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.

    31/544 (page 23)
    yong kny3te, sitting vp on a faire hors ; and come to hire, and salowid hire, and askid of hire the cause of hire sorowe. Thanne saide she, “ My worshipfulle lord, I haue gret cause to sorowe. I am come of gret blode and rialle ; the Emperour was my fadir, and when he deyde, he made me his eyre, for he had no moo children than me. Whan he was ded, ther come a kny3t, and spoiled me of my virginite ; and after the synne, he put me out of myne heritage, in so moche that I aske nowe my brede fro dore to dore ; and, lording myne, if it be your wTille, this is the cause of my sorowe.” Tho spake the kny3t, and saide, “Now sothely, damyselle, this is yvelle i-do, and grete compassione I haue on the ; and therfore, if thou wolt graunte to me oo thing, sothely I shalle fi3te for thyne heritage, and behote the the victorie.” “A! lord, alas!” quoth she “ for I have nothing to 3eve the but my selfe.” “ And I aske noon other of the, but that thou be my love, and love none so wele as me,” And thenne saide she, “ 3is, lord, and that I behote the.” Thenne spake he, “ 3it I wolle haue an othir certayne of the, as this,—if it happe me to dye for the in batille, and not to have victory, that thu sette out my blody serke on a perche afore, for twey skiiis ; the first is, that the si3te of my serke may meve the to wepe, as ofte tyme as thou lokist theron ; the secunde skile is, for I wolle, that whenne ony man comythe to the, for to haue the to wife, that thou renne to the serke, and biholde the serke, and sey to thi selfe, “ God forbede that euer I sholde take ony to my husbond, after the dethe of this lord, whiche deyde for my loue, and recoueryd myne heritage !’ ” And thenne saide the lady, “ My worshipfulle sir, alle this, with the grace of God I shalle fulle- [c. 2.] fille.” And whrn the kny3te hurde this, he 3afe bataile a3en the erle, and hadde the victory. Neuertheles he gate his dethe ther, and biquath his serke to his love, for whom he deyde, commaundynge that she shold holde covenaunt. Thenne whan she hurde of his dethe, she made grete lamentacione many days ; but whenne she sawe his blody serke, alle her bowelis weere troubelyd more than tunge may