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

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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
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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 14, 2025.

Pages

DCCXXVI.
Solitudinem relinquere suggerit [diabolus].

We rede in 'Vitis Patrum̛' how þer was one þat went into wyldernes, and he besoght God to send̛ hym̛ a place þer he wold̛ at he ristid̛ and abade. And so þer come ane agle, & he folud̛ hur, as sho had bene ane aungeƚƚ, whar̛ þer was a palm̛, & a weƚƚ at þe rute þeroff. And when̛ he had̛ þer many yeris liffid̛ in penance, & had none oder mete bod of þe frute of þe palm̛ & drynk̘ of þe weƚƚ, þe devuƚƚ had̛ envy at hym̛, & he come vnto hym̛ in lyknes of a messanger. And when̛ he had̛ beholden̛ hym̛ grathelie, he sayd̛ vnto hym̛; "Is not þis he þat I hafe soght? Yis, forsuthe it is he." And so he come to hym̛ & sayd̛; "I hafe soght þe many day, & I cuthe not fynd̛ þe. Go we home, for þi fadur is dead̛ & þe heritage is happyd̛ vnto þe; and þer wyƚƚ many folke feght þerfor̛ bod if þou com̛ tytter home, and if þou com̛ þai wuƚƚ sease. And when̛ þou hase it, þou may, and þou wiƚƚ, deale it for Goddis sake." And he grawntid̛ vnto hym̛ & come home vnto his fadur howse, and fand̛ hym̛ on̛ lyfe. And when̛ he saw þat he was confusid in hym̛ selfe, and abade þer in grete trubble and besynes. And at þe laste he dyed & made a wrechid̛ end̛.

  • ...Solitarius aliquando in peccatum labitur. Supra de presumpcione, j.
  • ...Solucio. Solui debet debitum et promissum. Supra de promisso.

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