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

[EMPERATOR FREDERICUS.]
(THE BLOODY SHIRT. OF A KNIGHT WHO RESTORED A PRINCESS TO HER KINGDOM, AND OF HER GRATITUDE TO HIM.)

[ 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.

[Second Version. XLI.]Addit. MS. 9066.

[leaf 56, back]

Story.

A maydyn̛ there was myghty and̛ riche, that had̛ a kyngdome Endewed̛ with aƚƚ goodes, and̛ myghty. that sawe an Enviouse kyng̘, and̛ fuƚƚ of giles, and̛ thought to putt here oute of here kyngdome; nere the lese he wiste wele, that he myght not ouerecome hire, ne make here blynde be giftes. but he was besy with gile, and̛ come to hire with a fayned̛ frendship; and̛ so prively he begiled̛ here, and̛ with fraude ouercome here, and̛ vnrightfully caste hire oute of this kyngdome. Than the maydyn̛ levid̛ longe in pouerte and̛ wrechidnesse, wantyng̘ vertue and̛ richesse, and̛ myght not come agayne to hire heritage. But the sone of a kyng̘ moste

myghty loued̛ that maydyn̛, and̛ was sterid̛ with pite, and̛ wedded̛ that maydyn, that he had̛ longe loued̛, that he myght bryng̘ the maydyn̛ agayne to here heritage, be victorie of bataylle, that she had̛ [leaf 57] vnrightfully loste. Therfore in batayle agaynes the tyraunte he laughte, and̛ gladly was woundid̛; neuer the lese he was a noble ouercomere, and̛ seide to his spouse, that he moste deye in batayle, ande so haue the victorie. And̛ so the maydyn̛ rose oute of the bedde of wrechidnesse and̛ pouerte, and̛ had̛ hire kyngdome; and̛ toke the cote-armour of hire housbonde, that was aƚƚ be-spryngeld̛ with blode, and̛ hange it in hire prevey chambre, that it myght be aƚƚ

wey redy to hire sight̘. Afterwarde, be processe of tyme, come to hire noble men, for to wedde here. She answerid̛, and̛ seide, that hire housbonde had̛ shewed̛ to here so many tokens of loue, that neuer she shuld̛ take othere housbonde. and̛ if it happenyd̛ any tyme that hire mynde for frealte begone to bowe, be delectacion̛, Anone she rose vp, and̛ wente into here Chambyre, and̛ behelde the cote-armour of hire housbonde, that was be-spryngelid̛ with blode; and̛ wepte for the dethe of here housbond̛, for grete loue; and̛ so aƚƚ þe wille of weddyng̘ sesid̛.

[Declaracio.]

What shuƚƚ we vndirstonde by this maydyn̛, that hath this ryaƚƚ kyngdome, but mankynde beyng̘ in paradise? Mankynde was fyrste in the state of Innocencie, and̛ had̛ gyven̛ of god spirituaƚƚ richesse, to with-stonde his aduersaries; as seynte Austyn̛ seithe, in an̛ Omelie, the prince of vices, while he ouercome Adam̛, that was made of slyme of the Erthe to the Image of god̛, and̛ armyd̛ with chastite and̛ clennesse, arayed̛ with temperaunce, and̛ made shynyng̘ with charite. The enemy spoyled̛ oure fyrste parente of his giftes, and̛ of his money, and̛ goodes, and̛ also slowe hym̛. And̛ after that mankynde was putt oute of paradise, he was longe in pouerte and̛ miserei; neuer the

lese the sone of hym̛ that is hieste, that is, the Sone of god̛, louyd̛ hire; as it is saide, with parfite charite I haue louyd̛ that; And̛ therfore hauyng̘ mercy I haue drawen̛ þe; the which he weddid̛ in his incarnacion̛. the Sone of god̛ vnyed̛ hym̛ to mankynde to þe dethe; and̛ aƚƚ thoughe þe soule were partid̛ fro the bodie, neuer the lese the soule and̛ the bodye with in iij. dayes were vnyed̛ to the god̛hede; and̛ feghtyng̘ godis sone Criste, god̛ and̛ man̛, with the deuyƚƚ, he was slayne in bataylle, and̛ of his victorie man̛ kynde was brought agayne into the kyngdome of heuyn̛. Therfore the armys of oure spouse Ihesu Criste, that so many tokens of loue hathe shewed̛ to vs, moste be hanged̛ in oure prevey Chambre, that is, in oure herte and̛ in our mynde, that it may be a shewyng̘ euery day to þe Eyen̛ of our soule; as it is written̛, the dethe of my wele belouyd̛ sone, that he suffred̛ for [leaf 57, back] my helthe, moste aƚƚ weye be had̛ in mynde. But oure Enemeis drawyng̘ vs to delectable thinges, wolde wedde vs, and̛ bryng̘ vs to synne. we shuƚƚ then answere hem̛ thus, "While I haue in mynde the blode of hym̛ that was so kynde, *ande kyng̘, [These two words seem superfluous.] how shuld̛ I hym forsake, that the dethe for me wolde take? Nay, for sothe, I shaƚƚ not so, for he brought me from mekiƚƚ woo." Therfore turne we the Eyen̛ of oure mynde to the armys of oure spouse, that was aƚƚ besprengild̛ with his blessyd̛ blode. Then aƚƚ confusion̛, consente, and̛ dilectacione to synne shaƚƚ sese, by the vertue and̛ myght of his blessyd̛ passyon̛ and̛ dethe.