Читать книгу The History of the Seven Wise Masters of Rome - Various - Страница 10

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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 [be] 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^e foulest rybaude ⁊ harlot y^t 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 spokē. 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 consēte, 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^t 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^t 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^e lawe dye leest that it be sayd y^t 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^t 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^e lawe. Then sayd she, shalle he so longe lyue. Then̄e 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.