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

CCCXXII.
Fatuitas. Fatuitatem causa humilitatis sancti similant aliquando.

Heraclides tellis how som̛ tyme þer was in a monasterie of nonnys a maydyn̛, and for Goddis luff sho made hur selfe evyn̛ as a fule, & meke & buxhom̛ to euer-ilk bodis commandment; & sho made hur selfe so vile, & so grete ane vnderlowte, þat ilkone vggid̛ with hur, to so mykeƚƚ þat þai wold̛ not eate with [MS. repeats, with.] hur, bod ilkone strake hur & skornyd̛ hur: & evur sho tuke it in plesans. So sho passid̛ neuer þe kichyn̛, bod bade þer, & wasshid̛ dysshis & skowrid̛ pottys, and did̛ aƚƚ maner of fowle labur. And sho satt neuer at meatt, bod held̛ hur selfe content with crombys & crustis þat war lefte at þe burd̛; & þer-with sho liffid̛, and sho war̛ nevur shone nor hose, & sho had nothyng on̛ hur head̛ bod revyn̛ clothis, & raggid̛. And sho was seruyciable to euerilk creatur, and wold̛ do no bodye wrong, and what at evur was done vnto hur, þer was none at hard̛ hur gruche þer-with. So emang aƚƚ þies, be þe commawndment of ane aungeƚƚ, Saynt Patryk, at was a holie man̛ & liffid̛ in wildrenes, come vnto þis same monasterie, and callid̛ befor̛ hym̛ aƚƚ þe nonnys & aƚƚ þe susters of þe place, at he might

se þaim, and sho come not: & þan̛ he said̛; "Ye er not aƚƚ here." And þai said̛; "Yis, fadur, we er aƚƚ here, outtakyn̛ one þat is bod a fule." And he bad þaim caƚƚ hur; and als sone as he saw hur he knew in his spiritt þat sho was mor̛ halie þan̛ he. And he feƚƚ down̛ on̛ his kneis befor̛ hur & said̛; "Spirituaƚƚ moder! giff me þi blissyng!" And sho feƚƚ down̛ on̛ kneis before hym̛ & said̛; "Nay, fathur, rathur þou sulde blis me." And with þat þe susters of þe howse had grete wonder, & said̛ vnto hym̛; "Fathir, suffer not þis eniorie, for sho is bod a fulle." And he said̛; "Nay, sho is wise, & ye er bod fules; ffor sho is bettyr þan̛ owder ye or I." And þan̛ aƚƚ þe susters feƚƚ on̛ þer kneis befor hur, & askyd̛ hur forgifnes of wrangis & iniuries þat þai [MS. þai þa.] had done vnto hir, ffor̛ [The MS. has a contraction sign above ffor̛.] scho forgiffes þaim ilkone with aƚƚ hur harte.

• ...Feruor fidei laudabilis est. Infra de Martirio.