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Editor: G. L. Gomme H. B. Wheatley

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE:

THE HISTORY

THE SEVEN WISE MASTERS OF ROME.

PRINTED FROM THE EDITION OF WYNKYN DE WORDE, 1520,

AND EDITED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION,

GEORGE LAURENCE GOMME, F.S.A.

LONDON: PRINTED FOR THE VILLON SOCIETY.

Introduction.

It was through this Latin version that the work was communicated to nearly all the languages of Western Europe; and in 1520 a translation into English was printed by the famous printer Wynkyn de Worde. A fine copy of this is preserved in the British Museum, and from it is printed the text of the present version. One or two pages are missing from this copy, and the passages are restored from the earliest chap-book version which I have been able to discover--namely, that printed in 1671 at London, and belonging to the British Museum. This chap-book version is nearly identical with the Wynkyn de Worde, with the simple alteration of the spelling to the modern forms. One curious variation, however, illustrating the force of the change of religious opinions at the time of the Reformation, is well worth noting. On page 173 of our text will be found related how the murdered children of the Emperor Lodwyke were found alive singing "of ye moost blessed vyrgyne Mary, aue Maria gracia plena dn?s tecum," but in the chap-book of 1671 it is said they were singing praises to the Almighty.

Since 1671 many chap-book versions have been issued, and I have succeeded in obtaining a copy still published in Dublin. These later versions are all much deteriorated from the original. Besides the 1671 edition, there are the following: London 1684, 1687, and 1697; Glasgow 1713; London ; Newcastle 1750; London 1780--7 ; Boston 1794; London 1805; Warrington 1815. And I have no doubt that it has been continually reproduced until the present day.

"The preface runs thus:--

There are one or two curious words and expressions which may be of use to the philologist, but the reader will find that the language used is mainly that of the present day with a different spelling. Some of the difficulties of this style have been obviated by the insertion, where necessary, of letters left out in contracted words, and these insertions are printed in italics to distinguish them from the original.

? Here begynneth thystorye of y? vii. Wyse Maysters of rome conteynynge ryghe fayre ryght ioyous narrac?ns, to y? reder ryght delectable.

Somtyme in y? Cyte of Rome was an Emperour named Poncianus a man of grete wysdome. He toke to his wyfe a kynges doughter that fayre goodly was, and to all people gracyous to her husbonde ryght dere, and c?ceyued of hym and bare hym a sone named Dyoclesian. The chylde grewe of all people was beloued. And whan he was of the aege of seuen yeres, his moder thempresse fyll sore seke / felynge herselfe that she myghte not lyue: sent after her lorde themperour a messenger that he sholde come without taryenge yf euer he wolde see her on lyue. And whan he was comen she sayd vnto hym, O my lorde of this ?fyrmyte may I not escape. Wherfore I humbly requyre you of a lytell petycyon before my deth. He answered, Desyre what ye wyll, for I shall nothynge denye you. Then sayd she, After my deth ye shall take an other wyfe as it behoueth. I aske pray you y? she upon my son? haue no gouerna?or power, but y? he be kepte and nourysshed fer from her, y? he may gete to hym connynge and wysdome. The Emperour sayd, My moste dere wyfe, your petycyon in all thynges shall be fulfylled perfourmed. This sayd she torned her towardes the wall and yaue vp the goost dyed. Many day?s after y? Emperour bew?yled morned her deth, longe tyme after her buryenge he shewed his heuynes sorowe, wold ? no wyse mary or be ioyful.

How the Emperoure to the seuen wyse maysters commytted and delyuered his sone to lerne.

Upon a tyme as the emperour laye in his bed he bethought hym inwardly vpon his sone, sayenge in his herte, I haue only but one sone y? whiche shall be myn heyre. It is good whyles he is yonge that he be sette to lerne connynge and wysdome by the whyche he maye after my dethe gouerne rule the empyre. Erly whan he was rysen vp from his bedde, he lete to be called afore hym his lordes of his counseyll and of them toke aduyse what best therin was to done. And they answerd, Lorde, in Rome are vii wyse maysters they excelle and excede all other men in cunnynge lettrature, lete them be sent for and delyuer to them your sone to nourysshe to lerne. That vnderstandynge the emperour sent his letters sealed with his seale to y? vii. maysters that they incontinent sholde come to hym without delay. And they anone came before themperour. and he dema? yf they knewe wherfore y? he had sente for them. They answered the cause ne your wyll we knowe not / but yf please you to shewe vs your mynde entent we ben redy to fulfyll it to the vttermoste of our powers. To whome y? noble Emperour sayde, I haue but one sone the which I shal delyuer vnto you to nourysshe and to teche. so that by your doctryne wysdome he maye the more wysly guyde and gouerne y? empyre after my decesse.

The prynces and grete lordes of the Empyre in the meane tyme came to the Emperour sayd, My lorde ye haue only but one sone, it is possyble y? he myght happen to dye. And therfore it were profytable that ye sholde wedde an other wyfe to engendre and make mo chyldren to thentente that the Empyre of Rome be not lefte without heyre. Also ye are so myghty that yf it sholde happen you to gete many chyldren ye may promote auaunce them all to grete dygnytees and lordshyppes. Therupon answerde themperour, It is your counseyll that I shall take an other wyfe, than seke me one y? is gracyous / pure vyrgyne fayre and gentyll borne, than shall I folowe your counseyll and aduyse. They went sought and serched many kyngdomes and londes at the laste they founde the kynges doughter of Castyle that ryght fayre was beateuouse, her they gaue the Emperour to wyf. She behad her so well that anone in her loue he was taken so sore that he forgate and put in oblyuyon all the heuynesse sorowe of his herte that he had taken for y? deth of his fyrste wyfe. And they lyued longe togyder w?out chyldren. And as Thempresse sawe y? she myght not c?ceyue for she herde y? themperour had a sone w? seuen wyse maysters to lerne nourysshe to y? behouffe pfyte of Thempyre, she thought in herself wysshed his deth. And from y? houre forth she ymagyned how she myght conspyre his deth. It hapned on a nyght as y? Emperour lay in his bed, he sayd to thempresse, My

Howe thempresse ladde Dioclesyan themperours sone with her in her chamber for to make good chere w? hym the whiche he withstode.

Howe Thempresse complayned to themperour of the shame to her done by his sone.

The Emperour was in his halle and herde the crye noyse of thempresse. he hastely ranne towardes his chambre his knyghtes and other of his seruauntes folowed hym after for to see what there was to done. Tho beganne thempresse to crye and to speke to themperour thus, O my lorde haue pyte and compassyon vpon me, beholde this yonge man is not your sone, but y? foulest rybaude harlot y? euer was borne, a defouler of wymmen, for as ye knowe wel I lad and brought hym with me in to my chamber, sholde haue exhorted and caused hym to haue spok?. I haue done asmoche therto as I can or may. whyles I with my wordes exhorted and meued hym for to haue spoken, he hath endeuoyred hymself with me to haue synned. by cause I wolde not to hym cons?te, but withstode as moche as I myght for to flee the shame, he my vysage had made all blody, my vesture and ornamentes of my heed broken all to torne, as ye may openly se: And yf ye had not so sone comen vnto my callynge / he had accomplysshed in me his mooste foule and worste wyll. whan themperoure this sawe and herd, fulfylled w? grete malyce woodnesse / commaunded his seruauntes that they sholde lede hym to the galowes hange hym. And after his lordes herde that sayde / Lorde ye haue no moo but this sone only. It is not good y? ye thus lyghtely putt hym to deth / the lawe is put and ordeyned for transgressours mysdoers, and yf it be so that he must edeye, lete hym by y? lawe dye leest that it be sayd y? themperour in his grete furour and Ire without lawe and Justyce he hath put his only sone to dethe. As themperour this herde commaunded him to be put in pryson vnto the tyme that iugement were gyuen ayenst hym. And whan thempresse vnderstode that the chylde was not put to dethe / she cryed weped bytterly wold haue no reste. whan the nyght was comen the Emperour entred in to his chamber to go to bed. and founde his wyfe wepynge sorowyng. To whome he sayde, O my mooste dere lady / for what cause are ye thus sorowfull. She answered, Knowe ye not how y? your cursed sone hath me thus moche shame done offended / and ye haue commaunded hym too be hanged and yet he lyued / your worde is not performed ne my shame is not wroken. Tomorowe sayde themperour he shall dye by y? lawe. Then sayd she, shalle he so longe lyue. Then?e myght it happen to you as it dyd vpon a burgeys of Rome of whome an example is sayd. The Emperoure sayd, I praye you shewe me that example. That shall I doo gladly sayd the Empresse.

this was. The gardyner heryng his mayster obeyed hym, hewe downe the tree. And as this was done y? yonge plant all holy perysshed and came to nought. wherof came grete harme, for whan y? poore the seke people perceyued y? the tree was so destroyed they cursed all them that were of counseyll helpers therto / by the whiche they all afore tyme were heled cured of theyr infyrmytees maladyes. Then sayd the Empresse vnderstande ye what I haue sayd. Yes ryghte well. Than sayd she, I shall declare to you what I haue sayde.

This tree mylorde betokeneth your moste noble persone / that with your counseyll and helpe many pore seke folke are gretly holpen conforted. And the yonge ympe that vnder the grete tre is vp growen is your cursed sone that now by his cunnynge beg?nith to growe and studyeth how he fyrste may the armes and bowes of your myght cutte of / and to wynne too hym the londe praysynge of the people, and ouer y? he ymagyneth to destroy your person that he may h?selfe reygne. But what shall fall than therof come, all poore and feble people shall curse all them the whiche myght haue destroyed your sone haue not done it / I counseyll you whyles ye are in your power helth y? ye destroye hym leste y? 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 y? daye was come / y? Emperour went sate in Jugem?te, commaunded his seruauntes y? they sholde lede his sone to be hanged w? trompettes blowynge in to kenynge of deth. And as themperours sone was lad throughe the Cyte, the comen people began too wepe crye alas y? onely sone of themperour is lad towardes his deth / therwithal came Pancyllas rydyng vpon a hors y? 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 y? mayster sayd to the seruauntes / make no haste, for I hope by the grace of god this day to delyuer hym fr? the deth. Then sayde all the people, O good mayster haste you to y? palays and saue your dyscyple. he smote his hors with y? spores tyll he came to the palays kneled before the Emperour 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 y?, for I delyuered to the thy felowes my sone well spekynge / in alle thyng well manered, now he is dompe / that wors is, he wolde haue oppressed my wyf, therfore this day he shall dye, ye all shall dye a shameful dethe. The mayster sayd, O lord as for your sone y? ye saye that he speketh not, y? knoweth god, without a cause it is not as ye shall vnderstande. And that ye saye more y? he your Empresse wolde haue befowled. I shall saye you of a trouth, he hath ben in our company by y? space of xvi yeres 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 y? 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 y? deth. Tho sayd themperour to y? mayster tell me y? example. The Mayster sayd, Lorde that shall I not do / for afore or I coude make an ende therof your sone myght be dede thenne in vayne without fruyte I sholde reherce it, but yf it please you this notable example to here / call ayen her sone tyll to morowe as ye thynke by reason then do with hym youre pleasure. As themperour that herde anone he lete the chylde too be called ayen 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.

There was somtyme an Emperour the whiche had a grete foreste / wherin was a bore y? was so cruell 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, therto his Empyre after his deth. as this in all places proclamed was there was not one man founde y? durste medle or intromytte. Than was there a shepeherde whyche in hymself thought, myght I this bore sle wyn? sholde not only auaunce my self, but also al my generatyon 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 w? grete plente of fruyte. The herde gadred and plucked therof and cast them to y? 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 lytell he descended with the one hande he clawed the bore, with y? other he helde hymselfe on the tre / seynge y? the boore slepte soundly faste, drewe out his knyfe and smote y? bore to y? herte kylled h?. wedded th?perours dought? to hys wyf: aft? y? deth of her fad?he 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 w? his staff of conn?ge begynneth to play w? you as y? herdman clawed the bore and made him to slepe after kylled hym. In y? same maner y? maysters of your sone by theyr fals fables and narracyons clawe glose vnto the tyme that your sone slee you, that he may regne. Tho sayd themperour god forbede y? they sholde doo too me as they dyde to y? bore. sayd vnto her this day my sone shall be hanged. And she answered yf ye do so ye do wysely. Than themperour y? seconde tyme sytt?ge in iugement, c?maunded to lede hys to y? galowes hange hym. And whyles he was go?ge, the seconde mayster came before themperour doynge hym reuerence as it is before shewed in y? com?ge of the fyrste mayster. To whom y? 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 y? ye will doo call ayen your sone from y? deth vnto the tyme y? thexample be tolde, the whiche yf it tourne you not frome your purpose, your wyll be fulfylled. The emperour c?ma?ded y? y? chylde sholde be called ayen. And

Whan thempresse herde that y? chylde was not yet dede, she made grete noyse cryenges in such wyse that she was herde thrugh the palays sayd, Woo be to me that euer I was made Empresse, wolde god I had dyed whan I was broughte in too thyse partyes. whan the emperour herde y? noyse crye that she made, he entred in to the chamber, conforted her as moche as he myght demaunded the cause of her lamentacyon / whiche sayd, O myn owne lorde haue no wonder though that I be in this grete sorowe and agony for I am your wyfe, in your company by your sone I am shamed as ye sawe me lately all be bled scratched. ye haue promysed me that he sholde therfor be hanged / yet he lyueth. Wherfore sholde I not sorow. Themperour answered be content pleased / and I shall do iustyse vpon my sone to morowe. But in that I forbare hym yesterday was at the meuyng of one of the maysters by an example. Than sayd she, Haue ye forboren to do iustyce for one worde, were it soo for all the worlde ye sholde not let to do iustyce / ye saye for the example of one mayster ye haue lefte it. I fere me it shall happen with you w? youre maysters as vpon a tyme it fortuned too an Emperoure with his seuen wyse maysters. The empeperoure sayde I praye you tell me that example. She sayd.

To what entent sholde I laboure in vayne / for yesterdaye I shewed you a good example and it auayled not. for whatsomeuer I shewe for youre honoure and proufyte that the maysters of your sone torne vp and downe to your destructyon, as in this present example I shall clerely shewe you. To whome themperour sayd O my best beloued lady tell me that example, that by the same I maye the better beware / for though that I respyted my sones lyfe for one daye / I shal not therfore gyue hym his lyfe / for that is dyfferred / it is not therfore auferred. And she saide, gladly I shall shewe it for your proufyte. and began to tell it as here after foloweth.

The empresse her?g y? the chylde was not yet dede apparayled clothed her in her vesture or cloth?ge. lete to be ordeyned her waynes cartes / as thoughe she wolde haue gone to her fad? home in her co?tre for to haue c?playned of y? grete shame y? was done vnto her coude haue no remedy herof. The serua?tes seynge y? went shewed it to themperour y? thempresse was goyng in to her countree. Whan he y? perceyued he went to her saynge, whither are ye goynge, I hoped y? ye had loued me so moche y? in all y? worlde ye sholde haue sought no solace but w? me. To y? she sayd, That is true. therfore I go from you, for I had leuer here of your deth, than to see you dye, w?oute doute ye delyte soo moche to here thyse maysters, y? it shall happen vpon you as it dyde to Octauian themperour y? whiche wes so coueytous that ye noble men of the empyre buryed hym quycke fylled his mouth w? molten golde. Themperour sayd, Dere wyf do not that another tyme y? blame to you or to me myght be layde. Than sayd the empresse, truly y? blame is yours for haue ye not promysed me many tymes that your sone sholde dye, yet he lyueth, therfore from hensforth I wyll no more byleue you. Then sayd themperour. It becometh not a kynge euery cause lyghtly too dyscusse, w?out aduyse specyally vpon his sone, vpon whome it is not behoueful lyghtly to gyue jugement and therfore I say pray you that ye wyll tell me somwhat by the whiche I may myselfe gouerne, for it is vtter destrucc?n of a kynge w?out aduyse vndescretly to gyue jugement. She answered sayde, I wyll gladly tell you a notable example, so that from hensforth ye shall not be coueytous or desyrous to here y? maysters. And began to saye in this forme.

Whan that thempresse had knowledge, she shewed her selfe as a wode or an Impacyent body y? all that sawe her or herde her wondred sayd to themperour your wyfe she pyneth her self as though she sholde deye. Themperour that heryng went to her sayd wherfore be ye so heuy, so impacyent. O lorde how shold I holde it in, whan I am the only doughter of a kyng your wyfe, in your company I haue had a grete despyte shame, and contynually ye haue promysed me to punysshe it, but ye perfourme it not. The emperour sayd, I wote not what I shal do. ye laboure from day to day to haue my sone slayne, and the maysters labour to saue his lyfe. And amonges al thyse I know well that he is my sone, but whether the trouth is that knowe I not. Than sayd she, that is it y? I complayne that ye beleue the maysters more than ye do me. Therfore it shall happen to you as dyde to a kyng with his stewarde. Than sayd the Emperoure, tell that example, happely it sholde meue me the soner to put my sone to deth. She sayde, gladly, but I praye you gyue attendaunce what I shall saye, and began to tel as hereafter ensueth.

Tenne sayd the Emperours sone, lorde haue ye vnderstande what I haue sayd. Themperoure sayd ryght well. Tho sayd the sone, My mooste honourable redoubted fader, all thoughe y? god hathe gyuen indued me w? wysdome vnderstandyng aboue many other, y? sholde not be in appayrynge of youre honoure myght, but more for the preseruacyon of the same. So in lyke wyse y? kynges maieste which was no thynge to y? hynderaunce of his fader, but rather for his worshyp proufyte, for as long as they lyued they were honoured in his realme. Than sayd themperoure, My dere sone I wyll all hole resygne to you thempyre too gouerne, for I perceyue well by youre narrac?n y? ye haue to me declared, y? it is beste to me moost for myn ease y? I leue this besynesse labour take me to more reste, for I am olde feeble. The sone answered his fader, My lorde fader, so shall it not be, but as longe as ye lyue ye shall haue the auctoryte and myght of thempyre to do and commaunde as it apperteyneth vnto an Emperour, but in all besynesses y? are labourouse I wyll alwayes be redy to mynystre to serue you accordynge to my dute.

? Thus endeth the treatyse of the seuen sages or wyse maysters of Rome. Enprented in Flete Strete in y? sygne of the sone, by me Wynkyn de worde.

FOOTNOTES.

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