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

About this Item

Title
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
Author
Etienne de, Besançon, d. 1294
Editor
Banks, Mary Macleod
Publication
London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner, & Co., Ltd.
1904, 1905
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Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/AlphTales
Cite this Item
"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." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/AlphTales. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 7, 2025.

Pages

CCCCLXVIII.
Maria officium seruitorum suorum eis absentibus implet.

Som tyme þer was a non̛ þat hight Betres, a passand fayr womman̛, & sho was sacristan̛ of þe kurk̘ and sho had grete deuocion̛ vnto our Ladie; and oft sithis men̛ desirid̛ hur to syn̛.

Page 320

So at þe laste sho consentid̛ vnto a clerk̘ at go away with hym̛ when̛ complyn̛ was done, and or sho yode sho went vnto ane altar of our̛ Ladie & said̛ vnto hur; "Lady, as I hafe bene deuoute vnto þe, now I resigne vnto þe þies keyis, for I may no langer susteyn̛ þe temptacion̛ of my flessℏ." & sho laid̛ þe keyis on̛ þe altar & went hur wayes vnto þe clerk̘. And when̛ he had defowlid̛ hur, with-in a few dayes he lefte hur & went away; & sho had nothyng at liff on̛ & thoght shame to gang home agayn̛ vnto hur clostre, and sho feƚƚ to be a common̛ woman̛. And when̛ sho had liffid̛ in þat vice xv yere, on̛ a day sho come vnto þe nonrie yate, & askid̛ þe porter if he knew evur a non̛ in þat place þat hight Betres, þat was sacristan̛ & keper of þe kurk̘. And he said̛ he knew hur on̛ þe beste wyse, and said̛ sho was a wurthi womman̛ & a halie of barn̛ little, "& euer hase kepud hur clene & in gude name." And sho vnderstode not þe wurdis of þis man̛, & went hur wayis. And our̛ Lady apperid̛ vnto hur & said̛; "Behold̛! I hafe fulfillid̛ þine offes þis xv yere, and þerfor̛ turn̛ agayn̛ now into þi place & be agayn̛ in þine offes as þou was, & shryfe þe & do þi penance, for þer is no creatur her̛ at knowis þi truspas, for I hafe euer bene for the in þi clothyng & in þine abbett." And onone sho was in hur abbett & went in & shrafe hur & did̛ her panance, and told̛ aƚƚ þat was happend̛ vnto hur.

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