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

DCCXXX.
Sponsalia contrahuntur per anuli tradicionem.

Guillelmus tellis how som tyme at Rome þer was a yong man̛ þat was new wed̛. So on̛ a tyme as he was playand̛ with his felows, he put furtℏ his hand̛ vnto þe ymage of Venus, þat [MS. þas.] was made of bras, and delyverd̛ hur his weddyng-ryng to kepe to þe play war done. And when̛ þe play was done he come & axkid̛ his ryng agayn̛, & he fand̛ it on̛ þe ymage fynger & þe fynger cruked̛ into þe luff of hur hand. And he wraystid̛ at hur fynger and he cuthe nott gett of þe ryng nor yit breke hur fynger, so he lete it alone. And on̛ þe nyght after he come thedur with his servand̛, & he fand̛ hur fynger streght & þe ryng takyn̛ away. And he turnyd̛ agayn̛ & fenyd̛ as hym̛ aylid̛ nott, & went to bed with his wife; and as he lay in his bed with his wyfe, he feld̛ a blak myrk thyng welter betwix hym̛ & his wyfe, and he mot fele it wele bod he myght noght se itt. And be þis obstacle he was lett fro halsyng

of his wyfe. And he harde a voyce say vnto hym̛; " Mecum concube: hafe at do with me, for þis day þou wed me; ffor I am̛ Venus at þou put þe ryng on̛ þe fynger of, and þat saƚƚ þou neuer hafe agayn̛." And so it was a long tyme, and evur when̛ he wold̛ hafe liggen̛ with his wyfe, he bothe felid̛ þis in his bed̛ & hard̛ þe voyce þeroff. So on̛ a tyme he tuke his lefe at his wife & his howshold̛, & wold̛ walk fer oute of contrey. So hym̛ happynd̛ mete with a nygromansyer þat hight Palumbus, and he tuke counceƚƚ at hym̛. & he wrote hym̛ a lettre and delyverd hym̛ it, and bad hym̛ bere it befor̛ hym̛ in his hand vnto he com̛ att þe nexte gateshatyƚƚ; and so he did̛. And agayn̛ evyn̛ he come to a place þer iiij wayes met samen, & þer he saw com̛ rydand̛ & on̛ fute a grete pepyƚƚ bothe men̛ and wommen̛, som̛ merie and som̛ hevye. And emang oþer he saw a womman̛ gaylie arayed like a common̛ womman̛, and hur clothis war so thyn̛ at he mot se aƚƚ þat evur sho had̛; & at þe laste come þe lord̛ of þis company & lukid angrelie of þis yong man̛ & axkid̛ hym̛ whatt he did þer. And he, as it was taght hym̛, wolde gyff no wurde to ansswer̛, bod put furtℏ his hand with þe letter þerin. And þis fend̛ knew þe seale of þe lettyr & durst not [scorn it] [Harl. MS. Demon, notum sigillum non audens contempnere, legit scriptum.] , bod tuke it & red it, & onone he sent a meneya vnto Venus & tuke þis ryng fro hur ayayns hur wiƚƚ. And fro thens forward̛ þis yong man̛ come home & þis ryng with hym̛, & neuer he was lettid̛ to lyg with his wyfe nor nevur hard̛ uoyce after.

• ...Sompnus. Infra de vigilia.
• ...Status religionis quo ad personas se habent, sicut eximia et excelsa. Supra de religione Arund. MS. sicut existencia et excelsa et alibi. Harl. MS. Supra existencia et excessa et alibi. .
• ...Status religionis prefertur statui seculari. Supra de contemptu mundi.
• ...Statutum. Statuta superiorum debent teneri. Supra de lege, ij Exemplum Lex i is omitted by theEnglish translator, so the reference should be to Lex, i. .