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

CCVII.
Contricio perfecta liberat a confusione temporali.

Cesarius tellis how som tyme þer was in England̛ a clark þat was a chanon̛ in Lincoln̛ Mynster, and he was nere sybb cussyn̛ vnto þe bisshopp̛. & þer was a Iew wonnyd̛ in þe town̛, & he had a fayr doghter: and þis clerk̘ laburd̛ hur so att sho promysid̛ hym̛ att he suld̛ lyg by hyr, bod sho said̛ hur fadur luffid̛ hur so wele & kepid hur so þat þai myght nott com̛ samen bod on Gude Fryday nyght; ffor þan̛ þe Iewis hase bludie flux, & þai vse little to be occupyed̛ or com̛ forward̛. And when̛ þat night come, þis chanon̛ hafeyng no mynd̛ of þe Passion̛ of Criste þat he suffred̛ as þat day, come vnto hur & lay with hur vnto on̛ þe morn̛. And hur fadur rase & come in-to þe chambr̛ þer sho lay, & saw a man̛ in bedd̛ with his doghter, & he thoght for to hafe slayn̛ hym̛. And when̛ he lukid̛

on̛ hym̛, he knew wele enogℏ at he was þe bisschoppis cussyn̛, and þerfor̛ he was aferd̛ to sla hym̛; & he cryed̛ with a hedus voyce & sayd̛; "O! þou fals Christen̛ man̛! what duse þou here in syn̛ þis day? Whar̛ is þi faitℏ? Be þe dome of God rightwuslie þou ert giffen̛ in-to owr̛ handis; and warn̛ it wer for drede of þe bisshop̛ at þou ert cussyn̛ vnto, onone I sulde sla the." And þus with grete confusion̛ he showed̛ hym̛ oute att þe dure; and he went home, & happend̛ þat day, þat is to say Pascℏ-even̛, to be assigned̛ be þe bisshopp̛ to be his dekyn̛ in serves tyme & rede þe pistle; & he was ferd̛ as on̛ sucℏ a day to commytt his offes vnto ane other man̛, for drede of suspecte; & he was also ferd̛ to com̛ nere þe altar̛ & þe halie sacrament with so grete syn̛ as he was in. And yitt for shame he myght nott fynd̛ in his harte to shryfe hym̛, so he was þus ouercommen̛ with shame, & did̛ on̛ his mes clothis, & stude att þe altar̛ befor̛ þe bisshopp̛. And sodanlie þis Iew and a grete meneya of oþer Iewis with hym̛ come in att þe mynster dure with a huge durdom̛ & a noyse, ffor to make complaynt vnto þe bysshopp̛ of his cussyn̛. And als tyte as þis yong chanon̛ saw þaim, he wex pale & was passand̛ ferd̛, and made his prayer vnto God in his harte, & sayd þus; "Lorde Iesu! delyuer me & safe me shameles of þis Iewis at þis tyme, and I beheste þe hertelie þat I saƚƚ shryfe me of þis syn̛ & make a sethe þerfor̛; & fro hens furth I saƚƚ no more offend̛ þe." So þis bisshopp̛ saw þies Iewis & had grete mervayle whatt þai did in þe kurk̘, & speciallie suche a day; and he commaundid̛ þaim to stand̛, & askid̛ þaim what þai mente. And onone as þai wold̛ hafe accusid̛ þis clerk̘, be þe vertue of God, þai wer aƚƚ dombe, & myght nott speke. & when̛ þe bisshopp̛ saw þaim gaspe with þer mowthis agayns hym̛ & mott speke no wurde, he trowid̛ att þai come for illusion̛ of þe sacrament, & with indignacion̛ [MS. with indignacion̛ &.] he commanddid̛ þaim to be put oute of þe mynster. And̛ þis clerk̘ felid̛ att God had had mercie on̛ hym̛; & when̛ serves was done, he went vnto þe bysshopp̛ & shrafe hym̛, and afterwerd̛ made hym̛ a monk̘ in Ceustus ordur. And þai garte cristen̛ þis damyseƚƚ, & made hur a non̛ of þe same ordur; and afterward̛ þai bothe wer gude halie liffers.