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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    it that shalle be enioyned to the ; and that is not hard, witnessing the Sauiour him selfe, wher he seithe, Jugum meum suaue, et onus meum leue, Lo ! my 3oke, he seithe, is swete, and my charge is light. And if thou do thus, no doute of thou shalt stonde a3enst alle the shotis that the Deville can shete to the ; and his shotis shalle turne to his owne sorowe, and encresing of his peyne in the bed of Helle, wher he shalle be buryed. Now than most a prelate honge the wife—what bymenythe that ? Forsothe that consciens and discrecione late the fleshe be hongyd on the iebet of penaunce, of the whiche maner of living the Apostille spekithe this, Suspendium elegit anima mea, this is to sey, my soule hathe chosen the iebet, sell, doyng of penaunce. And after the herte is departid ynto thre parteys, that is, the fleshe is devidide ynto thre, sell, prayinge, almysdede, and fastyng. And thenne thou shalt take a new wife, sell, a spirit* obediente to a new governaunce ; and thenne per consequens thou shalt have euermore lastyng life. Ad quam nos et vos perducat, &c. [ n. ] EMPERATOR LUCIUS. Lucius was a wise Emperour regnyd in the cite of Rome, yn the hous of whom ther was a nobille knyght, the whiche kny3t as he rode or 3ede in a certeyne day in ernndis of the Emperoure, he sawe afer a serpent and a toode fi3te to-geder ; but the tode hadde ny the [c.2 ] victorie, and ny ouercome the serpent. And whenne the knythe sawe this bataille, he com to, ande smot the toode, and deliuered the serpent fro dethe. So aftirwarde whenne the kny3t was on his bed, and grete lobour that he hadde on the day afore made him to slepe harde; and alle the tyme the toode hade folowide him afer. And whenne the kny3t was a-slepe, the toode enteryd in to hise bede, and sprit, MS.