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

CCXCVI.
Elemosina eciam non ex deuocione data valet.

Iohannes Elemosinarius tellis how þer was a riche tol-gadurer þat hyght Peirs, & he luffid̛ no pure men̛ nor wold̛ giff þaim none almos; & when̛ þai come to his howse he wold̛ shute þaim oute, & giff þaim noght. So on̛ a tyme þer was a grete meneya of pure men̛ samen, & þai made grete complaynt emang þaim how þai cuthe gett none almos of þis riche man̛, þis Peirs Toller. So emang þaim aƚƚ ane starte vp̛ & sayd̛; "I dar lay with you aƚƚ a grete wageour att I saƚƚ þis day or evyn̛ gett almos on̛ hym̛." & þai laid̛ a wageour agayns hym̛. So þis pure man̛ went vnto

his howse & stude at þe dure, & askid̛ almos. So þis Peirs bad hym̛ pakk̘, & said he sulde hafe none; and euer he cried̛ for almos & wold̛ not sease. So þis Peirs wex wrothe with hym̛, and̛ soght a stone to caste at hym̛, & he cuthe fynd̛ none. So þer happend̛ a servand̛ of his awn̛ to com̛ in at þe dure in the mene-while with a baskett fuƚƚ of ry lovis, and in a grete tene he tuke ane of þies rye lovis & slang it att þis pure man̛, and gaff hym̛ a grete strake þerwith; & þe pure man̛ was fayn̛ of þis lafe & tuke itt & went vnto his felous & told̛ þaim how he had̛ it at þe hand̛ of þis Peirs Toller. And with[in] ij dayes after þis man̛ feƚƚ seke, lyke to dye. And he was takyn̛ in a vysyon̛ & hym̛ þoght at he was broght befor a iuge, & hym̛ þoght þer was fowle blakk men̛ þatt putt aƚƚ his iƚƚ dedis in a wey-skale. And on̛ þe toder hand̛ hym̛ þoght þer was fayr̛ men̛, bod þai wer passand̛ hevy, & said̛ þai had no gude dede of his to putt in þe toder wey-skale agayns his iƚƚ dedis, bod alonelie a rye lofe þat he had giffyn̛ God̛ halfe agayn̛ his wyƚƚ. And þai putt it in þe toder wey-skale, & yitt it was þe lighter be a grete dele, & þan þies men̛ bad̛ hym̛ eke more weght to putt in þat wey-skale agayns his evuƚƚ dedis, or els þies blak men̛ wulde take hym̛. And with þat he wakend̛ & was delyverd̛, & sent after þe preste & tolde hym̛ aƚƚ þe cace, & said̛ in þis maner of wyse; "Sen̛ a rye lafe þat I keste in ane anger fro me profettid̛ me so mekuƚƚ, þan̛ I wote weƚƚ þat & I giff aƚƚ my gudis for Goddis sake, att þat wiƚƚ gretelie profett me." And so he did̛ afterward̛ & become a gude man̛.

• ...Elemosina occulte debet dari. Supra de amicicia.
• ...Elemosinam impedit avaricia. Supra de auaricia.