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

CCCCVI.
Iudei expectantes Messiam per clericum decipiuntur.

Cesarius tellis how som̛ tyme in þe cetie of London̛ [Harl. MS. Lomodonensis. Arund. MS. Lomonidensis.] a clerk gatt a Iewis doghter with childe; & he was ferde for grevans of hur fadur & hur moder, & he gatt hym̛ a long rede & come on̛ þe night to þe waƚƚ þer hur fadur & hur moder lay within. & he put þe vpper end̛ of þe rede in at a hole, & he spakk̘ in att þe toder end̛ & said̛; "O! ye rightwus folk, in God wele-beluffid̛!" & callid̛ þaim be þer names & bad þaim be merie, for þer doghter had conseyvid̛ Messias & yit sho was a mayden̛. And with þat þe man̛ was estonyd̛ & askid̛ his wife if sho hard̛ þis voyce, and sho said̛ nay; & þai made þer prayers at þai myght here it agayn̛. And þe clerke stude stiƚƚ & harde þaim; and as he did befor̛, he spakk̘

agayn̛. And when̛ þai hard̛ hym̛ þai war passand̛ fayn̛, & trowid̛ þat it had bene trew; & vnnethis þai abade a day vnto þai grapid̛ þer doghter bodie & fand̛ at sho was with childe. & þai askid̛ hur how sho conseyvid̛, and sho ansswerd̛ as þe clerk had̛ bedyn̛ hur, & sayd̛; "I wote neuer wheþer I be with childe or nay, bod I know wele I am̛ a mayden̛ & had neuer at do with man̛." And þer was hur fadur & hur moder so ioyfuƚƚ þat onone þe noyse ran̛ þurgℏ þe cetie þat þer doghter was with childe with Messias. So tyme come sho sulde be delyver, & þer come vnto hur many Iewis with grete myrtℏ & ioy, & abade to sho war delyver at þai mot se what sho had born̛. And in hur travellyng sho had grete payn̛, & at þe laste with grete sorow & crying sho bare a doghter, þat cryed & grete & made mekyƚƚ mornyng. And when̛ þai saw þis þai aƚƚ war confusid̛ passynglie, to so mekiƚƚ þat ane of þaim in a tene tuke þis childe be þe legg & threw it agayn̛ þe waƚƚ & killid̛ it. et c̛.

• ...Iudei filius in fornacem missus per beatam Mariam est liberatus. Supra de eukaristia.
• ...Iudei canonicum accusantes vsum loquendi perdiderunt. Supra de contricione.
• ...Iudei ymaginem crucifixi verberantes sanguine ex ea prosiliente conuersi sunt ad Christum. Supra de cruce.