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

CCCCXI.
Iudicia Dei frequenter sunt occulta.

Iacobus de Vetriaco tellis how som tyme þer was ane hermett þat was tempid̛ with þe spiritt of blasfemyng, vnto so mek[ill] [MS. mekyng.] he thoght in his awn̛ mynd̛ þat þe domys of Almiȝtti God wer nott rightwus, þat sufferd̛ synners & iƚƚ men̛ to hafe prospertie & welefar of þis warlde, & gude men̛ & rightwus to hafe disease & tribulacion̛. And þer apperid̛ vnto hym̛ ane angeƚƚ on̛ a tyme in a mans liknes, & said̛ vnto hym̛; "Folow me & þou saƚƚ se þe privay Iugementtis of almiȝtti God̛." So þai come vnto a gude mans hows þat herberd̛ þaim al nyght [MS. repeats, with gude chere.] , & made þaim gude chere. & on̛ þe morn̛ when̛ þai went, þe aungeƚƚ stale þe syluer copp̛ at þai dranke of, & tuke it with hym̛; whilk cop þe gudeman̛ luffid beste of any thyng þat he had̛. And þai wente þer wayse, & on þe nexte nyg[ht] þai herberd̛ with ane iƚƚ man̛ & a wykkid̛, whare þai were reseyvid with iƚƚ wiƚƚ & fure iƚƚ. And þe copp̛ at he tuke fro þe toder man̛, þe angeƚƚ gaff ℏym̛ itt. And þis hermett thoght

iƚƚ þer-with, bod he sayde noght. And on̛ þe iij nyght þai wer hostid at a gudemans howse þat reseyvid̛ þaim with gude wiƚƚ & made þaim wele at fare. And on̛ þe morn̛ he sent a servand̛ of hys furtℏ with þaim to teche þaim þe way, & when̛ þai war aƚƚ on̛ a bryg þis aungeƚƚ keste þis mans servand̛ our̛ þe bryg & drownyd̛ hym̛. And þis hermett saw & had grete mervayle þer-of & yit he said̛ noght; and on̛ þe iiij nyght þai war herberd̛ in a gude mans howse & had grete chere. And he had a yong childe þat wepid̛ aƚƚ nyght & wolde nott lat þaim slepe, and þis aungeƚƚ rase vp̛ & wrathe þe nekk in-sonder þeroff. And when̛ þe hermett saw aƚƚ þis, he thoght þat he wolde sodanlie stele away & lefe hym̛, & trowid̛ þat he had bene rather ane aungeƚƚ of þe devuƚƚ þan̛ off God̛. And þan̛ þe aungeƚƚ bad hym̛ abyde, & sayde vnto hym̛; "Almiȝtti God sent me vnto þe at I mot shew þe His privay domys. The furste man̛ at reseyvid vs so wele, luffid þat copp̛ abown̛ aƚƚ oþer thyngis; þerfor̛ I tuke it fro hym̛ for his gude, & gaff it vnto hym̛ at reseyvid̛ vs with iƚƚ wiƚƚ, at he may resayfe his mede in þis werlde. And our thrid oste servand̛ þat I drownyd̛, he was purposid̛ als tite as he had commen̛ home, to hafe slayn̛ his maister. And so I delyverd̛ our gude oste fro dead̛, & þe toder fro mansslaghter, at his punyssment myght be les in heƚƚ. And our iiij hoste, befor he had a childe, did grete almos dede, bod als sone as his childe was born̛, he withdrew his hand̛, & þoght to be covatus & gadir gudes vnto his childe. And þerfor̛ I hafe taken̛ fro hym̛ þe cauce of his covatice, at he may be as he was befor̛. And þe saule of þe innocent childe I hafe putt in Paradice." And when̛ þe hermett hard̛ þis, he thankid̛ God̛ & tuke his lefe at þe aungeƚƚ; & fro thens furtℏ he was delyverd̛ fro al maner of suche temptacion̛.