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

CCXXI.
Credere cito periculosum est iudici.

We rede in Cronicles, how on̛ a tym̛e þe Emperour [Latin MSS. Otto tertius imperaor.] had a wyfe, þat wold̛ at ane Erle of his on̛ a tyme had liggen̛ by hur. And when̛ sho desirid̛ hym̛ þervnto, he excusid̛ hym̛ & said̛ he wold̛ not do sucℏ a truspas vnto his lord̛. And sho saw þat, & went & accusid̛ hym̛ vnto þe Emperour̛, and̛ said̛ he wold̛ hafe defowlid̛ hur. And þe Emperour tuke it vnto so grete wratℏ, þat he garte smyte of his head̛ with-owten̛ Iugement; and he was neuer [Neuer omitted, and added above the line.] olife agayn̛. & þan̛ þe emperour desyrid̛ his wyfe at þis erle mot be knowen̛ after he was dead̛ be beryng of a hate yrn̛, at luke wheþer he war innocent or noght; & sho grawntid̛. And þe day of Iugement was assigned̛, and many wedos & maydens callid̛ vnto þe

dome; and þis Erlis wife come with hur husband̛ heade in hur arm̛. And sho asked̛ of þe Emperour what deade he war wurthi to hafe, þat slew a man̛ wronguslie. And he said̛ his head̛ war wurthi to be smetyn̛ off. And sho ansswerd̛ hym̛ agayn̛ & sayd̛: "Thou ert þat man̛, þat at fals suggestion̛ off þi wife slew my husband̛. And for to make prefe here-of, I oblissℏ me to bere þe hate yrn̛." And when̛ þe Emperour saw þis, he had grete merveƚƚ, & commytt hym̛ selfe to abide what punyssment at sho wolde deme hym̛ vnto. So be prayer of bisshoppis & oþer worthi men̛ he tuke respecte with hur furst for x, ten dayes, & þan̛ for viij, & þan̛ for vij, & þan̛ for vi. And in the mene while he garte examyn̛ þe cauce. And when̛ he knew þe trewtℏ, he gaff hur for his rawson̛ iiij castels þat er in þe bisshop[ryk] of Lunens. And be respecte at he had of þe dayes, þai er callid̛, Decimum, Octauum, Septimum, & Sextum, yitt vnto þis day.