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

DCLXII.
Purgantur aliqui inter viuos.

We rede in 'Legend̛ Lombardica' how þer was [MS. was a certayn ffysshers.] certayn̛ ffysshers in a town̛ of Saynt Thebottis [Latin MSS. Theobaldus.] , and in harveste when̛ þai went on̛ fysshyng, and in-stede of fyssℏ þai drew in þer nett a grete paneƚƚ of yse. And þai war mor̛ fayn̛ þerof þan̛ þai wuld̛ hafe bene of fyssℏ, ffor þer bysshop̛ had a grete surans in his fete, and þai laid̛ þis yse vnder-nethe his fete & he had a grete remedie of his sekenes þerbye. So vppon̛ a day he harde oute of þis yse þe voyce of a man̛ speke & say dyvurs wurdis, and þe bisshop̛ coniured it & askid̛ it what it was, & it ansswerd̛ agayn̛ & sayd̛; "I am̛ a certan̛ saule þat is punysshid̛ for my synnys in þis paneƚƚ of yse, and I myght be delyverd̛ and þou wolde say for me xxx [messis xl^ti] [Latin MSS. si quadraginta diebus continuis .xxx. missas diceres.] dayes to-geddur." And he granttyd̛ at he sulde do so, & did. And when̛ he had sayd halfe þe messis & was bown̛ for to say þe toder halfe, sodanlie be þe suggestion̛ of þe devuƚƚ, aƚƚ his household̛ feƚƚ at were emangis þer selfe, & ilkone of þaim was in poynt to kyƚƚ oþer. And so þer bisshopp̛ was trublid̛ herewith, & lefte his mes-saying. And yit he feƚƚ vnto þaim agayn̛ &

sayd̛ þaim. And when̛ he had sayd̛ ij partis of þaim and was bown̛ to say mes, one of his meneya come vnto hym̛ & tolde hym̛ at þer was a grete sege of men̛ of armys layde abowte þe cetie; and herefor̛ he put of his mess-saying þat day. And at þe iij tyme, when̛ he had sayd̛ aƚƚ his messis bod [After bod, iij, erased.] ane, þer come a man̛ vnto hym̛ when̛ he was bown̛ vnto þe laste mes, & tolde hym̛ at þer was a grete fyre in þe cetie. And þe bisshop̛ ansswerd agayn̛ & sayd̛; "And aƚƚ þe cetie burn̛ vp stowte & rowte, I saƚƚ not ouerhypp̛ nor lefe þis mes vndone." And onone as þe mes was done, þis yse resoluyd̛ into watir, and þis fyre vanysshid̛ away and was nevur sene after.

• ...Pena purgatorij est acerba eciam si diuturna.