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 8, 2025.

Pages

DCCLXVII.
Vestes preciose contempnende sunt a sanctis.

We rede in 'Vita Iohannis Elemosinarij' how on̛ a tyme þer was a riche man̛ þat saw hym̛, & he was bothe a bisshopp̛ & a patriarke, at he was bod in a pure clothyng & a vile, of xxxvj d̛ price he boght a garment and gaff it vnto þis patriarke. And þis Iohn̛, seyng þe devocion̛ of þis man̛, tuke it. Bod aƚƚ þat nyght he lay wakand̛ & said̛ vnto hym̛ selfe; "Who saƚƚ say þat meke Iohn̛ is cled̛ with a garment of xxxvj d̛ price, and þe brethur of Cryst er slayn̛ for calde? þou meke Iohn̛!" he said̛, "It saƚƚ not cover þe a noder nyght, ffor it is rightwus at þe brethur of our Lord̛ be cled þerwith mor̛ þan̛ þou, vnhappy creatur!" And on̛ þe morn̛ he sent it into þe town̛ for to seƚƚ, and he þat gaff hym̛ it boght it, and offerd̛ it vnto hym̛ agayn̛ & prayed̛ hym̛ were itt. And he tuke it & evur sellid̛ it, & þe price ay þat he tuke þerfor̛ he gaff it wnto pure folk. And evur þis man̛ boght it agayn̛ & gaff hym̛ itt. So at þe laste þis holie man̛ thankyd̛ hym̛ & sayde; "We saƚƚ se who saƚƚ defayle, I or þou." And þis man̛ was evur ryche enogℏ als lang as he barkand̛ with þis holie man̛, & evur þis holie man̛ gaf þe price þat he sent hym̛ þerfor̛ vnto pure men.

  • ...Vestes preciose eleuant hominem in superbiam. Supra de augurio.
  • ...Via melior est tenenda. Supra de socio, ij.
  • ...Victoriam semper debent appetere pugnantes. Supra de bello, ij.

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