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

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Title
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
Author
Etienne de, Besançon, d. 1294
Editor
Banks, Mary Macleod
Publication
London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner, & Co., Ltd.
1904, 1905
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Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/AlphTales
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"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." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/AlphTales. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 20, 2025.

Pages

DCXLVIII.
Presumptuosum est verb[a] subtilia et alta loqui.

We rede in 'Dictis Patrum' [MS. repeats, we rede.] of ane ankyr, when̛ he come vnto þe cetie of Pemenen, þer was a gude man̛ reseyvid̛ with gladnes hym̛. And as þai satt, þis ankyr began̛ to talke of holie writt, and of privaties of hevyn̛. And þan̛ þis olde man̛ turnyd̛ his face vnto a noder of his brethir, and wold̛ nothyng ansswer þis ankyr; and so he went furtℏ and was passand hevye. So a disciple come vnto þis olde abbott & sayd̛; "For þe come þis man̛ hedur, þat had grete myrtℏ at home in his awn̛ place, and þou dedeynys not now to speke vnto hym̛." This olde abbott ansswerd̛ hym̛ ayeyn̛ & sayd̛; "He is a man̛ of hie placys, & spekis aƚƚ of hevynlie thyngis; and I am̛ a man̛ of law place, and vnnethis I may vnderstond erdlie thyngis." And þis dissiple went furtℏ & tolde þis ankir what he said̛. And he was gretelie compuncte here-with, & went in-to þis olde abbott agayn̛ & said̛ vnto hym̛; "What shall [MS. shat.] I do, ffadur abbott? For þe passions of my sawle hase lordschup̛ on me." And þan̛ þis old̛ abbott had ioy of hym̛ & sayd̛; "Now þou erte welcom̛, fadur. Oppyn̛ þerfor̛ my mowthe and I saƚƚ fulfyƚƚ it with þi gudis." And with þis wurd̛ þis ankir was gretlie comfurthid̛ & sayde; "Forsuthe it is a gude way at þou holdes, & a trew." And þan̛ he thankid̛ þis olde abbott & went agayn̛ vnto his awn̛ region̛.

  • ... Presumptuosus frequenter credit habere gratias quas non habet. Supra de cantu So the Latin versions. The English MS. has cantiri. et de obediencia.
  • ...Princeps debet esse compositus in aspectu. Supra de aspectu.

Page 433

  • ...
  • ...Princeps non debet esse odiosus subditis. Supra de prelato.
  • ...Principi possunt adaptari multa que dicuntur supra de abbate, iudice et prelato.
  • ...Princeps subito moritur. Supra de morte, iij.
  • ...Princeps debet humiliter suscipere correccionem. Supra de Ambrosio MS. anbrosio. .
  • ...Probacio. Probat deus aliquos. Infra de temptacione, vij.

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