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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    owne yen than to your wordis. For I see wel, and so may )e, that [f. i98.c. i.] this wey is stony, and vnesy for to goon ; and as I haue y-hurde say, there ben in it iij. armyd men, for to turne vs, or to fi3t with vs, if we come therin ; and therfore Y do the to knowe, that I wol go by this wey, and not by that.” “Certayne,” seide that other, “and if we go by that wey, we shal be led into the cite that is in the northe, where as is no mercy, but gret sorowe and care, to alle that goithe therto.” “3e, 3e,” quoth the foole, “ this whiche I see opynly wol I trowe more than suche; and therfor I wolle algatis holde it.” Tho spake the wise man, “ Now sithe I dranke thi bloode, in tokne of frendship, forsothe I wolle not late the goo alle one, what so euer happe with me in tyme to come.” So thes too khy3tis 3ede forthe on this wey; and anoon iij. kny3tis mette withe hem, and receivid hem worshipfully, and servid hem as for oo ny3t; and on the morowe they arose, and tooke hire wey toward the forsaide cite of the north. And anoon as thei were with inne the cite, the cache- pollys and the mynistris of the Emperour mette with hem, and seide, “ Siris, what doo 3e here in this cite ? for it is long a-gon sithe 3e wel knewe what was the lawe of this place, and therfore, seris, 3e most haue the lawe.” Anoon thei bond the wise kny3te, and put him in prisone ; and the fond kny3t thei cast in a diche place. And so it happid after alle this, that the domys-man come to the cite, for to sitte vp one brekers of the lawe. And anoone alle that were in prisone append afore the iuge, amonge the whiche come thes too kny3tis, that is to sey, the wise kny3t and the lewde, scil. the wise kny3te out of prisone, and the lewde kny3te out of the diche. Anoone the wise man seide, “ Sir, I make here complaynt vpone my felowe, and sey that he is cause of my dethe. For whenne bothe we were atwene the too weys, that is to sey, bitwene the cite of the eest and this cite, I tolde to my felowe the perille of this cite, and the profit of that other; and he wolde not trowe me, but seide, that he trowid more to his owene yene than to me ; and for he was felawe, I wold