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.

    16/544 (page 8)
    [ HI. ] EMPERATOR DEOCLICIANUS. Deoclician was Emperour in the cite of Rome, in the empire of whom was a philosophre, callid Lenoppus, the whiche had bi his crafte sette vp an ymage, the whiche put out an hond with a fynger, and vp on the finger was wretyn wordis percute hie, that is to sey, Smyte here. This ymage stode ther long, and many a day after the dethe of the philosophre; and many come to this finger, and radde the superscripcione, but they vndirstode it not, and therfore thei hadde moche marvaile what it shulde mene. So in a certeyne tyme ther com a clerke of ferre contreys, and ofte tymis he sawe this ymage, and this finger with the scripture. And in a certeyne [c. 2.] day he toke a shoville, and dyggyd in the erthe, vndre the super- scripcione. And anone he fond a hous of marbille vndir the erthe; and thanne he went downe, and enteride in to the halle, and ther he fond so many riche iewelis and marvelous thingys, that no tunge cowde telle. Aftir this he sawe a bord or a table, i-sprad with riche metys y-nowe ther vppone. Thenne he lokid afer, and sawe stonding a charbuncle stone, the whiche }af li3t ouer alle the hous; and a3enst hit stode a man, withe a bowe in his hond, redy for to schete. This clerke perceivid welle this sight, and thoute, tho3 I telle this s^the whenne I am a-go hens, no man wolle trowe me, and therfore I wolle take some of this goode, in tokne. He stirte to the horde, and tooke a faire gilte cowpe, and put it vp; and anoone the man with the bowe sheet to the charbunclestone, so soore, that it 3ede on sundre, and tho was alle the li3t agone, and the hous was fulle of dorknesse. And whenne the clerke sawe this, he wepte soore, for he wiste not how to passe out, for dorknesse; and therfore he dwelte ther stille, and ther he endyd his life, &c.