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

DCXCIX.
Sciencia eciam aliquando procuracione demonis So Latin MSS. The English MS. has, mentis. acquiritur.

Cesarius tellis how som̛ tyme þer was a scoler of Paryssℏ, & he had a duƚƚ witt and a forgettyƚƚ mynde, so þat he cuthe nothyng nowder lern̛ nor holde. And evur-ilk man̛ skornyd̛ hym̛ & callid̛ hym̛ idiott, and her̛for̛ he was passynglie confusid̛, so þat þe devuƚƚ apperid̛ vnto hym̛ and axkid̛ hym̛ if he wulde do hym̛ homage, and he sulde hight hym̛ aƚƚ maner of connyng. And þis scolar wolde not, bod forsuke hym̛. And þan̛ þe devuƚƚ put a stane in his hand̛ & sayde vnto hym̛; "Als lang as þou holdis þis stane in þi hand̛, þou saƚƚ know aƚƚ maner of thyng." And with þat he rase & went into þe scule. And onone he put oute questions, & concludid aƚƚ þat evur was in þe scule. And evur-ilk man̛ had merveƚƚ how þis idiott shulde hafe suche connyng, and he wolde teƚƚ þe cauce vnto no man̛. So not lang after, hym̛ happend faƚƚ seke, and of aƚƚ þis he shrafe hym̛, & he keste away þe stane and þis dessayvable connyng to-gedur. And when̛ he was dead̛

and prestis and clerkis sang salmys aboute hym̛, devuls tuke his saule, an[d on] þe to syde of a vayle aƚƚ of burntstone þai playd̛ þerwith as wha played at þe fandyng of þe hand-baƚƚ our þis dale, and on̛ þe toder syde of þe valley oder fendis clekid̛ it with þer sharpe naylis; & þis passid̛ aƚƚ maner of oþer paynys. Neuer-þe-les at þe laste, our Lorde had bene mercyfuƚƚ of [After of, our, erased.] hym̛ becauce he was deseyvid̛, and his saule was put vnto þe bodie. & sodanlie he rase, & aƚƚ þat was aboute hym̛ fled. And he come done of þe bere and went & made hym̛ a monk in Ceustus ordur, and þer he turment hym̛ selfe with harde penance als lang as he liffid̛.