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

About this Item

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 April 27, 2025.

Pages

DCCXCVIII.
Vxorem̛ non expedit ducere.

Ieronimus [Harl. MS. Ieronimus. Fertur Auriolus Theofrasti 'Libro de Nupcijs.'] tellis in 'Libro de Nupcijs' of ane Aureolus Theophrasti, & in þis buke he axkis if a wise man̛ sulde wed a wyfe, and he says þuf sho war nevur so fayre, nor so wele taght, nor had nevur so honest fadur nor moder, yit nevur-þe-les, he says, a wyse man̛ sulde not wed hur, for þis Aurelious sais it is not possible to a man̛ to please bothe his wife & his childer; ffor wommen̛, he says, burd̛ hafe gold̛ & syluer & gay clothyng, & a servand̛ and mayny oþer thyngis, & yit aƚƚ þe nyght sho wiƚƚ lyg chaterrand̛ & say [Arund. MS. "Illa ornatior procedit in publicum et honoratur ab omnibus, ego autem in conuentu feminarum despicior." Aitque; "Cur aspiciebas vicinam?" &c.] þat þer [þer omitted and added above the line.] is oder & þat hase bettur curchus & er fressher arayed̛ þan̛ sho is, and if sho be wele arayed̛ hur lykis . . . . to com̛ emang no pepuƚƚ and sho wiƚƚ say, "Lo! I am̛ þe baddeste in aƚƚ þis town̛!" Also sho wiƚƚ say vnto hur husbond̛; "Whi beheld̛ þou þi neghbur wyfe, & whi spak þou with þi neghbur mayden̛?" And when̛ he commys fro þe markett sho wiƚƚ say; "What hase þou boght? I may not hafe a frend̛ nor a felow for þe, nor luf of a noder man̛ bod if I be suspecte." And þerfor̛ þer sulde no man̛ make chesyng of his wyfe long befor̛, bod take sucℏ one as hym̛ happend̛ whedur sho be fayre or fowle, or prowde or angry, & þerfor̛ þai sulde not be provid̛ or þai war wed̛. A hors or ane ass, ane ox or a cow or a servand̛ aƚƚ þies sulde be provid̛ or þai wer boght or hyrid̛, bod a womman̛ sulde not a man̛ se or he wed hur, þat he war not displesid̛ after þai war wed̛. And if þou giff hur

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aƚƚ þi gude to kepe, yit sho wyƚƚ trow at þou kepis som̛ þi selfe, and þus sho wiƚƚ suspecte þe & hafe þe in hatered̛, & happelie afterward̛ poyson̛ the. And if þou bryng men̛ of craft in-to þi hows, as tailliours or oþer, it is pereƚƚ for hur vnclennes. So [if] þou forbyd hur it wiƚƚ cauce hur do truspas. Therefor̛ what profettis a diligente kepyng of a wyfe when̛ ane vnchaste wyfe may not be kepyd̛, ffor þe keper of chastite is nede [Infida enim custos castitatis est necessitas.] , and þat sho þat is not lustie to syn̛, sho may be callid̛ chastie. And if sho be fayr, oþer men̛ wiƚƚ luf hur, and if sho be fowle sho wiƚƚ be prowde, at cauce men̛ make mekuƚƚ on̛ hur, and it is fuƚƚ hard̛ to kepe þat wele þat many men̛ luffis, and it is fuƚƚ hevy to hafe þat no man̛ wyƚƚ cheris nor hafe in welde. Nevur-þe-les a fowle wyfe may bettir be kepyd̛ þan̛ a fayr wyfe may, for þer is no thyng bod som̛ peple wiƚƚ giff þer vew and þer fantasye þer-vnto.

  • ...Vxoris malicia quam in virum cogitat quandoque in caput suum redundat MS. quandoque vi capit. . Supra de muliere, xiij MS. xi. .
  • ...Vxor infidelis est viro morienti. Supra de muliere, vj.
  • ...Vxor quandoque est occasio dampnacionis viro. Supra de heretico.
  • ...Vxor fidelis est viro morienti. Supra de missa, ij.
  • ...Vxor bona prodest viro. Supra de abbate.
  • ...Vxor adultera. Supra de adulterio.

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