¶ Here begynneth Octauyan the Emperoure of Rome.
¶ Here begynneth ye hystory of Octauyan Emperour of Rome.
LYstē lordȳges both olde & yinge
And heckē to my swete talkȳge
Of whome I wyll you lythe
Ihesu that is our heuen kynge
Gyue vs all his dere blessynge
And make vs gladde & blythe
Trewe tales I wyll you saye
How it befell vpon a daye
And ye wyll lysten and lythe
In bokes of Rome as it is tolde
How it befell amonge our elders olde
Ofte and fell sythe
Somtyme there was an emperour
In rome of grete honoure
In romayns as men can rede
That man was of grete honour
He lyued in Ioye and fauoure
As a doughty man of dede
In tournement and in fyght
In the worlde was none so wyght
As he was vnder wede
Octauyan the emperour hyght
Of all the worlde he was the noblest knyght
And a noble man of dede
An empresse he hadde to his wyfe
One of the fayrest that euer bare lyfe
Thus say clerkes vs vnto
Seuen yere they hadde togyder ben
With Ioye and myrthe thē betwene
As hyt befell tho
The emperour vpon a daye
In his chumbre gan sporte and playe
With his empresse bryght
He behelpe her fayre chere
That was as whyte as blossome on brer [...]
And semely was on syght
A sorowe to his herte come
That he myght haue chyldren none
Theyr londes to welde by ryght
By his lady he hym sette
For vpon her his mynde was knette
He was so kynde a knyght
Whan the lady gan it se
She chaunged all her fayreble
And syghed wonder sore
She fell on knees her lorde agayne
And of his sorowe gan hym frayne
And of his grete care
Good lorde yf it were youre wyll
Your counseyll that you wolde brynge me tyll
And of your lyues fare
Your counseyll to me that ye dyscouer
And for me hit shall neuer forther
I shall it kepe whyles I maye dure
And in his armes he gan ger folde
And all his counseyll to her tolde
How his hert was ybounde
We haue seuen yere togyder bene
And haue no chyldren vs betwene
We shall lyue bothe but a stoūde
I ne wote how my sone shall fare
But lyue in sorowe and in care
Whan I am to bedde brought
I slepe full yll / vnsunde on nyght
Thenne answered that lady bryght
Syr I can tell you I haue bethought
A ryche abbaye we wyll make
For our dere ladyes sake
And londes gyue there tyll
We wyll praye her sonne so fayre
That we may gette a good ayre
Our londe to welde at wyll
They lete make an abbaye tho
The lady wexte with chyldren two
As hyt was goddes wyll fre
At the last hit befell tho
The lady was delyuered of of chyldren two
That semely was to se
Tythynges came to the emperoure
There he laye in his toure
A gladde man was he
Two ladyes brought hym worde
They had gyftes that were good
The had bothe golde and fe
The emperoure rose with mylde mode
To his chapell there he youde
He thanked god of his sonde
Erly or ony daye dyde sprynge
He made a prest masse to synge
His moder ther he founde
Sone she sayd I am full blythe
That the empresse shall haue her lyue
And lyue with vs in londe
But moche sorowe dredeth me
That Rome shall wronge arayed be
And in straugne mennes honde
Moder he sayde why saye ye so
Nowe I haue men chyldren two
I thanke god of his sonde
Naye she sayd sone myne
Well I wote they are not thyne
It lyketh me full yll in londe
For thou myghtest no chyldren haue
Thy wyfe hath taken a cokes knaue
I wyll hyt proue by skyll
A sorowe to the emperours herte came
That worde myght he speke none
She yede away full styll
To her chambre forthe she yode
The emperour styll at masse stode
As a man that was in care
The emperours moder called a knaue
And hyght hym gyftes for to haue
A.C. pounde and more
To thempeoours cambre ye knaue take ye waye
There the empres in chyldebed laye
Aslepe was she there
For why she had waked so longe
In payne and in care stronge
Or she delyuered were
Hast the with all thy myght
Preuely that thou were vndyght
And that thou be vncladde
Softely by her thou in crepe
That she wake not of her slepe
Full seke she is bestadde
Hastely was the knaue vncladde
And in he wente as she hym badde
In to the ryche bede
But euer the knaue drewe hym awaye
Of the ryches that on hym laye
He was full sore adradde
To the emperour sowne she wente
And bad hym come in good entent
At the masse there he stode
Sone yf thou beleue not me
The sothe mayste thou now se
To the chambre with her he yode
Whan he sawe the syght than
A sorowe to his herte ranne
That well nere he wexed wode
The grome he sawe in the bedde
The ryche clothes were ouer hym spredde
Of that gylte he thought not good
The lady laye fast on slepe
A dolefull dreme gan she mete
That was so lyght a wyght
She thought that she was in a wyldernesse
In sorowe and in grete heuynesse
That she myght haue no syght
She thought there came fleynge
A dragon with the fyre brennynge
That all the worlde was lyght
And in his paues brunnynge blowe
Vp he toke her chyldren two
And awaye toke his flyght
Therwith the lady began to wake
A doulefull gronynge gan she make
And she syghed full sore
The emperour sterte to the grome
The here in honde he hent anone
The heed he smete of there
In he keste it to the bedde
The ryche clothes were all to bledde
Of ryche golde thoughe it were
The grete treason that there was wrought
The lady slepte and knewe it nought
Her dyscomfort was the more
Worde of this they spake no mo
Tyll the empresse to chyrche sholde go
As the lawe was in that lede
The emperoure made a feest I vnderstande
To kynges that were in dyuers londe
Of many alonde of far stede
The kynge of Calebre without las
That the empresse father was
Theder gan hym bede
All they sembled vpon a daye
With Ioye and game and moche playe
To the chyrche the lady yode
The kynges dwellyde there in same
There was bothe Ioye and game
At that ryche dynere
with good metes and drynkes amonge
Of harpe lute and good songe
Lute and good sautre
Tyll the seuen dayes weee all gone
with all welthes in that wone
And myr [...]h of mynstre [...]sy
There was neuer so ryche a gaderynge
That had so sory a departynge
I shall tell you why
Grete dole it was to tell
Vpon a daye howe it befell
Herken and ye maye here
The emperour to his chambre yode
And his knyghtes aboute hym stode
With a full gladde chere
The emperour sayd I vnderstonde
Suche auenture was in that londe
By a lady as ye shall here
All that treason he tolde them sone
And asked what Iugement shoulde be done
And what she worthy were
Whan the emperour had his tale tolde
The kynge of calebre answered bolde
He wyst not what it ment
Syr he sayde for her sake
A grete fyre I shall do make
This is my Iugement
Whan the fyre is brounynge fast
She and her chyldren to be cast
To deth for to be brente
The emperoure answered full sone
Thy owne doughter hath this done
I holde to myne assente
There was dole and grete pyte
A fyre they made without the cyte
With brondes brennynge bryght
To the fyre they layde the lady there
Two squyers her chyldren dyde bere
That semely were to syght
In a kyrtell of scarlet reed
To the fyre they led her to be deed
All redy she is dyght
The kynge of calebre made euyll chere
For sorowe myght not stāde his doughter nere
There wepte bothe kynge and knyght
The lady sawe no better reed
But she must nedes be deed
That daye in the felde
With sory herte the sothe to tell
Before the emperour on knees she fell
And bothe her handes vp helde
Graunt me lorde for Ihesus sake
That I myght a prayer make
To hym that all shall welde
And than to do with me your wyll
What deth that ye wyll put me tyll
Therto I wyll me yelde
The lady on her knees her sette
And Ihesu cryst ofte she grete
No wonder thoughe she was wo
She sayd lorde and kynge of blysse
This daye thou wylte me rede and wysshe
And heuen quene also
Mayde mary moder fre
My prayer wyll I make to the
For my chyldren two
As thou lete them be borne of me
Graunt that they may crystened be
Or they to deth sholde go
Kynges and quenes that aboute were
And ladyes fell in sownynge there
And knyghtes stode wepynge
The emperoure stode her full nere
The teres fell downe on his lere
Full sory he dyde there stonde
The emperour spake a worde of pyte
Dame he sayd thy deth I wyll not se
With herte ne with hande
The emperour gaue her leue to go
And toke her her chyldren two
And badde her go out of the londe
The emperoure gaue her forty pounde
Of florences that were rede and rounde
In geste as we nowe rede
He commauded her knyghtes two
Out of the londe her for to lede tho
The two knyghtes her chyldren bare
To what londe that she leuest were
She was full sore aferde there
The kynge frome the parlyament
Euery lorde to his owne londe went
And there dwelled with good entente
For sorowe theyr hertes gan blede there
That lady came in to a wyldernesse
That full of wylde beestes was
The woode was stronge and thycke
The knyghtes toke the lady her chyldren two
And toke her golde and bade her go
As the waye laye full ryght
They bade her holde the hye strete
For drede with wylde beestes for to mete
That moche were of myght
Agayne the knyghtes wente with sory mode
Alone the empresse forth yode
As a wofull wyght
She had so wepte here beforne
That her ryght waye she had forlorne
So moche she was in thought
In a woode that was full thycke
What for hylles and leues eke
Her waye founde she nought
In a sloughe vnder an hyll
Sowne she founde a fayre well
And an arbere redy wrought
With olyue trees the arbere was sette
The lady set her downe and wepte
Ferther go she ne myght
The lady by the well her sette
With dolefull chere and heuy herte
She myght no ferther gone
Lorde she sayd of heuen blysse
This daye thou me rede and wysshe
God sende me some socoure sowne
Mayde mary moder fre
My prayer wyll I make to the
To amende my sorefull mone
I am full of sorowe and care
And thre dayes I haue gone and more
That mete had I none
By that she had her chyldren dyhgt
Forsothe it was full nere the nyght
As she satte by the well
In the arbere downe she laye
Tyll it was lyght of the daye
That foules gan synge and yell
THere came an ape to seke his praye
One of her chyldren he bare awaye
Vp [...]o one hye hyll
No w [...]nder yf she were wo
The ape bare her chylde her fro
In swonynge downe she fell
In all the sorowe that the lady in was
There came rennynge a wylde lyonas
That was in dede there
In a sownynge as the lady laye
Her other chylde she bare awaye
Her dyscomforte was the more
The lady was full heuy there
For the wylde beestes awaye her chyldren bere
For sorowe her herte gan blede
To Ihesu cryste. she made her mone
And syghynge forth she yode
There came a foule fayre of flyght
A gryffon he was called hy ryght
Ouer the hylles hore
The foule was so moche of myght
That he wolde well bere a knyght
All armed yf he were
The lyonesse and the chylde vp toke he
And flewe in to an yle of the se
Bothe with hym he bare
The chylde slepte in the lyonesse mouth
Of wele or wo it ne cowth
But god kepe it frome care
Whan the lyonesse had fote on londe
Stowtely she can vp stonde
As beest that was stronge and wylde
Thoroughe goddes grace the gryffon she slewe
And of his flesshe ete ynoughe
And layde her by the chylde
The chylde souked the lyones
As it goddes wyll was
And the pappes gan to welde
The lyones gan of the chylde moche make
And all for her whelpes sake
She was therwith full mylde
With her fote she scraped a den
And brought the yonge chylde therin
And kepte it daye and nyght
Whan the lyones hongred sore
She ete of the gryffon euermore
That was so stronge and wyght
And as it was goddes wyll
The lyones loued the chylde full well
That was so sayre and bryght
The lady set her on a stone
To Ihefu cryste she made her mone
As a wofull wyght
Ihesu cryste kynge of blysse
This daye thou me rede and wysshe
Of all kynges thou arte floure
As I was kynges doughter and quene
And empresse of Rome hath bene
And of many a ryche toure
Through this treason that on me is wrought
To moche sorowe I am brought
And out of my honoure
This wordes lyfe I haue forlorne
And my two chyldren frome me borne
This lyfe I maye endure
A lorde the sorowe that I am in
well I wote it is for my synne
welcome be all thy sonde
To the worlde I wyll me neuer gyue
But serue the lorde whyles I lyue
Receyue me with thy honde
Downe by a hyll the waye she founde
And to the greke see she came
And wente by the stronde
Before her an hauen she sawe
And a cyte with toures gaye
The redy waye she founde
whiche brought her to the towne
A shyppe she founde redy bowne
with pylgrymes for to fare
She bad the shypmen golde and fe
with that she myght therin be
If that thery wyll were
A bote the set vpon the flode
And rowed to the londe there the lady stode
A wyght man in he bare
By the mast they bade her sytte
Of her wo no man myght wyte
But euer she wepte full sore
The shypmen fayled by an yle syde
The mayster badde them they sholde abyde
For fresshe water had they none
Besyde them there was a roche on hye
And a well streme rennynge by
Come rennynge ouer a stone
Than two men to londe they sende
And sowne to the well streme they wende
The well they founde as I you sayne
The lyonesse laye in her den
And was full gladde of these two men
Full sowne she had them slayne
So longe at an anker gan the ryde
These two men for to abyde
Tyll noune was of the daye
Twelue men gan them dyght
With helme and with halbarde bryght
To the londe wente they
They founde the lyonesse in her den
And a man chylde they sawe therin
With the lyonesse gan playe
Somwhyle he souked the lyonesse pap
And other whyle gan kysse and clap
For drede they flede awaye
They went agayne and tolde what they sawe
And how they founde a roche on hye
And in the yle a lyonesse den
And there the lyonesse began to playe
With a chylde that there in laye
And dyde slee bothe theyr men
The lady sayd that was so mylde
Mercy lordes that is my chylde
And on londe lette me ryue
Abote they sette vpon the flode
Alone the lady forth youde
Full sore wepte all they thenne
Whan she came to the roche on hye
She ranne as faste as she myght hye
With full sory mode
The lyonesse thoroughe goddes grace
Whan she sawe the ladyes face
Full fayre and styll she stode
Thoroughe the myght of mary mylde
She suffred the lady to take her chylde
And to the see with the lady she yode
whan the shypmen the lyonesse se
They durst not come the londe nye
For fere they were nere wode
Some hente an ore / and some hente a spete
This wylde lyonesse for to mete
Out of the bote for to were
The lady in to the shyp they hente
Therty fo [...]e after che lyonesse sprente
Therc durst no man cum hym nere
There durste no man cum hym nere
There myght men se game and gle
Foure men lepe into to the see
So aferde they were of the lyonesse there
By the lady the lyonesse laye
And with the chylde gan playe
And no man wolde she dere
The shypmen drewe vp sayle of ryche hewe
The wynde frome londe theym blewe
Ouer that wanne streme
The fyrst londe that they myght se
was a cyte with toures hye
That hyght Iherusalem
Full blythe they were of that syght
As is the foule whan it is lyght
Of that daye leme
Whan hyt was ebbe and no flode
The shypmen and the lady to londe yode
In that ryche realme
Ouer all the cyte wyde and longe
Of that lady the worde spronge
That there to londe was lente
And how she hadde a lyonesse
Brought with her out of wyldernesse
The kynge after her sent
The kynge bade lette for no thynge
But the lyonesse with the lady to brynge
To a castell there nere hande
Whan she to the kynge come
For the empresse of ryche rome
The kynge full well her knewe
The kynge her frayned of her fare
And she tolde hym of her care
As a wofull wyght
Thenne with the quene she dwelled styll
And had maydens at her wyll
To serue her daye and nyght
The chylde that was fayre and fre
The kynge made hym crystened be
And sayd that Octauyan shall hyght
Whan the chylde was of elde
That he coude ryde and armes welde
The kynge dubbed hym a knyght
The lyonesse that was so wylde
Dwelleth with the lady mylde
Her comforte was the more
The lady dwelled styll with the quene
With Ioye and game them betwene
To couer her of her care
Euery daye he serued that lady bryght
To make her gladde with all his myght
Tyll she better mended were
In Iherusalem that lady dwelled styll
Of that other chylde tell you I wyll
That the ape frome her bare
THere came an ape that was so wylde
Thorough the forest with the chylde
The holtes was bothe hye and hore
As the ape came ouer the strete
With a knyght gan she mete
The chylde as she bare
Tho fanght the kynght full longe
Agaynest the ape that was so stronge
His swerde he brake there
The ape lefte the chylde and awaye wente
The knyght frome her the chylde hente
And with hym gan he fare
Forthe with the chylde he rode then
And in a forest he mette outlawes ten
That moche were of myght
The knyght was neuer so wo
That his swerde was broke in two
That he myght not fyght
If the knyght were neuer so wo
The outlawes wane the chylde hym fro
That was so stoute and wyght
The knyght was woūded that daye
Vnethys his horse bare hym awaye
So dolefully he was dyght
The outlawes set them on the grene
And layde the chylde them betwene
The chylde was fayre and on them loughe
The mayster outlawe sayd then
It were grete shame for hardy men
The chylde yf we it slewe
I rede we bere it with moche pryde
To Iherusalem here besyde
And do hyt no harme
It is so fayre and gentyll bore
That we maye haue tresoure therfore
Golde and syluer full yarne
The two outlawes made them yare
To Iherusalem for to fare
It was so swete awyght
There was no man that the chylde se
For dole they wepte with theyr eye
So fayre he was to syght
A burgeys of parys came full nere
That palmer had ben seuen yere
Clement lunlayne he hyght
He sayd lordynges wyll ye the chylde sell
Ye for monaye yf ye wyll to vs it tell
Florences brode and bryght
For fyfty pounde sell hym they wolde
Clement sayd longe ye maye hym holde
Or ye hym so sell maye
I swere by myne hode
I wene can but lytell good
Suche wordes for to saye
Golde ond syluer is to me nede
But .xx.li. I wyll you bede
And make you redy paye
The chylde they hym solde
And .xx.li. he them tolde
And wente forthe his waye
Whan clement had the chylde bought
He made a panyer to be be wrought
The chylde therin to lede
He toke hym the waye ryght
And asked hym with all his myght
What was his best reed
A norse he gate hym also
In to fraunce with hym to go
The chylde for to fede
The burgeys of parys were full fayne
Full, many wente clement agayne
All rente was his wede
THey clepte hym and kyst hym all
And brought hym home in to the hall
His wyfe was full blythe
She frayned hym the ryght dome
How that he by the chylde come
He tolde her full swythe
Dame in Iherusalem I hyt gete
And there I wolde hym not lete
The sothe I wyll you lythe
His wyfe answered with herte mylde
Syr it shall be my owne chylde
She kyste it many a sythe
Dame sayd clement whyle I palmer was
I gate this chylde with my flesshe
In the hethen londe
In to this londe I haue hym brought
Wherfore dame greue the nought
For ryche shall be thy wede
She answered hym with wordes fre
He is welcome to me so mote I the
For fayre I shall hym fede
And kepe hym with our owne chylde
Tyll he become of elde
And clothe them in one wede
Clement was therof full blythe
He dyd crysten the chylde swythe
It dwelled but a nyght
Anone after they hym calde
Florent the chylde hyght
Whan the chylde was seuen yere olde
He was fayre wyse and bolde
The man that redeth ryght
In all the realne wyde and longe
Of the chylde the worde spronge
So fayre he was by syght
Euer the burgeys and his wyfe
Loued the chylde as theyr lyfe
With hym he was full dere
Whan he was seuen yere and more
Clement set the chylde to lore
To be a chauncelere
Than clement betoke to Florent oxen two
And badde hym ouer the byrdge to go
To a bocher as ye shall here
To lerne the crafte to do
As his kynde was neuer to do so
Suche games for to lere
Florent ouer the byrdge gan go
Faste dryuynge his oxen two
He sawe a semely syght
A squyer ther was as I you tell
A gerfaucon he bare to sell
With fethers folde full ryght
Florent to the squyer youde
And bothe his oxen to hym bode
For that faucon bryght
The squyer was wonder blythe
And gaue to hym the faucon swythe
With herte good and lyght
The squyer hasted hym full swythe
His oxen awaye for to dryue
That he were out of syght
And florent to fle was full fayne
He wende he wolde haue his faucon agayne
He ranne with all his myght
He wente hym home the nexte waye
To clementes house as it laye
And he in went full ryght
He fede the faucon whyles he wolde
And sythe his fayre fethers folde
As the sqyer had hym taught by syght
Clement the burgeys came en full sowne
Traytour where hast thou the oxen downe
That I toke the full ryght
Grete dole men myght se there
Clement bete the chylde full sore
That was so swete a wyght
With other mete thou shalt not lyue
But that this kyte wyll the gyue
Both by daye and by nyght
As sore beten as the chylde stode
yet to his faucon he youde
His fethers for to ryght
Clementes wyfe thought wonder thore
That clement bete hym so sore
He asked his fader why
Father sayd the chylde for crystes ore
Be in peas and bete me no more
But you wote why
Wolde ye now a whyle beholde
Howt fayre he dothe his fethers folde
And how louely they lye
Ye wolde praye to god with mylde mode
That you hadde soulde halfe your good
Suche one for to bye
The burgeys wyfe besyde stode
Full sore she rued in her mode
And sayd for thyne ore
For marys loue that mayde mylde
Haue mercy on your fayre chylde
And bete hym no more
Let hym be at home and serue vs two
And lete our other sone out go
Eche daye for to lere
Suche grace for hym maye be wrought
To a better man he maye be brought
Than he a bocher were
After all this hyt befell
Clement began forty pounde to tell
In his chambre there
Clement toke it to chylde florent
And to the brydge he hym sent
The monaye his brother to bere
As the chylde thorough the cyte yede
He sawe where stode afayre stede
That was stronge in euery stoute
The stede was whyte as ony mylke
The brydell raynes were of sylke
The molens were all gylde
Of wordes the chylde was wonder bolde
He asked how the stede sholde be solde
The monaye wolde he tell
The man badde hym for thyrty pounde
Of florences rede and rounde
No lesse he wolde hym sell
Florent sayde to lytell it wore
Ten pounde I shall gyue the more
And ten pounde he than tolde in faye
The squyer was wonder blythe
And toke the syluer to hym full swythe
And hasted hym awaye
Florent lepte lepte vp for to tyde
To clementes hous with moche pryde
And toke the hye waye
He thought to ryde in at the hall
He sought none other stall
He sette hym vp there in faye
Florent was gladde as I you saye
And gaue his stede corne and haye
He kneled downe and fayre hym dyght