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

CCCCLXVII.
Maria ad se confugientes deo reconsiliat.

We rede in hur 'Meracles,' þat aboute þe yere of our̛ Lord̛ CCC vij [Lat. MSS. xxxvij.] , in þe land̛ of Cecilie, [was] one þat hight Theophil, at was chauncelur vnto a bisshopp̛, & was wise & gracious. So on̛ a tyme he was putt oute of his offes, and her̛-for̛ he feƚƚ in a grete sorow & a dispayr. And so hym̛ happend speke with þe devuƚƚ, and be command̛ of hym̛ he forsuke Criste & His moder, & he renownced̛ his faithe, and herefor̛ he made hym̛ a cyrographatt wretten̛, & selid̛ it with his awn̛ ryng. And when̛ it was selid̛ he delyverd̛ it vnto þe devuƚƚ, and band̛ ℏym̛ to do hym̛ serves whils he liffid̛. So with-in a while after, be procuryng of þe fend̛, he was

restorid̛ agayn̛ vnto his offes. So after hym̛ forthoght, and callid̛ opon̛ our Ladie, & made his prayer vnto hur; & sho apperid̛ vnto hym and blamyd̛ hym̛ for þat at he had done. And be hur commandmend [he] forsuke þe devuƚƚ and tuke hym̛ vnto God & our Ladie, and he was broght befor̛ a iustis. And þe devuƚƚ shewid̛ þis cirographatt, and our Ladie tuke it fro hym̛ & laid̛ it on̛ Theophiƚƚ breste, þer he was slepand̛. And when̛ he wakid̛ he fand̛ it, & was passand fayn̛ þer-of, and evyn̛ opynlie, befor̛ þe bisshopp̛ & aƚƚ þe peple, he stude vpp & confessid̛ hym̛. And aƚƚ men̛ had grete mervayle þer-off, & he did his penans þat was ioyned hym̛ þerfor̛, & with-in a while after he decesid̛ & made a gude endyng.

• ...Marie salutacio causa est miraculi post After post, p, erased. mortem. Supra de annunciacione dominica.
• ...Maria protegit a combustione. Supra de eukaristia.
• ...Maria liberat de infamia. Supra de infamia, ij, et de abbatissa, j.
• ...Maria ordinem predicatorum attulit. Supra Dominici, iij.
• ...Maria deuotis sibi in necessitate adiuvat. Supra de familiaritate.
• ...Maria horas de se dicentibus apparet in morte. Supra de horis, ij.
• ...Maria consolatur suos. Supra de consolacione.