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

DIII.
Monachus in gestis exterioribus debet omnes edificare.

Iacobus de Vetriaco tellis how som̛ tyme þer was a knyght þat happend in were to take a pure man̛. And þis pure man̛ prayed hym̛ to latt hym̛ gone, and gett his rawson̛. And þis knyg[ht] had petie off hym̛ & said̛; "Whatkyn̛ suertie shaƚƚ þou lefe me for þi commyng agayn̛?" And he ansswerd̛ agayn̛ & sayd; "I shaƚƚ fynde you God to borgℏ & a cawson̛ be myne othe, for other þing I may not fynd you." And þus he went his ways and selde aƚƚ his lyfelod̛, and yit he mott nott com̛ agayn̛ at þe day att he had poyntid̛; and here-for̛ þis knyght wex passyng wrotℏ. So on̛ a day, as he rode, he was wer of a monke þat was passand fatt & read̛, syttand prowdelie vppon̛ a fayr palfray, and rydyng passand secularelie. And þis knyght ansswerd̛ to his sweyers

& sayd̛; "Wuƚƚ ye se þis monke, þat be his ordur sulde ride on̛ ane ass, hase a better hors þan̛ I hafe." And with þat he rade vnto hym̛ & tuke hym̛ be the brydyƚƚ, and askid̛ hym̛ whose man̛ he was. & he said̛ he had no lord̛ bod Almiȝti God. And þan̛ þe knyght sayd vnto hym̛; "Thi lorde is a suertie bon̛ vnto me, & I wiƚƚ att þou for him̛ make a sethe vnto me." And with þat he garte hym̛ light, and tuke þe hors from̛ hym̛. And with-in a while after come þis pure man̛ and broght þe knyght his rawnson̛, & prayed hym̛ to forgiff hym̛ att he kepid̛ not his day. And þe knyght wolde nott take his money, bod bad hym̛ take it agayn̛; for, he said̛, his borgℏ had payed hym̛ for hym̛ & delyverd̛ hym̛. And when̛ þe pure man̛ harde þis he was passand fayn̛ & tuke his money vp̛ agayn̛, and went home als merie as he mott be & thonkid̛ God̛.

• ...Monachus eciam post mortem ab abbate suo est a peccatis suis absolutus. Supra de absolucione.