Page:Gesta Romanorum - Swan - Wright - 1.djvu/479

Rh of you wyl haue pyte on this man, and take y$e$ cure and charge of hym. I shall deliver hym from hys servage and make him free, and shall gyve hym of myn herytage. And anone he commysed hym to one of his servauntes, and commaunded y$t$ his bedde sholde be made in a corner of y$e$ hall, whereas comers and goers myght se hym. And the servaunt to whom Alexis was commaunded to kepe made anone his bedde under the stayr and steppes of the hall. And there he lay right like a poore wretche, and suffred many vylanyes and despytes of the servauntes of his fader, which oft tymes cast and threwe on hym y$e$ wasshynge of disshes and other fylth, and dyd to hym many euill turnes, and mocked hym, but he neuer complayned, but suffered all pacyently for the loue of god. Finally whan he had ledde this right holy lyfe w$t$in his faders hous in fastynge, in prayenge, and in penaunce by the space of vij yere, and knewe that he sholde soon dye, he prayed the servaunt y$t$ kepte hym to gyve hym a pece of parchement and ynke. And therein he wrote by ordre all hys lyfe and now he was maryed by the commaundement of his fader, and what he had sayd to hys wife, and of the tokens of hys rynge and bocle of hys gyrdell,