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

CXXVII.
Caro. Carnis eciam temptacione Sancti quandoque vexantur.

Heraclides tellis, in 'Libro Paradisi,' how on̛ a tyme a holie monk̘ þat hight Helyas, þat was a virtuos man̛ & had grete petie & mercye of wommen̛, had vndernethe his gouernance in a monasterie CCC wommen̛. And when̛ he had contynued in þis occupacion̛ ij yere, and was bod of xxx^ti or xl^ti yere age, sodanlie he was attempyd̛ with his flessℏ, and onone as he felid̛ þis, he went oute of his monasterie ij dayes in-to wyldernes, & made hys prayer in þis maner of wyse; " Diuine deus meus, et c̛. Lord̛, I beseke þe owder to remefe þis temptacion̛ from̛ me, or els sla me!" So at evyn̛ sodanlie he feƚƚ opon̛ a slepe, & hym̛ thoght þer come vnto hym̛ iij angels þat sayd̛; "Why went þou furtℏ oute of þe

monasterie of þies wommen̛?" And he ansswerd̛ & said̛, for he was ferd̛ þat owder he sulde noy þaim, or þai hym̛. And þai sayd̛ þai suld̛ delyver hym̛ of þis drede, and bad hym̛ go home & take charge of þaim agayn̛. And he grawntyd̛ þerto & made þaim ane athe at he sulde do so. And þai layd̛ hym̛ down̛, & one of þaim held̛ his handis & a-noder his fete, & þe thrid̛ with a rasur cutt away bothe his balok-stonys, not at it was done, bod as hym̛ thoght it was done; and þan̛ þai askyd̛ hym̛ if he was any better, & if he was any bettyr þan̛ he was befor̛. And he ansswerd agayn̛ & sayd̛; "I vnderstand̛ þat a hevie burdyn̛ is taken̛ fro me, and þerfor̛ I trow þat I am̛ delyverd̛ of þat at I was fuƚƚ ferd̛ for." And with-in v dayes he went agayn̛ in-to his monasterie, & liffid̛ þerin afterward̛ xl^ti yere. And as holie fadurs says, fro thens forward sucℏ a thoght come nevur after in his mynde.

• ...Carnales cogitaciones a sanctis beneficia dei auferunt. infra de predicacione. iij.
• ...Carnalis cogitacio accepta a sanctis demones letificat. Infra de cruce. ij.
• ...Carnalem temptacionem demon frequenter procurat. Supra de Sancto Andrea et eciam vbi agitur de Sancta cruce. ij.
• ...Caro mouetur ad modicum tactum mulieris quemque. Infra de Sancto leone.