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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"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.
descriptionPage 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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