Gesta Romanorum

by Charles Swan

  APPLICATION.

  My beloved, that emperor is our Lord Jesus Christ. The three images are three sorts of men, in whom God takes pleasure—as it is written, “Thy delight is in the sons of men.” If we live piously and uprightly, God will remain with us. By the first image with extended hand, we may conceive the poor and simple of this world; who, if they have business in the halls of princes and noblemen, will prevail but little unless the hand is put forth to present a gift. Gifts blind the eyes of a judge. But if it should be asked of such a one, or of his servants, “Why fleecest thou the poor?” it is instantly replied, “Can I not receive with a good conscience what is voluntarily presented ? If I took not the offering, people would say I was besotted; and therefore, to curb their tongues, I take it.” By the second image we are to understand the rich of the world, who, by the grace of God, are exalted to great wealth. So the Psalmist: “Thou raisest the poor out of the mire, and they are accused before their rivals.” Some wretched man hath a golden beard—that is, greater riches than his father had; and straightway we oppress him, either with a legal pretext or without. A just man is overborne and robbed; for they say, “We are bald,” that is, we are poor; and it is fitting that he divide his riches with us: nay, he is often murdered for his property. “Covetousness,” says St. Paul to Timothy, “is the root of all evil.” By the third image with the golden cloak, we are to understand men raised to great dignities. Such are the prelates and princes of the earth, who are appointed to preserve the law, to cultivate virtue, and to root out vice. Wherefore evil-doers, who refuse to submit to necessary discipline, lift themselves up, and conspire against their ecclesiastical governors and superiors, saying, “We will not have him to reign over us.”—St. Luke. The Jews seeing Christ performing miracles, and proving that they had sinned against the law, immediately contrive his death. But these conspirators, and the like to them, shall die the death. Therefore, let us diligently study to correct what is amiss in this life present, that we may, &c.

  [From hence the morals have been abridged, and merely the chief heads of them given.]

  TALE IX.

  OF DEPRAVITY CONQUERED BY MILDNESS.

  ALEXANDER was a renowned and prudent emperor. He married the daughter of the King of Syria, and had by her a beautiful son. The boy grew, but coming to man’s estate, he conspired against his father, and continually sought his death. This conduct surprised the emperor, and conversing with the empress, he said, “Fair wife, tell me, I pray thee, without reserve, hast thou ever forsaken me for another ?”—“My Lord,” answered his wife, “what is the purport of your question ?”—“Your son,” said he, “seeks my life. It amazes me; and if he were mine he could not do it.”—“Heaven can witness,” returned the lady, “that I am innocent. He is truly your son, but to what end he pursues your destruction, I cannot surmise.” The emperor, satisfied on this point, spoke to his son with the utmost mildness. “My dear son,” said he, “I am your father; by my means you came into the world, and will succeed me on the throne. Why then do you desire my death? I have ever loved and cared for you, and my possessions are not less yours than mine. Cease, I conjure you, from such an iniquitous pursuit; and curtail not the few brief hours that are assigned me.” Nevertheless the son disregarded his father’s entreaties, and every succeeding day discovered fresh proofs of a hard and depraved heart; sometimes endeavouring to slay him in public, and sometimes resorting to secret assassination, When the father became aware of this, he retired into a very secluded apartment, and took with him his son. Presenting a naked sword, he said, “Take this weapon, and now hesitate not to put a speedy end to the existence of thy parent; for it will be esteemed less shameful to be slain by my own son, quietly and in secret, than to be exposed to the uproar and observation of the people.” The son, struck with the enormity of what he purposed, cast aside the extended sword, and falling upon his knees, wept aloud. “Oh, my father,” said he, “I have done thee wrong—open and notorious wrong, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. Yet forgive me, dearest father, and once again restore me to thy forfeited love. From henceforth I will be indeed thy son, and in all things execute thy pleasure.” When the overjoyed parent heard this, he fell upon his neck, and kissed him. “Oh, my beloved son, be faithful and affectionate, and thou shalt find a fond and indulgent father.” He then clothed him in gorgeous apparel, and brought him to the banqueting-chamber, where he was sumptuously feasted with all the nobles of his empire. The emperor lived a short time after this, and finished his career in peace.

  APPLICATION.

  My beloved, the emperor is our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He who seeks the life of his father is any bad Christian who is made a legitimate child of God, by the virtues of baptism. The mother of the boy is the holy Church, through which our baptismal vows are received; and through which also the perverse sinner, removed from God by manifold offences, seeks the death of Christ, who is Himself the father, as appears from Deut. xxxii.: “Is He not thy father,” &c. Therefore the Christian attempts to destroy Christ, as often as he departs from the law of God. Again, Christ leads us into the desert of this world, and there, not only offers His breast to the drawn sword—but has actually died for our sins. Wherefore, remembering His love, and the sources of our own security, we ought to resist sin, and serve Him faithfully. The father delivered to his son the instrument of death: so God gives to you a sword—that is, free will, either to receive His grace and love, or to reject them. Do thou therefore act as the son did: cast from thee the sword of iniquity and malice.

  TALE X.

  OF THE MANAGEMENT OF THE SOUL.

  THE Emperor Vespasian lived a long time without children; but at last, by the counsel of certain wise men, he espoused a beautiful girl, brought to him from a distant country. He afterwards travelled with her into foreign lands, and there became father of a son. In the course of time, he wished to revisit his own kingdom; but his wife obstinately refused to comply, and said, “If you leave me, I will kill myself.” The emperor, therefore, in this dilemma, constructed two rings; and upon the jewels with which they were richly ornamented, he sculptured images possessing very singular virtues. One bore an effigy of Memory; and the other an effigy of Oblivion. They were placed upon the apex of each ring; and that which represented oblivion he bestowed upon his wife. The other he retained himself; and as their love had been, such was the power of the rings. The wife presently forgot her husband, and the husband cared but little for the memory of his wife. Seeing, therefore, that his object was achieved, he departed joyfully to his own dominions, and never afterwards returned to the lady. So he ended his days in peace.

  APPLICATION.

  My beloved, by the emperor understand the human soul, which ought to return to its own country—that is, to heaven, by which path alone it can arrive at security. Therefore the Psalmist says—“Save me, O God,” &c. The wife is our body, which holds the soul in sensual delights, that encumber and bar its passage to that eternal life, where the empire and hope of the soul is. And why does it so impele it ? Because the flesh rebels against the spirit, and the spirit wars against the flesh. Do ye, therefore, as the emperor did; make two rings—the rings of memory and forgetfulness, which are prayer and fasting; for both are effective. In most countries, a ring upon the woman’s finger is a token of her marriage; and when a man resigns himself to prayer and fasting, it is evidence of his being the bride of Christ. Prayer is the ring of memory, for the apostle enjoins us to “pray without ceasing.” Man, therefore, makes use of periodical prayer, that God may remember his desires; while angels themselves present and aid the petition, as we read in the Book of Tobit. Fasting may be called the ring of oblivion, because it withdraws from and forgets the enticements of the flesh, that there may be no obstruction in its progress to God. Let us then study to preserve these rings and merit everlasting life.

  TALE XI.

  OF THE POISON OF SIN.

  ALEXANDER was a prince of great power, and a disciple of Aristotle, wh
o instructed him in every branch of learning. The Queen of the North having heard of his proficiency, nourished her daughter from the cradle upon a certain kind of deadly poison; and when she grew up, she was considered so beautiful, that the sight of her alone affected many with madness. The queen sent her to Alexander to espouse. He had no sooner beheld her, than he became violently enamoured, and with much eagerness desired to possess her; but Aristotle observing his weakness, said— “Do not touch her, for if you do, you will certainly perish. She has been nurtured upon the most deleterious food, which I will prove to you immediately. Here is a malefactor, who is already condemned to death. He shall be united to her, and you will soon see the truth of what I advance.” Accordingly the culprit was brought without delay to the girl; and scarcely had he touched her lips, before his whole frame was impregnated with poison, and he expired. Alexander, glad at his escape from such imminent destruction, bestowed all thanks on his instructor, and returned the girl to her mother.*

  APPLICATION.

  My beloved, any good Christian strong and powerful in virtues communicated at his baptism, may be called Alexander. He is strong and powerful as long as he preserves his purity from the contamination of the devil, the world, and the flesh. The Queen of the North is a superfluity of the things of life, which sometimes destroys the spirit, and generally the body. The envenomed beauty is Luxury and Gluttony, which feed men with delicacies, that are poison to the soul. Aristotle is thy conscience, or reason, which reproves and opposes the union that would undo the soul. The malefactor is a perverse man, disobedient to his God, and more diligent in pursuing his own carnal delights than the divine commands. He enfolds his sins in a close embrace, by whose deadly touch he is spiritually destroyed. So the Book of Wisdom: “He who touches pitch shall be defiled by it.” Let us then study to live honestly and uprightly, in order that we may attain to everlasting life.

  * “This story is founded on the twenty-eighth chapter of Aristotle’s SECRETUM SECRETORUM: in which a queen of India is said to have treacherously sent to Alexander, among other costly presents, the pretended testimonies of her friendship, a girl of exquisite beauty, who having been fed with serpents from her infancy, partook of their nature. If I recollect right, in Pliny there are accounts of nations whose natural food was poison. Mithridates, king of Pontus, the land of venomous herbs, and the country of the sorceress Medea, was supposed to eat poison. Sir John Mandeville’s Travels, I believe, will afford other instances.”—WARTON.

  [Mr. O. Wendell Holmes has made use of this weird notion in his novel, “Elsie Venner.”—ED.]

  TALE XII.

  OF BAD EXAMPLE.

  IN the reign of Otho there was a certain slippery priest, who created much disturbance among his parishioners, and many were extremely scandalized. One of them, in particular, always absented himself from Mass, when it fell to the priest’s turn to celebrate it. Now, it happened on a festival day, during the time of Mass, that as this person was walking alone through a meadow, a sudden thirst came upon him; insomuch that he was persuaded, unless present relief could be obtained, he should die. In this extremity, continuing his walk, he discovered a rivulet of the purest water, of which he copiously drank. But the more he drank, the more violent became his thirst. Surprised at so unusual an occurrence, he said to himself, “I will find out the source of this rivulet, and there satisfy my thirst.” As he proceeded, an old man of majestic appearance met him, and said, “My friend, where are you going?” The other answered, “I am oppressed by an excessive drought, surpassing even belief. I discovered a little stream of water, and drank of it plentifully; but the more I drank, the more I thirsted. So I am endeavouring to find its source, that I may drink there, and, if it be possible, deliver myself from the torment.” The old man pointed with his finger. “There,” said he, “is the springhead of the rivulet. But tell me, mine honest friend, why are you not at church, and with other good Christians hearing Mass ?” The man answered, “Truly, master, our priest leads such an execrable life, that I think it utterly impossible he should celebrate it so as to please God.” To which the old man returned, “Suppose what you say is true. Observe this fountain, from which so much excellent water issues, and from which you have lately drunk.” He looked in the direction pointed out, and beheld a putrid dog with its mouth wide open, and its teeth black and decayed, through which the whole fountain gushed in a surprising manner. The man regarded the stream with great terror and confusion of mind, ardently desirous of quenching his thirst, but apprehensive of poison from the fetid and loathsome carcase, with which, to all appearance, the water was imbued. “Be not afraid,” said the old man, regarding his repugnance, “because thou hast already drank of the rivulet; drink again, it will not harm thee.” Encouraged by these assurances, and impelled by the intensity of his thirst, he partook of it once more, and instantly recovered from the drought. “Oh, master!” cried he, “never man drank of such delicious water.” The old man answered, “See now; as this water, gushing through the mouth of a putrid dog, is neither polluted nor loses aught of its natural taste or colour, so is the celebration of Mass by a worthless minister. And therefore, though the vices of such men may displease and disgust, yet should you not forsake the duties of which they are the appointed organ.” Saying these words, the old man disappeared; and what the other had seen he communicated to his neighbours, and ever after punctually attended Mass. He brought this unstable and transitory life to a good end, and passed from that which is corruptible to inherit incorruption. Which may our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of Mary, grant to all.

  APPLICATION.

  My beloved, the emperor is God, in whose kingdom, that is, in the world, there is an evil priest; namely, every perverse Christian. For as the priest provides for the spiritual welfare of his parishioners, so the Christian is required to watch over and preserve the spiritual gifts communicated in baptism. The bad priest, through the influence of a bad example, causes many to separate from the community; and, therefore, St. Gregory well says that “as often as he does an ill action, he loses a soul.” In like manner, the bad Christian occasions the condemnation of multitudes by the attraction of wicked examples and enticing words. If any of you to whom I now speak have been so deluded, act like the parishioner in our story. Walk across the meadows, that is, through the world, until you find one whom your soul esteems and loves—to wit, that old man, who is Christ, revealed by actions of benevolence and mercy. But, in the first place, drink of the rivulet, although it should not immediately extinguish your thirst. That rivulet is baptism, which alone is able to quench the drought occasioned by original sin. Yet, should the evil nature of that origin prevail, and you fall again into error, then seek out the fountain and there drink. For that fountain is our Lord Jesus Christ, as He witnesses of Himself: “I am a fountain of living water, springing up into eternal life.”—John iv. The streams or veins of that fountain are the words of Scripture, which too frequently issue from the mouth of a putrid dog; that is, of an evil preacher. If it should be asked why the spring of pure water is made to flow through the rank jaws of a dog, rather than through those of any other animal, it is answered, that Scripture more usually compares it with a priest than with anything else; and as in a dog there are four excellent qualities, described in the following couplet:—

  “In cane bis bina sunt; et lingua medicina,

  Naris odoratus, amor integer, atque latratus.”

  [In a dog there are four things: a medicinal tongue;* a distinguishing nose; an unshaken love, and unremitting watchfulness.]

  So priests, who would be useful in their station, ought diligently to cultivate these four properties. First, that their tongue possess the power of a physician in healing the sick in heart, and probing the wounds of sin; being careful, at the same time, that too rough a treatment does not exacerbate rather than cure: for it is the nature of dogs to lick the body’s wounds. Secondly, as a dog, by keenness of scent, distinguishes a fox from a hare, so a priest, by the quickness of his
perception in auricular disclosures, should discover what portion of them appertains to the cunning of the fox—that is, to heretical and sophistical perverseness; what to internal struggles and timorous apprehensions, arising from the detestation of evil or hopelessness of pardon; and what to the unbroken ferocity of the wolf or lion, originating in a haughty contempt of consequences; with other gradations of a like character. Thirdly, as the dog is of all animals the most faithful, and ready in defence of his master or his family, so priests also should show themselves staunch advocates for the Catholic Faith; and zealous for the everlasting salvation, not of their parishioners alone, but of every denomination of true Christians, according to the words of our Lord, John x.: “A good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.” Also, John i.: “Christ laid down His life for us.” And we, in humble imitation of our divine Master, ought to lay down our lives for our brethren. Fourthly, as a dog by barking betrays the approach of thieves, and permits not the property of his master to be invaded, so the faithful priest is the watch-dog of the great King: one who by his bark, that is, his preaching and his watchfulness, ceases not to defeat the schemes and machinations of the devil against his Lord’s treasury, that is, the soul of his neighbour, which our Lord Jesus Christ has redeemed with the mighty ransom of His precious blood.