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

CCCCLXVI.
Marie se commendans ab incendio liberatur.

We rede in hur 'Meracles' of a man̛ & a womman̛ þat wunte nere þe cetie of Lugdun̛, abowte þe yere of our Lord̛ M. C., & þai had no childe bod a doghter. & þai marid̛ hur with a yong man̛, & þai helde hym̛ in þer howse, & þe moder luffid̛ hym̛ als wele as sho did hur awn̛ doghter. And kurste tongis said̛ þat sho luffid̛ hym̛ not alonelie for hur doghter sake, bod rather becauce sho lete hym̛ lig by hur in-stede of hur doghter, & sho hard̛ teƚƚ þeroff & was ferd̛ þat sklanderd̛ sulde rise of hur betwix hym̛ & hur, and

privalie scho slew hym̛ when̛ hur husband̛ & hur doghter war away, & layd̛ hym̛ in hur doghter bed. So in þe mornyng, as þai satt at dener sho bad hur [MS. our.] doghter go wakyn̛ hur husband̛, & byd̛ hym̛ rise. And sho went & fand̛ hym̛ dead̛, & cryed̛, and sho & þe moder made bathe mekuƚƚ sorow; neuer-þe-les sho forthoght hur þerof, & wente vnto þe preste & shrafe hur, & tolde hym̛ aƚƚ how sho had done. So afterward̛ þis womman̛ & þis preste feƚƚ at debate, and he disclanderd̛ hur & tolde hur cownceƚƚ, & vpbrayed hur þerwith. And when̛ it come to knowlege of þe yong man̛ fathir & his moder, thai garte take hur & bryng hur befor̛ a iustis, & þer sho was demyd to be byrnyd̛. And scho wepyd̛ & betuke hur vnto our Ladie. And when̛ þe fyre was kyndled̛ abowte hur, sho stude stiƚƚ vnhurte, and hur enmys kyndled þe fire ner hur & it profetid̛ þaim noght. So þai tuke forkis & stowris & thruste hur down̛ with, & it stedid̛ þaim of noght. And þan̛ þe iustis had grete merveƚƚ & beheld̛ hur graythlie, & he cuthe se no takyn̛ of burnyng on̛ hur, bod alonelie wowndis þat sho had with þe forkis & þe stowris. So sho was takyn̛ furtℏ & led hame, & balmyd & refresshid̛, and with-in iij dayis after sho, perseuerand in grete lovyngis of our Ladie, gaff vp hur gaste, and passid̛ vnto Almighti God̛.