The Seven Sages of Rome

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1200 For þe mede of mi seruise {f.85ra}

Was non fairer into heuene. {f.85rb}

Geometrie and ars metrike

metrike: MS reads mutike.

Oþer wexen is þe grounde

wexen: MS reads weren.

Ac sone hem fil a ferli cas. {f.85va}

2200 Wiȝ þat þe....... had seid,

erasure between þe and had.

Þat scholde Florentin bicache. {f.85vb}

2550 Þemperour and his wif

‘Graunt merci, sire, a þousend sithe.’

þousend: MS reads þounsed.

For ich wil quik of him here, {f.86ra}

3400 Þat Catoun hem saide soht. {f.86rb}

For I sschal þoli mochel wo {f.86va}

Was wiȝ hem non oþer man. {f.86vb}

Wiȝ me he hadde don his wille. {f.87ra}

Par force he hadde me forht inome.

hadde altered from dhadde.

ȝhe made semblant so sori. {f.87rb}

5600 Þanne segȝ he wexe a litel stren, {f.87va}

Hit [is] so wikked and so sschrewed.” {f.87vb}

And þous passede þe ferste niȝt.

ferste: r is superscript.

6450 Þan com ridend Bancillas,

And segȝe his deciple harde bistad;

deciple altered from deciphe.

Þerfore he was in herte vnglad. {f.88ra}

6750 Þemperour saide ‘i fond hire torent,

And þou sschalt here a foul fair tale.’ {f.88rb}

And herde þe riding and þe noise al, {f.88va}

& hente þe adder in strong ger

strong: g added superscript.

7800 Awai þai gonne fle and drawe, {f.88vb}

Riȝt now ich wille mi lif forgon.”

Riȝt: t added superscript.

Þe greihound is ded, þe kniȝt forþ goþ

MS transposes the last two words of line 803.

I schal mi selue abigge þat wrong, {f.89ra}

‘Tel me now, sweting fre.’

sweting: g is superscript.

Þer was a fair riche forest. {f.89rb}

9050 {5 lines omitted from Auchinleck text}

He clewe him eft vpon þe wombe, {f.89va}

Þe herd þous wiȝ his long knif

herd: MS reads bor.

God ȝif þe þerto strengþe and miȝt

strengþe: MS reads strengye

9450 Men vnlek gate and halle dore,

vnlek: MS reads vnkek.

Þemperour sikerliche {f.89vb}

9850 Als fil on Ypocras þe gode clerk

Ypocras: MS has Þpocras. But thorn often overdotted and represents y. Therefore transcribed as y throughout.

1005 He hadde wiȝ him his neueu {f.90ra}

So bifel vpon a time a þing:

þing: MS reads ȝing.

Hit nas neuere of kinges stren.” {f.90rb}

He asked ȝif þat þe schild was sound. {f.90va}

1110 And he seide a better þer nas

nas: MS reads was.

In a þousand stede he let þe tonne perce, {f.90vb}

And þat I schal þis dai ise, {f.91ra}

Þe fiue out of londe he nome, {f.91rb}

he: MS reads ȝhe.

Þe stolen catel ispended is, {f.91va}

1275 He tok his sone, aȝen he went

Beȝ ischent wiȝouten fine.

ischent: t is superscript.

1310 And segh tobroken his louerdes tour,

louerdes: MS reads loruedes.

And hete to Rome drawen his cors, {f.91vb}

And kist him to acordement,

And: d is written superscript.

And het him lede forht siker(k)lik {f.92ra}

Þat wolde spouse no neyhebours schild,

neyhebours: MS reads neþhebours.

And browȝte hom a dammaisele, {f.92rb}

And þan bifore þe folk him bring

folk: MS reads fokk.

“Nai, God almiȝti þat isschilde, {f.92va}

1495 Þous he is wonet me to serue, {f.92vb}

‘Nai, sire’ ȝe saide ‘hit his nowt worþ, {f.93ra}

1580 O niȝt for to ligge me bi.”

me: MS reads þe.

To his wif he went anon {f.93rb}

“Belamy” he saide “is hit þi wif?” {f.93va}

1645 Þe king aros whan him list

Schal ich þe neuere ise whil I liue.

whil: MS reads til.

Biforen hem alle in grete traye {f.93vb}

1700 Wiȝouten assent of barons mo,

of altered from oþ.

1715 And into presoun he was icast. {f.94ra}

And þanne be wraw and gelouse.

and: d added superscript.

“Doughter, þi louerd haþ o gardin,

haþ: MS reads had.

Þat þou dest, hit is for þe nones {f.94rb}

Þe ympe was hewe to þe fer.

ympe: MS reads þmpe.

And fond his ympe vp ihewe

ympe: MS reads þmpe.

ȝe hadde on a pilche of pris {f.94va}

Wel sone þerafter, sikerli, {f.94vb}

Ich vnderstonde a god barbour,

vnderstonde: r written superscript.

And gan to smiten hire on þe veyn

veyn: MS reads vreyn.

Þe þridde disscful vpriȝt; {f.95ra}

1935 Þe maister out of toune rit, {f.95rb}

1955 Uirgil was whilom a clerk

And þai saide “ȝa”, and he him smette {f.95va}

1980 Þe ymage in þe fir sschette.

ymage: MS reads þmage.

Virgil kest an ymage oþer,

ymage: MS reads þmage.

Virgil made anoþer ymage,

ymage: MS reads þmage.

2015 Vpon a dai he send his sond

Who miȝt þat ymage fel adoun,

ymage: MS reads þmage. Also subsequent examples.

And þe king hem made seur {f.95vb}

Quik wente þider þemperour {f.96ra}

And vp to þemperour þai hit ȝaue

ȝaue: MS reads haue.

2075 Þan swor þe eldere “bi blod and bones

and: d is superscript.

“Vnder þe ymage þat halt þe mirour

ymage: MS reads þmage.

Whanne ech man slepen, grete and smale, {f.96rb}

2155 Morewe com, as ȝe mowe here, {f.96va}

And manie ben ȝit of hire kinne, {f.96vb}

For ssche was fain þat hit was dai, {f.97ra}

2265 Þe godeman askede his neȝebours

But also swiþe hir nekke tobrak.

hir: MS reads his.

And bad hir go þat ilche dai {f.97rb}

Herowdes was his riȝte name, {f.97va}

Þai asked respit a fourten niȝt,

fourten: r is superscript.

2375 ȝif ȝhe þat schild finde mowe {f.97vb}

And asked him wiȝ milde mouþe {f.98ra}

Þai ne hadde doluen but a stounde, {f.98rb}

Þe water bicom faire and liþe, {f.98va}

Þe child was pult in presoun, {f.98vb}

Or to tendre was his hert.

his: MS reads hir.

He was biwaked richeliche

He: MS reads ȝhe.

2570 After þat he was werthe.

he: MS reads sche.

But as hir louerd for hir daide

hir: MS reads him.

2595 And maked hire a ful fair fer, {f.99ra}

Ne hadde he seten þer but a while {f.99rb}

Sone wiȝinne litel while {f.99va}

And saide “ȝit vnliche he beȝ.

he: MS reads ȝhe.

Some to castel, and some to tour, {f.99vb}