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.

    54/544 (page 46)
    his heritage. And then seid the Emperoure, “ Blessed be the houre 1 gate my yongist doughter! I lovide her lesse than eny of the othir, and now in my nede she hath socourede me, and the othir haue yfailed me; and therfore, aftir my deth, she shal haue myne empire.” And so hit was ydo in dede; for aftir the deth of the Empe- roure the yongist doughter regnede in his stede, and endede pesiblye. Moralite. [f. 203. c. i.] Dere frendis, this Emperoure may be callide eche worldly man, the which hath thre doughters. The first doughter that seith, “ I loue my fadir more than my selfe,” is the worlde, whom a man lovith so wele, that he expendith alle his life aboute hit; but what tyme he shalbe in nede of dethe, scarsly ife the worlde wolle for alle his love yeve him five knygtites, sell. v. bordis, for a cofre to ley his body ynne, in the sepulcre. The seconde doughter, that lovith her fader as moche as her selfe, is thi wife, or thi childryne, or thi kyne, the whiche wolle happely fynde the in thi nede, to the tyme that thou be put in the erthe. And the thrid doughter, that lovith the as moche as thou art worthi, is oure Lorde God, whom we lovith to litelle; but if we come to him in tyme of oure nede with a clene hert and mynde, withoute doute we shulle haue help of him ayens the kyng of Egipt, sell, the Devil; and he shal sette vs in oure heritage, sell, the kyngdome of Hevene. Ad quod nos he. [ XVI. ] ANCELMUS THE EMPEROURE. Ancelmus was a wise Emperoure regnyng in the cite of Rome; the which edifiede in the ende of his empire a passing faire castelle, and