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

DC.
Paciens vilia a vilibus personis tolerat MS. tollerat..

We rede in 'Gestis Alexij' þat þis Alexius was þe son̛ of Eufemian̛ at was a wurthi offesur in þe Emperour haƚƚ, and he was made rewler of iij M ƚ childir at wer aƚƚ cled in sylk & had gurdils of gold̛. And þis Eufemyan̛ & Aglaes [MS. Alglaes, with the first l erased.] his wyfe war passand̛ mercyfuƚƚ & fuƚƚ of gude werkis; and þai had no childe bod þis Alexius, and hym̛ þai maryed̛ vnto a wurthie womman̛ of þe emperour̛ howsold̛. So vppon̛ þe nyght after þai war wed̛, he desyrid̛ his wyfe to kepe hur in clene virginytie. And when̛ sho had grauntid̛ hym̛, he lefte hur a gold̛ ryng and a bygyrdyƚƚ fuƚƚ of gold̛, and went privalie away from̛ hyr & fled far thens into Syrie, vnto þe cetie of Egissam̛, whar̛ þer is ane ymage of oure Lord̛ þat nevur was made be mans hand̛. & þer he come in-to ane almos howse at was callid̛ Syndo, & þer he satt in ane entry emang pure men̛, & liffid̛ of almos þat was giffen̛ þaim. And his ffadur sent men̛ þurgℏ aƚƚ þis werld̛ to seke hym̛. So one of þaim at soght hym̛ come þurgℏ þis entry & gaff hym̛ almos, and he knew hym̛ wele enogℏ, bod he knew not hym̛. And þan̛ he said̛ vnto hym̛ selfe; "Lord̛, I thanke The at Þou hase made me to reseyfe almos of myne awn̛ servand̛." So aƚƚ þies messangers come agayn̛ & tolde his fadur þai cuthe not fynde hym̛, and he & his wyfe & his doghter made mekuƚƚ sorow for hym̛. And̛ when̛ he had bene in þis hospitaƚƚ xviij yere in pouertie & in Goddis serves, þe ymage of our̛ Ladie spak vnto hym̛ þat kepid̛ þe kurk̘, & said̛; "Make þe man̛ of Almyghti God to com̛ in, for he is wurthie þe kyngdom̛ of hevyn̛." And þis keper wiste not whome sho

ment off, and sho said̛; "He þat is withoute þe dure, þat is he." And when̛ he was broght in & þis was knowen̛ vnto aƚƚ his felows, þai began̛ to wurshupp̛, and he saw þat & fled away fro þaim & gatt our̛ þe see. And as God wold̛, hym̛ happynd̛ to land̛ at Rome, and when̛ he conseyvid̛ þat he said̛ vnto hym̛ selfe; "I saƚƚ ga dweƚƚ vnknowen̛ in my fadurs hows, and I saƚƚ bere no grete coste of hym̛." So he come vnto his fadur place & sayd̛ vnto his ffadur when̛ he mett hym̛; "Thow servand̛ of Almyghti God̛, take me into þi howse at I may liff of þe crombis commys fro þi burd̛, for þi son̛ sawle þat was a pylgram̛." And he tuke hym̛ in for his son̛ sake, & commandid̛ hym̛ into a place in his howse, & gaff hym̛ meate euerilk day from̛ his awn̛ burd̛, & made hym̛ his awn̛ servand. And he did̛ aƚƚ þing þat evur any bodye bad hym̛, & none knew hym̛, ffor with fastyng & with wakyng he made hym selfe lene and oute of knowlege, and her̛-for̛ þe servandes of þe howse wolde skorn̛ hym̛, & stryke hym̛, & powr̛ watyr at þai had wasshid̛ vesseƚƚ in vppon̛ his head̛; and aƚƚ þis he suffred̛ xvij yere & nevur was knowen̛. So at þe laste he knew be reuelacion̛ at his dead drew nere, and he wrate aƚƚ þe cowrs of his lyfe in a grete roƚƚ. And vppon̛ þe Sononday at evyn̛ þer was a voyce hard̛ in þe kurk̘ at Rome, þat said̛; " Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis et onerati estis, et ego [refficiam uos]." And aƚƚ þat hard̛ it feƚƚ down̛ on̛ þer kneis & had grete merveƚƚ þeroff. And þan̛ it said̛ agayn̛; "Go, seke þe seruand̛ of God, at he may pray for Rome." And þai soght hym̛ & cuthe not fynde hym̛. So þai hard̛ it say agayn̛ þat he was in þe howse of Eufemyan̛; and þan̛ þe pope and þe imperour, a bisshop̛ & ane archdekyn̛ come vnto þis mans howse and desyrid̛ to se þis pure man̛ & bad hym̛ luke graythelie whethir it war his son̛ or nay, for he was a man̛ of gude life & of grete pacyens. And Eufemianus ran̛ in-to þe howse vnto hym̛ and fand hym̛ dead̛, and his face shane as it had bene ane angeƚƚ. And he had a roƚƚ in his hand̛, & Eufemyan̛ wolde hafe takyn̛ it & sene it, & he wold̛ not latt it goo; bod when̛ þe pope come he lete it go alredy. And when̛ it was red befor̛ his fadur, at aƚƚ þe peple hard̛, his fadur wex nerehand̛ mad & drew of þe hare of his head̛ & of his berd̛, & feƚƚ down̛

vppon̛ þe body of his son̛ & sayd̛; "A! son̛, fuƚƚ wo is me þat I se þe þus lygg in a bedd̛ & may not speke vnto me." And þan̛ his moder come, & when̛ sho saw hym̛ sho swonyd̛ & made grete wepyng & said̛; "Allas! son̛, whi did þou so vnto vs, þat when̛ þou saw þi fadur & me wepe for owr̛ son̛ þou wolde neuer shew þe vnto vs? þine awn̛ servandis hatℏ done þe grete wrong, & þou hase evur suffyrd̛ it." & evur sho swonyd̛ & cryed̛ & made mekuƚƚ sorow, & sayd̛; "Aƚƚ þat bene here, I pray you wepe with me, ffor xvij yere I hafe had myne awn̛ son̛ in my howse daylie, & knew hym̛ noght." And þan̛ his wyfe come & made þe maste sorow of aƚƚ. And þan̛ þe pope, þe Emperour, þe bisshop̛ & þe archedekyn̛ tuke vp his body on̛ a bere, & bare it on̛ þer awn̛ shuldres vnto þe beryaƚƚ; & þai myght nott pass away þer-with, ffor nerehand̛ aƚƚ Rome was gadurd̛ þedur, & þe peple was passand̛ thrang. And þai garte caste golde & syluer by þe way at peple sulde be besy þer aboute & so lat þaim pas, bod þe peple lukid̛ nowder after þe gold̛ nor yit þe sylver, bod evur was besy abowteward̛ for to tuche his bodye. So at þe laste with grete labur þai broght hym̛ vnto his grafe. And þer þe peple abade vij dayes & made grete lovyng vnto Almyghti God. & þer [he] was berid̛ & his grafe coverd with golde and precious stonys; and fro his body þer come a passyng gude odur. And he dyed xvij Kalends of Auguste, in þe yere of our Lord̛ CCC xviij.

• ...Paciens in amissione membrorum pacienter tolerat . Infra de oculo, ij.
• ...Paciens eciam mortem pro deo tolerat MS. tollerat. . Supra de martirio.
• ...Paganus aliquando bonas leges condit. Supra de lege, j.