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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    that othir was yong. The olde man had weddid to wif a yong damyselle, and the yong knyghit had weddid an olde woman; and bothe thes men duellide in oo cite, ny to-gidre. So hit happid in a certein daye, that this yong knyght had a grete y3e on the yong wif, that was yweddide to the olde knyght, and was hily ravisshed in to hir love ; and thought that hit had be more conuenient me to haue had this yonge woman, and the other man my wife. And in dede he spak to this yong woman, and she grauntid him ; but she was kept, that she myght not breke oute, to do no trespas. So this woman lokid oute oft tyme at her chamber wyndowe, for to here the swete song that the yong knyght vsid to syng; and afore this wyndow stode a feire fygge-tre, vpone the which a nyghtingale vsid to sit and syng; and therfore the yong lady vsid ofte tyme to rise in the nyght to here this brid syng. At the last the old man, her husbond, per- ceyved hit, and seid to hir, “ Telle me the cause whi thou risest so ofte fro thi bede.” “ A! ser,” quod she, “ there is sittyng in the tree suche a bride, that syngeth swetly, and I arise to here him.” And the knyght arose vp, and toke an arowe and a bowe, and shet at the brid, and slowe hit; and drow his hert oute, and cast hit to her, and seid, “ Take there the hert of him, for whos song thou ros vp so anyght fro me. And therfore fro hennys forwarde holde thi bede.” When the yong knyght herde telle how that he had slawe 204, c. i.] this brid, he thought, if he knew how moche I love his wif, he wolde do to me as he hath do to the brid; but it shal not be so. He armyd him, and entrid in to the hous of the olde knyght, and slow him; and sone after his olde wif diede, and tho he weddid the yong wife. Moralite. Dere frendis, this Emperoure is oure Lorde Jhesu Crist, Fader of Hevene. In his empire beth two knyghtes,—how so ? The yong