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 11, 2025.

Pages

CCCCLXXVIII.
Matrimonialis coniunccio periculosa est.

Valerius tellis how on̛ a tyme a yong man̛ come vnto Socrates & askid̛ hym̛ cownceƚƚ, whether hym̛ was bettir wed hym̛ a wife or nay. And he ansswerd̛ hym̛ agayn̛ & sayd̛; "Ather of þaim

Page 326

is a grete penance to do, for & þou be not wed̛, þou may happely syn̛ in fornicacion̛, or in avowtrie, or els be iƚƚ defamyd̛ & sklandred̛ & neuer be at no certantie with þi selfe. And if þou be wed̛ þou may happen̛ wed̛ a shrew at will be þi maister, and̛ þou bus be ferd̛ for hur frendis, & euer be besy & labur, & ofte in stryfe and̛ debate, & suffer many grete wurd̛ & say nothyng agayn̛, & hafe a snowryng cowntenance, & happelie bryng vp oþer mens childer. & if þou do nott wele to þi wyfe þou saƚƚ be bostid̛ with hur frendis, & þus þou saƚƚ euer liff in trubble & in dissese."

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