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

DCLXI.
Purgatorij pena modico tempore diu videtur durasse.

Iacobus de Vetriaco tellis how som tyme [þer was] a synner þat was correcte with a grete infirmytie, to so mykyƚƚ he prayed̛ God to feche hym̛ oute of þis werlde. And when̛ he had lang prayed so, ane aungeƚƚ come vnto hym̛ and bad hym̛ chese whethur he wolde stonde ij dayes in purgatorie or he wolde suffre his sekenes ij yere. And he chose þe furste, and decesid, and his saule went vnto purgatorie. So with-in ane houre after it was þer, þe angeƚƚ apperid̛ vnto hym̛, and he axkyd; "What ert þou?" þe angeƚƚ ansswerd̛ hym̛ agayn̛ & sayd̛; "I am̛ þe aungeƚƚ þat apperid vnto the when̛ þou was olyfe." And he said; "Nay, þou erte none aungeƚƚ, ffor aungells wyƚƚ not lye; and þou erte bod a lyer, for þou tolde me þat I sulde be bod ij dayes in purgatorie,

and I hafe stand þerin many yeris." The aungeƚƚ ansswerd hym̛ agayn̛ & sayd̛; "þou saƚƚ vnderstand at þou haste not bene here nott fullie ane howr̛." And þan̛ he prayed̛ þe aungeƚƚ to bryng hym̛ agayn̛ vnto þis werld̛, for hym̛ had leuer þer suffer any sekenes at God wold̛ send hym̛, þan̛ for to be þer a noder howr̛ agayn̛ in payn̛." And so his sawle was broght agayn̛ vnto þe bodie, & mekelie he suffred̛ sekenes ij yere, and þan̛ he decesid̛.

• ...Purgatorium suum faciunt aliqui aliquando inter eos inter quos peccauerunt. Supra de abbate, viij.
• ...Purgatorius plus timetur a bonis quam a malis. Infra de timore, iiij.