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

III.
Abbas discretus peccatores a peccato retrahit.

We rede in 'Vitis Patrum' þat in þe tyme of Valencian̛ þer was a passand [fayr maydyn] þat hight Thaysis, whilk maydyn̛

hur modir in aƚƚ hur yong age lete [do accordand to] hur wiƚƚ [Latin MSS. quam mater eius a pueritia statuit in prostibulo.] . So when̛ hur moder deyed̛, sho become þe moste common̛ strompyd̛ in aƚƚ þe land̛, vnto so [m]ykiƚƚ þat men̛ come vnto hur infenytelie. So þer was ane Abbott þat hight Pasuncius [Harl. MS. prasencius, Arun. MS. pasuncius.] , whilk [þ]at, when̛ he harde teƚƚ on̛ hur, he tuke oppon̛ secular̛ wede, & tuke in his purs a shelyng, [and] went vnto hur and gaff hur þis shelyng to lat hym̛ hafe his wiƚƚ of hur. And sho [grawn]tit, & led hym̛ up̛ into a chambre, and when̛ sho was in þe chambre, hur bed was [ga]ylie dyght & clenlie, & sho did of hur clothis & went þerto, & bad hym̛ com̛ vnto hur. And þan̛ he spirryd̛ hur iff þer wer no mor̛ privalie place þat he & sho mott lie samen in, and sho said̛, "yis." And þan̛ he said̛, "Go we þerto." And sho led hym̛ þerto, & sayd̛: "Sir, & þou drede any man̛, Be nott aferde, for here commys no man̛, nor no man̛ may nowder se the nor me. And if þou be ferde for Godd̛, or drede Hym̛, dowte nott þatt whar-euer we [b]e, Almyghtie God seis vs." And þan̛ þis olde Abbott askid hir þuff sho knew almighti [G]od̛, And sho ansswerd̛ agayn̛ & said̛ þat sho knew almyghti God̛ & att his kyngdom̛ was for to com̛; & also sho said̛ þat turmettrie & payn̛ sulde be for syn̛. And þan̛ he ansswerd̛ hur agayn̛ & said̛: "Thow þatt knowis almyghty [God], why hase þou loste and myschevid so many sawlis as þou hase done? for þou mon̛ nott alonelie be dampnyd in þine awne sawle, bod also þou [MS. repeats, bod also þou.] mon̛ giff acompte for þer sawlys at þou hase dampned̛." And when̛ sho hard̛ þis, sho ffeƚƚ down̛ on hur kneys att his fette, & wepid sore, and made mekuƚƚ sorow; & evyn̛ furthwitℏ aƚƚ þat evur sho had getty[n] with hur syn̛ and hur wrichidnes, aforn̛ aƚƚ þe peple sho put it in a greate fy[re &] burnyd [After burnyd, id̛, erased.] itt; and so, be cownceƚƚ of þis abbott, not alonelie for hur syn̛-doyng, bod s[o] sho tuke itt vppon̛ hur to name aƚƚ-myghti God̛, sho was sparred̛ in a cloce ceƚƚ iij yere, and grete penance was enioynyd̛ hur for hur syn̛; and emang aƚƚ hur oþer penance, þis was hur [MS. his.] prayer: " Qui plasmasti me, miserere mei! Thow Lord̛ at made me, hafe mercie on̛ me!" And when̛ sho had bene þer iij yere,

þis Abbott had in a reuelacion̛ a knowlege þat aƚƚ hur synys was forgiffyn̛ hur [MS. repeats, all hur synys.] . þan this abbott tuke hur furth of þis ceƚƚ, and sho tolde hym̛ þat sho had made a grete pakk̘ of aƚƚ hur synys, and þat sho layd̛ euer-ilk day in hur eye-syght, and euer þis pakk wex les & les, vnto þer was noght lefte in it; & þerby sho wiste þat hur synys was forgiffyn̛ hur within þat iij yere penance doyng. et c̛.