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

DLXXII.
Obediunt sanctis eciam bruta animalia.

Saynt Gregorie tellis how þat Florencius, þe servand̛ of Almighti God̛, dwelt alone be hym̛ selfe in a ceƚƚ, & he had v or vj shepe. And he made his prayer vnto Aƚƚmyghti God & besoght Hym̛ at He wold̛ send hym̛ somwhatt to dweƚƚ with hym̛ to comfurtℏ hym̛. And onone as he had made his prayer, he fand at his ceƚƚ-yate, standand̛, a bere, whilk þat lowtid̛ vnto hym̛ and fawnyd̛ hym̛, & was nothyng wylde. And he conseyvid̛ at it was sent hym̛ be Almyghti Godd̛, & bad it go hafe his shepe furtℏ & kepe þaim, & at it sulde bryng þaim home at sex of þe clok at evyn̛; and it did trewlie as he bad it. And in þe mornyng he commandid̛ it not to com̛ home or ix of þe clok̘, and he fastid̛ evur to it come home. And evur þis bere did as he bad itt, and so he tarid̛ long fastand̛ o days [Harl. MS. cepit ex hoc fama eius longe lateque crebrescere; cui inuidentes, quatuor discipuli Euthici, eo quod magister eorum, Euthicius, signa non faceret, latenter vrsum occidunt.] . And he had iiij disciples þat war wrothe with þis bere becauce it held̛ þaim long fastand̛ o days, & þai dwelt with anoder man̛ in þe wyldernes þat hyght Euticius. Becauce þer maister did no swilk takens, and privalie, þai slew þis bere. And þis holie man̛ bade of his dener to evyn̛, & evur lukid̛ aftur þis bere, & she come nevur home. So opon̛ þe morn̛ he went vnto þe felde and fand þis bere slayn̛, and als sone as he saw hur [MS. hym.] he knew wele

enogℏ who did itt, and he feƚƚ opon̛ a wepyng, more for þe malice of his bredur þan̛ for þe dead of þe bere. And þus he said̛ vnto hym̛ selfe; "I trow þat in þis life at vengeange saƚƚ be taken̛ on̛ þaim for þer males." And belyfe after it happend̛ as he said̛, ffor þies iiij brethur war onone streken̛ with a sodan̛ sekenes, & rotid abown̛ erde at þai stynkyd̛ with. And her̛-vppon̛ þis holie man̛ had conciens & tolde his brethur þat hym̛ forthoght at he had sayd̛. And aƚƚ þe dayis of his lyfe he had sorow þerfor̛, & wepud & made muche murnyng, and held̛ hym̛ selfe as a croweƚƚ man̛ & a vengeable homycide.