counseyll and helpe many pore [et] seke folke are gretly holpen [et]
conforted. And the yonge ympe that vnder the grete tre is vp growen
is your cursed sone that now by his cunnynge begȳnith to growe and
studyeth how he fyrste may the armes and bowes of your myght cutte of /
and to wynne too hym the londe [et] praysynge of the people, and ouer
yᵗ he ymagyneth to destroy your person that he may hȳselfe reygne. But
what shall fall than therof come, all poore and feble people shall
curse all them the whiche myght haue destroyed your sone [et] haue
not done it / I counseyll you whyles ye are in your power [et] helth
yᵗ ye destroye hym leste yᵗ the curse of the people fall vpon you.
Tho sayde the Emperour, ye haue gyuen me good counseyll. Tomorowe I
shall condempne hym to the moost vylest deth that can be thought.
Whan yᵉ daye was come / yᵉ Emperour went [et] sate in Jugemēte, [et]
commaunded his seruauntes yᵗ they sholde lede his sone to be hanged wᵗ
trompettes blowynge in to kenynge of deth. And as themperours sone was
lad throughe the Cyte, the comen people began too wepe [et] crye alas
yᵉ onely sone of themperour is lad towardes his deth / [et] therwithal
came Pancyllas rydyng vpon a hors yᵉ fyrste mayster. Whan the chylde
sawe hym / he bowed his hede to hym, as though he had sayde, Haue
mynde vpon me whan ye come afore my fader, se how I am lad towardes
the galowes. Than yᵉ mayster sayd to the seruauntes / make no haste,
for I hope by the grace of god this day to delyuer hym frō the deth.
Then sayde all the people, O good mayster haste you to yᵉ palays and
saue your dyscyple. he smote his hors with yᵉ spores tyll he came to
the palays [et] kneled before the Emperour [et] dyde hym reuerence / To
whome themperour sayd, It shall neuer be to the good, which answerd I
haue deserued a better rewarde. The Emperour sayd there lyest yᵘ, for I
delyuered to the [et] thy felowes my sone well spekynge / [et] in alle
thyng well manered, [et] now he is dompe / [et] that wors is, he wolde
haue oppressed my wyf, therfore this day he shall dye, [et] ye all
shall dye a shameful dethe. The mayster sayd, O lord as for your sone
yᵗ ye saye that he speketh not, yᵗ knoweth god, [et] without a cause
it is not as ye shall vnderstande. And that ye saye more yᵗ he your
Empresse wolde haue befowled. I shall saye you of a trouth, he hath ben
in our company by yᵉ space of xvi yeres [et] we neuer coude perceyue
suche thinges by hym. And therfore my dere lorde I shall shew you one
thynge that yf ye put your sone to deth for yᵉ wordes of your wyfe, it
sholde happen too you wors than to a knyght the whiche that kylled his
best grey hounde thrugh the wordes of his wyfe whiche saued his sone
from yᵉ deth. Tho sayd themperour to yᵉ mayster tell me yᵗ example. The
Mayster sayd, Lorde that shall I not do / for afore or I coude make an
ende therof your sone myght be dede [et] thenne in vayne [et] without
fruyte I sholde reherce it, but yf it please you this notable example
to here / call ayen her sone tyll to morowe [et] as ye thynke by reason
then do with hym youre pleasure. As themperour that herde anone he lete
the chylde too be called ayen [et] in the meane tyme he sette hym in
pryson whyles the mayster sholde fynisshe his tale. And then he beganne
to saye in suche maner as folowith.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
_The Example of the Fyrste Mayster._
There was a valyaunt knyght whiche had oonly one soone as ye haue.
The whiche he loued so moche that he ordeyned for his kepynge thre
nourysshes, the fyrste sholde gyue hym souke [et] fede hym, yᵉ seconde
sholde wasshe hym [et] kepe hym clene, yᵉ thirde sholde brynge hym to
slepe [et] to reste. This knyghte had also a greyhounde [et] a fawcon
yᵗ he also loued ryghte well. The greyhounde was so good yᵗ he neuer
ran too noo game but he toke it [et] helde it tyl his mayster came. And
yf his mayster dysposed hym to go to batayle, yf he sholde not spede
in yᵉ batayll / anone as he sholde mounte vpon his horse yᵉ greyhounde
wold take the horse tayll in his mouth [et] drawe backwarde / [et]
wolde also cry [et] howle meruaylously loude. By thise sygnes the
knyght vnderstode yf that he sholde spede in his iourneye or not. The
faucon was so gentyll and so hardy that he was neuer caste of to his
praye but he toke it. This same knyght had grete plesure in iustynge
[et] turneynge, so yᵗ vpon a tyme vnder his castell he lete proclame
a tornement to the whiche came many good lordes and knyghtes. The
knyght entred in to yᵉ tourney, [et] his lady went with her maydens to
se it. And as they went out after went the nourysshes [et] lefte the
chylde lyenge alone in the cradell in the halle where the greyhounde
laye nygh the wall, and yᵉ hauke or faucon standynge vpon a perke. In
this halle there was a serpente lurkynge or hydde in a hole. to all
them of the castell vnknowen. The whiche whā felte that they were all
absent he put out his hede of his hole. [et] as he noman sawe but the
chylde lyenge in yᵉ cradell, he went out of his cauerne towardes yᵉ
cradell for the chylde to haue slayne. The noble faucon seynge that,
behelde yᵉ grehounde that was slepȳge/ she made suche a noyse [et]
rustelynge with her winges or feders yᵗ the greyhounde awoke and rose
vp. and whan he sawe the serpente nyghe the chylde anone ayenst hym he
lepte / [et] they bothe faught so long togyder tyll yᵗ the serpente
hadde greuously hurted and wounded the greyhounde that he bled sore.
soo yᵗ the erthe about the cradell was al be bled with the blode of the
greyhounde. The greyhounde whan that he felte hymselfe so greuously
hurted and wounded, sterte fyersly vpon the serpente, and faught sore
togyder and so egerly, so that betwyne theym the cradell was ouer caste
wᵗ the chylde the botome vpwarde. And by (_sic_) bycause yᵗ the cradell
had foure pomelles or fete they saued the chyldes vysage [et] his lyfe
frome ony hurtȳge fallynge towardes the erthe. [et] what shall I say
more. Incontynent therafter with grete payne the greyhounde ouercame
[et] slewe the serpente / [et] went [et] layd hym downe ayen in his
place [et] lycked his woundes / and anone after as yᵉ iustes [et]
torneye was done, the nourysshes were the fyrste that came in to yᵉ
castell / [et] as they sawe the cradell reuersed with bloode vppon
the erthe enuyronned, and that the greyhounde was also blody, they
thought and sayde amonges themselfe that the greyhounde hadde slayne
the chylde, and they were not soo wyse as too tourne vppe ayen the
cradell with the chylde for too haue seene what was therof befallen.
But they sayd / lete vs fle or ren away leest that oure mayster put or
laye the blame vpon vs and slee vs. And as they were thus away rennynge
/ they met wᵗ the knyghtes wyfe, and she sayd to them Wherfore make ye
this sorowe [et] whether wyl ye ren, [et] they sayde, O lady woo and
sorowe be to vs and to you; why what is there happened, shewe me. The
grehounde they sayd that our lorde [et] mayster loueth soo moche hath
deuoured and slayne your sone / [et] lyeth by the wall all full of the
bloode. As yᵉ lady this herde she fell to the erthe and began to wepe
and crye pyteously: [et] sayd alas, O my dere sone be ye thus slayne
[et] dede, what shall I nowe make that I haue my onely sone thus loste.
Herwithall came in the knyght frome the torneye, [et] beholdyng his
lady thus cryenge [et] makyng sorowe. he demaūded her wherfore that
she made so grete sorowe and lamentacyon. She answered hym, O my lorde
youre greyhounde that ye loue soo moche hath slayne your onely sone,
[et] lyeth by the wal sacyate with bloode of the chylde. The knyght
hugely angred went in to the hall, [et] the greyhounde went to hym to
mete and to fawne as he was wonte to doo. And the knyght drewe out his
swerde [et] with one stroke smote of the houndes heede, and went to ye
cradell and founde his sone al hole, and by the cradell the serpente
slayne. And by dyuers sygnes perceyued that the hounde hadde foughten
ayenst the serpent for the saluacyon of yᵉ chylde. Then with grete
sorowe [et] wepyng he tare his here and sayd woo be to me that for
the wordes of my wyfe I haue slayne my good greyhounde yᵉ whiche hath
saued my chyldes lyfe [et] hath slayne the serpente. Herfore I wyll
put my selfe to penaunce [et] brake his swerde in thre peces, and went
towardes yᵉ holy londe, [et] abode there all the dayes of h_i_s lyfe.
Then sayd yᵉ mayster to themperour, Lorde vnderstande ye what I haue
sayd. And he answerd and sayde ryght well. The mayster sayd: Yf yᵗ ye
do youre sone to dethe for yᵉ wordes of your wyfe, it shall come to you
wors than it dyde too the knyght for his greyhounde. The Emperour sayde
ye haue shewed me a fayre example, [et] wᵗout doute this daye shall not
my sone dye. Tho sayd the mayster yf ye do so ye do wysly, but I thanke
you that ye haue hym spared this daye for my sake:
[Illustration]
_The Seconde Complaynte of the Empresse._
Whan yᵗ thempresse herde yᵗ the chylde was not yet deede, she began
to wepe bytterly [et] sate her downe vpon the erthe in ye asshes [et]
wolde not holde vppe her heed. As themperour that herde he entred in
to yᵉ chāber [et] sayd to her, O good wyfe wherfore make ye all this
sorowe [et] trouble your selfe so moche. She sayd demaunde ye me that
knowe ye not well what grete despyte [et] shame yᵗ I haue suffred of
your vnhappy sone, [et] haue p_ro_mysed me yᵗ ye shold se iustyse ouer
hȳ done [et] yet he lyueth, of trouth it shall hapne too you as it
happened vpon a shepeherde and a boore. The emperour sayd, I praye you
shewe me that exāple for my lernynge. and she sayd yesterday I shewed
one: and I sawe none effecte that therof came, too what entente sholde
I now shewe. Neuertheles I shal this notable example telle [et] declare
vnto you / in this maner hereafter folowynge.
[Illustration]
_The Seconde Example of the Empresse._
There was somtyme an Emperour the whiche had a grete foreste / wherin
was a bore yᵗ was so cruell [et] so fell that all men goynge through
the forest he kylled and deuoured. The emperour was therof ryght heuy,
and lete to proclame thrugh all his empyre, that who soeuer he was
that coude sle the bore sholde haue his oonly doughter too wyfe, [et]
therto his Empyre after his deth. [et] as this in all places proclamed
was there was not one man founde yᵗ durste medle or intromytte. Than
was there a shepeherde whyche in hymself thought, myght I this bore
sle [et] wyn̄ sholde not only auaunce my self, but also al my
generatyon [et] kynred. he toke his shepeherdes staf in his honde, and
went in to the forest. And as the boore had of hym a syght, he drew
hym towardes the herdman, and he for fere clymmed vpon a tree. Than
the bore began to byte and gnawe the tree / so that the herde thought
shortely that he sholde haue ouer throwe it. This tre was laden wᵗ
grete plente of fruyte. The herde gadred and plucked therof and cast
them to yᵉ boore. In so moche that whan he had fylled hym therwith he
put and layde hym downe to slepe. The whiche perceyuynge the herde by
lytell [et] lytell he descended [et] with the one hande he clawed the
bore, [et] with yᵉ other he helde hymselfe on the tre / [et] seynge yᵗ
the boore slepte soundly [et] faste, drewe out his knyfe and smote yᵉ
bore to yᵉ herte [et] kylled hȳ. [et] wedded thēperours doughtʳ to hys
wyf: [et] aftʳ yᵉ deth of her fadʳhe was made emperour. tho sayd she
my lorde wote ye not what I haue sayd. He sayd ryght well. Then sayd
she, this myghty bore betokeneth your mooste noble persone / ayenst
whome maye no man withstande neyther by wysdom ne with strength. This
shepherde with hys staffe is the persone of your vngracyous sone, which
wᵗ his staff of connȳge begynneth to play wᵗ you as yᵉ herdman clawed
the bore and made him to slepe [et] after kylled hym. In yᵉ same maner
yᵉ maysters of your sone by theyr fals fables and narracyons clawe
[et] glose vnto the tyme that your sone slee you, that he may regne.
Tho sayd themperour god forbede yᵗ they sholde doo too me as they dyde
to yᵉ bore. [et] sayd vnto her this day my sone shall be hanged. And
she answered yf ye do so ye do wysely. Than themperour yᵉ seconde tyme
syttȳge in iugement, cōmaunded to lede hys [son] to yᵉ galowes [et]
hange hym. And whyles he was goȳge, the seconde mayster came before
themperour doynge hym reuerence as it is before shewed in yᵉ comȳge
of the fyrste mayster. To whom yᵉ seconde mayster sayd O my lorde
themperour yf ye sholde do sle your sone for the wordes of your wyfe,
it myghte worst come to you than it dyde to a knyght which for the
wordes of his wyfe was vniustly put in a pyller. Themperoure sayd, O
good mayster tell me how it hapned. And he sayde my lorde I shall not
saye it but yf yᵗ ye will doo call ayen your sone from yᵉ deth vnto the
tyme yᵗ thexample be tolde, the whiche yf it tourne you not frome your
purpose, your wyll be fulfylled. The emperour cōmaūded yᵗ yᵉ chylde
sholde be called ayen. And [after this manner following, the second
master began to tell.
[Illustration]
[_The Example of the Second Master._
[In a City was an ancient Knight, which wedded a young wife and fair,
as ye hath done, whom he loved above all earthly things; the knight
was a very circumspect and careful husband insomuch that every night
he locked the door with his own hands and laid the keys under his
Beds-head. In that City was a law or custom, that at a certain hour
in the night, a bell was used to be rung, that after the ringing of
the said bell, if any man or woman were by the watch-men found about
the streets, all that night they should be kept in prison, and on the
morrow set upon the Pillory, that all people might behold them.
[The said Knight had little lust of fleshly deeds, for he was very
old, and might not satiate or perform the desires and appetites of his
young wife; wherefore every night she having a Paramour, her Husband
sleeping, took the keys from under his Beds-head, and went to her love;
and when she came again, laid the keys under her husband's head; and
thus they played many a time.
[It happened upon a night that the knight awaked from his sleep, and
missed his wife, and the keys and his Beds-head, whereupon he rose
up and went unto the doors, and found them open, the which he bolted
fast within, and went up again into his chamber, and looked out of
the window towards the street: and when it was near the third cocks
crow, his wife came from her best beloved, and found the door shut and
bolted within: then was she] sorowfull. neuerthelesse she knocked to
haue come in. Tho spake the knyght out of the wyndowe. O yᵘ moste euyll
[et] vnclene wyfe, now I knowe [et] am experte that many a tyme ye haue
forsaken my bedde [et] gone and done auoutrye. now shall ye stande
tyll the bel be rongen and yᵗ the wakers may take you and doo with you
according to the lawe. The wyfe answered, My lorde wherfore lay ye that
to me. In trouth I shall saye you I was called by my moders mayden
[et] fetched in the nyght, [et] whan I sawe that ye slepte so swetely
I durste not awake you bycause that ye are olde, and therfore I toke
yᵉ keyes [et] went to my moder the whyche is sore seke, that I fere
too morowe she must bee anoynted or aneeled notwithstandyng for that I
sholde not you offende or dysplease I haue hasted me aye_n_ to you [et]
haue lefte her lyenge in grete payne [et] infyrmyte. Therfore I pray
you for the loue of god lete me in afore the bel be rongen. The knyght
answered So shall ye not come in, ye muste there abyde vnto the tyme
that the bell be rongen, [et] tyll that yᵉ wakers come and take you.
The she sayde that sholde be to you [et] to me: to all our frendes
[et] kynred a grete shame and rebuke. Therfore atte the reuerence of
almyghty god lete me come in. Than sayd he, Haue in thy mȳde euil and
false wyfe how oftentymes ye haue forsaken my bedde and doone auoutrye.
It is moche better that ye suffer shame and beewayle for youre synnes
here in this worlde, thanne for too suffer payne in helle. She sayd
ayen to hȳ I praye you for the loue of hȳ yᵗ was crucyfyed [et] dyed
vpon the crosse haue mercy vpon me. The knyght answered, ye laboure
all in vayn̄ for ye shall not come in, but ye shall tary the comynge
the wakers. As she herde that, she sayde my lorde ye knowe well that
by this dore standyth a well, yf ye lete me not come in I shall therin
drowne my selfe, rather thanne all my frendes sholde be shamed for
me. Then̄e sayd he, wolde god yᵗ ye had be drowned long afore or ye
in my bedde came. And as they thus spake togyder, yᵉ mone went down
[et] was al derke. Tho sayde she, yf it wyll none otherwyse be I shal
drowne miselfe, but yet afore as a trewe crysten woman I wylle make my
testament. Fyrst I bequethe to god [et] to oure lady my soule, my body
too be buryed in yᵉ chyrche of saynt Peter [et] of all other thȳges
[et] goodes yᵗ god hath sent me, I gyue vnto you to dyspose for my
soule after your wysdome [et] dyscrecyon, [et] whan she had thus sayd,
she went to the well, [et] a grete stone ther beynge wᵗ bothe her armes
she lyfte vp [et] sayd, Nowe I drowne myselfe, [et] caste yᵉ stone
downe in to the well [et] went ayen pryuely and stode by the dore. The
knyghte herynge that noyse cryed wᵗ a lowde voyce saynge / alas alas
my wyfe is drowned, and hastely came downe and rāne to the well. And
whan she sawe that the dore was open, anone she entred and locked and
made faste yᵉ yate / [et] went vp to yᵉ chamber [et] laye [et] loked
out of yᵉ wyndowe. The knyghte stode by yᵉ welle [et] cryed and wepte
bytterly and sayd, woo be to me I haue now loste my moost beloued wyfe,
cursed be the tyme that I made faste the dore ayenst her. The lady
herde that [et] sayd, O ye cursed olde grysarde, why stade ye there
this tyme on yᵉ nyght, was not my body to you suffycyent, wherfore goo
ye thus euery nyghte, out to your harlottes [et] hores and leue my
bed. As he herde the voyce of his wyfe he was ryght gladde and sayd
Blessed be god that yet she is not drowned. But my good lady wherfore
laye ye suche thynges ayenst me. I thoughte to haue chastysed you, and
therfore I locked the dore. But in no wyse I entended your peryl / ye
knowe well whatte sorowe I made for you whan I herde you to haue fallen
in the well, [et] therfore I came lyghtly to haue holpen you. Therupon
she sayde, falsly ye lye. I neuer dyde suche thinges as ye laye to me.
But it appereth by a comyn prouerbe, he yᵗ is defectyfe or culpable
hymself in a synne, he iugeth euery man to be in the same, or elles
yᵗ fader soughte neuer his sone in yᵉ ouen: but yf he had ben therin
hȳselfe. And therfore ye put that to me yᵗ ye yourselfe haue oftentymes
done [et] vsed but one thynge I promys you. ye shall abyde there tyll
yᵉ wakers come, [et] that yᵉ bell be rongen that they may lede you
before yᵉ iuges to abyde [et] suffer the law. Tho sayd the knyght,
wherfore laye ye suche thynges too me / I am olde [et] all my lyfe
dayes I haue ben conuersaunt in this cyte, [et] in this was I neuer
dyffamed, [et] therfore lete me in that to me ne to your self ye do
no shame. She sayd, ye speke in vayne, It is better that ye forthynke
your sȳnes in this worlde than in hell. Haue in mynde what the wyse
man sayth. A poore man proude, A ryche man a lyer, An olde man a fole
god hatyth. So ye be a lyer and ryche. what nede was it too you for
too lye vpon me. And ye are a fole, for ye had yᵉ floure of my youth
at your pleasure, and yet ye muste renne to hoores [et] harlottes. And
therfore it is a grete grace of god that ye haue tyme and space too
forthynke it, leste that ye sholde perysshe and be dampned for eurmore.
[et] for yᵗ suffre your penaunce pacyently. Tho knyght sayd, O my best
and well beloued lady all though it be so, yet is god mercyfull, and
he asketh noo thynge of a synner, but he amende his lyfe and forthynke
and doo penaunce for his synnes. Nowe lete me come in and I wyll make
amendes, She sayde, Whiche deuyll hath made you so good a prechour,
So come ye not in. And as they thus spake the bell was rongen / yᵉ
knyght herynge that sayd, O my mooste dere lady the bell ryngeth now,
suffer me to come in that I be not ashamed for euer. whiche answered,
yᵉ ryngȳge of the bell pretendeth the helthe of youre soule take it
pacyently in your penaūce. And as this was sayd come yᵉ wakers yᵗ
aboute the cyte went [et] founde the knyght standynge in yᵉ strete [et]
sayd to hy_m_, O good man it is not gode yᵗ ye in this houre of yᵉ
nyght stande here. And as she herde the voyce of yᵉ wakers / she sayd,
Good felowes venge me on yᵗ olde cursed horehunter [et] rybaude, for ye
knowe whose doughter and what I am. This cursed olde man is wont euery
nyght to leue my bed, [et] gothe to his hoores [et] harlottes. I haue
longe forborne hym and wolde not shewe it ne complayne vpon hym too my
frendes, for I trusted that he wolde haue amēded his mysrule, [et] it
helpeth not. And therfore take hym [et] punysshe hym after the lawe, yᵗ
all suche olde dotardes may take example by hym. Then yᵉ wakers toke
hym and all nyght chastysed hym in pryson. [et] on yᵉ morne they put
hym on yᵉ pyllery. Tho sayd to the Emperoure, Lorde haue ye ynderstonde
what I haue sayd [et] he sayd ryght well. Tho sayd yᵉ mayster, yf ye
put to dethe your sone by yᵉ excytacyon of your wyfe, it shall to you
worse come than it dyd to yᵉ knyght. The Emperour sayd she was the
worste woman yᵗ euer I herde of that so falsely her husbande brought
to shame [et] rebuke. I say to you mayster yᵗ for yᵉ reason of this
example, my sone shall this daye not dye. The mayster sayd to hym,
yf ye do so than do ye wysely. And yᵗ herafter ye shall ioye, [et] I
commende you to god / [et] thanke you of your pacyent herynge / and of
the sparynge of your sone and so he departed.
_The Thyrd Complaynte of the Empresse._
Whan thempresse herde yᵗ the chylde was not dede she wepte bytterly
[et] entred in to her preuy chamber / [et] tare her skyn wᵗ her nayles,
[et] wᵗ loude voyce cryed and sayd alas yᵗ euer I was borne, [et] yᵗ I
soo grete a kynges doughter sholde thus be intreated [et] shamed and
therof can haue no remedy. Her gētilwȳmen th_i_s herȳg wēt [et] shewed
it to thēperour. [et] he went vnto her [et] co_m_forted her say_in_g
O lady wepe not so ne cry not, for it becometh you no thynge / whiche
sayd / the loue that I haue [et] owe to you maketh me more to sorowe
than the contempte of the dede. for why the inwarde loue of your herte
hath hytherto prohybite [et] letted me yᵗ I haue not retorned ayen in
to my countree to my fader but I fere yf I sholde so do to you it myght
do harme for he is myghty to honoure me wᵗ rychesses, and too venge my
quarell [et] despyte in such wyse yᵗ ye [et] youres myght forthynke it.
Therto sayd themperour lete that goo out of your mynde, shewe it not /
for as long as I lyue I shall neuer fayle you. And she sayd / lorde
I praye god that ye maye longe lyue. But I fere me yᵗ it shall hapen
vpon you as it dyde of a knyght and of his sone that wolde not burye
his faders hede in the chyrcheyerde, a_n_d yet his fader was for hym
slayne / . Than sayd themperour Shewe me yᵗ example, how that was that
he wolde not burye his faders heede / she sayd I shall do it to your
proufyte.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
_The Thyrde Example of the Empresse._