eritis sicut dii, This is to sey, In what houre þat ȝe etyn̛ of þis frute, ȝe shuƚƚ be as goddis. And so, for breking̘ of þe commaundement of god, we were aƚƚ y-put out of the heritage of paradise into þe kyngdome of þe wordle, and þat in gret wrecchidnesse, as scripture shewitℏ, In sudore vultus tui &c. But þenne

comitℏ a wele faire knyȝte and a strong, scil. þat is to sey, our lord ihesu crist, þe whicℏ hadde compassion̛ of mankynde; and he drowe matrimony with vs, þat is to say, whan þat he tooke our kynde, and hayld̛ batail aȝenst the deviƚƚ, and gate our heritage. And þerfore, seris, late vs do as dude þe dameselle, late us [honge the] serke, scil. a fresh mynde, vp on̛ þe perche of our herte, scil. to sey howe þat our lord ihesu criste shadde his bloode for vs; And þenne if ony, scil. the deviƚƚ, or þe flesℏ, or eny oþer stery vs to synne, lat vs renne swiftely to þe þoȝt of þe passion̛ of crist, and sey, þat we woƚƚ haue non̛ oþer but him þat so shadde his bloode for vs, for we shold haue euerlasting life in blisse. To þe whicℏ he vs bring that is Lord euerlasting! Ad quam nos perducat! Amen.