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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    hous with me.” “ A!” quoth the Emperour, “ what clothing weryd he ?” “ Certenly,” seide the king, “ I sawe no clothing on him but his cloke, and his hoode on his hed.” “ Nowe i-wis,” quoth the Em- perour, “ he is a wise man in that word, for the hous that he menyd, was thi cloke. He seide $e dude vnwisely, that vsid not your cloke, for if hadde on your cloke, the reyne shuld not haue y-towchid your clothing.” “ Sire,” quoth the kinge, “ we redyn further; by a casuel happe or by chaunce I was ny dreynt in a water; and the kny3te rood withoute, and was safe. And whenne he sawe me in perille of watir, he seide to me, that I dude lewdely, for I brou3t [f. 201. c. i.] not my brigge with me.” “ A ! by my lewte, that man was no foie,” said the Fmperoure, “ for he seid the grete wisdome ; for thou shuldest, or thou haddist auntrede thi owne body, have i-had othir to have i-go to-fore the, and haue yprevede the water; and that he callide the bryg.” “ In the name of God, be it,” quod the Kyng. “ And then we ridene forth in the wey, and he made me to dyne with hym ; and when we had ydynede, he seide to me, that I did lewdly, that I brought not with me my sire and my dame.” Tho said the Emperoure, “ that wise man callide thi sire and thi dame brede and wyne, that thou shuldest haue i-take with the, with othir vitails.” Tho seid the kyng, “ As we ridene forthe, he asked leve of me to passe by another waye; and I asked of him whethir he wolde go, and he seid to me in this fourme; this day sevene yere I lefte a nette in a place, the which I wol now visite; and if I fynd hit as I left hit, I wol here hit with me ; and I find hit corrupt, I wolle let hit duelle stille.” And when the Emperoure hard that, he cried with an hy vois, “ Where beth any seruaunt3 ? where ? Renny th fast, and lokith my doughter in her chamber, for with oute doute she is the same nette that he spake of.” The seruaunt3 yede to her chamber, and founde no body, for the knyghte had i-fette her while the Emperoure met with the kyng. And so, shortly to sey, the kyng had lost his pray, and yede home with confusione.