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

LVII.
Amicus Debet probari ante necessitatem.

We rede how som tyme þer was ij merchandis in Egipte, þe tone of Egipte and þe toder of Baldac [MS. Waldac; Harl. MS. Daldac; Arund. MS. Baldac.] , þat k̘now wele athir other be þer name, & luffid̛ passandlie wele to-gedur. & þis Marchand̛ of Baldac come into Egipte, & þe merchand̛ þer reseyvud hym̛ thankfullie, and a grete while he festid hym̛ & all his meneya. So when̛ a sennett was passid̛, þis merchand̛ of Baldac happend to faƚƚ passand seke, And þai went & gatt hym̛ lechis; and a leche felid̛ his powce [MS. pownce.] & lukid̛ his watir, bod he cuthe fynde no sekenes in hym̛. So at þe laste he oppynd̛ his harte privalie vnto þe gude man̛ of þe howse, & tolde hym̛ how þat all his sekenes was for luff of a maydyn̛ þat þis merchand̛ of Egipte had in his howse, becauce he wold̛ wed hur̛ vnto his wife. And when̛ þis merchand̛ wuste at it was herefor̛, he gaff hym̛ þis mayden̛ vnto wife, and gaff hym̛ a grete dele of gude with hur. And when̛ he had wed hur, he tuke hur & aƚƚ his meneya & wente into his awn̛ contre. So be

proces of tyme after, it happend þis merchand̛ of Egipte to lose his gudis & to wax passand pure, to so mekuƚƚ þat he come vnto þe contrey of Baldac bothe nakid & hongrie on̛ ane evyneng, and þer wold̛ no man̛ luge [hym]; & he went & layde hym̛ down̛ in a kurk̘ porche. So þer happend̛ þat evynyng in þe town̛ a man̛ to be slayn̛, & no man̛ wiste who did itt. And þe men̛ of þe town̛ rase up & soght þis mans queller, & þaim happend̛ to fynd̛ þis man̛ likkand̛ in þe kurk porche. And when̛ þai had fon̛ hym̛, þai said aƚƚ þat it was he þat did þe dede; and he grauntid at he did itt, þuff aƚƚ he did it nott, beyng in wiƚƚ to end his pouertie with dead. And þai tuke hym̛ & putt hym̛ in prison̛ þat nyght, & on̛ þe morn̛ þai had hym̛ vnto þe galos att hang hym̛. And þis oþer merchand̛ þat was his frend̛ come with many oþer to se hym̛ dede. And when̛ he saw hym̛, onone he knew what he was, and þan̛ he said̛; "Leve, ye dampe ane Innocent, ffor I slew þe man̛ my selfe & not he." And þai [MS. þan.] take hym̛ & lete þe toder go. And a lurdan̛, at did þe dede, stude emang oþer men̛ & saw, & he remordid̛ in his conciens & said̛; "Nowder of þies two did itt, I did it my selfe." And þan̛ þai lete þe toder go & tuke hym̛. And þe iudgies had grete merveƚƚ here-off, And tuke þaim aƚƚ iij, & had þaim vnto þe kyng. And onone þai tolde hym̛ aƚƚ þe proces; and becauce of þer treuth he pardond̛ þaim ilkone. And þan̛ þis merchand̛ of Baldac partid̛ his gudis evyn̛ in two, and gaff it vnto þis pure merchand̛, & he tuke it & went agayn̛ into his awn̛ contrey, and afterward̛ was als riche as euer he was.