chased an herte / they came to the holowe tre where the chylde laye / whan they felte the sauoure of the chylde they wolde no ferder go The Erle seynge this / meruayled gretely why his houndes abode there / smote hors w e his spores and rode a grete pase tyll he came to them And whan he came vnto the tree where in the chylde was closed loked in at a hole / and founde the chylde / and than was he ryght glad toke vp the chylde in his armes ful louyngely / bare hym home vnto his castell / saynge to the countesse his wyfe Lo my dere wyfe this daye by fortune I haue frunde a full fayre chylde in an holowe tree as I hunted in the forest wherof I am ryght glad And by cause that I gate neuer sone ne doughter on the / ne thou neuer yet conceyued chylde therfore I exorte the that thou wylte feyne thy selfe trauaylynge of chyl and saye the thou hast borne this chylde The councesse fulfylled w e gladnesse / sayd my lorde youre wyll shall be done Not longe after tydynges wente thorughe all that countrey that the Countesse was delyuered of a fayre sone / wherfore they made grete Ioye The chylde began to waxe / and was ryght well beloued of euery man / and specyally of the erle and of the Countesse It befell after whan the chylde was xv yere olde the Emperoure made a solempne feest to all his lordes vnto the whiche this Erle was called / and at the daye assygned came and brought the chylde whiche was that tyme a fayre squyre and carued atte the borde before the Erle The Emperour behelde hym gretely espyed the token in forheede that he hadde sene before in the Fosteres house / wherfore he was gretely meued within hym selfe / and sayd vnto the Erle in this wyse / whose sone is this quod the Emperour Sethely sayd the Erle he is my sone Than sayd the Emperour by the fayth and trouthe the thou o west to me telle me the trouthe The Erle seynge that he myght not excuse hym by no wyse but that he muste nedes tell / than tolde he hym all togyder how he founde hym in the forest in an holowe tree This heryÌ„ge the Emperour almoost waxed oute of hym selfe and called to hym his seruauntes whiche the he had sente before to slee that chylde And whan they came he made them to swere on a boke that they sholde tell the trouth what they had done with the chylde Good lorde sayd they we put vs vnto thy grace for without doubte pyte so meued vs that we myght not slee hym wherfore we putte hym in an holowe tree / but after warde what befelle on hym sochly we knowe not and in his stede we slewe a pygge and brought you the herte therof / whan the Emperour had herde the verey trouthe of this mater / he sayd vnto the Erle This yonge man quod he shall abyde here with me The Erle yâ— graunted thoughe it were gretely agaynst his wyll And whan the feest was ended / euery men toke his leue at the Emperour and wente whyther than theym lyste And that tyme as it fortuned the Empresse and her doughter solourned in a grete countrey thens by the commaundement of the Emperour It berelle not longe after the Emperour called vnto hym that yonge squyer and sayd The behoueth quod to ryde vnto the Empresse my wyfe with my letters All redy my lorde sayd he I am fer to fulfyll youre wyll Anon the Emperour lete wryte letters wherof the entente was this That the Empresse sholde take the berer of these letters lette hym be drawen at an horses tayle / after that she sholde lete hym be hanged tyll he were deed / that vpon payne of deth / whan the letters were all made sealed than the Emperour toke theym vnto the yonge squyer coÌ„maundynge hym to spede hym her Iourney And anone the chylde receyued them gladly put theym sure in a boxe / and rode forth vpon his Iourney / whan he had ryden thre dayes or foure on his Iourney in the euentyde he came vnto a castell where as a knyght dwelled and prayed hym mekely of a nyghtes lodgynge The knyght seynge and beholdynge the good fauoure of this yonge Squyr / he graunted hym lodgynge and made hym good chere and well to fare and afterwarde brought hym vnto his chambre And whaÌ„ he was there he wente to bed and anone was on slepe for he was ryght wery of his Iourney forgate his boxe with the letters lyenge open in his chambre / whan the knyght sawe the boxe he opened it and founde the letters sealed with the Emperours sygne manuell / and was gretely tempted for to open them And at the last he opened theym subrylly and thenne he redde how the Empresse vpon payne of deth sholde putte the berer of theym vnto the deth / and than he was ryght sorowfull and sayd within hym selfe Alas quod he it is grete pyre for to slee suche a fayre yonge man / and therfore yf I may it shall not be so And anone the knyght scraped awaye that wrytynge and wrote in the same paper a letter saynge these wordes Vpon payne of dethe I commaunde the that thou take the yonge squyer berer of these letters and lette medde hym without ony delaye vnto my doughter and youres with all the honoure and solempnyte that ye can / whan that they be wedded / that ye take hym in honoure and worshyppe hym as youre owne sone And that he kepe my place tyll I come to you my selfe / whan the knyght had thus wryten he closed the letters subtylly and put them in the boxe agayne Erly in the mornynge the chyl de arose and toke his leue of the knyght and rode forth in his Iourney / and came the thyrde daye to the Empresse and saluted her worshypfully in the Emperours behalfe / and tâ—ke her the letters / whan thempresse had rede them / anone she sente her messengers thrughe the courte coÌ„mauÌ„dynge the gentylmen to come to her doughters weddynge atte a certayne daye assygned / whan yâ— daye was come theder came many grete lordes / and anone this chylde wedded the Emperours doughter with grete honour worshyp accordyÌ„ge to the tenoure of the letters / and was ryght well beloued moost honoured amonge the people Not longe after it befell that the Emperoure came into that countre / whan the Empresse herde of her lordes comynge She toke with her her sone in lawe with moche other peple / and wente ayenst the Emperour to welcome hym whan the Emperour sawe this chylde ledynge the Empresse his wyfe he was gretely meued with hym selfe / and sayd O thou cursed woman for thou haste not fulfylled my commaundement thou shalte dye an euyll dethe A lorde quod she all that ye commaunded to do I haue fulfylled Nay cursed woman it is not so for I wrote to
the that thou sholdest put hym to deth now I se hyÌ„ alyue My lorde quod she safe your grace ye wrote to me â— I sholde gyue hym your doughter to wyfe / and that on payne of deth In wytnesse wherof lo here is your seale your letters with your owne seale Whan the Emperour herde this he wondred gretly sayd is he wedded thaÌ„ to my doughter ye sothly sayd the empresse longe agone with grete solempnyte / and as I beleue your doughter is with chylde Than sayd the Emperour O thou lorde Ihesu it is grete foly to stryue agaynst thyne ordynauÌ„ce / therfore syth it is so thy wyll must â—e fulfylled / with yâ— he toke his sone in lawe in his armes and kyssed hym whiche after his dethe was Emperour and ended his lyfe in reste and pease ¶ This Emperoure may betoken herod or elles euery synner whiche walketh alone without trouthe / tylle he come to the fosters house That is to saye the chirche whiche is the house of god This herode wolde haue slayne this chylde Ihesu / wherfore he sente messengers to seke hym accordynge to the scrypture of saynt Mathewe tellynge how he commauÌ„ded the thre kynges to seche hym brynge hym tydyÌ„ges agayne where he was the he myght come worshyp hym / but this sayd he not for loue but for dysceyte The foster betokeneth Ioseph oure ladyes husbonde whiche kepte hym / but whan the messengers came That is to saye whaÌ„ the thre kynges came they slewe hym not but on theyr knees worshypped hym lefte hym in the holowe tre of his god hede The Erle that came and founde this chylde Betokeneth the holy goost whiche warned Ioseph by the aungell in his slepe that he sholde take oure lday and her sone and flee in to the londe of Egypte This moralyte may be vnderstonde in other This Emperour may betoken a synner that walketh in the forest of this worlde sechyÌ„ge vanytes / not elles vnto the tyme he come vnto the house of god there he is receyned benyngnely of the prelate of the chirche yf he wyll obey the coÌ„manÌ„dementes of god But many of vs now a dayes slepeth in the chirche whaÌ„ they obserue not the werkes of mercy And therfore they ought to drede the voyces whiche I haue â—â—hersed by the fyrst take yâ— may be vnderstonde yâ— grete benefyte yâ— he gaue the whaÌ„ he put in the a soule made at his owne symylytude The secoÌ„de take is vnâ—stonde the sone of the fader of heueÌ„ / whiche was borne of the blyssed holy virgyn mary By the thyrde take is vnâ—stoÌ„de the same sone of god whiche dyed vpoÌ„ the crosse By the fyrst yelde is to vnâ—stoÌ„de the we ought to yelde our soule vnto almyghty god as clene / as fayre as he gaue it vnto vs after the wasshynge of our baptyme By the seconde yelde is for to vnderstande that we ought dayly to yelde honour / and worshyppe and loue vnto god The thyrde yelde is vnderstonde that we yelde to hym true confessyon / contrycyon satysfaccyon The fyrst Flee betokeneth synne whiche we sholde flee The seconde betokeneth the worlde that we sholde flee for the grete fallsehede and temptacyons that is therin The thyrde flee betokeneth euerlastyÌ„ge payne whiche we ought to flee thrugh â—erytory werkes by the which we may come the rather to euerlastynge Ioye Vnto the whiche brynge vs our lorde Amen THere dwelled soÌ„tyme in Rome a myghty Emperour named Sauracinus whiche ordeyned for lawe that who so euer rauysshed a vyrgyÌ„ sholde dye / yf she were rescued / than he that rescued her sholde haue her to wyfe yf hym lyst / and he wolde not wedde her than sholde she gyded be wedded by his counceyll It befelle vpon a daye that a tyraunt named Poncianus had rauysshed a vyrgyn and ledde her with hym to a forest and defloured her of her maydenhode And whaÌ„ he had so done he wolde haue slayne her / and as he was despoylynge her clothes ther came rydynge by that foreste a gentyl knyght whiche herde yâ— cryenge of a damoysel Therfore he smote his horse with his spores and rode a grete pase into the foreste to wyte what it myght be And thenne he sawe a woman standynge naked saue her smocke / than sayd the knyght arte thou now she quod he that cryed soo Than answered the mayde and sayd ye sothely quod she / this man that standeth here hath rauysshed me and defoyled my maydenhode and now he wolde slee me / therfore he hath dyspoyled me of my clothes that he myght smyte of myn hede / for the loue of god gentyll knyght helpe me now than sayd the tyraunt She lyeth quod he for she is my wyfe and I haue founde here in auoutry with an other man and therfore I wyll slee her Than sayd the knyght I byle ue better the woman than the / for lo the tokenes of trouth appereth openly in her vysage that thou hast rauysshed her and therfore wyll I fyghte with the for her delyueraunce And anone they sterte togyder and foughte egrely tyl they were bothe sore wounded Neuerthelesse the knyght opteyned the vyctorye and put the tyraunt to the flyght Than sayd the knyght vnto the woman Loo I haue suffred for thy loue many sore woundes and haue saued the frome the deth wylte thou thou therfore be my wyfe That I desyred quod she with all my herte therupon I take you my trouthe whan she was thus ensuered the knyght than sayd / here besyde is my castell / go ye thyder and abyde there tylle I haue besyted my frendes my kynnesmen to prouyde for all thynge nedeful for our weddynge For I purpose to make a grete feest for thyn honoure and worshyppe My lorde quod she I am redy to fulfyll thy wyll Theme wente she forthe to the castell where as she was worshypfully receyued And the knyght wente vnto his frendes to make hym redy agaynst the daye of maryage In the meane wyle came Poncianus the tyraunt to the knyghtes castell prayed her that he myght speke with her Than came she downe frome the castell to hym This tyraunt subtylly flatered her and sayd Gentyll loue yf it lyst you to consente to me I shal gyue you bothe golde and syluer and grete rychesse and I shall be your seruaunt and ye my souereyne / whan the woman herde this / dysceyued she was thrughe his flaterynge and graunted hym to be his wyfe and toke hym in with her in to the castell It was not longe after but that this knyght came home founde the castell gate shyt knocked therat / but longe he was or he myght haue answere / and atte the last the woman came demauÌ„ded why he knocked so herde Than sayd he O dere lady hast yâ— chauÌ„ged so sone my loue / lette me come in Nay sothly sayd she thou shalte not come here for I haue here w e
to bynde and to vnbynde The fyrst herbe is contrycyon of whome thou sholdest make thy drynke of teeres Ambrose sayth that teeres wassheth synne where shame is to knowlege these two other herbes ben confessyon and satysfaccyon / yf these herbes be vsed in playster the synne without doubte shall receyue his helth and his soule shal be delyuered fro synne / and by all ryght he shall haue euerlastynge lyfe Vnto the whiche brynge vs our lorde Ihesus SOmtyme there reygned in the cyte of Rome a myghty Emperoure and a wyse named Frederyk whiche had onely but one sone whome he loued moche This Emperoure whan he lay in the poynte of deth he called vnto hyÌ„ his sone and sayd drede sone I haue a balle of golde whiche I gyue the vpon my blessynge that thou anone after my deth shall gyue it to the moost fole that thou mayest fynde Than sayd his sone My lorde without doubte thy wyll shall be fulfylled Anone this yonge lorde after the dethe of his fader wente and sought in many realmes and founde many foles rycheles / by cause he wolde satysfye his faders wyll laboured ferther tyll he came in to a realme where the lawe was suche that euery yere a newe kynge sholde be chose there / this kynge hath only the gydynge of that realme but a yere / at the yeres ende he shall be deposed and put in exyle in an ylende where as he sholde wretchedly fynysshe his lyf / whaÌ„ themperours sone came vnto this realme the newe kynge was chosen with grete honoure / al maner of mynstralsye wente afore hym brought hym with grete reuerence and worshyp vnto his regal sete And whan the Emperours sone sawe that he came vnto hym and salued hym reuerently and sayd My lorde lo I gyue to the this balle of golde on my faders behalfe Than sayd he I praye the tell me the cause why thou gyuest me this balle Than answerd this yonge lorde and sayd thus My fader quod he charged me in his deed bedde vnder payne of his blessynde that I sholde gyue this balle to the moost fole that I coude fynde / wherfore I haue sought many realmes and haue fouÌ„de / wherfore I haue sought many realmes and haue fouÌ„de many foles neuerthelesse a more fole than thou arte founde I neuer therfore this is the reason It is not vnknowen to the that thou shalt reygne but a yere at the yeres ende thou shalte be exyled in to suche a place where as thou shalt dye a myscheuous deth / wherfore I holde the for the moost fole that euer I founde that for that lordshyp of a yere thou woldest so wylfully lese thy selfe / therfore before all other I haue gyuen to the this balle of golde Than sayd the kynge with out doute thou sayeth me sothe / and therfore whan I am in full power of this Realme I shall sende byfore me grete tresoure and rychesse wherwith I may lyue and saue my selfe frome myscheuous deth whan that I shall be exyled put doune and so is was done / wherfore at the yeres ende he was exyled and lyued there in â—pease vpon suche goodes as he had sent before / and he deyed afterwarde a good dethe ¶ Dere frendes this Emperour is the fader of heuen the whiche byquethed the balle / that is for to saye worldely rychesse to foles ydeotes whiche sauereth no thyÌ„ge but that erthely is This Emperours sone / that is for to saye a prechour and a dyscrete confessoure serched about many realmes and londes to shewe to mysbeleuynge men and foles they peryll The realme wherin no kynge myght regne but a yere is this worlde For who so had lyued an hondred yere whan he cometh to the dethe hym shall seme that he hath lyued but the space of an houre therfore do as the kynge dyde whyle that ye be in power of lyfe / sende before you your tresour that is to saye almes dedes other good merytory werkes / certaynly whan ye be put in exyle out of this worlde ye shal lyue in pease shall fynde that mercy of god plentefull wherby ye shall opteyne euerlastynge lyfe Vnto yâ— whiche brynge vs he / that for vs deyed on her rode tree Amen OYoclesyan reygned in yâ— cyte of Rome / in whose Empyre dwelled a noble phylosopher the whiche sette vp by his crafte an ymage in the myddes of the cyte of Rome the whiche ymage or fygure streyght out his arme and his formest fynger where vpon stode this poyse wryten in latyÌ„ Percute hic Smyte here This ymage after that dethe of this phylosopher stode styll a longe tyme. And many grete clerkes came thyder for to rede the superscrypcyon that was on yâ— fynger / but none of them vnderstode what it mente / wherfore there was grete wonder amonge the people And at yâ— laste a longe tyme after there came a straunge clerke out of ferre countrees / and whan he sawe this ymage he redde the scrypture Smyte here ¶ And than vpon a daye whan he sawe the shadowe of the hande he toke a mattocke and brake vp the grounde vnder the hande where yâ— shadowe was accordynge too the vnderstandynge of the superscrypcyno And anone he founde an house all of marble vnderneth the grounde where in he dyde dyscende / and entred in to an halle were he founde so moche rychesse so many Iewelles soo grete meruaylles that he neuer herde ne sawe suche neyther so many before that tyme. At the laste he sawe a borde couered and all maner of necessarye thynges accordynge therto layde thereupon He hâ—helde ferder and sawe a carbuncle in a wall that lyghtened all the house And afore ayenst this Carbuncle on that other syde stode a man holdynge in his hande a bowe with an arowe râ—dy for to shote The clerke maruaylled moche whan he sawe al these thynges and thought in hym selfe / yf that I tell this forth there wyll no man beleue me / and therfore I wyll haue somwhat of these goodes in tokâ—n of proue And with that he sawe knyfe of golde vpon the borde whiche he toke and wolde haue put it in his bosome But anone the archer smote that Carbuncle and brake it wherwith all the hole house was shadowed and made derke And whan the clerke perceyued it he wepte more byttterly than ony man myght thynke / for he wyst not by what way that he myght go out For so moche that the house was made derke thorughe the brekynge of that carbuncle And that same derkenesse abode stylle for euer / more after / and so fynysshed yâ— clerke his lyfe there in that derkenesse ¶ Dere frendes this ymage so standynge is that deuyll / whiche sayth euermore Smyte here That is for to saye Take hede vnto erthely rychesse / not to heuenly tresoure This clerke whiche smote with the mattocke betokeneth the wyse men of this worlde as pleders of lawe / vocates / other worldly
yf ye wyll nedes haue her and forsake my foule doughter / you be houeth fyrste to Iuste for her he that wynneth her shall wedde her Than were the grettest states of the Empyre gretely gladded / and anone onely for her loue they wolde Iuste and also fyght / wherfore they sette a daye of batayle / and many worthy men were slayne on bothe sydes Neuerthelesse one opteyned the vyctory wedded that yonge and fayre lady The seconde doughter that was foule oughly sawe this that her syster was wedded with grete solempnyte mourned wepte dayly / wherfore the Emperour her fader came to her sayd / dere doughter why mornest thou thus Alas dere fader quod she it is no wonder thoughe I mourne seynge my syster wedded with so grete honoure and gladnesse and euery man is fayne of her and no man loueth my felaushyp / and therfore dere fader what may I do beste sothely I knowe it not Then sayd the Emperour O my swete doughter all yâ— is myn is thyne and that is not vnknowen to you that he whiche wedded thy syster had no thynge with her but her fayrnesse / and therfore I shal proclame in myn owne persone thrughe all myn Empyre that what man that weddeth you I shall make hym sure by letter patent of all myn Empyre after my deth Than this yonge lady thought she was foule and oughly neuerthelesse she reioysed in the promysse of her fader / and anone after the proclamacyon was made / than there came a yonge knyght and a gentyll and wedded that lady / and after the dethe of the Emperour he seased all the Empyre was crowned Emperour and she Empresse ¶ This Emperour betokeneth our lorde Ihesu cryste whyche hath two doughters / that one fayre and that other foule That one fayre betokeneth this worlde whiche is full fayre and delectable vnto many men That other foule betokeneth pouerte and trouble whome fewe men desyre to wedde Neuerthelesse a comen crye was made by holy scrypture that who so wolde haue his fayre doughter that is the worlde sholde haue nothynge with her but her fairnes / that is to saye the worldly vanytees whiche faden and fall awaye lyke as the fayrnesse of man But who that wyll wedde the foule doughter / that is to saye wylfully to receyue pouerte and trouble for goddes loue / without doubte he shall opteyne the Empyre of heuen accordynge to the scrypture saynge thus ye that haue forsaken all thynge for my loue to to folowe me shall haue euerlastynge lyfe Full many noble and worthy men haue Iusted for the fayre doughter / that is to saye haue foughten bothe by see and by londe for this worlde for couetyse of worldely rychesse / and arte laste there be many slayne / for there is no thynge here but pryde of lyfe or courtyse of eyen or of flesshe where thrughe all the worlde is put vnto grete myscheef But he that weddeth the fayre doughter that is the worlde is he that setteth all his affecte and desyre in the wretchednesse of this worlde wyll not for no thynge forsake this worlde / lyke as a wreetche and couetous man But he that wedded the foule doughter is a good crysten man whiche that loue of the kyngedome of heuen forsaketh all this worlde / and not onely he dooth thus but also despysed hym selfe bodely obeynge to his souereynes in all thynge / suche a man certaynly shall opteyne the Empyre of heuen Vnto the whiche Ihesu cryste brynge bothe you and me Amen SOmtyme there dwelled in Rome a myghty Emperour named Andromyke whiche aboue all thynge loued melody This emperour had with in his castel a welle of suche vertue that soo euer were dronken / and dranke of that water of this welle sholde be contynent fresshe agayn and be delyuered frome all maner of dronkenesse There was also dwellynge in this Emperours courte a knyghte named Yorony whome the Emperoure loued moche / but ofte tymes he was dronken the whiche vyce the Emperour hated aboue all thynge / whan this knyght vnderstode hym selfe that he was dronken Than wolde he goo to the welle and drynke of that water and refresche hym selfe soo well that what soeuer the Emperour put to hym he wolde answere hym soo reasonably / that no synne of dronkenesse myght he founde in hym / and for his wytty answere and his wysdome he was gretly beloued of the Emperour Neuerthelesse his felawes of yâ— courte enuyed hym moche and ymagyned amonge them selfe how they myght departe the Emperour loue fro hym It fortuned upon a daye that this Emperour wente to the forest as he herde the nyghtyngale whiche is a gentyll byrde synge merely / wherfore this Emperour ofte tymes after that wolde ryse erly in yâ— mornynge and also some tyme frome his mete and walke vnto the wode for the swetenesse of her songe / wherfore many of his men sayd amonge them selfe Thus our lorde delyteth soo moche in the nyghtyngales songe that he recketh lytell of our profyte in so moche that thrughe two thynges his loue is worawen from vs. That is to saye by ydronye the knyght and by the swete songe of the nyghtyngale Than sayd an olde knyght the whiche was amonge theym Syrs quod he yf ye do by my counceyll I shall delyuer you of the knyght Ydronye / and of the nyghtyngale without hurte or dethe They answered and sayd what thynge that ye bydde vs do we shall fulfyll anone with all our herte Whan this knyght herde this within a whyle after he aspyed this ydrony that he was dronke wherfore he locked the welle faste as this knyght ydrony came to refresshe hym selfe and founde the welle locked The Emperour hadde a grete mater to trete / wherfore he sente in hast for this knyght by cause of his gre fore he sente in hast for this knyght by cause of his grete wysdome that was in hym to haue his counceyll And whan he came before that Emperour he was so dronke that he myght not ones meue his tonge neyther he hadde wytte / reason nor vnderstondynge to answere yâ— Emperour to his mater But whan the Emperour sawe this he was gretely greued for so moche yâ— he hated namely that vyce / wherfore he coÌ„mauÌ„ded anone that frome that daye / forth he sholde not be seen within his londe vpon payne of deth This herynge his fomen gretely were gladded and sayd vnto the olde knyght in this maner of wyse Now be we delyuered of this knyght ydrony There is no more to do but that we myght fynde that waye and remedy that we were deiyuered of the nyghtyngale in the whiche the Emperour delyteth so moche the songe Then sayd this olde knyght your erys shall here your eyen shall see yâ— this nyghtyngale shall be destroyed in shorte tyme. Not longe after this olde knyght aspyed yâ— yâ— nyghtyngale vsed to sytte vpon a tree euyn aboue this same wel where as her make that was yâ—
me my loue whiche I loued before Remembre yâ— quod the knyght that thou gaue me thy trouthe to be my wyfe / how I saued the frome deth / yf thou ponder not thy fayth beholde my wouÌ„des whiche I haue suffred in my body for the loue And anone he vnclothed hym selfe naked saue his breche the he myght shewe his woundes openly / but she wolde not se them ne speke more w e hyÌ„ but shyt fast the gate wente her way / whaÌ„ the knyght sawe this he wente to the Iustyce made his complaynte praynge hyÌ„ to gyue ryghtwys Iugement on this tyraunt this woman The Iuge called them before hym / whan they were come this sayd this knyght My lorde quod he I aske the benefytes of the lawe whiche is this / yf a man rescue a woman from rauysshynge the rescuer shall wedde her yf hym lyst And this woman delyuered I fro the handes of the tyrauÌ„te Therfore I ought to haue her / forthermore she gaue me her trouthe fayth to wedde me And therupon she wente to my castell / I haue done grete cost agaynst our weddyÌ„ge / therfore as it semeth me she is my wyf as by the lawe ThaÌ„ sayd the Iuge vnto the tyrauÌ„t Thou knowest well the this knyght delyuered her from thy handes for her loue suffred many smerte wouÌ„des therfore well thou wotest the she is his wyfe by the lawe yâ— the hyÌ„ lyst But after her delyuerauÌ„ce w e flater yÌ„ge speche thou hast dysceyued her / therfore this daye I Iuge the to he hanged Than sayd the Iuge to the woman in lyke wyse O woman thou knowest how this knyght saued yâ— frome deth therupon thou tokest hyÌ„ thy fayth to be his wyfe / therfore by two reasons thou art his wyfe / fyrst by the lawe / after by thy fayth This notwithstandyÌ„ge yâ— consented afterwarde to yâ— tyraunt and brought hym in to the knyghtes castell shyt the gate agaynst the knyghte and wolde not se his woundes whiche he suffred for thy loue / and therfore I Iugey e to be hanged and soo it was done / bothe the rauyssher and she that was rauysshed were dampned to the dethe / wherfore euery man praysed the Iuge for his ryghtwys Iugement ¶ This Emperour betokeneth the fader of heuen whiche ordeyned for lawe that yf the ioulâ— of man were rauysshed frome god by synne / the sauer of the soule sholde wedde hyÌ„ yf hym lyste The woman that was rauysshed betokeneth the soule of man whiche was rauysshed by synne of our fore fader Adam and ledde out of Paradyse and ledde in to the foreste of this wretched worlde by the tyraunt poncyanus whiche betokeneth the deuyll and he not only defloured her but by lesynge of herytage of heuen / but also he wolde slee her with euerlastynge payne But the soule cryeth with an hyghe voyce / whose crye our lorde Ihesu cyrste herde This crye was made whaÌ„ Adam cryed after oyle of mercy And patriarkes and prophetes cryed for remedy saynge O thou hyghnesse of the Eest and so for the vysyte thou vs. c. The knyght betokeneth our lorde Ihesu cryste whiche came frome heuen and faught with the tyraunt / that is for to sayethe deuyll / and bothe they were sore wounded For our lorde Ihesu Cryste was wounded in his flesshe / and the deuyll in his lordshyppe / wherfore the woman / that is to saye the soule gaue her truthe vnto almyghty god whan that she became crystened saynge that I forsake the deuyll and all his pryde / and byleue in god the fader almyghty Than ordeyned our lorde Ihesu a maryage bytwene hym and her with the seuen secramentes of the chirche wherof may be made a stronge castell agaynst the deuyll Also our lorde commaunded the soule to kepe her styl in the castel of vertue tyll he went vnto his frendes to prouyde the was nedeful / that is to laye oure lorde Ihesu on the assencyon daye assended to heuen to aray for her a dwellynge place of euerlastynge Ioye where as we sholde dwelle after the day of dome with our lorde god in honoure and glory But alas in the meane tyme came the deuyll begyled the wretched soule by a deedly synne so he entred in to the castell of oure herte whiche sholde be the castell of god The knyght Ihesu knocked at the gate of our herte accordyÌ„ge to this scrypture â—â—cce sto ad hostium et pulso Lo I stande at the dore and knocke / yf ony man wyll open that I may entre in / but where the deuyll is / god may not entre but yf the synner wyll receyue hym by penaunce / whiche seynge the gentyll Ihesu shewed hym selfe naked hangynge on the crosse that we may se his blody woundes whiche he suffred for vs that we synners sholde be the rather myndefull of his lone For frome the crowne of his heed vnto the sole of his feet / was lefte none place hole place Therfore sayth the ê“phet Ysaye Attendite et videte si est dolor sicut dolor meus / c. Byholde and se yf ony sorowe be lyke my sorowe Therfore is he a wretched man the wyll not be conuerted for all this vnto his lorde god but lyeth styll in deedly synne / wherfore whan he is called afore the hyghe Inge he shall be dampned to euerlastynge dethe Therfore studye we to open the dore of oure hertes with merytory werkes vnto almyghty god / and than without doubte we shall opteyne euerlastynge lyfe Vnto the whiche bryÌ„ge vs our lorde Ihesu whiche haue mercy on vs Amen ¶ Thus endeth the boke of Gesta Romanorum EmpryÌ„ted at London in Flete strete By me Wynkyn de Worde