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

DXLII.
Mulier et viuens et moriens honestatem debet servare.

Iustinus tellis of þis same womman̛, how on̛ a tyme [MS. tyme when̛.] sho was stryken̛ with a swerd̛ & feƚƚ down̛ & dyed̛, & yit with hur clothis & hur hare sho coverd̛ hur theis, so þat none vnwurshup̛ of hur bodie sulde be sene. Also we rede of the whene of Narvan̛ [Harleian MS. de regina Navarre.] , þat hight Isabeƚƚ, & was doghter vnto Saynt Lowyce þat was kyng of Fraunce, þat if aƚƚ sho was yong and passand̛ fayr, neuer-þe-les sho wolde neuer lyg with Kyng Theobald̛, at was a fayr yong man̛ at had̛ wed hur, bod in hur sark, nor lat hym̛ lig with hur bod in his sark & his breke. Nor þer was neuer none of hur maydens, nowder privalie nor apert, þat nowder in batℏ nor in wasshyng saw als mekuƚƚ as hur ancle bare. And when̛ sho dyed̛, sho commandid̛ hur maydens þat þai sulde wapp̛ aƚƚ hur bodye & hur

membres in a long webƀ & sew it, at when̛ becauce of sethyng hur membrus burde be cutt, þe clothe sulde be cutt, at þai þatt cutt hur sulde not se none partie of hur body bare.

• ...Mulier sine assensu viri non debet dare magna. Infra de vxore.
• ...Mundi debent esse qui contractant sancta vasa et vestes. Supra de corporali.
• ...Mundi pericula sunt evitanda. Infra de risu et de periculis.
• ...Mundo possunt adaptari que supra dicuntur de contemptu mundi, de diuicijs et morte.