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

DCCLXXII.
Vindicat se deus aliquando per mortuos.

We rede in þe 'Historie of Saynt Basyƚƚ,' on̛ a tyme when̛ Iulianus Apostata wente to procede agayn̛ þe Persas, he bostid̛ Basiƚƚ þat [Latin MSS. quod in reditu Cesariam Capadocie destrueret.] as he come agaynward̛ to Capado[ce] he sulde destroy aƚƚ Cesarie. And on̛ þe nyght folowyng, þis Basiƚƚ saw in þe kurk of our Ladie a multitude of angels, and in myddest of þaim a womman̛ standand̛, and said̛ vnto þaim abowte hur; "Caƚƚ vnto me Mercurius þat saƚƚ sla Iulianus Apostata, þat blasfemys bothe me and my Son̛." And þis Mercurius was a certayn̛ knyght þat þis same Iulianus had slayn̛ for þe faytℏ of Cryste, and was berid̛ in þe same kurk. And onone þis Mercurius was redie in his armur, and sho sent hym̛ into þe bateƚƚ. And onone þis Basyƚƚ

went to þer he was gravyn̛ & opynd̛ his grafe, & he fand̛ nowder his bodie nor his armur þat was berid̛ with hym̛, & þan̛ he axkid̛ þe keper of þe kurk̘ who bare away þis armur, and he sware grete athis at it was þer þat same nyght. So þis Basilius went thens tyƚƚ on̛ þe morn̛, and þan̛ he come agayn̛ & fand bothe his bodie and his armur, and his spere bludye to þe myddyste. And þan̛ þer come ane & sayd̛; "When̛ Iulianus Apostata was arayed̛ in þe bateƚƚ, þer come ane vnknowyn̛ knyght armyd̛ & a spere in his hand̛, apon̛ a hors, and he smate þe hors with þe spurris and with a bolde spyritt he rade at þis Iulyan̛, & manlelie with his spere he smate hym̛ thrugℏ; and when̛ he had done, sodanlie he vanyssid̛ away." And as we rede in 'Historia Tripartita,' þis Iulian̛, when̛ he was hurte, he fyllid̛ his hand with his awn̛ blude, and keste it into þe ayre & sayd̛; " Vicisti, Galilee, vicisti!" And in þis wrichid̛ voyce he swelte, and aƚƚ his childur lefte hym̛ þer vnberid̛; & þe Persis come & flew hym̛ and of his skyn̛ þai made a fute-skyn̛ [Harl. MS. subtercintorium?] to þe kyng of Persis [MS. Kyng of Pars. Lat. MSS. regi Persarum.] .

• ...Vindicat eciam deus bonos in hac vita. Supra de obediencia, vij.
• ...Vir. Viro ultro So Lat. MSS. English MS. has, multus. se ingerit mulier. Supra de temptacione, v The MS. gives a wrong reference, here corrected by the Lat. MSS. .
• ...Virum suum decipit vxor. Supra de muliere, ix.