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

About this Item

Title
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
Author
Etienne de, Besançon, d. 1294
Editor
Banks, Mary Macleod
Publication
London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner, & Co., Ltd.
1904, 1905
Rights/Permissions

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials are in the public domain. If you have questions about the collection, please contact [email protected]. If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact [email protected].

DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States

Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/AlphTales
Cite this Item
"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." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/AlphTales. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 15, 2025.

Pages

CCV.
Contricio perfecta eciam sine confessione delet peccata.

Cesarius tellis how on̛ a tyme þer was a scoler at Parissℏ, þat had done many vglie syn̛, & he wold̛ not shrife hym̛ of þaim for shame; notwithstondyng hertelie contricion̛ ouer̛-come his shame, & on̛ a tyme he come vnto þe priour of Saynt̛ Victors, & wold̛ hafe bene shrevyn̛. & þer was so mekuƚƚ contricion̛ in his harte, & so many sobbis in his breste, & so many syghyngis in his throte, & so many teris in his een̛, þat he mot not speke nor say a wurd̛. And when̛ þe priour saw þis, he bad hym̛ go & write his syn̛; and so he did̛; and come agayn̛, & yitt for sorow he myght not speke a wurd̛, bod gaff þis byƚƚ vnto þe priour. And he red it, & hym̛ thoght þe synnys wer so grete at he desyrid̛ þe scolar þat he mott latt his abbott se itt, at he myght aske hym̛ cownceƚƚ þerin. And he lete þe abbott se it; and when̛ þe abbott lukid̛ þer-vppon̛, he cuthe se nothyng wretten̛ þerin; & þan̛ he said̛ vnto þe priour; "What may I rede here, whar̛ right noght is wretten̛?" And when̛ þe priour saw þatt, he had grete wondre þerof & said̛; "Sur, forsuthe a yong man̛ wrate his confession̛ here-vppon̛, and I redd̛ it my selfe; bot now I se þat God is mercifuƚƚ, þat graciouslie hase behalden̛ his contricion̛ and forgiffen̛ hym̛ his syn̛." And þus bothe þe abbott & þe priour told̛ þis scolar & assoylid̛ hym̛; and þus with grete ioy & myrtℏ he went fro þaim home vnto his lugyng.

Do you have questions about this content? Need to report a problem? Please contact us.