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Godfridus regnid a wise Emperour in the cetee of Rome, and he had childerin that he lovid moche. And when he laye on his dethebed, he callid to him his eldest sonne and saide to him, "Der sone, the heritage that my fadir lefte and biquathe to me, holly I geve hit to thee." Aftir that he clepid the secounde sone, and saide to him, "Der sone, I have certeyne possessions, londis and tenementes, that come of my purchas, and therfor, sone, I geve al tho, and alle other that I have, withoute my heritage." And he made the thirde to be callid, and seide to him, "Sone, I have noo mevable goodes to geve thee, but only thre jewell, scil. a presious ringe, a gay broche, and a riall clothe; and thes thre I bequethe thee. And the vertu of the ringe is this, that whosoever ber hit upon him, he shalle have love of al men. The vertu of the broche is this, that whosoevere ber hit upon his brest, late him thinke what he wolle, and he shalle mete therwith at his likynge. And the vertu of the clothe is swiche that lete a man sitte uppon hit, and he shalle be in what partye of the worlde he wolle desire. And sone, I geve thee thes thre and I charge thee, that thou go to scole, for thow shalt by thes thre, gete god inowhe." When this was seyde, he turnid his body to the walle, and yelde up the gost. The childerin with the moder reverently buryed him, and gret lamentacion was made for his dethe. Then the eldest sone occupied his eritage; the secounde sonne al the purchas. And the Emperes saide to the yongest sone, "Thi fadir gaf to thee a ringe, and a broche, and a clothe; here I take to thee the ringe, that thow go to scole, and lerne; and yf thou do welle, thow shalte be myn owne der harte." The yonge sone receyvid the ringe; and his name was Jonathas; and he yede to an université, and there he lernid in a mervelous maner. And as he walkid in a certeyne day ther in the citee, ther mette with him a faire woman; and whenne Jonathas sawe hir, he was i-storid to an unlawfull maner of love and spake to hir therof. She grauntid him, and he lay withe hir al nyght, and aftir helde hir stille to his store. And thorow vertu of the ringe he hadde getyn love of al the université; he made gret festes, and nothinge him lackid, for they lovid him so moche, that for his love they geve him inowe. This woman, that was his leman, hight Felicia; and she had gret marvayle that he had alle thinges to his luste, and at his wille, and for she coude fynde nere ner peny with him. So in a nyght, as thei lay togeder in bed, she saide to him, "Worshipfull sir, ye have i-had my maydinhode, and ye shulle have me as longe as I live; and as ye coveyte me to be redye to youre wille, I pray yow tellithe me a petucion that I shalle asked of yow, scil. how ye make so many festes, and havithe so muche goode, and havithe no tresoure ne mony, that I can se?" Thenne saide he, "Yf so be that I telle thee my counseill, I trowe that thow woldest discover me." "Nay, sir, God forbede," quod she, "that ever I shuld do that traytorye to yowe!" Thenne said he, "My fadir hathe biquethe to me this ringe, that thow seist me have on my finger; and hit hathe swiche a vertu, that he that berithe hit on his finger, shalle have love of alle men, and so al men lovithe me therfore so moche, that whatsoever I aske of them thei gevithe me." And then saide she, "Sir, whi wolde thow never telle me this or nowe, for perilis that myght falle?" "Whi?" quod Jonathas, "What perile myght falle?" Thenne saide Felicia, "Thou goste ofte tyme in the towne, and ther thow myghtest les hit by some chaunse; and for to lese swiche a jewelle, hit wer grete harme and perill; and therfore, der birde, leve me that ringe, and I shalle kepe it." Jonathas gaff goode credense to hir wordes and toke hir the ringe. And when hit was so i-don, the love of the peple bygan to turne fro him ne ther was noon that wolde eny mor geve him, as thei dud afore. And when he perceyvid that, and that the cause was for he bare not the ringe, he turnid agene to his lemman, and saide to hir, that she shulde deliver hit to him agene. And thenne she beganne to feyne a lesynge, and saide with a loude crie, "Alas! My cheste is i-broke, and the ringe is borne awey!" Thenne Jonathas was hili mevid, and saide, "Alas! womman, that ever I saw thee!" And she beganne to wepe, and to make grete sorow; and Jonathas sawe that, and saide, "Wepe not, for God hathe holpin me hedirto"; and he trowid hir right welle. So he wente to his contré, and come to his modir. Whenne the Empresse sawe him, she said to him, "Der sonne whi ert thow come hom so soone fro thi studie?" Thenne seide Jonathas, "A! Modir, I have lost my rynge, by cause that I toke hit to my lemman." Thenne answerd the modir, "Sone, I have ofte tyme saide to thee, that thow sholdeste beware of womman; and now I wolle take thee thi broche, but loke that thow lese not hit." Jonathas resseyvid the broche, and fastenid hit uppon his brest, and yede to the université, as he dude afor. And so, thorowe vertu of the broche, he gate al thinge that he wolde coveite towchinge wordly goodes, inso- muche that the damiselle hadde grete marvayle of hit; and therfore bothe nyght and day she lay aboute him to seye the sothe, how that he made so gret festes, and hadde so deyntefulle metis, but he wolde not telle hir longe tyme. But the shrewe wepte, sighid, and saide, "Thou trowest not me, I see wel; and I wolle bynde my lyf to thee, to kepe thi counseill, and thi jewel eke, yf thou haddist eny." Jonathas trowid hir wordes and tolde hir the vertu of the broche. Thenne she wepte mor faste, and wolde not be stille. And then saide he, "Woman, whi wepist thow, and for what cause sorowest thou?" "For I trowe," quod she, "that thow wolte lese thi broche, and thenne thow lesist al thi thryfte." Thenne saide he, "What wolte thow counsaile me in this cas?" Thenne she saide, "I counseille thee, that thou take hit me to kepe." "I trowe," quod he, "that thou wolte lese hit, as thow loste my ringe." "Iwisse," quod she, "rathir shalle the sowle parte from my bodye or I lese hit." Jonathas undir a grete triste tooke hir the broche; and some aftir the godes bygon to fayle. Thenne Jonathas entirid into the chaumbr, and she began to crye, as she dude afor, and saide, "Allas! The broche is i-stole; I wolle now for woo slee nowe myself!" She drowe oute a knyf and feynid as she wolde have smetin hirselfe. Thenne Jonathas trowid that she wolde have slayne hirselve; he toke the knyf from hir, and saide, "Damiselle, I pray thee, leve thi wepinge, for I forgeve it thee altogedir." Anon by cause of nede he turnid home ageyne, and visitid his moder. And whenne his moder sawe him, she saide to him, "Sey, sone, hast thowe lost thi broche, as thow didest thi ringe?" and he saide, "The woman that had the ringe, hadde the broche in the same maner"; but what worthe of hit he ne knew, as he saide. Thenne the modir beinge ivele apayde withe him, she saide, "Sonne, thou wotist welle I have now no mor of thyne but a clothe, and therfore her it is; ches thou wher thow wolte kepe it, or leve it her. But, sone, I warnid thee to beware of women." And Jonathas seide thenne agene, "Sothely, modir yf so be that the clothe be lost, I shalle never mor thenne loke thee in the face." Thenne she deliverid to him the clothe, and he yede agene to scole. And soone aftir his unthrifti lemman mette withe him, as she dude afor, and she made him gode chere and kiste him; and he dide as thowhe he hadde no jewel. Whenne he was in his hostelle, sone he leyde the clothe undir him, and bad his leman sitte downe biside him uppon the clothe; and she knewe not of the vertu of the clothe, and anoon Jonathas thoute, "Lorde! Yf we wer now in fer contrees, wher never man come afore this!" And thenne withe the same thoute they wer bothe reysid up togedir, into the ferrest coste of the worlde, with the clothe with hem. And whenne the woman sawe that, she saide, "Alas! What do we her!" "Her we bethe nowe," quod he, "and her I shalle leve thee, and bestes shulle devoure thee, for that thow hast i-holynd my rynge and my broche." "A! sir, mercy," quod she, "for sothely yf thow wolte brynge me agene to the citee, I shalle geve to thee thi ringe and thi broche, withouten anye agene-stondynge; and but yf I do in dede that I seye, I wolle bynde me to the foulest dethe." Jonathas trowid hir, and saide, "Loke nowe, that thou never do trespas mor, for yf thow do, thou shalt dye." And thenne she saide to him, "For the love of God tel me now how we come hedir!" Thenne saide he, "The vertu of the clothe is, that whosoevere sittithe therupon, shalle be in what coste of the worlde he wolle desire to be ynne."And then he saide, "Forsothe, I hadde lever slepe then al the worldes goode, as me thinkithe; and therefore, I pray thee, ley forthe thi sherte, that I may ligge down, and have a litle slepe." She dude so, and he leyde downe his hede in hir shirte, and byganne stronglye to slepe. Thenne she heringe his grete slepe, she drow the parti of the clothe that was undir him unto hir; and thenne she thowte, "Lord! Yf I wer now wher that I was today!" And anon, sodenly she was browte to the same plase; and Jonathas lay stille slepinge. Whenne he wakid, he saw neithere clothe, ne woman; he wepte bitterly, and saide, "Alas! Alas! What shalle I nowe do I wot nevere; and I am worthi al this bale, for I tolde to the woman al my counseill." He lokid abowte on everye side, and sawe nothinge but wilde bestes, and briddis fleing in the heir; and of hem he hadde grete drede in herte. And he rose up, and yede by a certeyne pathe, but he wiste never to what place. And as he yede, ther was a water in his weye, over the whiche he moste nedis goo; and whenne he enterid into the water, it was so hote, that hit brende of the fleshe fro the boone of his legges, for hit drowe awey alle the fleshe that it towchid. And Jonathas hadde ther a crewette, and fillid hit of that water. Tho he yede forthe, tille he saw a tree fulle of frute; and there he gaderid frewte, and ete, thorow the whiche he was made a foule lepre. And thoo for sorowe he fel down, and seide, "Cursid be the day wherin I was borne, and also the hour in which I was conseyvid in my modir!" Aftir this he rose, and yede, and sawe the secounde water; and dradde for to entir. Nevertheles he enterid in, and as the fyrste water drowe of the fleshe of his feet, so the secounde water restorid hit agen. And he filde a cruet therwith, and bare the frute with him also. And as he yede forthe, he sawe the secounde frewte afer, and for he hungerid, he yete of that frute, and anon he was clansid of alle his lepr; and toke of the frute with him, and livid welle withe sustenaunce thereof. Thenne he sawe a feire castell, and in the circuite aboute ful of hedis of lechis. And as he come ny to the castell, there mette two squiers, and thei seid to him, "Der frende, whens erte thowe?" "I am," quod he, "a leche of fer contrees hennys." Thenne saide thei, "The kynge of this castell is a lepr man, and manye lechis comithe to him, and undirtakithe to hele him, up peyne of hir hedis, and thei havithe y-faylid everychone; and therfor thow maiste see hir hedis sitte in the wallis of the castelle. And therefore we telle thee for certeyne, yf thow undirtake my lorde, and not hele him, thou shalte lese thy lyfe." Thenne saide he, "Yis, I shalle hele him." Tho he was browte before him, and he gaf the kynge of his frewte to ete, and also he gafe him of his secounde water to drynke, and anon the kynge was hole. And he gaf to Jonathas riche giftes, and fair, plentefully, and mo behite him, yf he wolde abyde withe him. But he wolde not assent to dwelle withe him. And eche day he usid to go unto the see-syde, that was therin, to aspie yf ther wer enye shippe, that myght bringe him home. And at the laste, in a certeyne day there come toward thirty shippis, and alle in a morow reysid there. Thenne Jonathas enquerid amonge hem, yf eny shippe wer there redy for to go to swiche a londe, wher as he hauntid scole.     At the last he founde a shippe redy, that wolde to the same contree. Thenne Jonathas was gladde, and enterid into the shippe, aftir that he hadde take leve of the kynge. Sone aftir that he was come to the citee, there as was his leman. But ther was noon that had knowleche of him, for longe tyme, that he had be devourid with wilde bestes. Whenne Jonathas was in the citee, anoon he toke cure of syke peple, and he helid alle. And by that tyme his leman was the richeste of that citee, by vertu of the rynge and of the broche, and of the clothe, but she was gretly turmentid withe sikenesse. And whenne she harde telle, that such a sotill leche was come to the citee, anoon she made messagers to go for him, and that he wolde vouchesaffe to hele hir of hir sykenesse. Jonathas come to hir, and there he fonde his lemman on bed; and he knewe hir welle, but she knew not him. And whenne he hadde i-seyne hir uryne, he seide to hir, "Worthi ladye, thow haste oo sekenesse that may not be helid but by oo way; and yf thow wolt preve that wey, thowe may be helid." Then seide she, "I am redy to do whatsoever thow comaundist, so that I be hole therby." Jonathas saide to hir, "Thou moste be clene i-shriven; and yf thou have withedrawe owte fro eny man with wronge, thow moste restor hit agene, and thenne I shalle warante thee to be hole; and ellis my medicinis wolle not stonde in stede." And so by cause that she was grevousely holde withe sekenesse, she made an opyn confession afore al men, how that she had deseyvid the sonne of the Emperoure, as hit is seide afor, and how she lefte him at the ende of the worlde. Thenne seide he, "Wher ben the thre jewellis that thou withedrew fro him, scil. the ringe, the broche, and the clothe?" And she tolde him that thei wer at hir beddis fete, in a chest. "And therfor," she saide, "open the cheste." And there he fonde as she saide, with gret joye to him. And he toke the ringe and put hit on his fynger, he sette the broche on his breste, and toke the clothe undir his arme. And he toke hir drinke of his firste cruet, scil. of that water that drow awey the fleshe of his fete, and yaf hir to ete of that frute that made him lepr; and whenne she hadde resseyvid hit, she was in swiche a likenesse, that no man wolde no lenger abide with hir, and in that grete angr she yede up the sprite. Thenne aftir hir dethe, Jonathas turnid home to his contree, with gret joye, beryng with hime the ringe, the broche, and the clothe; and in goode pes endid his lyf. Moralitee     Dere frendes, this Emperoure is oure lord Jhesu Criste, that hathe thre sones. By the firste sone we must undirstonde angelis, to whome God hathe gevin swiche confirmacion and grace that they may not synne; for aftir that aungels weer falle don, God so confermid hem that thei dwelle stille after, that they myght not synne aftire. By the secounde sonne undirstonde prophetes, to whom God gaf the olde lawe of Moyses; the which law was mevable, for it was chaungid by the advent of Criste. And to the thirde sone, scil. a Cristen man, he gaf thre jewell - a ringe a broche, and a clothe. By the ringe we muste undirstonde feithe, for that owithe to be rounde like a ringe, and withoute eny twartynge; and he that hathe the ringe of feithe, witheoute eny dowte he shalle have the love of God and of aungles; and therefore seithe oure savioure: Si habueritis fidem, sicut granum sinapis, &c. Ut supra, this is to seye, yf ye have feithe, as the seed or as the greyene of synevey, as is saide befor. And therfor he that hathe the ringe of feithe, vereliche he shalle have al thinges to his likinge. Also he gaf to the Crysten man a broche, scil. the Holy Goste in his herte; and therfore it is seyde, Mittam vobis spiritum paraclitum et suggeret vobis omnia quecumque dixero vobis, this is to sey, I shalle sende to yow the Holy Gost, the whiche shall shew in yow all goodis which I shall seye to yowe. And therfor yf we have the Holy Goste in oure hertes, witheoute dowte we shulle have al thinge that shall be prophitable to oure soulis. Also he gaf to Cristin man a presious clothe. The clothe is perfite charité, the whiche God shewithe for us and to us in the Cros; for he lovythe us so muche, that he offirde himselfe to dye for us, for to bringe us to the place that we desire for to come to, scil. to hevene. And therfor whoso wille sitte on the clothe of perfite charité, witheoute dowte he may be translatid. Jonathas may be callid every Cristen man that is fallyn to synne. Thenne his leman metithe with him, scil. his wrecchid fleshe, that stirithe him to synne; and than he lesithe the ringe of feithe that he reseyvid in baptisme; and thenne the broche, scil. the Holy Gost, fleithe from him, for synne; and the clothe, scil. charité, is drawin fro him as ofte tyme as he assentithe to synne; and so the wrecchid man is lefte witheoute helpe amonge the wylde bestes, scil. the devil, the wordle, and the fleshe; and thenne it is gretlye to sorow. Therfore, man, do as dude Jonathas: arys fro thi slepe of synne, for thow hast slepte to longe in the slepe of carnalité; and therfor hit is wretin thus, Surge qui dormis, et illuminabit te Christus; this is to sey, aryse thou that slepest, and Criste thee shalle i-liyten. Thenne whenne thou ert up risen fro slepe of synne, and art i-litenyd, and mayste see, entre into the water that wolle have of the fleshe fro the boone, scil, penaunce, the whiche putithe awey fleshelyche affeccions. Aftir he etithe the frute of sharpenesse, the whiche chaungithe the cher, in maner of a lepr man; as it is wretin of Crist: Vidimus eum non habentem speciem neque decorem; this is to seye, we saw him not having shappe ne fairnesse. So of the soule, that is in bitternesse for his synnes; and therfor in figur a sowle is seide to be blak, thogh hit be wel i-shape. Aftir he entrithe the secounde water, that is i-callid holly comunynge, that is aftir penaunce; and therfor seithe oure Savioure: Ego sum fons vite; qui biberit ex aqua hac, non siciet in eternum; this is to sey, I am the welle of lyfe and he that drinkithe of this water shalle not thirste. Aftir that, he etithe of the fruyt of the secounde tree, the whiche restorithe al that was loste; whenne that he is glorefiid in everlasting lyfe, aftir that he hathe helide the kynge, scil, the soule, and so he entrithe into the shippe of holy chirche, and gothe to his lemman, scil. his fleshe, and rechithe to hir the water of contrucion, and the frute of penaunce, and of sharpnesse, for the whiche the fleshelyche affeccions deyethe. And so by penaunce he takithe of hit his lost goodes, and so he gothe to his contree, scil. to the kyngdom of hevene. To the whiche He us brynge, that is Kynge everlastinge! Amen.

Excerpts from The Gesta Romanorum, Select Bibliography

Manuscripts in Middle English

Balliol 354, fols. 1a-3a (c. 1450, East Midlands).

Cambridge University Ff. 1.6, fols. 216a-245b (late fifteenth century).

British Library Additional 9066, fols. 5a-87b (late fifteenth century). [Base text for The Punished of Adulterers.]

British Library Harley 7333, fols. 150a-203a (1440-96). [Base text for Emperor Felicianus and Godfridus a Wise Emperoure.]

Gloucester Cathedral MS 22, pp. 723-87 (late fifteenth century).


Early Printed Editions

de Worde, Wynkyn (1510-15) [Contains an abbreviated number of tales beginning with the story of Atalanta. See Burke Severs and Albert E. Hartung, A Manual of the Writings in Middle English, 1050-1500 (New Haven: Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1967-).]

Robinson, Richard, ed. Gesta Romanorum: A Record of Auncient Histories Newly Perused by Richard Robinson (1595). Delmar, NY: Scholars' Facsimiles & Reprints, 1973. [A revision of Wynkyn de Worde's edition.]


Editions

Herrtage, Sydney, ed. The Early English Versions of the Gesta Romanorum. EETS e.s. 33. London: N. Trübner & Co., 1879.

Madden, Sir Frederic, ed. The Old English Versions of the Gesta Romanorum. London: Roxburghe Club, 1838.
Oesterley, Hermann J., ed. Gesta Romanorum. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buckhandlung, 1872. [The Latin text.]

Sandred, K. I., ed. A Middle English Version of the Gesta Romanorum, Uppsala: University of Stockholm, 1971.

Siatkowski, J., ed. Gesta Romanorum Linguae Polonicae (1543): cum fontibus latinis et bohemicis. Köln: Böhlau, 1986.

Weiske, Brigitte, ed. Gesta Romanorum: Untersuchungen qu Konzeption und Überlieferung. Tübingen: Max Neimeyer Verlag, 1992.


Selections

B. G., ed. Evenings with the Old Story Tellers: Select Tales from the Gesta Romanorum. New York: Wiley and Putnam, 1845.

Brunet, M. G., ed. LeViulier des Histoires Romaines: Ancienne Traduction François des Gesta Romanorum. Paris: Chez. P. Jannet, 1868.

Dick, Wilhelm, ed. Die Gesta Romanorum. Nach der Innsbrucker Handschrift von Jahre 1342. Amsterdam: Rodopi Editions, 1970.

Komroff, Manuel, ed. Tales of the Monks from the Gesta Romanorum. New York: The Dial Press, 1928. [A translation of some of the tales in the Latin text.]

Swan, Charles, ed. Gesta Romanorum: Entertaining Moral Stories. London: Routledge & Sons, 1905.

---, and Wynnard Hooper, eds. and trans. Gesta Romanorum: Entertaining Moral Stories. New York: Dover, 1959.


Related Studies

Archibald, Elizabeth. Apollonius of Tyre: Medieval and Renaissance Themes and Variations. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer, 1991.

Brewer, Derek. "Observations on a Fifteenth-Century Manuscript." Anglia 72 (1954-55), 350 ff.

Loomis, Laura Hibbard. Mediaeval Romance in England: A Study of the Sources and Analogues of the Non-Cyclic Metrial Romances. New York: Burt Franklin, 1960.

Marchalonis, Shirley. "Medieval Symbols in the Gesta Romanorum." Chaucer Review 8 (1974), 311-19.

Metlitzski, Dorothea. The Matter of Araby in Medieval England. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1977.

Palmer, Nigel F. "Exempla." In Medieval Latin: An Introduction and Bibliographical Guide. Ed. F. A. C. Mantella and A. G. Rigg. Washington: D. C.: Catholic University of America Press, 1996. Pp. 582-88.

Scanlon, Larry. Narrative, Authority, and Power: The Medieval Exemplum and the Chaucerian Tradition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994.

Speed, Diane. "Middle English Romance and the Gesta Romanorum." In Tradition and Transformation in Medieval Romance. Ed. Rosalind Field. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer, 1999. Pp. 45-56.