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

DXXXIX.
Mulieris malicia quandoque in caput suum redundat.

We rede in `Cronicles,' when̛ kyng Albyon̛ was at Veron̛ at a grete feste, he commanddid̛ his butler to feche hym̛ a copp þat he had made of þe heade of þe furst husband̛ of Rosamond̛, at was his wyfe, whame he had slayn̛ in bateƚƚ; & he garte fyƚƚ it fuƚƚ of wyne & dranke þerof, & gaff Rosamond̛ his wyfe & made hur to drynk þerof. And he bad hur drynk with hur furst husband̛, and sho conseyvid̛ what he ment & was passand̛ wrothe with hym̛. So þer was in þe cowrte a duke þat held̛ [MS. repeats, þat held̛.] a chawmerer of þe whene, & sho had knowlege þerof. And on̛ a tyme when̛ þe kyng was fro home, opon̛ a nyght sho went into þis chawmerer bed, & sent privalie vnto þis duke a message as it had commen̛ from̛ hur chawmerer, & bad hym̛ com̛ & lye with hur; and þer þis duke lay bye hur. And when̛ he had done sho said vnto

hym̛; "Knowis þou what I am̛?" and he said̛; "Ya, þou erte þe chawmerer, my lemman̛." And sho said̛, "Nay, I am Rosamond̛, att þou has done þis dede with; & chese þe oon̛ of ij. For owther þou saƚƚ sla kyng Albyon̛ at slew my furst husband̛ & garte me drynk of his head̛, or els I saƚƚ teƚƚ hym̛ what þou hase done, & make hym̛ to sla þe. And þerfor̛ venge me of hym̛ þat made my husband̛ head in a copp, or els þou saƚƚ dye þerfor̛." And he said̛, nay, he wold̛ not do it hym̛ selfe, bod he promysid̛ hur att he sulde gett a noder þat sulde do it. And sho gart hide þe kyngis armor & his bateƚƚ-ax at stude at his bed-head̛, & his swerd̛ at hang sho gart bynd̛ it, so at it mott not com̛ oute of þe shetℏe. And when̛ þe kyng was in his bed & of slepe, þis manwheller come in, & þe kyng gat his swerd̛ & wold̛ hafe drawen̛ oute, & it wold̛ not; & so he was slayn̛. And þan̛ he tuke Rosamond̛, & aƚƚ þe knygis tresur & ffled vnto þe Cetie of Raven̛ [Lat. MSS. Ravenna.] ; & þer he wedd hur. And hur happend̛ þer on̛ a tyme to se a fayr yong man̛, & sho wex amoros of hym̛, and þoght þat sho wolde hafe hym̛ to hur husband̛. And sho gaff hym̛ þat had wed̛ hur poysen̛ to drynk, and kyllid̛ hym̛. And when̛ he felid þat it was venom̛, he garte hur drynke of þe reuercion̛. And sho wolde nott, & he tuke oute hys swerd̛ & bad hur drynk̘ it, or he sulde kyƚƚ hur. And so sho drank it, & þer þai wer botℏ dead̛.