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

DXCIII.
Ordinacio dei non potest impediri.

We rede in 'Cronicles' þat in þe yere of our̛ Lorde M ƚ XV, the erle þat was callid̛ Corandus [Lat. MSS. Conradus.] , beyng ferd̛ on̛ a tyme for þe emperowr̛ wretℏ, ffled with his wife in-to a wudd, & þer he hid hym̛ in a tufaƚƚ. So þe Emperour happend̛ on̛ a tyme to com̛ to þis wud on̛ huntyng, & folowid̛ a dere so lang at it was nyght, & he cuthe fynd none of his meneya; so hym̛ happend̛ com̛ to þis tofaƚƚ. Bod þe Erle was gone & þe ladie was þer be hur one, grete with childe; so hym̛ burde nedis be herberd þer þat nyght & sho, als iƚƚ as sho myght, made hym̛ a bed̛. & þat nyght sho traveld̛ & was delyverd̛ of a son̛, and when̛ þe childe was born̛ þe emperour hard̛ a voyce say vnto þe childe; "Childe! þis emperour saƚƚ be þi fadyr-in-lay." And vpon̛ þe morn̛ þe Emperour rase & went his wais, & commandid̛ ij of his squeyers to feche þis childe in þe wud̛, & for to sla itt & bryng hym̛ þe harte þeroff. And when̛ þai saw þis childe þai had compassion̛ þeron̛, and þai gat a hare & tuke þe harte þerof, & broght it vnto þe emperour, and lefte þe childe lygand̛ in þe wudd. & onone after þer come a duke & fand þis childe, and he sent it home vnto his wyfe becauce he had no childe hym̛ selfe, and bad þaim teƚƚ hur

at he had getten̛ it, & bad name it Henrie. So when̛ þis chylde was waxen̛ he was fayr & semely & wele-spoken̛, and passand gracious. And when̛ þe emperour saw at þis childe was fayr & wyse, he tuke hym̛ into his cowrte. So on̛ a tyme he keste in his mynde a dowte wheþer þis was þe childe at he commaundid̛ to sla or nay. And he thoght he wolde be sekur, and he garte make a lettre vnto his wyfe in þis maner of wyse; "As þou luffis þi lyfe, onone as þou hase red þis lettre sla þis childe"; & he sent þis childe with þe same letter. So as he went vnto þe wheneward̛ hym̛ happend̛ com̛ into a kurk, & he was werie forgone & lenyd̛ hym̛ down̛ & feƚƚ on̛ slepe; & his purs at þe lettyr was in hang oute of his bosom̛. So þer come a preste & fande hym̛ & opynd his purs & lukid̛ þe letter, and hym̛ vgged with þe wykkydnes at was þer-in, & he skrapid oute, " puerum hunc necabis," & sett in þies wurdis; " puero filiam meam dabis." And so he went furtℏ with þis lettre & he was wele welcomd̛; and onone he wed þe Emperours doghter. So when̛ þe Emperour come home & saw how it was, ffro he wiste þat he was ane erle son̛ his sorow began̛ to slake. And he made mekuƚƚ off hym̛, & after when̛ þe Emperour was dead̛ he was made Emperour. And in þe place þer he was born̛ he byggid a wurthie abbay.