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

DLXVIII.
Obediunt perfecti eciam contra spem optinendi quod precipitur.

Seruius [Lat. MSS. Severus.] tellis how on̛ a tyme þe same abbott þoght þat he wold̛ prufe a novace, & he tuke a dry stowre þat he vsid̛ to bere in his hand̛ & smate it into þe ertℏ, & bad a novice þat he sulde watir it evurilk day vnto þat it waxid̛ grene & bare liffis agayn̛ kynde. And he did as he commandid̛ hym̛, and evur-ilk day bare a grete pott fuƚƚ fro a watur ij myle thens, & watyrd̛ þis stowr̛ unto he had done it a yere; and yitt he wex nott werie bod did on̛ as he did afor̛. And þuf aƚƚ hym̛ thoght þer come no frute on̛ his warke, yit hym̛ thoght he wolde not breke his obediens, bod endurid̛ in his labur aƚƚ þe secund̛ yere. And in þe iij yere when̛

þis watir-ber sesid̛ not of his labur, þis stowr̛ at was dry florisshid̛, & bare levis & frute. And he went vnto his abbott & told̛ hym̛, & he tuke aƚƚ his monkis with hym̛ & come & saw it & sayd̛; "Loo! brethur, þurgℏ vertue of fulfyllyng of obediens, þis dry stowr̛ agayn̛ kynde is now fayr florisshid̛ & beris levis."