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

VII.
Abbas quantum potest debet peccatores reuocare.

We rede how som̛ tyme þer was a thefe þat had many other thevis at his reule a[nd] gouernance, & he was prince & maister of þaim aƚƚ, vnto so mekuƚƚ þat with his robro[rie &] his thifte he distroyed nerehand̛ aƚƚ þe region̛ þat he dwelte in, in spolyng now of ane & now of a noder. So þer was ane Abbott þat harde teƚƚ of hym̛, & he tuke a gude hors, & þe beste clothis þat he had, & rade into þe wud þer þis thieff lay; and onone he was taken̛ with þis thieff & his felows; and þis abbott askyd þaim what þai wolde with hym̛; And þai [an]sswerd̛ hym̛ agayn̛ & said̛, þai wold̛ hafe his hors & his clothis. And þis abbott [a]nsswerd̛ þaim agayn̛ & said̛, "ye saƚƚ hafe þaim aƚƚ redie; for þe gudis of God, þai er̛ common̛, and I hafe worn̛ & occupied̛ þies gudis þis many yeris, and þerfor̛ it is right at ye hafe þaim now & vse þaim als long as I hafe done." And þan̛ þis maister thefe said̛ vnto þis abbott, "Sur, þis day we wiƚƚ seƚƚ aƚƚ þis gere, and bye vs sucℏ thyng as vs nedis vnto our̛ fyndyng." & þan̛ þis Abbott said̛ vnto þis maister thieff, "Whi laburs þou þus, & puttis þi selfe in so grete pereƚƚ as þou dose, for þi lifelod̛? Com̛ with me vnto our̛ abbay, & I saƚƚ so ordand̛ at þou saƚƚ nott myster to be a thief no mor̛." Than̛ þis thief said̛, "Sur abbott, I may not eate your benys nor your cale, nor I may not drynk your thyn̛ ale." Than̛ þis abbott ansswerd̛ hym̛ & said̛, "I saƚƚ giff the gude fisscℏ & flessℏ to ete, & gude wyne to drynk̘." So vnnethis yit he wold̛ graunt þerto, bod yit att þe laste he went home with þis abbot, & þoght he wold̛ prufe whethir he wold̛ holde his promys or noght. So þis Abbott garte ordayn̛ for hym̛ a fayr chawmer & a fayre bed̛, and assigned hym̛ a monk to seryff hym̛, & for to gar hym̛ hafe aƚƚ þing þat he

desirid̛. And euer-ilk day when̛ þis thief had etyn̛ & dronken̛ of þe beste meate þat cuthe be getten̛, þis monke, be commandment of his abbott, befor̛ þis thieff ete no thyng bod brede & watir. And when̛ þis monk had done þus a long while, on̛ a day þis thief said̛ vnto hym̛, "bruthir! whatt grete syn̛ hase þou done, þat þou pynys þi selfe so evur-ilk day with brede & watir? hase þou slayn̛ any men̛?" And þis [monk] sayd̛, "Nay, sur, God forbede þat euer I kyƚƚ any man̛." Than̛ þis thief askid̛ hym̛ if he had done any fornycacion̛ or avowtrie, or done any sacrelege; and þan̛ þis monke saynyd̛ for merveƚƚ & said̛, "sur, whi say ye so? I hafe bene broght vp in þis abbay of barn̛ litiƚƚ, & I tuchid̛ nevur no womman̛ with syn̛." Than̛ this thief was compuncte, & said̛ vnto hym̛ selfe, "A! how wrichid̛ & vnhappie am̛ I, þat hase done so mekuƚƚ iƚƚ as I hafe done, as thifte, & mansslaghter, fornycacion̛, & avowtrie & sacrelege; & I neuer fastid̛ nor did no penance." And þan̛ þis thief garte caƚƚ þis abbott vnto hym̛, & feƚƚ on̛ kneis befor̛ hym̛, & besoght hym̛ þat he myght [MS. repeats, þat he myght.] be receyvid̛ into þe abbay to be a bruther; & he grawntid̛ hym̛, and so he was made a monke in þat abbay. And afterward̛ he become so gude a man̛ & so halie, þat he passid̛ aƚƚ his other brethir in gude lyfe & abstinence, & in gude reule of religion̛ & holynes.