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

DCLVI.
Puer desponsauit ymaginem beate Marie Virginis.

We rede in þe 'Mereclas of Our Ladye' how som tyme þer was a felaship̛ of childer þat vsid̛ to play at hand-baƚƚ befor̛ a kurk̘; and þer was one of þaim þat had on his hand̛ a ryng whilk þat a maydyn̛ þat luffid̛ hym̛ be flesshly luff had gyffen̛ hym̛. And he was ferde at he with his faste rynyng at þe baƚƚ sulde breke it, and he went in-to þe kurk̘ to gyff som bodie it to kepe to he had laykid̛ hym̛. And when̛ he come befor̛ þe ymage of our Lady, he stude merveƚƚand and beheld hur fayrnes, & he set hym̛ down̛ on̛ his kne and deuotelie sayd afor̛ hur his Ave Maria. And when̛ he had done he said̛ vnto hur; "Forsutℏ, Ladie, þou erte fayrer þan̛ any oþer & mor̛ fayr þan̛ sho þat gaff me þis ryng, and þerfor̛ I forsake hur. I, fro hens furtℏ, I wiƚƚ luff the, so at þou wyƚƚ luff me agayn̛." And he profurd̛ þe ryng vnto þe ymage fynger, and þe ymage put furth hur fynger streght & he putt it on̛. And þan̛ þe fynger closyd agayn̛ vnto þe ymage as it was are. And

when̛ he saw þis he had grete merveƚƚ þeroff & callid̛ his felous & tolde þaim & lete þaim se itt. So afterward hym̛ happend breke þis promys and was wed̛, and on̛ þe furste nyght at he was wed our Ladie come & lay betwix hym̛ & his wyfe, & putt furtℏ hur hand & lete hym̛ se þe ryng on hur fynger, & reprovid hym̛ þat he had broken̛ his beheste. So with þat he wakynd & grapyd after þe ymage [MS. ymange.] & fand hur not þer, & lay styƚƚ & trowed þat it had bene bod a fantasye. So afterward̛ sho apperid vnto hym̛ & thretid hym̛ att he was ferd̛ for hur. And when̛ he wakend̛ on̛ þe morn̛, at evyn̛ privalie he forsuke his wyfe & aƚƚ his gudis & went to wyldernes, and þer devotelie he servid our Ladie vnto his lyfis ende.