The old English versions of the Gesta Romanorum: edited for the first time from manuscripts in the British Museum and University Library, Cambridge, with an introduction and notes / By Sir Frederic Madden. Printed for the Roxburghe Club.

Date:
1838
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The old English versions of the Gesta Romanorum: edited for the first time from manuscripts in the British Museum and University Library, Cambridge, with an introduction and notes / By Sir Frederic Madden. Printed for the Roxburghe Club. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    when the kny3t sawe him begynne forto drawe his bowe, he dyd as the clerke conseilid him. And thenne seide the clerk, “ What seist thou now ?” “ Forsothe,” quoth he, “ now hathe he schote an arowe [c. 2.] at the ymage ; and for that he failithe of his strook, he makithe moche sorowe.” Thenne seide the clerke, “ 3e, that is goode tydyng for the; for if he had smyten the ymage, thou sholdist have i-be dede. But loke nowe on the myrour, and telle me what thou seist.” “ Now he takithe an other arowe, and wolle shete a3en.” “ Do thenne,” quoth the clefke, as thou dyd afore, or ellis thou shalt be ded.” And therfore the kny3t putte alle his hede vndir the water. And whenne he had so y-done, he raiside hit vp a3en, and seyde to the clerke, “ He makithe sorowe nowe more than ony man wolle trowe, for he smot not the ymage; and he cryed to my wif, seiynge, that if I fayle the thirde tyme, I am but ded my selfe, and thyne husbond shalle lyve; and my wif makith therfor moche lamentacion.” “ Loke a3en,” seide the clerke, “and telle me what he doth.” “ Forsothe,” seide he, “ he hathe bend his bowe, and goithe ny to the ymage for to shete; and therfor I drede now gretly.” “ Do therfore,” seide the clerke, “ do as I bade doo afore, and dred the nothynge.” So the kny3t, whenne he sawe the scheter drawe his bowe, he swapte his hed vndir the watir, as he dyd afore; and thenne he toke it vp a3en, and lokid yn the myrour, and he I0W3 with a gret myrthe. “ I sey,” quod the clerke, “whi law3ist thou soo?” “ For the archer wold have y-schot at the ymage, and he hathe y-schotte him selfe in the lungene, and lyethe ded ; and my wif makithe sorowe with oute ende, and wolle hyde his body by hire beddys syde.” “ 3e, Sir,” quod the clerke, “ now thou haste thi lif savid, do 3eld to me my mede, and go; farwelle.” Thenne the kny3t 3afhim mede as he wolle aske. And the kny3t went hom, and fond the body vndir the bedde of his wife ; and he 3ede to the meyre of the towne, and told him howe his wife hadde don in his absence. Thenne when the meyre and the statys sawe this doyng, they made the wif to be slayne, and hire