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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    and a dampnyd soule to Helle.” “ What is the depnesse of the see ?” “ Ser, I sey, the cast of a stone; for eche hevy thing naturely descendith, and for the stone is hevy and ponderous, therfore he [c. 2.] wolle discende, and therfore, ife I were a stone, I shulde discende to the grounde of the see, and telle you the soth by probacione.” Then seid the Emperoure, “ What if * alle the outegoyng of the fresshe water be stoppid ?” “ For if thou did so, then I shulde telle the how many galons of salt water [were] in the see.” Quod the Emperoure, “ That were impossible me to do.” “ So were that other impossible for me,” quod he, “ for to mow bere.” “ How of lechecraft ?” quod the Emperoure. “ For there is no man,” seid the knyght, “ but that he is somtyme seke, and somtyme medlithe with medicynes.” Then seid he, “ How of the pope?” “ For God is oon,” seid he, “ and therfore he hath made a vyker.” “ And also who makith the daies iourneye, that thou speke of ?” “ Sir,” quod he, “ the sonne, the whiche goth aboute alle the worlde in oo daye.” “ Go thi wey,” quod the Emperoure, “ for thyne answeris haue ykept the fro deth.” Moralite. Dere frendis, this Emperoure may be callid eche man, that argu- ythe how that he may in the day of dome answere to God. The first, how moche is bytwene good and yuelle ? and that is to the first questione, where as he askith, how moche is bytwene Heuene and Helle? And that thou oughtist to considre in thi hert, what thou shalt haue for the good, sell. Heuene, and for yvel, sell. Helle ; and therfore fie yvelle, and take the good. How depe the see is ? By that thou shuldist thenk how moche is the perille of this worlde, and to fie thilke perils; for hit is harde to go in to the fyre, and not to brenne the solis of thi fete, so it is harde to go in the worlde, and not offend God. Also of what crafte is moste ? Know thou, that there beth two maner of medycyns, that is to sey, material, and spiritual; is, MS.