The Original Chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun printed on parallel pages from the Cottonian and Wemyss mss., with the variants of the other texts: Edited with introduction, notes, and glossary by F. J. Amours |
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| LXXXIX. | CHAPTER LXXXIX. |
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 | CHAPTER LXXXIX. The Original Chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun |  |
402
CHAPTER LXXXIX.
How the gud emperour Constantyne
Sauffit þe innocentis fra pyne.
Sauffit þe innocentis fra pyne.
Efter þe byrth of oure lord deire
Thre hundreth winter and xii. ȝere
Gud Constantyne borne of Helyne,
The kingis dochter of Brettane syne
Baire þe noble emperour,
And xxx. ȝeris in þat honour
He stude, in haly kirkis fay,
That wes supprisit befor his day.
In his tyme to Melchiadess
Siluester succedand wes
Pape of Rome, and xx. ȝere
And thre þarto, to rekin cleire,
And x. monethis, the story sais,
He sat and als xi. dais.
In Nysea, þat cete,
A solempnyt senȝe held he;
Thre hundreth bischopis and xviii.
Were revestit befor him sene,
And þare clerely expoundit þai
To folkis haly kirkis fay.
Thre hundreth winter and xii. ȝere
Gud Constantyne borne of Helyne,
The kingis dochter of Brettane syne
Baire þe noble emperour,
And xxx. ȝeris in þat honour
He stude, in haly kirkis fay,
That wes supprisit befor his day.
In his tyme to Melchiadess
Siluester succedand wes
Pape of Rome, and xx. ȝere
And thre þarto, to rekin cleire,
And x. monethis, the story sais,
He sat and als xi. dais.
In Nysea, þat cete,
A solempnyt senȝe held he;
Thre hundreth bischopis and xviii.
Were revestit befor him sene,
And þare clerely expoundit þai
To folkis haly kirkis fay.
This Siluester efter þat fled
Fra Constantyne, for he him dred;
For he wes austerne and cruell
Ay till he in lipper fell,
And brak out in foull mesalry;
Quharfor to medecynaris in hy
For to recouer his heill he socht,
Bot all thar cure availlit nocht,
And þan þe bischop of þe land,
That þare in tempillis were servand
To þare mawmentis, said þat he
Behuffit of neid bathit to be
In ȝoung innocentis blude al hait,
Gif he recouer wald his stait.
Throu this counsall þan als fast
Officiaris of bidding past,
And tuke vp child heire and þare
In all þe stedis quhare þai waverand ware,
As barnis vsis þaim playand,
To þe nomyr of thre thousand,
And put þaim syne in sekirnes
Till a tyme þat ordanit wes
Quhen þat he suld bathit be.
And that samyn day as he
In till his chare fra his palace
One his way passit to the place
That ordanit wes for his bathing,
With dulfull chere and gret murnyng,
The moderis of þe barnis þare
Wepand, of þare heid þe haire
Raiff and ruggit as thai were wod,
And in þat rage on all thai ȝude
Till þai met with þe emperour;
Than forouth him in þat dolour
Thai fell on kneis and cryit fast,
Till thai him vencust at þe last.
[He] beheld þame rycht increly,
And had gret pete of þar cry,
And stude þan evin vp in his chare,
And to þaim þat about him ware
He said: “Ilkane in ȝour degre
I pray ȝow, gif ȝour willis be,
Neire hand me þat ȝe will draw,
And giffis audiens to my saw.
Off þe empyre þe ryalte,
The stait, þe worschip and þe gre,
As all philosophouris singis,
Out of þe well of pete springis;
Na þare sall nane estait endure
In Cesare, king na emperoure,
Quhare þat mercy takis steid,
Bot all with aw or rigour leid.
Forthy gud emperouris beforne,
That had þe stait or I wes borne,
As Titus and Waspasiane,
Alexander and Adriane,
Traiane als and vthere seire,
That in þare dedis douchty were,
Quhen in batall þai displayit
Thare banaris, and þare fais assayit,
Thai gaif in bidding rycht straitly,
And gert oure all þare ostis cry
That nane suld barne na woman sla,
Na clathis of þar bodyis ta,
On payne of all thai had to tyne,
And to be hangit and drawin syne.
Now sene sa gud befor oure dais
Thame led þan, as þare story sayis,
Better men were vnborne to be
Na now fall in sic cruelte
All ȝone innocentis to sla,
For ony helping þai mycht ma
To þe heill of my body,
That to recouer fullely
Be na way can I certane be;
And þai mycht recouer me,
Ȝit it were oure cruell thing
Off sa mony childer ȝing
Off all oure awne natioun
For to mak sic distructioun.
Quhy suld we sla,” he said, “oure awne,
And forbeire vther at ar vnknawin?
It spedis nocht for to supprise
In weire with fecht [our] innemyss,
Gif we with mare cruelte
Amang our self discomfit be.
Men of armes throu þare mycht
Thare fais our cummys in fecht,
But vice or syne þaim to suppriss
Throu þe vertu on þat wyss.
In sic oste happinnis ay
That we are starkare fere þan þai,
Bot in þis cass, but dout, we are
Starkare þan our self be fare.
For he þat vencusis his awne will
He vencusis him self be þat skill;
Forthy quha happinnis for to be
In þis fecht vincust, he
Wynnis alhaill þe victory,
And þe victour certanely
Discomfyt lyis throu cruelte,
Gif þat mercy and pete
Be nocht with ws in to þis thraw.
Forthy,” he said, “þis is my saw,
Schortly to say, for in this ficht
Pete oure will sall haue the mycht;
For þan fere better oure innemyiss
In alkin press we may suppriss,
Gif it sua fall þat it be
With mercy vencust and pete.
He may be callit,” he said, “a lard,
That mercy and pete haldis in ward;
Better it is me to be dede
Than to recouer,” he said, “remeid
Off ony languere with þe blude
And slauchter of sic multitude
Off childer, ȝoung and avenand,
Off oure awne kyth now growand.”
With that to þare moderis he
Gert deliuer þaim all fre,
And gaif þame giftis gret alsua,
And hame frely leit þaim ga.
Fra Constantyne, for he him dred;
For he wes austerne and cruell
Ay till he in lipper fell,
404
Quharfor to medecynaris in hy
For to recouer his heill he socht,
Bot all thar cure availlit nocht,
And þan þe bischop of þe land,
That þare in tempillis were servand
To þare mawmentis, said þat he
Behuffit of neid bathit to be
In ȝoung innocentis blude al hait,
Gif he recouer wald his stait.
Throu this counsall þan als fast
Officiaris of bidding past,
And tuke vp child heire and þare
In all þe stedis quhare þai waverand ware,
As barnis vsis þaim playand,
To þe nomyr of thre thousand,
And put þaim syne in sekirnes
Till a tyme þat ordanit wes
Quhen þat he suld bathit be.
And that samyn day as he
In till his chare fra his palace
One his way passit to the place
That ordanit wes for his bathing,
With dulfull chere and gret murnyng,
The moderis of þe barnis þare
Wepand, of þare heid þe haire
Raiff and ruggit as thai were wod,
And in þat rage on all thai ȝude
Till þai met with þe emperour;
Than forouth him in þat dolour
406
Till thai him vencust at þe last.
[He] beheld þame rycht increly,
And had gret pete of þar cry,
And stude þan evin vp in his chare,
And to þaim þat about him ware
He said: “Ilkane in ȝour degre
I pray ȝow, gif ȝour willis be,
Neire hand me þat ȝe will draw,
And giffis audiens to my saw.
Off þe empyre þe ryalte,
The stait, þe worschip and þe gre,
As all philosophouris singis,
Out of þe well of pete springis;
Na þare sall nane estait endure
In Cesare, king na emperoure,
Quhare þat mercy takis steid,
Bot all with aw or rigour leid.
Forthy gud emperouris beforne,
That had þe stait or I wes borne,
As Titus and Waspasiane,
Alexander and Adriane,
Traiane als and vthere seire,
That in þare dedis douchty were,
Quhen in batall þai displayit
Thare banaris, and þare fais assayit,
Thai gaif in bidding rycht straitly,
And gert oure all þare ostis cry
408
Na clathis of þar bodyis ta,
On payne of all thai had to tyne,
And to be hangit and drawin syne.
Now sene sa gud befor oure dais
Thame led þan, as þare story sayis,
Better men were vnborne to be
Na now fall in sic cruelte
All ȝone innocentis to sla,
For ony helping þai mycht ma
To þe heill of my body,
That to recouer fullely
Be na way can I certane be;
And þai mycht recouer me,
Ȝit it were oure cruell thing
Off sa mony childer ȝing
Off all oure awne natioun
For to mak sic distructioun.
Quhy suld we sla,” he said, “oure awne,
And forbeire vther at ar vnknawin?
It spedis nocht for to supprise
In weire with fecht [our] innemyss,
Gif we with mare cruelte
Amang our self discomfit be.
Men of armes throu þare mycht
Thare fais our cummys in fecht,
But vice or syne þaim to suppriss
Throu þe vertu on þat wyss.
In sic oste happinnis ay
That we are starkare fere þan þai,
410
Starkare þan our self be fare.
For he þat vencusis his awne will
He vencusis him self be þat skill;
Forthy quha happinnis for to be
In þis fecht vincust, he
Wynnis alhaill þe victory,
And þe victour certanely
Discomfyt lyis throu cruelte,
Gif þat mercy and pete
Be nocht with ws in to þis thraw.
Forthy,” he said, “þis is my saw,
Schortly to say, for in this ficht
Pete oure will sall haue the mycht;
For þan fere better oure innemyiss
In alkin press we may suppriss,
Gif it sua fall þat it be
With mercy vencust and pete.
He may be callit,” he said, “a lard,
That mercy and pete haldis in ward;
Better it is me to be dede
Than to recouer,” he said, “remeid
Off ony languere with þe blude
And slauchter of sic multitude
Off childer, ȝoung and avenand,
Off oure awne kyth now growand.”
With that to þare moderis he
Gert deliuer þaim all fre,
And gaif þame giftis gret alsua,
And hame frely leit þaim ga.
And þat ilk nycht, lang forouth day,
As slepand in his bed he lay,
The honorable apostlis twa,
Sanct Petere and Sanct Paull alsua,
Apperit to this emperour,
And gretly menyt his langour,
And said: “Ihesu Crist, our Lord,
That has alhaill in till his ward,
Has send ws for to comfort þe,
And biddis at þov sicker be
Thy heill þov sall recouer weill
Off all thy seiknes euerilkdeill;
For þov left to spill saikles blude
Off sa gret multitude
Off innocentis for þi body.
It is our counsall now forthy
Thov pass to Siluestyre the pape,
That fayne fra þe wes to eschaip,
Or send, and he sall informe þe
Quhairin at þov sall bathit be,
And of thi lepire sa þov sall
Thy heill rycht weill recouer all;
And syne to Crist, þi verray lord,
Thow sall mak sa gud reward
That of all fals ydolis þov ger cast
Doune þe templis als fast,
And haly kirk þov sall restore
In better stait þan it befor
Thow fand it, and syne honour ay
God, and keip weill Cristin fay.”
As slepand in his bed he lay,
The honorable apostlis twa,
Sanct Petere and Sanct Paull alsua,
412
And gretly menyt his langour,
And said: “Ihesu Crist, our Lord,
That has alhaill in till his ward,
Has send ws for to comfort þe,
And biddis at þov sicker be
Thy heill þov sall recouer weill
Off all thy seiknes euerilkdeill;
For þov left to spill saikles blude
Off sa gret multitude
Off innocentis for þi body.
It is our counsall now forthy
Thov pass to Siluestyre the pape,
That fayne fra þe wes to eschaip,
Or send, and he sall informe þe
Quhairin at þov sall bathit be,
And of thi lepire sa þov sall
Thy heill rycht weill recouer all;
And syne to Crist, þi verray lord,
Thow sall mak sa gud reward
That of all fals ydolis þov ger cast
Doune þe templis als fast,
And haly kirk þov sall restore
In better stait þan it befor
Thow fand it, and syne honour ay
God, and keip weill Cristin fay.”
Quhen þus our dryvin wes þe nycht,
And on þe morne quhen day wes lycht,
The emperour gert knychtis pass
To seik quhare Sanct Siluester was;
And quhen he saw thaim cumand neire,
He wonder at thai cumand were
To draw him in to þare fellony,
Till haue put him in martery;
Bot fra at þai had mellit samyn
All togidder of þis gammyn,
Thai passit to þe emperour,
That resauit with honour
Sanct Siluester, þe pape of Rome,
And tald him syne withoutin hone
All his visioun fra end till end,
And askit, or he fra him wend,
Gif Petyre and Paull were goddis twa.
And Siluester said nay, bot þai
Has powere baith to lowss and bynd,
And left þar successouris þame behind.
Than gert þe pape feche þe ymage
Off þai apostlis in þare stage,
And þe emperour affermyt at thai
Were thai apperyt quhare he lay
Slepand in his visioun.
And þare þe paip, at wes all boune,
Baptist þis emperour Constantyne,
And inionyt him pennance syne
In fasting all a woulk to be,
And all in presoune to be fre,
Lowsit quyte at þar awne will,
And þe emperour grantit þartill;
And als swith in þat ilk stound
Off all his seiknes he wes sound,
And lovit God of that chance,
And maid rycht þare ane ordinance,
In fredome of the Cristin fay,
That he deuotly tuke þat day.
For statut law first ordanit he
That Crist as God suld honorit be,
And worschippit with all, lest and maist,
Thre personis in a Godheid traist,
Fadire and Sone and Haly Gaist,
And at all ydolis were bot waist
Off godheid, and deuillis ware;
And bad fordo þaim, less and mare.
Nixt that wes his ordinance,
That he suld beire and thole pennance
Quha euer wiþ errasy þat blamyt
Crist, Goddis Sone, or him defamyt,
That he suld suffere pane and torment,
Bot gif he þar of him repent.
Gif ony syne in to that land
Agane þe law wald tak on hand
A Cristin man for to suppriss,
Or for to wrang him ony wiss,
The tane half of his gudis all
To þe emperour suld fall
As escheat without remeid,
Or ony prayer, or ȝit pleid.
He ordanit alsua þat þe paip,
That of the warld is mast bischap,
Suld be oure bischopis in honour,
As is our kingis þe emperour;
And quha till haly kirk wald fle
Suld þare haif gyrth and als saufte.
Als þat nane were sa hardy
In na parochin generaly
Chapell to big, na oratore,
But speciall leif gottin befor,
Outhere of a bischop or patrone;
And of alkin possessioun
Suld to þe sustentatioune
Off haly kirk be payit doune
Baith of nobill and monay.
And on þe morne quhen day wes lycht,
The emperour gert knychtis pass
To seik quhare Sanct Siluester was;
414
He wonder at thai cumand were
To draw him in to þare fellony,
Till haue put him in martery;
Bot fra at þai had mellit samyn
All togidder of þis gammyn,
Thai passit to þe emperour,
That resauit with honour
Sanct Siluester, þe pape of Rome,
And tald him syne withoutin hone
All his visioun fra end till end,
And askit, or he fra him wend,
Gif Petyre and Paull were goddis twa.
And Siluester said nay, bot þai
Has powere baith to lowss and bynd,
And left þar successouris þame behind.
Than gert þe pape feche þe ymage
Off þai apostlis in þare stage,
And þe emperour affermyt at thai
Were thai apperyt quhare he lay
Slepand in his visioun.
And þare þe paip, at wes all boune,
Baptist þis emperour Constantyne,
And inionyt him pennance syne
In fasting all a woulk to be,
And all in presoune to be fre,
Lowsit quyte at þar awne will,
And þe emperour grantit þartill;
And als swith in þat ilk stound
Off all his seiknes he wes sound,
And lovit God of that chance,
And maid rycht þare ane ordinance,
416
That he deuotly tuke þat day.
For statut law first ordanit he
That Crist as God suld honorit be,
And worschippit with all, lest and maist,
Thre personis in a Godheid traist,
Fadire and Sone and Haly Gaist,
And at all ydolis were bot waist
Off godheid, and deuillis ware;
And bad fordo þaim, less and mare.
Nixt that wes his ordinance,
That he suld beire and thole pennance
Quha euer wiþ errasy þat blamyt
Crist, Goddis Sone, or him defamyt,
That he suld suffere pane and torment,
Bot gif he þar of him repent.
Gif ony syne in to that land
Agane þe law wald tak on hand
A Cristin man for to suppriss,
Or for to wrang him ony wiss,
The tane half of his gudis all
To þe emperour suld fall
As escheat without remeid,
Or ony prayer, or ȝit pleid.
He ordanit alsua þat þe paip,
That of the warld is mast bischap,
Suld be oure bischopis in honour,
As is our kingis þe emperour;
And quha till haly kirk wald fle
Suld þare haif gyrth and als saufte.
Als þat nane were sa hardy
In na parochin generaly
Chapell to big, na oratore,
But speciall leif gottin befor,
418
And of alkin possessioun
Suld to þe sustentatioune
Off haly kirk be payit doune
Baith of nobill and monay.
And efter syne þe viii. day
To Sanct Petyris kirk in hy
He come bairefut full deuotly,
And maid his confessioun,
With reuth and saire contritioun,
Off all þe synnis þat he had done.
A mattow syne he tuke, but hone,
And þat rypit to þe ground,
And of þat kirk þare he can found;
Off erd xii. bakkatis he baire out
One his awne schulderis, but dout.
To Sanct Petyris kirk in hy
He come bairefut full deuotly,
And maid his confessioun,
With reuth and saire contritioun,
Off all þe synnis þat he had done.
A mattow syne he tuke, but hone,
And þat rypit to þe ground,
And of þat kirk þare he can found;
Off erd xii. bakkatis he baire out
One his awne schulderis, but dout.
And quhen þis emperour on þis wiss
Wes hovin, as ȝe herd deviss,
And of þe Romanis a gret deill
Baptist were, and trowand weill,
Be þe ensample of Constantyne
And throu Sanct Siluesteris prechyne,
A gret part of þe citeȝenys,
And mony of þe suburbynis,
And of the senatouris seire,
At nocht baptist na trowand were,
Assemblit forouth þe emperour,
And said thai wald all þare murmure
Schaw thare till him, gif þat he
Wald nocht þar at displesit be.
And þare he gaif þaim leif to say
All þat in þare willis lay,
Than ane for all spak in hy,
And said, “At for þe novelry
That wes brocht vp þan in Rome,
And sen þat he tuke Cristindome,
Off oure folkis þat left þar fay,
That oure elderis held mony day,
Euerilk day is oure cete
Put in gret perplexite;
For, as ȝe wait and has herd tell,
Neire heire by a dragoun fell
Wndere erd in a cofe lyis,
And to þe toune reparis oft syss,
And as he ranyis and he beris,
All þe toune in stynk he steris,
Quhill vi. thousand on a day
Throu pestilens ar deid away,
That wes þe best of oure cete,
Off ȝoung and auld in þare degre,
That ilk ȝere on þare best wiss
Vsit to mak þare sacrifiss
To Dame Wasta deuotly,
That wes þare goddes and lady,
Thare hope, þare help, and þare awowe
Off þare myrthe and þare iolite:
For quhom þare almuss halely
And þe releif of þare maniory
Thai vsit to cast to þat dragoune,
That now is on ws rycht felloune.
Sa, throu þe help of þat lady
And þe releif of þat maniory,
Ay still in till his den lay he,
And anoyit nocht þis cete;
Bot ay sen ȝe and thai of Rome
Off new þus has tane Cristindome,
And has forsakin oure elderis fay,
We are anoyit ilka day
Throu the outragiouse violens
Off ȝone bestis pestilens.
For thi, lord, we ask ȝow haill
Remeid of þis and counsall,
And ȝour help, at oure cete
And we may als vnperist be.”
Wes hovin, as ȝe herd deviss,
And of þe Romanis a gret deill
Baptist were, and trowand weill,
Be þe ensample of Constantyne
And throu Sanct Siluesteris prechyne,
A gret part of þe citeȝenys,
And mony of þe suburbynis,
And of the senatouris seire,
At nocht baptist na trowand were,
Assemblit forouth þe emperour,
And said thai wald all þare murmure
420
Wald nocht þar at displesit be.
And þare he gaif þaim leif to say
All þat in þare willis lay,
Than ane for all spak in hy,
And said, “At for þe novelry
That wes brocht vp þan in Rome,
And sen þat he tuke Cristindome,
Off oure folkis þat left þar fay,
That oure elderis held mony day,
Euerilk day is oure cete
Put in gret perplexite;
For, as ȝe wait and has herd tell,
Neire heire by a dragoun fell
Wndere erd in a cofe lyis,
And to þe toune reparis oft syss,
And as he ranyis and he beris,
All þe toune in stynk he steris,
Quhill vi. thousand on a day
Throu pestilens ar deid away,
That wes þe best of oure cete,
Off ȝoung and auld in þare degre,
That ilk ȝere on þare best wiss
Vsit to mak þare sacrifiss
To Dame Wasta deuotly,
That wes þare goddes and lady,
Thare hope, þare help, and þare awowe
Off þare myrthe and þare iolite:
422
And þe releif of þare maniory
Thai vsit to cast to þat dragoune,
That now is on ws rycht felloune.
Sa, throu þe help of þat lady
And þe releif of þat maniory,
Ay still in till his den lay he,
And anoyit nocht þis cete;
Bot ay sen ȝe and thai of Rome
Off new þus has tane Cristindome,
And has forsakin oure elderis fay,
We are anoyit ilka day
Throu the outragiouse violens
Off ȝone bestis pestilens.
For thi, lord, we ask ȝow haill
Remeid of þis and counsall,
And ȝour help, at oure cete
And we may als vnperist be.”
With [þat] Sanct Siluester, þat wes by
The emperour, and mast redy
Off ansuere, bad þai suld tell
Quhare þat dragoun lay sa fell;
And quhen þai said him þat þai wald
With him to fecht bestis hald,
Till his oratory he past,
And him revest als fast,
And with his clerkis syne in hy,
And þai Romanis in cumpany,
Till þe cofe of þat dragoune
He past in till prosessioune;
And þe corse on his body
He maid oft syss deuotly,
And in þe coif syne he
Wnabasitly maid entre,
A hundreth greis evin doune
Wndere erd to þe dragoune;
And throu his full deuote prayere
That felloune best syne bristit þare;
And þat done syne vp he past,
With ȝettis of brass he gert close fast
Off that deid den þe entre,
That neuer mare sall opinnit be
Befor þe mekle day of dome;
And þan als fast all thai of Rome,
That befor þat had nocht tane
Cristindome, þan trowit ilk ane
In Ihesu Crist and bapteme tuke,
And þare fals mawmentis all forsuke.
This Constantyne wes of Rome
The first emperour tuke Cristindome
Nixt Phillip, þat Dycius fell
Slew, as ȝe befor herd tell.
This Constantyne wes first gaif land
That papis ȝit haldis in þar hand;
He feft þe kirk on mony wiss
With gret tresoure and fre franchis.
Off his moder half a Brettoune
He wes be kynd of natioune;
He wes Sanct Helenys sone, but layne,
And of his fader half a Romayne,
And wes in till his begynning
Bot anerely of Brettane king.
The emperour, and mast redy
Off ansuere, bad þai suld tell
Quhare þat dragoun lay sa fell;
And quhen þai said him þat þai wald
With him to fecht bestis hald,
Till his oratory he past,
And him revest als fast,
424
And þai Romanis in cumpany,
Till þe cofe of þat dragoune
He past in till prosessioune;
And þe corse on his body
He maid oft syss deuotly,
And in þe coif syne he
Wnabasitly maid entre,
A hundreth greis evin doune
Wndere erd to þe dragoune;
And throu his full deuote prayere
That felloune best syne bristit þare;
And þat done syne vp he past,
With ȝettis of brass he gert close fast
Off that deid den þe entre,
That neuer mare sall opinnit be
Befor þe mekle day of dome;
And þan als fast all thai of Rome,
That befor þat had nocht tane
Cristindome, þan trowit ilk ane
In Ihesu Crist and bapteme tuke,
And þare fals mawmentis all forsuke.
This Constantyne wes of Rome
The first emperour tuke Cristindome
Nixt Phillip, þat Dycius fell
Slew, as ȝe befor herd tell.
This Constantyne wes first gaif land
That papis ȝit haldis in þar hand;
He feft þe kirk on mony wiss
With gret tresoure and fre franchis.
426
He wes be kynd of natioune;
He wes Sanct Helenys sone, but layne,
And of his fader half a Romayne,
And wes in till his begynning
Bot anerely of Brettane king.
| CHAPTER LXXXIX. The Original Chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun | |