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

About this Item

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
Rights/Permissions

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials are in the public domain. If you have questions about the collection, please contact [email protected]. If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact [email protected].

DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States

Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/AlphTales
Cite this Item
"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 May 24, 2025.

Pages

DCLXXXV.
Ridere non debent aduertentes pericula mundi.

We rede in 'Libro de Dono Timoris' how som̛ tyme þer was a kyng, and if he made nevur so great a feste, he wolde neuer lagℏ. So a frend̛ of his reprovid̛ hym̛ þerfor, & askid̛ hym̛ whi he did so, and he ansswerd̛ fenandlie. So after-ward̛ he ordand a chayre with rotyn̛ fete, and he garte sett it abown̛ a hate burnyng oven̛, and abown̛ it he gart̘ hyng a swerd̛ with a wayke threde. And þis done, he garte se t hym̛ þerin þat reprovid̛ hym̛ for he wolde not lagℏ, & he garte sett aboute hym̛ iiij men̛ with iiij drawen̛ swerdis. And he garte bryng befor̛ hym̛ aƚƚ maner of delicious metis & drynkis, & aƚƚ oþer thyngis þat sulde make hym̛ merie. So þan̛ þe kyng come in and stirrid̛ hym̛ to lagℏ, and he ansswerd̛ agayn̛ & said̛; "I may not lagℏ when̛ I se þies perels þat er aboute me." Than̛ þe kyng ansswerd̛ hym̛ agayn̛ & said̛; "Than̛ vmthynk̘ þe how mot I lagℏ when̛ þer er grete festis made afore me, þat seis behynd̛ me þe bitternes of my syn̛? And befor̛ me I se ane vncertantie of þat at is for to com̛, and on̛ my lefte hand̛ I see vexacions of present aduersities, and on̛ my right hand I se noyes þat commys after prosperities. And aƚƚ þies I se as sharp̛ swerdis of þe sentans of aƚƚmyghti God̛. And I se dead̛ hyng abown̛, whame I wate nevur what howr̛ wiƚƚ stryke me, and vndernethe me I se þe pitt of heƚƚ at I am̛ ferd̛ at faƚƚ into, & with-in me I se myne awn̛ freletie. And emang aƚƚ þies I am̛ sett in a frele seatt, oute of þe whilk I am̛ ferde daylie to faƚƚ. And þefor̛ hafe þou no merveƚƚ if I may not fynd in my harte to lagℏ."

  • ...Rosa. Rose habentur tempore hyemali. Supra de martirio.
  • ...Rusticus delicijs nescit vti. Supra de delicijs, ij et iij.
  • ...Rustico falsum denarium offerenti, idem ei pro communione exhibetur. Supra de oblacione.

Page 460

Do you have questions about this content? Need to report a problem? Please contact us.