heed and thanked the Emperour of his grete mercy And than he wente forth and sought thorughe out all the Empyre so longe tyll he had founden themperours doughter / and the knyghtes and also the grehounde and brought theym agayne And after that wedded the yonge lady with grete honoure and Ioye / and also restored agayne the knyghtes goodes / and atte the laste he ended his lyfe in pease and in reste Amen ¶ This Emperoure betokeneth oure lorde Ihesu cryst His doughter betokeneth the soule of man made at the symylytude of our lorde god And the .v. knyghtes betokeneth the .v. wyttes armed with the vertue of baptyme to kepe yâ— soule The mayster of the knyghtes is reason whiche ought to gouerne the wyrtes The grehounde is the flesshe of man The stewarde betokeneth euery man to whome god hath gyuen lyfe and soule to kepe vnder payne of lesynge of euerlastynge lyfe But a wretched man not remembrynge that is to come ful often corrupted and defoyled his soule by synne and dryued her frome the palays of heuen / and than goothe she fro dore to dore / that is to saye frome synne to synne He dyspoyled these fyue knyghtes of theyr goodes / that is to saye the fyue wyttes of theyr vertues takynge awaye the lawfull syght fro the euen and exortyngetheym vnlawfully / and also styrynge his eeres to here sâ—lauÌ„der and bachytynge and so forth of all other wyttes and thus some be made theues and some manquellers The mayster of these fyue wyttes is slayne whan someuer man is ruled by wyll and not by reason The grehounde / that is the flesshe wherin a man delyteth was fedde and bounde with the chayne of reason whiche he breketh full often and renneth out and dooth moche harme The comyÌ„ge agayn of this Emperour from the holy londe betokeneth the comynge of our lorde Ihesu cryste at the daye of dome to deme all mankynde Therfore do we as the stewarde dyde accuse fyrst our self of our synne leste the deuyll and the worlde accuse vs and than it were to late to axe mercy / therfore do we of our clothes by tyme / that is to saye our synful lyfe / and take we thre ropes in our hondes The fyrste rope that sholde bynde our hondes and feet betokeneth the rope of contrycyon whiche not onely ought to bynde our hondes and feet but also our other membres bothe within and without soo harde that the blode brast out on euery syde / that is to saye that the synne myght voyde Her to accordeth Ezechiel saynge thus InquacuÌ„â—â— hora egerit penytenciam peccatoâ— saluus erit Whan someneâ— the synfull man dooth penauÌ„ce he shal be saued The seconde corde for to drawe the trespasser is confessyon whiche sholde drawe vs frome the begynnynge of oure lyfe vnto this daye by the penaunce of our mouth vnto the tyme that the flesshe be falle frome the bones / that is to saye tyll the lust of the flesshe be torned awaye by the stones of penaunce For in lyke wyse as the stone by nature and by kynde is harde And ryght soo penaunce oughte for to be harde And the thyrde rope whiche sholde hange the felloâ—â— is the rope of satysfaccyon of whiche hangynge speketh the appostle and sayth Suspende elegit anima mea My soule hath chosen to be hanged For lyke as a man is lyfte vp frome the grouÌ„de by hangyÌ„ge Ryght so a synner is lyft vp fro synne towarde heuen vnto god by the hangynge of satysfaccyon vpon this galous we sholde hange tyll the byrdes of heuen came doune / that is to saye tyll the Appostles come doune for to fede vs with our good dedes For there is more Ioye of one synner doynge his penaunce afore the aungels of god in heuen c. Lyke as the stewarde brought agayne themperours doughter So it behoueth vs for to seche about by dyuerse werkes of mercy fynde our soule whiche we loste and brynge her agayne to the churche and gouerne well our fyue wyttes / fe dde our grehounde as sholde make our lyfe so clene and pure the we falle not agayne in synne for drede yf it fortune vs worse and that we haue no layser for to aske mercy agayne at our nede And yf we fulfyl al this truely tyll our lyues ende without doubte we shall opteyne euerlastyÌ„ge lyf Vnto the whiche our lorde bryÌ„ge vs al Amen IN Rome dwelled somtyme a myghty Emperour and a wyse named Edfenne / the whiche ordeyned for lawe the who someeuer rauysshed a mayde sholde be at her wyll / whether she wolde put hym to deth or that she wolde haue hym to her husbande It befelle after on a daye that a man rauysshed vpon a nyght two maydens / the fyrst damoysell desyred that she sholde dye / the seconde desyred weddynge The rauyssher was taken and ledde before the Inge that sholde satysfye to the these damoysels thrughe his wysdome and ryghtfulnesse The fyrst mayde euer desyred the dethe accordynge to the lawe And than sayd the seconde and I desyred hym for to be my husbande / for lyke wyse as thou haste the lawe for the / in lyke wyse I haue it for me And neuerthelesse my petycion is more and better than yours for it is more chary table / therfore me thynketh in my reason that the Iustyce sholde gyue sentence with me Than the Iustyce vnderstandynge the grete mercy of the seconde mayden gaue Iugement that he sholde wedde her and soo it was done ¶ This Emperour betokeneth our lorde Ihesu cryste The rauyssher beketoneth euery synner whiche rauysshed goddes mercy as often as he dyffoyleth the commaundementes of god by synne / for the deuyll may neuer ouercome man but yf it be suffred by wyll For saynt Austyn sayth Non est peccatum nisi sit voluÌ„tariuÌ„ It is no synne but yf it be voluÌ„tary The synner rauyssheth the mercy of god as ofte as he hath very contrycon The rauyssher also is called afore the Iustyce whan the soule is departed frome the body / anone the fyrste damoysell the is the deuyll larde ayenst the synner that ought to dye euerlastyngely by the lawe of ryghtwysnesse But that other mayden that is cryste layde for her yâ— mercy of god ought to helpe by contrycyon and confessyon whiche is the hyghe waye to euerlastynge lyfe Vnto the whiche god brynge bothe ye and me Amen SOmtyme dwelled in Rome a myghty Emperour and a ryche named Lypodyus whiche toke to his wyfe a fayre virgyn and a gentyll and was the kynge of Assyryens doughter This yonge lady conceyued and bare a chylde / and in the byrth of her sone she dyed And anone after her dyscesse this Emperour wedded an other wyfe begate her with chylde also And anone after the these chylderne were borne he sente them bothe in to straunge londe for to be nourysshed Than sayd the moder of the seconde chylde My reuerente lorde x. yere ben passed sythen I bare my chylde yet sawe I hym
agayne atte the daye of dome whan soule and body shall be gloryfyed / and in that he is our brother and it may well be proued by the texte of Ysaye saynge thus Puer natus est nobis c A chylde is borne to vs. This Focus lost .ii. d. vpon his wyfe Thy wyfe betokeneth thy flesshe vpon whome thou hast lost .ii. d. that is to saye vnlawfull loue and consente of synnes / for why / the flesshe is contrary to the goost and euer is redy to harme This Focê° also spended .ii. d. on hym selfe / that is to laye / by the fyrste penny thou shalt vnderstonde penaunce done in the whiche the soule gretely delyteth in heuen and there is gloryfyed / And by the seconde penny we ought to vnderstande that sted fast abydynge in doynge of penaunce / for he that abydeth vnto the ende shall be saued And who that spended well this .ii. d. shall opteyne euerlastynge lyfe Vnto the whiche brynge vs our lorde Ihesus cryste Amen SOmtyme dwelled in Rome a myghty Emperoure whyche amonge all other vertues loued best mercy / wherfore he ordeyned a lawe that euery blynde man sholde hane an hondred s by yere of his tresoure It befelle vpon a daye that there came certayne men to a tauerne to drynke wyne / and after that these men had sytten in the tauerne thre dayes yâ— fourth daye they were gretely in the tauerners dette and had no money to paye for theyr wyne wherfore the tauerner came to theym and charged them that they sholde not voyde tyll they had payed for theyr wyne Than sayd one of yâ— drynkers to his felowes syrs quod he themperour hath made suche a lawe that euery blynde man shall haue an hondred s of his tresour therfore cast we lotte amonge vs / and to whome the lotte falleth late his eyen be put out so may he go to themperours palays gete the hondred s thus this gretely reioysed and sayd that the counceyll was ryght good / wherfore they cast lottes amonge theym and the lotte felle on hym that gaue the counceyll / than his folowes forth with put out his eyen And whan he was blynde he wente forth to themperours palays and axed of the stewarde an hondred s accordynge to the emperours lawe Dere frendes sayd the stewarde thou myghtest se with bothe thyne yesterdaye / and thou also vnderstandest the lawe amys / for the lawe is made for men that are blynde thrugh infyrm y tees or by the wyll of god and yesterdaye thou haddest thy syght in the tauerne / but wylfully thou hast lost thyne eyer therfore go thou to the tauerne agayne to thy folowes and make thy pease and quyte thy selfe for here getest thou not a ferthynge Than wente this wretched man forth tolde his felowes of the stewarde answere / and with that came in the tauerner and dyspoyled theym of all theyr clothes and bete theym and thus droue them with shame out of the cyte and soo were they there neuer seen after ¶ Dere frendes this Emperoure is oure lorde Ihesu whiche ordeyned for lawe that euery blynde man sholde haue an hondred s of his tresoure This blynde man betokeneth euery synner whiche synned thrugh infyrmytees of entysyÌ„ge of the deuyll the worlde the flesshe whiche shall receyue an hondred s yf he be Inwardely repentaunt of his synnes / that is to saye he shall haue an hondred tymes more / Ioye accordynge to the scrypture saynge thus CentupluÌ„ accipietis vitam eternam possidebitis Ye shall receyue an hondred tymes more Ioye yf ye be repentaunt and torne frome synne / also ye shall haue euerlastynge lyfe These men that came to the tauerne and drynkyn the wyne be synners whiche oftentymes comen vnto the tauerne of our aduersarye the deuyll and drynken / that is for to saye / they do consume and there wast a waye all goostly vertues whiche they receyued whan they toke crystendome at the fonte stone / wherfore the deuyll our enemye dyspoyleth theym and maketh theym to lese all theyr good dedes that euer they wrought before they casted lottes / that is to saye they caste amonge theym the custome of synne / and this lotte of synne falleth on them that is worshypful and without mercy and suche a man wylfully becometh blynde / that is to saye he becometh wylfully a foule synner lyke Iudas that betrayed oure lorde withoute ony subgeccyon or entysynge / therfore suche men synne more greuously whan they come before the stewarde / that is to saye before the prelates of yâ— chirche they maye not lyghtly opteyne the Ioye of heuen / for why / they be not in the ryght waye to leue theyr synne Therfore studye we with all our dylygence to plese god the we maye opteyne euerlastynge rewarde Vnto the whiche brynge vs our lorde Ihesus Amen IN Rome dwelled somtyme a myghty Emperour named Pylomiê° whiche had no chylde but a doughter a fayre mayden and a gracyous in the syght of euery man and was named Aglaes There was also in themperours palays a gentyll knyght that loued this lady aboue all thynge in the worlde It befelle after vpon a daye that this knyght taked with this lady vttred in secrete wyse his desyre to her Than sayd she curtoysly / syth ye haue vttred to me the preuytes of your herte I shall in lyke wyse for youre loue vtter to you the secretes of my herte / and truly I saye that aboue all other I loue you best Than sayd the knyght I purpose to vysyte the holy londe / therfore gyue me your trouth the this .vii. yere ye shall take none other man but onely for my loue that ye shall so longe abyde me / yf I come nor agayn to this day vii yere take than what man that ye lyst best And in lyke wyse I shall promyse you that within this .vii. yere I shal take no wyfe Than sayd she / this couenaunt pleaseth me wel whan this was sayd eueryche of them bytrouthed other / than the knyght tooke his leue of this lady wente forth to the holy londe Anone after that themperour treated with the kynge of Hungry of maryage for his doughter Than came yâ— kynge of Hungry to themperours palays to se that yonge domoysell / and whan he sawe her maruaylously he lyked her of her fayrnes and goodnes soo that the Emperour the kynge were accorded in all thynges touchynge yâ— maryage vpon the condycyon that the damoysell wolde consent Than called themperour the yonge lady to hym and sayd O my swete doughter I haue prouyded for the that a kynge shall be thy husbonde yf the lyst to thyn assent / therfore telle me what answere thou wylte gyue to this Than sayd she to her fader it pleaseth me well / but of one thynge dere fader I you beseche yf it myght please you to graunte me for the loue of god I haue auowed my chastyte only to god for this
me my loue whiche I loued before Remembre yâ— quod the knyght that thou gaue me thy trouthe to be my wyfe / how I saued the frome deth / yf thou ponder not thy fayth beholde my wouÌ„des whiche I haue suffred in my body for the loue And anone he vnclothed hym selfe naked saue his breche the he myght shewe his woundes openly / but she wolde not se them ne speke more w e hyÌ„ but shyt fast the gate wente her way / whaÌ„ the knyght sawe this he wente to the Iustyce made his complaynte praynge hyÌ„ to gyue ryghtwys Iugement on this tyraunt this woman The Iuge called them before hym / whan they were come this sayd this knyght My lorde quod he I aske the benefytes of the lawe whiche is this / yf a man rescue a woman from rauysshynge the rescuer shall wedde her yf hym lyst And this woman delyuered I fro the handes of the tyrauÌ„te Therfore I ought to haue her / forthermore she gaue me her trouthe fayth to wedde me And therupon she wente to my castell / I haue done grete cost agaynst our weddyÌ„ge / therfore as it semeth me she is my wyf as by the lawe ThaÌ„ sayd the Iuge vnto the tyrauÌ„t Thou knowest well the this knyght delyuered her from thy handes for her loue suffred many smerte wouÌ„des therfore well thou wotest the she is his wyfe by the lawe yâ— the hyÌ„ lyst But after her delyuerauÌ„ce w e flater yÌ„ge speche thou hast dysceyued her / therfore this daye I Iuge the to he hanged Than sayd the Iuge to the woman in lyke wyse O woman thou knowest how this knyght saued yâ— frome deth therupon thou tokest hyÌ„ thy fayth to be his wyfe / therfore by two reasons thou art his wyfe / fyrst by the lawe / after by thy fayth This notwithstandyÌ„ge yâ— consented afterwarde to yâ— tyraunt and brought hym in to the knyghtes castell shyt the gate agaynst the knyghte and wolde not se his woundes whiche he suffred for thy loue / and therfore I Iugey e to be hanged and soo it was done / bothe the rauyssher and she that was rauysshed were dampned to the dethe / wherfore euery man praysed the Iuge for his ryghtwys Iugement ¶ This Emperour betokeneth the fader of heuen whiche ordeyned for lawe that yf the ioulâ— of man were rauysshed frome god by synne / the sauer of the soule sholde wedde hyÌ„ yf hym lyste The woman that was rauysshed betokeneth the soule of man whiche was rauysshed by synne of our fore fader Adam and ledde out of Paradyse and ledde in to the foreste of this wretched worlde by the tyraunt poncyanus whiche betokeneth the deuyll and he not only defloured her but by lesynge of herytage of heuen / but also he wolde slee her with euerlastynge payne But the soule cryeth with an hyghe voyce / whose crye our lorde Ihesu cyrste herde This crye was made whaÌ„ Adam cryed after oyle of mercy And patriarkes and prophetes cryed for remedy saynge O thou hyghnesse of the Eest and so for the vysyte thou vs. c. The knyght betokeneth our lorde Ihesu cryste whiche came frome heuen and faught with the tyraunt / that is for to sayethe deuyll / and bothe they were sore wounded For our lorde Ihesu Cryste was wounded in his flesshe / and the deuyll in his lordshyppe / wherfore the woman / that is to saye the soule gaue her truthe vnto almyghty god whan that she became crystened saynge that I forsake the deuyll and all his pryde / and byleue in god the fader almyghty Than ordeyned our lorde Ihesu a maryage bytwene hym and her with the seuen secramentes of the chirche wherof may be made a stronge castell agaynst the deuyll Also our lorde commaunded the soule to kepe her styl in the castel of vertue tyll he went vnto his frendes to prouyde the was nedeful / that is to laye oure lorde Ihesu on the assencyon daye assended to heuen to aray for her a dwellynge place of euerlastynge Ioye where as we sholde dwelle after the day of dome with our lorde god in honoure and glory But alas in the meane tyme came the deuyll begyled the wretched soule by a deedly synne so he entred in to the castell of oure herte whiche sholde be the castell of god The knyght Ihesu knocked at the gate of our herte accordyÌ„ge to this scrypture â—â—cce sto ad hostium et pulso Lo I stande at the dore and knocke / yf ony man wyll open that I may entre in / but where the deuyll is / god may not entre but yf the synner wyll receyue hym by penaunce / whiche seynge the gentyll Ihesu shewed hym selfe naked hangynge on the crosse that we may se his blody woundes whiche he suffred for vs that we synners sholde be the rather myndefull of his lone For frome the crowne of his heed vnto the sole of his feet / was lefte none place hole place Therfore sayth the ê“phet Ysaye Attendite et videte si est dolor sicut dolor meus / c. Byholde and se yf ony sorowe be lyke my sorowe Therfore is he a wretched man the wyll not be conuerted for all this vnto his lorde god but lyeth styll in deedly synne / wherfore whan he is called afore the hyghe Inge he shall be dampned to euerlastynge dethe Therfore studye we to open the dore of oure hertes with merytory werkes vnto almyghty god / and than without doubte we shall opteyne euerlastynge lyfe Vnto the whiche bryÌ„ge vs our lorde Ihesu whiche haue mercy on vs Amen ¶ Thus endeth the boke of Gesta Romanorum EmpryÌ„ted at London in Flete strete By me Wynkyn de Worde
the Emperour herde that so holy a woman was in suche a nonry he sayd to his broder thus Goo we quod he dere broder vnto this holy woman that is dwellynge in the nourye that she may hele the of thy lepre wolde god quod he that I were heled Anone the Emperour his owne persone wente with his broder towardes the Nonery And whan that the Nones herde of his comynge they resceyued hym worshypfully and with processyon And than the Emperour enquyred of the pryoresse of ony suche holy woman were amonge them that coude hele seke folke of theyr maladyes The pryoresse answered and sayd / that suche one was there Than was the Empresse called forth afore the Emperour / but she muffled her face as well as she coude / that the Emperourt her husbande sholde not knowe her / and whan she had soo done She salued hym with grete reuerence as perteyned vnto his estate / he agayne in lyke wyse saynge thus O go de lady yf the lyst of thy grace to hele my broder of his lepre Axe of me what thou wylte I shall graunt it the for thy rewarde / whan y◠Empresse herde this she loked aboute her sawe there the Emperours broder stode and was a foule lepre She sawe also there the knyght that slewe the Erles doughter blinde defe The thefe that she saued fro the galowes lame also the mayster of the shyp dystraught oute of his mynde all were come to her for to be heled of theyr sykenesse but they knewe her not / for all the they knewe her not thoughe she knewe them Than sayd she vnto themperour thus my reuerent lorde though ye wolde gyue me all your Empyre I may not hele youre broder nor none of these other but yf they knowelege openly what they haue done / whan that Emperour herde this he torned hym towarde his broder sayd to hym broder knowelege openly thy synne before all these men that thou mayst be heled of sekenesse Anone he began to telle how he had lyued his lyfe / but he tolde not how he had hanged the Empresse in the foreste by the heere / whan that he had knoweledged all that hym lyste The Empresse sayd sothely my lorde I wolde gladly laye vnto hym my medycyne But I wote ryght well it is in vayne for he hath not made a ful confessyon The Emperour herynge this torned hym towarde his broder / sayd agayne in this wyse what euyll sorowe or vnhappy wretchednesse is in the feest thou not that thou arte a foule laser Therfore knowelege truely thyne synne that thou mayst be hole / or elles auoyde my felawshyppe for euer A lorde quod he I may not tell my lyfe openly but yf I be sure of thy grace / what hast thou trespaced ayenst me quod the Emperour His broder answered and sayd / myn offence agaynst the is greuous / and therfore I aske mercy The Emperour thought not of the Empresse for as moche as he supposed she had be dede many yeres before / he bad his brother telle forth what he had offended hym and he sholde be forgyuen And whan the Emperour had thus forgyuen his broder he began to telle openly how he had desyred the Empres to synne with hym / how he had hanged her by the heere in the forest by cause she wolde not consente to hym whan the Emperour herde this almoost wretched creature the vengeaūce of god is fallen on that and were not that I haue pardoned the thou sholdest dye the foulest deth that coude be thought Than sayd the knyght that slewe the erles doughter I wote not quod he of what lady ye ment / but well I wote that my lorde foūde suche a lady hangȳge by y◠heere in foreste brought her home to his castell bytoke her his doughter in kepynge / I styrred her to syn̄e with me as moche as I coude but she wolde not consent / wherfore I slewe the erles doughter the lay with her And whan that I had so done I put the blody knyfe in the ladyes hande that the erle sholde thynke she had slayne his doughter with her owne hande / than was she exyled thens but where she became wote I not Than sayd thefe I wote neuer of what lady ye mene but well I wote y◠seuen sergeauntes were ledynge me to the galowes / suche a lady came rydynge by bought me of them / and than wente I with her and afterwarde I betrayed her vnto a mayster of a shyppe Suche a lady quod he receyued I. And whan that we were the myddes of the see I wolde haue layne with her but she satte doune to her prayers / anone there arose suche a tempeste that the shyppe all to braste and were all drowned saue I But what after that befell on her wote I not ¶ Than ctyed the Empresse with an hyghe voyce and sayd Sothly dere frendes ye are now clene confessed / wherfore now wyl I laye to my medycyne / and anone they receyued theyr helthe / whan the lady had thus done she opened her face vnto the Emperour / and he knewe her anone and ranne to her braced her in his armes and kyssed her oftentymes / and for Ioye wepte bytterly saynge thus Blyssed be god now haue I founde that I desyred And whan he had thus sayd he led her home vnto his palyce with grete Ioye and after whan god wolde be pleased they ended theyr lyues both in pease ¶ This Emperour betokeneth our lorde Iesu cryste The Empres betokeneth an holy soule The Emperours broder betokeneth that flesshe to whome our lorde Ihesi cryste hath gyuen charge of his Empyre / but moste prȳcipally to the soule Netheles y◠wretched flesshe ofte styreth the soule to synne But the soule whiche loueth god aboue all thȳge withstandyth that temptacyon and calleth to her / her goostly power that is to saye reason wyll vnderstandynge and concyence and maketh theym to enpryson the flesshe whiche is dysobedyent to the soule in the pryson of penaunce vnto the tyme he obeye vnto reason in all thynge / and thus in hope of mercy he synneth agayn whome holy scrypture saȳge thus Maledictus homo qui peccat in spe Cursed be that man that synneth in hope And atte the last the soule enclyneth to the flesshe and letteth hym of the pryson of penaunce and wassheth hym frome the fylthe of synne and arayeth hym with good vertues and maketh hymn lepe o◠the palfray of charyte and so rydeth he forthe to mete our lorde on Esterday But alas for full ofte the synner trespaceth agaynst the holy scrypture wherfore the herte that is to saye / the lust of the flesshe and of synners aryseth before hym and after renneth grete houndes that is to saye euyll thoughtes / and so longe they chase tyll the body and the soule be lefte alone / than the flesshe styreth that noble soule the spouse of almyghty god vnto