Gesta Romanorum Vol. II (1871)/Of Reconciliation through Christ

by Anonymous

 

TALE XXXV.

OF RECONCILIATION THROUGH CHRIST.

A certain emperor possessed a forest, in which was an elephant whom no one dare approach. This caused his majesty no little surprise, and calling together his nobles and wise men, he asked them what was the nature of this elephant. They replied, that he mightily approved pure and modest virgins. Thereupon, the emperor would have despatched two beautiful and virtuous maids, who were likewise skilled in music, if any such were to be found in his kingdom. At last, his emissaries discovered two who were honest and fair enough, and causing them to be stripped, one of them was required to carry a basin, and the other a sword. They entered the forest, and began to sing; and the elephant, attracted by the sound, soon approached. In the mean time, the virgins continued their song, till the elephant fondled them, and by and by, fell asleep in the lap of one of the maids. The other, perceiving this, cut off his head with the sword she had carried, while her companion filled the bowl with blood. Thus they returned to the king; and when he heard of their success, he rejoiced exceedingly, and ordered a very beautiful purple, and many other curious matters, to be made of the blood. (25)

APPLICATION.

My beloved, the emperor is our heavenly Father; the elephant is Christ; and the two virgins, Mary and Eve, who were both born free from sin^[1], Mary being sanctified in the womb. She carries a sword, that is, sin, by which Christ died^[2].

 

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1. We may observe that the Catholics lose no opportunity of honoring the virgin Mary, at whatever expense.
2. The reader is desired to frame the rest of the moralization himself, the original being too delicate to handle.

 

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Note 25.Page 129.

"In this wild tale, there are circumstances enough of general analogy, if not of peculiar parallelism, to recall to my memory the following beautiful description, in the MS. romance of Syr Launfal, of two damsels, whom the knight unexpectedly meets in a desolate forest.

"As he sat in sorrow sore
He saw come out of holt-es hoar,

Gentle maidens two;
Their kirtles were of Ind sandal^[1]
Ylaced small, jolyf^[2] and well,
There might none gayer go.
Their mantles were of green velvet,
Y bordered with gold right well y set,
Y pelured^[3] with gris and gro^[4].
Their head-es were well dight withal,
Each had on a jolyf coronal
With sixty gems and mo^[5].
Their faces were white as snow on down,
Their rode^[6] was red, their eyen were brown,
I saw never none such.
The one bare of gold a basin,
That other a towel white and fine,
Of silk that was good and rich.
Their kerchiefs wer well schyre^[7]
Arrayed with a rich gold wire."—Warton.

 

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1. Indian silk. Cendal Fr. See Du Fresne.
2. Pretty.
3. Furred.
4. Gris is Fur; gris and gro [gray; meaning perhaps gray fur] is a common phrase in the metrical romances.
5. More.
6. Complexion.
7. Cut.