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

CCLXIV.
Desperanti ante mortem aliquando pena infernalis ostenditur

Petrus Clunacensis tellis how som tyme [MS. repeats, how some time.] þer was in Pycardi a preste þat was fuƚƚ of vices & syn̛; so on̛ a tyme he promysid̛ be counceƚƚ for to make hym̛ a monke in Ceustus ordur; bod he put it in contynance, and in the mene-while [While is repeated and erased.] he feƚƚ seke [MS. repeats, & in þe mene while he felt seke.] . And him thoght at þer come vnto hym̛ ij dragons and wold̛ hafe devowrid̛ hym̛, bod be þe prayer of þe priour of þat ordur he was delyverd̛, and becounand̛ þat he sulde fulfyƚƚ his promys at he had made, as he behestyd̛. & þan̛ he coverd̛, and yitt he fulfillid̛ not his promys, bod putt it in contynnance. And þan̛ he feƚƚ seke agayn̛, & cried & sayd̛; "Lo! a fyre occupyes me for to burn̛ me!" & he helde vp̛ þe coverlad betwix hym̛ & it; and yitt

be prayers of þe monkis he was delyverd̛, and þan̛ he fulfillid̛ at he beheste. And þan̛ he was ravisshid̛ vnto þe dome, and þer he hard̛ a sentans, at he sulde be dampned̛, put furthe agayn̛ hym̛. And when̛ he come agayn̛ vnto hym̛ selfe, þan̛ he told̛ his brether & sayd̛; "Lo! two fendis brynges a grete arow to slo me with:" & þan̛ þer feƚƚ fro þis arow a drop̛ þat þrillid̛ his hand̛ vnto þe bare bone. And þan̛ he cryed̛ agayn̛ & sayd̛; "Now takis þe fendis me, & castis me into a frying pan̛ to bole me þerin." And with þat he swelte.

• ...Desponsat virgo Maria se amantes. Infra de Maria MS. Infra de amantes. The Latin MSS. have, de Maria. .
• ...Despectus. Despiciunt superbi alios. Infra de Gloria.