Alphabet of tales : an English 15th century translation of the Alphabetum narrationum of Etienne de Besançon, from Additional MS. 25,719 of the British Museum / by Etienne de Besançon

VIII.
Abbas non debet eligi per preces carnales.

Hubertus, in a buke þat he makis `De Dono Timoris,' tellis how som̛ tyme þer was ane abbott, and when̛ he sulde dye, he besoght his brethir þat when̛ he was deade [þai] wolde chese his suster son̛, þat [MS. þas.] was a monke of þe same place, to be Abbott; and so þai did. So on̛ a tyme as þis new Abbott walkid̛ in his garthyn̛ beside a weƚƚ, [he] harde a huge voyse makand a grete mornyng & a sorow, & þat mervaluslie, and onone þis abb[ott] coniurid it. And when̛ he had so done, It told̛ hym̛ þat it was þe saule of the Abbott a[t] was his eame, whilk it said̛ was in grete payn̛, & byrnyd̛, and aƚƚ becauce þat he, er he dyed̛, desirid̛ his brethir to make hym̛ þat was his sybman̛ Abbott. And þan̛ þe new abbott, his suster son̛,

said̛; "How may þou byrn̛ in so grete payn̛, & be in so calde a weƚƚ [as] þou ert in?" þan̛ þis spiritt bad þis abbott go into þe kurk & take þer a copir candilstik, [&] bryng it with hym̛ & caste it into þe weƚƚ, & So he did̛. And onone, as it was casten̛ into þe weƚƚ, it was meltid̛ as it had bene wax þat had bene putt in-to þe fire. And when̛ þis new abbott saw þis, onone he renowncid̛ his abboship̛, & garte chese a noder. And fro thens furtℏ he neuer hard þis voice agayn̛.