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

CCCCLVIII.
Magdalene precibus filius procreatur et nutritur per ipsam, et mater a morte eius meritis suscitatur.

We rede ex 'Legenda Lombardica' how þe Duke of Marsilie & his wife þurgℏ techyng and prechyng of Marie Magdalen̛ war turnyd vnto þe faitℏ and þai had no child̛, & þai prayed̛ vnto hur at þai myght hafe a childe. So his wife happend to be grete with childe, and Mary Magdalen̛ markid̛ þaim bothe with þe cros, for þai desyrid̛ to see Saynt Petur þe apposteƚƚ, & to be enformyd̛ of hym̛ and þe wife was grete & wolde nott lefe hur husband̛. So as þai wer vppon̛ þe se it feƚƚ a grete storme of wedur, so mekuƚƚ at þai aƚƚ, & in speciaƚƚ þis womman̛ with childe, war passynglie trubbled̛ & dissesid̛, vnto so mekuƚƚ þis womman̛ was delyver of a childe & dyed̛. & when̛ þis childe was born̛ it laytid̛ after þe moder papp̛, & wepid and made grete murnyng. And þe fader þerof wepid & said̛ vnto hym̛ selfe; "Allas, wriche! þou desyrid̛ a childe & now þou hase loste bathe þe moder þerof and þe childe." And þe shipmen̛ wolde hafe casten̛ hur bodie into þe see, and hur husband̛ gatt grawnte of þaim at sho sulde be had to land̛, & so sho was; & hur husband̛ laid̛ ℏur þer wappid̛ in a mantyƚƚ dead̛, & hur childe whik in hur arm̛. And þan̛ he said̛ with grete wepyng; "O þou Magdalene! Wold̛ God þou had neuer commen̛ vnto Marsilie, and wold̛ God my childe had bene born̛ þer. Bod þat I purchasid̛ be the, I beteche it to God & þe to kepe." And so he went vnto þe shupp̛ agayn̛ & come vnto Rome vnto Saynt Petur, and told̛ hym̛ aƚƚ þe case. And Saynt Petur comforthid̛ hym̛ & said̛ vnto hym̛ þat God was of power to turn̛ his sorow into ioy. And he informyd [hym] in þe faitℏ, and shewid̛ hym̛ aƚƚ þe conuersacion̛ of Criste, & þe placis of His passion̛; & he went agayn̛ vnto shipp̛. And after þe space of ij yere afterward̛ he landid̛ at þe same place þer he lefte his wyfe, and he was war of a little childe þer on̛ þe see-bank, playing hym̛ with little stonys, and he had grete mervaƚƚ what it was & went þerto. & onone as þe childe saw hym̛ & had neuer sene man̛ befor̛, he ran̛ vnto his moder breste, &

crepid̛ vnder-nethe þe mantyƚƚ & hid̛ hym̛. And when̛ his fadur come at hym̛ a lifte vpp̛ þe mantyƚƚ & fand̛ it was a fayr, whikk̘ childe, "O þou, Marie Magdalen̛!" he said̛, "how happy war I if my wyfe war now on̛ life & myght go home with me into myne awn̛ contretℏ, ffor I knaw wele enogℏ at þou, whilk hase nurisshid̛ my childe, is of power to rayse my wife fro dead̛ to life, & þou wiƚƚ." And at þis wurd̛ þe womman̛ was olife & rase vp, and said̛; "O, þou Magdalen̛! þou erte of grete merett, whilk þat in my childyng was medwife vnto me, & evur syne hase helpid̛ me in aƚƚ my nedis!" And when̛ hur husband̛ hard̛ hur speke, he was fayn̛ & sayd̛; "Womman̛, liffis þou?" And sho ansswerd̛; "Ya, & I hafe [bene] with þe in euerilk place þer þou hase bene." And sho tellid̛ hym̛ aƚƚ & faylid̛ neuer a wurd̛. And þan̛ þai aƚƚ samen wente hame vnto Marsulie, þer awn̛ contrey. And when̛ þai come at home þai feƚƚ on̛ kneis befor̛ Marie Magdalen̛ & thankid̛ hur hertelie, & tolde hur aƚƚ how it had happend̛ þaim.