The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials in furtherance of its educational and research mission. This work has been identified as being in the public domain, free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights. You may copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. If you have questions about the collection, please contact Digital Content and Collections (mec-info@umich.edu). If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact Library Information Technology (LibraryIT-info@umich.edu).
Header created with script catalogedexcerpts2cmeteiutf.xsl on 2018-07-13.
Header expanded with script IDmapper.xsl on 2018-07-31.
Encoding has been done using the recommendations for Level 4 of the TEI in Libraries Guidelines.
Die legenden des ms. Douce 114.
(Dialekt von Nottinghamshire?)
Ms. Douce 114, perg., 8, 150 foll. zählend, vollständig er∣halten, von einer sauberen deutlichen hand des 15. jahrhun∣derts geschrieben, enthält:
1. Þe lyfe of s. Eliȝabeth of Spalbeck in þe shyre of Losse (al. Leody = Lüttich) bisyde an abbey of nunnys þat is called Herkenrode († 1266) fol. 1-12.
2. Þe lyfe of s. Cristyne þe meruelous (Mirabilis) of þe town of S. Trudous in Hasban († 1224) in achtunddreissig kapiteln, fol. 12-26b.
3. Þe lyf of s. Marye of Oegines (Oignies), þe whiche lyfe maister James, confessour and famylier of þe same Marye, after byshop of Accon and after þat Cardynalle of þe courte of Rome, endyted in latyn in þe ȝeere of grace 1215; in zwei büchern zu je dreizehn kapiteln; fol. 26b-76. Diese heilige starb achtunddreissig jahre alt, im jahre 1213.
Diese drei heilige sind belgische heilige aus der lütticher diöżese.
4. Þe copy of a letter touchynge þe lyfe of s. Kateryn of Senis († 1380), þe whiche lettir endyted in latyn Dan Stephen of Senis, sumtyme Pryour of þe hede Charteus in tyme of Scisme, after Pryour of Papy, vnto Frere Thomas Antonij of Senis, of þe ordyr of prechours, fol. 76-89b. Dieser brief des Stephan war nach den schlussworten am 26. Okt. 1411 (ms. 1311) geschrieben.
Diese vier legenden sind von einer hand geschrieben und gehören demselben übersetzer an. Darauf folgt noch
Dieses stück ist von verschiedenen händen geschrieben, deren letzte, von der mitte von fol. 109 bis zum schlusse, der der vier ersten stücke schr ähnlich und vielleicht mit dieser identisch ist, während fol. 90-109 eine mehr eckige und schnörkelige handschrift zeigen.
Im anfange des ms. findet sich ein inhaltsverzeichniss von der hand des Douce, der zugleich bei Christina Mirabilis auf Fabricii Bibl. med. aev. IV, 60 und bei Maria Oigniacensis auf Fabricius VI, 595 hinweist, aber den fehler begeht, die latei∣nische vita der Christina Mir. dem Jacobus Acconensis zuzu∣schreiben.
Alle diese stücke sind übersetzungen aus dem Lateinischen.
Als verfasser der latein. vita der h. Elisabeth von Spael∣beek nennt sich im anfange der engl. übersetzung Dan Philip of Clarevall, der bei gelegenheit der visitation der klöster seines ordens (er war wol Cistercienser) die heilige persönlich aufsuchte und diese vita in ihrem zwanzigsten jahre schrieb. Diese latein. vita ist bisher nicht bekannt, so dass die hier zum ersten male abgedruckte engl. übersetzung an stelle der∣selben sehr willkommen sein muss.
'Beta Elisabeth Spalbecana, Sanctimonialis Herkenrodensis coenobii, primo lapide ab Hasseleto, Leodiensis provinciae' (nunc dioeceseos tan∣tum, provinciae vero Limburgicae in Belgio): Ita Hugo Menardus in Appendice altera. In Gynecaeo Arturi memoratur ad hunc diem XIX.Octobris; item in Fiseno nostro et Kalendariis Cisterciensibus. 'Medi∣tationi, inquit Arturus, Passionis Christi sic addicta erat, ut et illius stigmata (ut fertur) in suo corpore tulerit impressa'. Abstinentiae haud vulgaris fuit. Obiit post medium saeculum decimum tertium (die engl. übersetzung gibt am schlusse 1266 als todesjahr an). Nullae illius noscuntur reliquiae, nec icones videntur in sacris aedibus, nec alia cultus liturgici seu ecclesiastici deprehenduntur vestigia. In populo viget ejus memoria die praecipue XIX. Nov., quo etiam occurrit in Auctario ad Natales Sanctorum Belgii Molani. Forte—vix ulla tamen affulget spes—praefato die licebit ejus vitam dare.
Die zweite legende (worin der verfasser der vita sich nicht nennt) ist eine wörtliche übertragung der vita S. Christinae mirabilis Trudonopoli in Hasbania auctore Thoma Cantim∣pratensi ord. praedicatorum († 1263), in den Act. SS. Boll. 24. Juli, bd. V, s. 650-660 (anfang: Memorabilis Christi virginis Christinae vitam scribere disponentes, illud in exordio sermonis primitus inseramus quod venerabilis Jacobus Achonensis epi∣scopus, postea Romanae curiae Cardinalis, in vita b. Mariae de Oignies de ipsa Christina per haec verba commemorat. Vidi, inquit, aliam (Christinam intellige), circa quam tam mirabile operatus est dominus quod, cum diu mortua jacuisset, ante∣quam in terra corpus ejus sepeliretur, anima ad corpus rever∣tente revixit).
Ueber diese heilige vgl. auch Fabricius l. c. und Pinius Commentarius praevius in Act. SS. Dieselbe heilige behandelt das gedicht: Leven van s. Christine de Wonderbare in oud∣dietsche Rymen, naer een pergam. Hs. uit de 14 of 15 Eeuw, ed. H. Bormanns Lüttich 1858.
Das leben der h. Marie von Oignies ist eine übertragung der vita b. Mariae Oigniacensis (in Namurcensi dioecesi) auctore Jacobo de Vitriaco (tunc (1215) Canon. regulari, post Acco∣nensi episcopo ac denique Cardinali Tusculano) libri II, ed. in den Act. SS. Boll. 23. Juni, bd. IV, s. 636-666. Ebenda sind anch die sonstigen latein. quellen über diese heilige aufgeführt, so Supplementum auctore coaevo fr. Nicolao canon. reg. coenobii Cantimpratani ib. s. 666-677, vita alia auctore Thoma Cantim∣pratensi († 1263) ib. s. 634 (und bei Surius 23. Juni), Historia
Das latein. original des briefes des Stephan von Senis (vom jahre 1411) über die h. Katharina von Senis findet sich, unter anderen vitae dieser heiligen, in den Act. SS. Boll. 30. April, bd. III, s. 961-967.
Dem ersten stücke schickt der engl. 'compilour' ein kurzes vorwort (apologe) voraus, worin er angibt, dass er, der nur 'symple-letterd' sei, weder im stande sei noch beabsichtige wört∣lich genau zu übertragen, sondern dem sinne folgen wolle, ohne jedoch wesentliches auszulassen, ausgenommen citate aus der h. schrift, die ohne nähere erklärung in englischer über∣tragung dunkel sein würden.—Am schlusse der legenden, nach dem briefe über S. Katharina von Senis, folgt 'a shorte Apologetik of þis englisshe compyloure', worin er bescheiden die leser bittet, nicht allzu kritisch zu sein in hinsicht seines stiles oder weil er bald nördliches bald südliches Eng∣lisch vermische; man wolle seine fehler nicht der überhebung, sondern seiner unwissenheit und seinem gehorsam beimessen: er habe diese arbeit auf die bitte seines oberen (souereyn) unternommen, die für ihn befehl sei, da ja 'Est orare patrum species violenta jubendi'—was er überträgt: 'a priours preyynge til obeyand monke is a bidynge'. Daraus ergibt sich dass der übersetzer ein klostermönch gewesen und diese übertragung auf bitten seines priors angefertigt. Er setzt in einer note noch hinzu, dass er ancilla Christi mit Christes mayden und super∣lative wie optumus durch ful gode widergegeben, et sic in similibus.
Die abhandlung: Of þe seuene poyntes of trewe loue and euerlastynge wisdame nennt sich im eingang einen auszug aus
e þere-of was schewede to him þat wrote hit, as in a visione vndere þe fygure and liknesse of a wondere fayre Orloge'), dessen verfasser, ein dominikanermönch, unbekannt sei. Sie behandelt, in form eines dialogs zwischen heavenly Wisdom (d. i. Christus) und dem verfasser (als 'discyple' dieser weisheit) sieben punkte der liebe zur göttlichen weisheit und die pflichten des dieser weisheit nachstrebenden jüngers. In der einleitung, die an eine hochstehende edle dame gerichtet ist, nennt der engl. übersetzer sich einen kaplan dieser dame und ihren geistlichen vater und sagt dass er ihr zu liebe, die gleichfalls dieser weisheit nachstrebe, und auf ihren wunsch diese übersetzung angefertigt, wobei er, die persönlichen be∣merkungen des latein. verfassers übergehend, nur das erbauliche berücksichtigt, die ordnung seiner quelle seinem zwecke gemäss zu ändern sich erlaubt und nicht wort für wort, sondern, wie es für das gemeine verständniss passend, dem sinne nach über∣tragen habe; er sei lange bedenklich gewesen diese übersetzung des ihm theuren buches zu unternehmen wegen der masse von büchern und übersetzungen, die jetzt umliefen, aber vielleicht könne sein buch, da viele veränderung lieben, doch manchen gefallen und nützen. Es ist kaum anzunehmen, dass dieser kaplan mit dem übersetzer der legenden, einem klosterbruder, identisch sei, obwol die handschrift an demselben orte und vielleicht theilweise von demselben schreiber geschrieben scheint und die sprachlichen formen in beiden werken sehr ähnlich sind.
Das ms. ist jedoch nicht original, sondern nur abschrift, und daher auch nicht ohne mancherlei fehler.
Auf der letzten seite des ms. steht die notiz: Iste liber est domus belle Vallis ordinis Cartus. in comitatu Notyngham, von einer nicht viel späteren hand als das ms.; darüber steht a. r. Beauvall.
Hiernach liegt die vermuthung nahe, dass das ms. selbst an diesem orte, dem es in nicht viel späterer zeit angehörte, oder doch in dessen nachbarschaft geschrieben ist und somit den dialekt dieser gegend widergibt; womit trefflich über∣einstimmt, dass der übersetzer der legenden am schlusse um nachsicht bittet, wenn er nördliches und südliches Englisch vermenge.
As seint Jerom þe holy doctour seiþ in a bibil þat he made: hit is harde to turne a language into a noþer worde for worde, but often∣tymes hit byhoueþ to leue & take diuerse wordes þat are propur to on tunge and not to a noþer: wherfore þis englysche þat folowþ heere, is turnyd oute of latyn, to þe worschep of god & edificacyone of erfore þe wryter, þat is but symple-letterd, neiþer can ne purposis to folowe þe wordes, but vnneþis and wiþ harde þe sens, neiþer puttynge to nor doynge awaye any clauses þat schulde chaunge þe substaunce of þe story, but oþere-while leuyng legeauns and auctorites of holy writte, mme to vndirstonde, if þey were turnyd in to englisshe with-oute more declarynge of glose.
In þe prouince of Leody bisyde a famous abbey of Nunnys of Cistens ere was a mayden þat hyght Eliȝabeth, in whom oure mercyful lorde haþ schewed merueilous miracles of his blissed passyone, þat maye stir alle cristen pepil to deuocyone. Þe whilke merueilous werkes of oure lorde whan I, Dan Philippe of Clareualle, herde, what-tyme at cuntrey, I gaf no credens to hem þat tolde me, til-tyme þat I come my-selfe and sawe and proued þat I hadde not herde þe halfe. ¶ Þerfore I schalle discryue a fewe merveyles of many, and after my sympul conseyte þo þat are more notabil and moor merueylous, as my conscyens gyueþ me, bigyn∣nynge erceyued vndoutably with myn eyen, and afterwarde puttynge to þat I haue herde of many oþere trewe men. ¶ Wherefore it is to witte þat þe forseyde mayden beerith ful openly tokens of the woundys of oure lorde Jhesu Cryste; þat is to saye: in her handys, feet and syde with-outen any dowte, similacyone e woundys are ful euydently shewed, often and namely bledynge on fridayes. ¶ Þe woundys of handes and feet are rounde, þe wounde in the syde is auelonge, as hit were of a speer, and þat oþere foure woundes of nayles. Also, excepte þese signes of fyue woundes byfore-seyde, oure lorde Jhesu Cryste, þat is spouse of vir∣gins erueylous manere þe representacyone of his blyssed passyone in þe persone of the same virgyne, as moost cleen and chosen, by a synguler prerogatyfe of loue: þat is to seye, euery day seuen ourys, as matyns, pryme, tiers, sext, noone, euesonge, & complyne.
At mydnyȝhte, soþely, sche ryseþ, to knowleche wonderfully þe be∣gynnynge of oure lordes passyone, þat is to saye, how hee was taken and drawen hyder and þyder ful cruelly wiþ wicked mennes handys. ¶ Neuerþeles it is to witte þat booþ þis oure and oþere oures she is e, þat no þinge maye be touchyd or stiryd of hir, not as mykel as hir litil fynger, but if alle the body be moued with-alle. After the whiche raueschynge erueylous and a manerly goynge, as hit is trowed, with aungels ledynge. ¶ Soþely, sche was holden with so mikel febilnesse of body and lymmes, whanne sche was but fyue ȝeer olde or þere-a-boute, þat, þof the hous þat er hir, sche myghte not haue goon oute with-outen helpe, as alle þe cuntrey doutles knoweth; and þat con∣tynual chastisynge of goddes ȝeerd, and so mortifiynge of here owne flesche fro þe innocens of fyue ȝeer age vnto þe age þat sche is nowe of, þat is twenty ȝeer, is ful stronge and vnfaylabil preef of hool and erþeles besyde my purpos I put heere þis inci∣dent, þat booþ þe reeders and heerers may knowe þat þe stirynges and berynges of this forseyde virgyn, þe whiche, as men maye, schulbe discryued after, come not of hir strengthe, but of a priue vertue of er hir raueschynge sche ryseth merueylously stronge to suffre labour and peyne, þat was byfore in body weyke & vnmyghty. And whanne sche is vp, cladde as sche is alle-wey wiþ a wollen coot next her flesch and with a whyte lynnen garnemente sumwhatly trailynge on þe erthe, þan sche mmith ageyn, sche swappeþ hir-selfe vpon þe chekys wiþ booþ handys, ¶ and of hir strokes maye be herde acordaunte sowne and cleer. And so in þe steed of psalmes as in tymbyrs and wele sownynge cymbals she solempnyȝes þe watches of the firste er þat, sooþly, as for lessuns, sche makith a bigynnynge of oure lordys passyone, how Le Ms. sche.e cloþes byfore her breste with her right hande and drawith hir-selfe to the righte syde, and þanne with her lefte hande to þe lefte syde; and oþere-while er hir- selfe euen forwarde dyuers tymes, as sche were drawen with vyolens, ¶ as men do with þefes & mensleers þat are pul∣lyd and luggyd ful vyolently wiþ oþere mennes handes; represen∣tynge oure lorde Jhesu wordes þat hee seyde to hym(!): 'ȝee come to take me as a þefe with swerdys and battys'. ¶ And anoon after sche er þat anoon sche smitith her-selfe vpon the cheke, so strongly, þat alle hir body bowith to þat party ageyns þe ground for heuynesse e forwarde and wonderly crokes her body and dasches her heed to the erthe. ¶ Also oþere-while sche takith vyolently hir heer, þat is aboute her forhede but short, and smitith þe grounde with hir heed wiþ a meruaylous draughte, & hir feet vn-meuyd. ¶ And also iþ draght of hir handys, ¶ wiþ a maner þat may neiþer be herde ne tolde. ¶ Also sche takiþ her owne cheekys, þe whiche byfore sche hadde smyten wiþ many strokes, now with þe platte hande now with þe fiste, and oþere-while iþ her fingers, drawen to-gedir, as sche wolde pulle oute her chaules. Also oþere-while sche bowiþ her arme and strekith oute hir fynger nexte þe thoumbe, drawynge the toþere fyngers to-gedir into hir hande, & puttith to hir eyen ofte-sythes, now to þat oon now to þat oþer, as sche wolde graue hem oute or bore hem in. ¶ And, sooþly, alle þis erfore it semith þat in a newe and vnherde manere sche schewith in her-selfe booþ þe persone of Criste suffrynge and þe persone of þe enmye turmentynge: she re∣presentiþ þe persone of oure lorde while sche suffres, and the enmyes persone while sche puttis l. pullis.ere lyke are doon often and vntellably as for þe firste nocturne of matyns, she wrappeþ hir-selfe downe to þe grounde vpon her backe ful honestly & fulle manerly, as forto reste hir fro grete charge of trauelle; so þat þen sche hath no powere of bodily strengþis, but syghes after heuenly and goostly solas, ¶ and goþ in er þat communly longe space of reste and swoghe sche ryseþ vp as wele & fully counforted, stronge and delyuere to serue þe secounde nocturne of matyns in þe forme before∣seyde. ¶ And in steed of salmes, þis newe tymbrer settiþ her flesche for an harpe, and hir chekys for a tymber, and ioy(!) for a sawtry, and e, as hit is seyde byfore. ¶ After þat, whan þe ende of turmente comeþ, in as rauelle, euen as she were alle ouercomen and anentiȝed. And a litil while after, now and now, sche makith sobbyngs and sighes, as a body schulde dye. ¶ Þen, for-sooþ, as sche schulde ȝeeld þe gost, sche is raue∣sched and restith alle her body froo tourmente and laboure. ¶ And e þat while she is comunly longe rauyshed, and noon oþer þinge is seen in hir but starkenes of membrys, palnes of visage with-oute blood, and alle-maner lackynge of felynge, mouynge and breth, as hit were a deed body. ¶ Atte þe laste oure lorde, þat slees and qwykenes, makynge cleer wedyr after tempeste, restorith hir aȝeyn to lyfe. erueilous onest and schameful gladnesse of cheer, cau∣sed
ere is seen no tokens of turbil or tribulacyone in her visage, but raþere þe gracyous cleerte of hir utwarde sembe∣lande affermith and prouith þe inwarde mirþe of hir mynde. ¶ And þen anon is taken to hir a tabil, ful wele depeynte with an ymage of oure at open and vncouerd wiþ booþ han∣dys, ful deuoutly she lokiþ on oure lorde, ¶ and often and þikke sche seiþ þese woordys: ¶ 'ȝouche here, ȝouche heere', ¶ þat is to sey in Englysche: swete loord, swete lord, and wiþ hire clene virgyn-lip∣pys she kysseþ often sweetly þe feet of oure lordis ymage. ¶ Among e priue herte rotys large, depe, iocunde & luf∣sum sighes wiþ a clere stirynge of breste and þroot and with a swete sounynge whysperynge of her lippes. ¶ After þat sche lokith euene in þe same ymage with alle þe intente of hir mynde. ¶ And a litil after, whanne she has Ms. was tas tasted.e: forþ-with, as sche is wonte, sche is rauesched and waxes alle starke, holdynge þe tabil as sche didde byfore; ¶ and oþere-while her lippes are ioyned to the feet of the crucifix, and hir necke and hir heed a litil reryd fro the grounde, as accordith to a kyssynge—¶ and soo she lastith vnstirred and starke, and alle þat oþer dele ere-while þe same tabil is lenyd vpon hir breste, and some-tyme abouen her face, after dyuerse holdynges of þe tabil in þe bikumynge of euery rauishynge. ¶ And in þe spaces of þos rauischynge(s) þe same tabil is holden so strongly with her fyngers, þat, when þe tabil is shaken, moued or drawen of er, but alle hir body is stiryd after þe sterynge of þe tabel. ¶ Þen þe spirite, turnynge ageyne fro þe contrey of goostly ioyes, quykenes þe Ms. of þe.ere hyȝ tokens of deuocyone, as hit is seyde by∣fore. Amonge these ioyes, sooþly, þe same virgyne chaunges no chere, but her countenaunce is stedfastly sette in consideracyone of þe ymage; so þat she byholdith no body nor noon oþere thinge but e this is doon, mykel moor solempnely and moor merueylously þan I can or maye write: sche keueriþ and closeþ þe same tabil & takith hit to som body bisyde hir, and strikeþ forthe hire armes to her moder mnes and may∣denly
e þat oþer tyme vnto prime she spendiþ in ioye and mirþe, in þankeynges and lovynges of oure lorde, ¶ not forgetynge þe contrey þat sche hauntiþ, in þe whiche, as Ysaye saiþ, are foun∣den ioye and gladnesse, þankynges & voys of preisynge.
Fro now forthe it is to procede shorter to discryue oþere houres: for many þinges þat are expounyd byfore, acorden to oþer oures, and þerfore it is no need to reherce hem so pleynly & fully at ilk an oure, but, whan myster is, to haue recours to þat at is (sayde) byfore. ¶ At rime, sooþly, after þat sche is rauysched, she ryseth with a meruei∣lous swiftnes, and anoon standith vpriȝhte, and kastiþ booþ her handes byhynde hir backe and so ioyneþ hir armes to-gedyr, soo þat sche puttith þe fyngers of þe lefte hande to þe righte elbowe and the fyngers of the right hande to þe lefte elbowe, ¶ and she walkith by resentynge alle the space of þat oure how oure lorde Jhesu was ladde fro Anne to Cayphas, to Pylate, fro Pylate to Herode, to Pilate aȝen efte, wiþ his handys bounden byhynde hym er þat sche has Ms. was.e her body and algates her handes ioyned & cleuynge e to the grounde with a manerly & esy stirynge, haldynge her armes ioyned vndir hir bak, and so she restith a good space, alle starke, in a rauischynge. ¶ And þenne sche pulliþ oute hir handys fro byhynde her backe and knokkith hir owne breste with so harde strokes & þicke of hir plat handys, þat eruayle and deme hit aboue mannes myghte, how o persone maye booþ smyte and soffre so many, soo swifte and heuy strokes, þogh hee hadde prosperite of nature, age, heele & com∣plexion. Whiche of þese I schalle calle moor merueilos, ¶ I woot not, in suche a febil and freel creature: wheþer þat atte smytes, or þat at mmittid alle to god, to whome no thinge is hard nor impossibil; ¶ namely sithen the same virgyne, as hit is seyde byfore, whanne sche commith to hir-selfe or is lafte to hir-selfe, wantys bodily strengthes. Sooþly, after siche∣kyns merueilous & myserabil disciplyne she is vpstreyghte ¶ anoon e handys or of any oþere, ¶ and so sche goþ in her chaumbyr, as sche didde byfore, with her armes & handes ioynid byhynde hir bakke; ¶ also sche stondith ful vpriȝte alle starke as an ymage. ¶ And so sche solempniȝes þe oure of prime, ouþere goynge or standynge or liggynge ns; after the whiche
er þe rauishynge she taketh the tabel & byholdiþ hit; ¶ after þat commith comforte, ioye and mirthe; & efte raueschynges; and soo boren to her bedde. & soo she endith the houre of prime, as hit is seyde byfore in the oure of matyns.
Forsooþ, atte the oure of tiers and other oures folowande sche bigyn∣neþ, pursueþ & fulfilliþ as sche didde byfore, oute-taken þat in þe grounde sittynge and standynge sche signifyeþ and schewith how oure lorde was bounden to a pyller; ioynyng hir armys byfore hir ere l. as if þere.er her power how the piler was beclipped with the armes of oure ful swete lorde Jhesu faste bounden. And alle ere doynges that pertene to þe forme of this oure, are endyd as hit (is) seide byfore.
Soþely, atte the houre of sexte, none, and euensonge she kepith alle∣weye the same forme in disposicyone of hir body, excepte þe spaces urstandyn more fully, hit schalbe expouned more pleynly. ¶ Þerfore in ilke of these three oures, anoon after the rauesshynge þat goþ alweye of custome byfore þe oures, sche goþ swiftly oute of here bedde and puttith þe to foot vndir þe toþere and nde vndir þe toþer, and soo standith vpriȝhte, & strecchynge oute her armes and her handys in the forme of a cros, with open eyen, soo abidynge a good space stille as stoon, neiþer seeþ ne feelith. ¶ And if oþer-while the litil fynger of þe riȝhte hande bee touchyd, þe fyngers of the toþere hande are moued with alle þe bulke of the er þat sche hath standen so swetly longe in the same disposicione of fete and body, wiþ-outen any puttynge to of the handes or leenynge, not fallynge downe but bowynge her body bakkewarde she liggeþ downe to the grounde, and soo sche lyeth in a swogh and in manere of a crosse. ¶ A litil after, erceyued of hem þat ȝeed neer, what by noumbrynge and supposynge, sche knocked her breste a hundreth tymes, oþere-while wiþ doubil and contynualle strokes of booþ handes. After this, for sche maye not goo while þe to foot lyeth ouer þe toþer, e steed, turnynge Ms. turnynge turnynge.er þat I may not telle; ¶ and thanne sche ryseth vp delyuerly and standith vpriȝhte on the too foot, þat alon cleuiþ to þe grounde, with-outen any helpe of the toþere foot or hande—and how merveylous þis ere-while, as hit is seyde, she lenith to þe erthe with the to foot alloon and bowith alle her body towarde þe grounde, a party on the too syde; ¶ and soo þe mayden standith longe hengynge strongely, bowynge to the to syde, and a-boue mannes myghte sche susteyneth her body hengynge with resentith þe schappe of the cros; ¶ and þen betokenynge, as hit semith, þe takynge downe of oure lorde fro the crosse. ¶ Ferþermore, after many maneres of re∣presentacyouns of oure lordes crosse and many passyouns of the vir∣gyn ere folowe vnspekabil maners of ful deuoute prayers, þe whiche, not as I wolde but as I myȝht, I haue discriued byfore; but I woot wel þat my power nor my cunnynge myghte not fulfille my wille. After þat sche hath bytokenyd in her laste standynge in þe liknesse of a crosse þe ende of oure lorde Jhesu, þan she is alle Filius hominis non habet vbi caput suum reclinet: ¶ Þat is to mene, Cryste hath not wher to lene his heed vppon. ¶ And a litil after with sobbynges & weymentynges vntelabil as sche schulde e her heed vpon hir righte schuldir; ¶ þen a litil space after, as hir custum is, she leyeþ hir downe to þe erþe. But soþely, þat at I sey heer & haue byfore seide, þat sche leyþ hir downe, stirith and bowith, & oþer doynge lyke to thees: ¶ I refere it to outwarde siȝhte; þof it be leued þat sche doþ it not ere vertue, þat god woot. After þis commiþ sorowes, angwysches, counfortes & gladnesse, and oþere thinges þat are expressed atte matyns.—¶ Sooþely, þese wor∣schypful signes of the crosse are schewyd in the body & lymmes of þe Innocente virgyn þoos þree oures in þe whiche, as byleue is, oure esu henge on þe rood: þat is to seye sext, noon, an euensonge.
Forsoþ, in þe oure of complyn in hauynge and berynge of hir body, what sittynge & standynge, sche figurith þe biriynge of oure lorde, with-outen þe oures(!) in þe whiche sche smitiþ hir-selfe vpon þe forþere ere, as it is expounyd byfore.—
Neþeles, to more declaracione of þat þat is seyde bifore, it is to witte þat þe forseyde mayden is stirid to ryse merueilously atte þe ere oures bi an vnfaillabil clock þat I knowe not.—¶ And o while sche representiþ wiþ signes and berynges of hir lymmes oure lordes passyone, ¶ and oþere while she schewith in wey∣mentacyouns & turmentȝ hir owne compassyone boþ of herte and of body, ¶ and after this schewynge of semblaunte and of lokynge as e and fruyte of the passyone; and þof it be but ful selden, neþeles ȝit sche telliþ ȝit wiþ ful sadde and ful gladsom woordys þe ioyes of hir herte.—¶ Also y and my felawes,
m oþere oures also, sawe blode comynge oute at hir eyen, and dropped doune & dyed þe linnyn garment þat sche was cladde wiþ ouerest. ¶ Also wee sawe blood sprynge oute often atte þe woundes of hir handys and of hir feet and oute of hir syde on a fridaye atte noon. Wee sawe blode not er, rennynge oute þo∣rowe an hool of hir coot, made aboute þe pappe; ¶ and þe wollen cloth þat satte next hir flesche, was defuyled wiþ þe same blode, ¶ and also a party of hir syde aboute þe wounde. And wee sawe not alloonly þe vttir cloþe þat toucheþ þe maydens flesche, þat is to ere-while blode ranne oute at hir fynger endys, bytwix þe nay∣les and the flesche: ¶ and þan l. þat?ersone of oure lorde Jhesu for angwyshe & peynful bindynge of his armes and han∣des. ermore þe same frydaye sche figured vnto vs how oure blessyd lady, Crystes moder, stood be-syde þe crosse: puttynge hir left hande vndir hir lefte cheek & bowynge hire heed and hir nekke to þe same syde, and holdynge hir riȝhte hande vndir hir riȝhte pappe. ¶ And anoon she shewiþ in an oþere liknesse blessyd John̄ Euan∣gelist: nge doune on þe lifte syde booþ hir handys ioyned to-gedir and þe fyngers ilke in oþere folden with-outen þe handes.
Also þis is to witte þat in mouynges and berynges of body of þe for∣seyde virgyn þere fallith no þinge vnsemely nor no þinge þat may e, þof sche se noȝhte & hir cloþes trayled vpon þe grounde, ȝit stumbliþ sche neuere ne stamperþe ne waggiþ; ¶ and in doynge doune hir-selfe to þe erþe or liggynge or risynge, alle hir body hider or þider she is alwey co∣uerde & bycladde with hir own cloþes, nor no þinge apperith vnsemely er þat refusith a febil penne.—Neþeles, or wee go any ferþer to oþere: leste þe herers of þis happely wil not leue siche merueils for þe whiche wee abbotis and monkes ȝede to see þe same e so many oures: ¶ hit is to knowe þat þe Ms. be.mmendid longe sithen by þe byschope of þat dyocys to a worschepful man & religyous, of holy and honest conuersayone, of cleer & hool opinyone and of grete aucto∣rite: ¶ þe abbot of seinte Trudous l. Trudons? lat. villa Trudonis; St. Truyen.ere Johne Euangeliste, vndirtoke cure of the virgyne; ¶ and made be bigged þere an honest chaumbyr, and a competent & denoute chapylle, & ordeyned sufficyently and semely alle þat longiþ to do with goddis seruyse; ¶ soo þat þe chapel is departyd fro þe e latys-closynge, ¶ and in þe myddes of þat clo∣synge
ere is a dore þat opens in to þe chapelle; ¶ and fro þe may∣dens bedde men maye see vp to þe auter. ¶ In alle þis þat is seyde byfore, þis worschypful fader & oure ful deer frende in Cryste was alweye with us and was oure enfourmer & trewe expownner of þe virgyns woordys.—Here is an ende of the hours.
Now goo wee to þe messe, þat þis forseyde virgyn heeriþ ful gladly, whan sche maye haue a preste; to whom sche gyueþ entente wiþ study of wonder deuocyone, sighynge & coueitynge wiþ hyȝ desyres þe sighte of oure lordes body. ¶ Sooþly, anone as she seeþ þe eleua∣cyon ere-of, sche berith ouer wiþ a merueilous mouynge alle hir body ouerthwarte þe bedde, strecchynge forþe hir armes on booþ sydes hir, & makith a crosse of hir-selfe, and so sche abidith alle-starke as a stok in a swogh and rauishynge; soo þat þe armes, heed and nekke, with a e bedde ¶ and so as vnto þat parte of þe body she hengiþ in þe eyre withouten sterynge, as longe as the masse is in doynge, and þe visage of þe virgyne is algat sum∣whatly streight vp towarde the auter, as if sche byhelde allewey þe sacramente þurgh þe myddes of the dore; ¶ and þe toþer dele of er þe beddes lengþe. ¶ Þen whan þe masse is doon (&) þe preste haþ put of his chesibil: þe forseide virgyn turniþ ageyne to hir-selfe and is put to þe state þat sche was wonte to be in, so þat she liggeþ in hir bedde righte as she laye, or she were er liggynge ne sittynge, but as bytwix booþ, haldynge hire handys to-gedir, wiþ fulle deuoute sighynges and goostly greyd∣lynes e sauyoure & spouse. ¶ And whanne þe preste, cladde wiþ an albe, offirs to hir þe sacramente, she metiþ oure lorde with alle her spirite, & in þe selfe momente þat sche openiþ her mouþe and takiþ þe oste, she is rauyshed euen forþwiþ: ¶ soo þat anone she closith her mouþe erceyued þat she holdith þe sacramente in hir mouþe or sche∣wiþ hir moistes or swolowes or decloseþ hit in her mouþe, nor she moueþ teeþ ne lippes ne chekys. ¶ And so she abidiþ starke & ra∣uishid a good space. And whan þe pilous are taken awaye or oþere er-þe-latter she abidith vnmouid in þe same manere of body and membrys as she was whan sche receyued þe sacramente. ¶ Afterwarde sche commith agayne to hir-selfe and lenys hir heed to þat place as hit is wonte to ligge. ¶ And hir chere semiþ þen ful specyous and cleer & gracyous, abouen þat I maye write ere hede to mennes spekynges, ¶ and, as mykel as she maye for
ere housilde, or she haue schreuene hir byfore masse: þe whiche schrifte semiþ raþere of louvynge þan of blamynge, as þe forseyde abbot, hir confessour, ar∣fitely in louvynge & þankynge of oure lorde as she aghte to be, ¶ and also þat she oþere-while dredith & is sory more thanne she aghte, for vnkyndenes and dampnacyone of man-kynde, for by-cause þat men knowe not þe beenfetys of oure lordys passyone & of here ntes, foot-men þat kepe oure hors, stood onys be-syde hir, to aske helpe of hir pray∣ers. Þanne oon of hem, þat was a Braban & knewe hir langage, kne∣lyd doune and bysoghte hir þat sche wolde praye for hym and for er my counseyle, I wille bisely praye (for) ȝow'. And þey bihighte þat þey wolde. Þan forwiþ sche sayde: ¶ 'Goo shryue ȝow of ȝoure syn∣nes & doþ penauns, & I schal praye (for) ȝow wiþ good wille; or elles I wolde not entermete me þere-of, for I schulde trauel in veyne'. e or of an oþere hous of oure ordir, where hee myghte fynde a ersyone; and þat she counseyled hym on alle wise. And þe same ȝonge man byhighte gladly to do after hir counseyle; and so it was done. ¶ For not mykel after, at þe prayers of þe same virgyne, wee sende þe same ȝonge man to oure hous of Clareualle and made hym a conuers, þat is to seye a lewde frere. ¶ And whan þe ere and badde hym be a man of religyone: ¶ she answeryd goodly & smyland: þat she knewe hym in state of hem þat shalbe saued; and ȝif hee hadde þen dyed, hee schulde soon haue comen to heuene; ¶ and þerfore iþ re∣medy of religyone and felawschyp of religyous men. ¶ Afterwarde it was knowen of þe same ȝonge man, þat often and bysely hee wolde be schreuen and as many tymes as hee myghte, hee wolde be atte masse ful deuoute, ¶ and in sympilnesse of obedyens and innocens, er þat atte þis was doon, þe forsayde Braban þat prayed þe virgyn to praye for hym and for his felawes, visityd hir efte-sones. ¶ And many folke beynge þere presente, ¶ anoon as she bygan to loke on hym, she brest oute in to siche woordys: 'ȝit arte þou not schreuene. Þou has e, as it was seyde; and hee assoyled hym, as þe same ȝonge man sayde afterwarde.—¶ Þis was doon openly, & in couerte no-þinge, ¶ and wee bere witnesse to þat at wee haue seen. ¶ þerfore it is to do shortly of þat þat wee haue herde by tellynge of oþere—for
The forsayde abbot tolde me & my felawes þat vpon a good-fry∣daye in þe ȝeere of oure lorde a thowsande two hundrede sexty and sex þe same virgyne heed bygan to ake in a tyme bytwix two ouris, whan she hadde reste fro peynes as she was wonte to haue, erceyued þat, þey liȝhted candellis and loked nere & bisily byhelde þe maydens heed: and þey sawe, and schewed to oþere bisyde, prickynges as of þornes, alle reed with er of a gerlonde, figurynge the corowne of þornes of oure lorde.—¶ Also the same ȝeere on seinte Barnabe daye þe same abbot tolde vs in þe hous of þe virgyne þat in þe vigil of þe same feste atte euesonge∣tyme hee coom to þe virgyns hous and whanne sche hadde endyd her ere was no feste on þe morne. ¶ 'ȝis certeynly, quod sche, þere is maad a grete feste in paradys of a grete lorde'. Þe abbot herde þat and e peynes. And sche answeryd: 'I suffre but litil to regarde of a mayden þat is callyd Mary, the whiche dwellith in a towne of Flaundirs þat is callid Insula. ¶ Sooþly, sche is tur∣mentyd ns of þat same Marye, as þof sche hadde seen hir many tymes in angwysche of peynes. Neuerþeles, sche neuere sawe hir, ¶ and, as hit is leuyd, sche herde neuere worde of hir of any erthely creature; ¶ nor the same abbot knewe no thinge of þat same er come tithinge of hir in to þat cuntrey: for þe for∣seyde virgyns dwellyn fer a-twynne. ¶ Ferþermore sche seyde þat þe same Marie and sche sawe ilke oþere often whanne þey were rauyshed, and þat sche knewe hir ful wele; and seyde þat she was a ful wyse mayden & þat sche hadde þe spirite of wisdome and cown∣seyle; e Insula, by-cause of oure visitacyons. ¶ Sooþly, the Ms. qd (= quod) the.ere-while and gerte make hir a ful honest chapelle—but Inogh of this atte this tyme.—More-ouere mmun witnessynge of hem þat dwelle with hire, she forbedith her tunge fro yuel, & hir lippys þat they speke no gyle; ¶ soo þat fro hir mouþe comeþ neiþer spotel ne spittynge nor no maner of moisture or mater of vnclennes fro hir e, putte a spoonful þere-of to hir mouþe, & þat she suppyd atte three suppyngis as hir semyd with difficulte: ere-of, she wolde not drynke. ¶ And I dare saye wiþ good consciens þat a doufe wolde haue dronken moor atte oonys of the welle-watir þan the mayden didde of þe cuppe. errely leeuyd þat she etiþ & drynkeþ raþere after oþere mennes wille þan for any luste or nede of hir-selfe. Also oþere-while, if þere be putte to hir mouth fruytes of trees or flesche or fysche, þen she soukys sumwhat of þe sotil substauns, no-þinge receyuynge of þe gros mater.—¶ Ferþermore hit is to be notyd þat neiþere she resaunte; ¶ Þey sey þat þey haue Inowgh, and holdeþ hem payed of þat atte god hath gyuen hem. ¶ Sooþly, þey are wonder symple and innocente, as wee were enfourmed by oure owne consideracyone and oþere trewe men∣nes e mirakil, ȝe moor-ouer alle hir-selfe is but myrakil, as hit schewiþ by the abouen writynge, figures and expounes not allonly Cryste, but Cryste cruci∣fyed, in hir body, ¶ and also þe figuratif body of Cryste, þat is holy chirche. Loo, in þe distinxione of oures she representys þe custome e, in ioye and myrþe after peyne gladnes of þe resurrexyone, ¶ in rauishynge þe ascencyone, ¶ in ro∣dynes of hir reuelacyouns & spiritual lyfe she figurith þe sendynge of e, & of sorowe of vnkyn∣denes & dampnacyone of mankynde. Þat atte is writen aboue, declariþ openly Inowȝ þat þou, man, arte vnexcusabil, if so quik argumentȝ & open reproues stir þe not to strengthe of feith, to desyre of charyte e. Þere is ȝit mykel to be writen of this mater; but nede of occupacyouns and werknesse l. weiknesse.
We, purposynge to write þe lyfe of þe memorabil Crystes virgyne Crystyne, þat put wee firste in þe bigynnynge of oure sermone, at worshepful James byshope of Accone Ms. Atton̄e.er cardinalle of þe courte of ere womman', seiþ hee, þat is to sey þis Cristyn meruelous—'aboute wham Ms. whan.er∣ueilously þat, whan sche hadde liggen longe deed, she lyued ageyne, or she were beryed; and sche hadde graunte of god þat sche liuynge in er þat longe tyme she was wondirful turmentid of oure lorde, þat oþer-while she walowed in fire, sumtyme in wynter she abode longe in frosen water & yee; ¶ also oþer-while she lete as she wolde goo into deed mens graues. ¶ Atte þe last, after hir penauns, she lyued in so mykel pees and rechours, for edifiynge of þe reders and specially to þe lovynge of n mykel þat I haue writen, as were þan in þe towne of seint Trudous, þat hadde witte and resone. Nor þese thinges were not done in corners & hyrnes, but openly amonge ere þinges þat no man myghte knowe but sche, ¶ I herde allonly of hem þe whiche affermyd þat hire-selfe tolde to hem with hir owne mouþe. And wite hee wel þat redith this, þat I leued to siche at wolde not goo fro þe soþe, þof þey schulde lose her heedes. ¶ Wee knowleche with-outen doute, & sooþ hit is, þat oure tellynge passith alle mannes vndurstondynge and witte, as siche thinges þat maye not be done by commun cours of nature or kynde—neiþeles they be possibil to hym þat alle maad of noghte; ¶ nor I wolde no erfore go we to þe writynge, and firste how sche was norysched, after broght forþe, and þen pursue wee so forþ hir oþere dedes, as wee haue leeryd be ful certeyne and vndoutabil tellynge.—Here endith þe prologe.
Cristyn, þe worschepful virgyne of Criste, was goten and borne of honest fadir and moder in þe toune of seinte Trudous in Hasban.
er religyous manere of lyfe, ordeyned amonge hem þat þe eldist sister schulde gyf hir to prayers, þe myddel sister schulde take hede to houshold, & þe ȝongest, Cristyn, to kepe hir bestes on þe felde þat wente to pasture. Ms. for.
And after this of inwarde exercise of contemplacyone she wex seek in bodily myghte, and dyed. ¶ þen þe deed body was leyde forþe and þe lyche doon of hir sistres and frendes Lat.: Tune positum in medio corpus exanime ab amicis & sororibus maxime lamentabatur.e þat (þere) were, fledde, & hir eldist sister alone Ms. aboue.e þe messe was doon: þen sche was conioured of the preste of þe chirche & constreyned
'Anoon, quod she, as I was deed, mynistris of light, goddes aungels, toke my soule & ladde me into a looþly place ful of mennes soulles, and þe peynes þat I sawe in þat place, were so grete and so ere sawe I many deed þe whiche I knewe byfore alyue. I, forsooþ, hauynge compassyone and grete pite of þoos wrecched soulles, asked what-maner place þat was—y þoghte þat hit was helle. And my leders answeryd to me, at þat place was purgatorye, in þe whiche þey þat hadde ben synners ere I knewe summe þat I knewe liuynge. ¶ After þat I was broȝhte to þe trone of goddes mageste. ¶ And whan I sawe oure lorde gladsum and wele apayed to me-warde, þen was I odly mery, þinkynge þat I schulde abyde ere fro þat tyme forþe euermore. ¶ Þanne oure lorde anoon ans∣werid to my desyre: 'For certeyne, my swetynge, quod he, þou haste l. schalt; lat. hic mecum eris.ere to suffre peynes of an vndeedly soule by a deedly e wiþ þy peynes alle þos soulles of þe whiche þou haddest pite in þe place of purga∣torye, ¶ and also with ensaumple of þy peyne and lyfe stir men to repentauns & penauns and to forsake her synnes & be trewly turnyd to me; and after alle this is doon, þen þou schalte come ageyne to e þat was put vnto me. ¶ Forþ-with oure lorde was wele payed with myne answere and commaundid my soule to be restoryd to my body. ¶ And see ȝee how swifte aungels were atte oure lordes biddynge: For þe same Agnus dei was seyde, my soule stood byfore þe trone of goddis mageste, ¶ an whan Agnus dei was seide þe þridde tyme, (I) was broght to my body wiþ þos swifte aungellis. Þus was þe maner of my oute-goynge and ageyne∣commynge, and for mennes amendemente I am turnyd fro deth to erfore be not ȝe troubled with þos thinges þat god schal ordeyne with me; for, sooþly, þere were neuere siche seen in þis worlde'. Hir frendes, herynge this, mykel merueilid & abode þat at schulde be, with grete wonder and drede.
Therfore after þis whan Cristyn dedde þe presens of folke wiþ a wonder loþinge into wildernesse & in to trees, into þe coppys of tourys or chirches or of oþere hye thinges: ¶ hir Ms. And hir.ur of men: vpon a nyghte sche was holpen of oure lorde, and hir bondys and fettirs vndone she skaped aweye & fledde ferre into deserte to wodes, and þere she lyued as bryddes doon, in trees. riuely with oure lorde. (But she prayed) mekely þat he wolde mercyfully see to hir angwyshe. And euene forþe∣wiþ e righte of kynde and nature. ¶ Þis is a mer∣ueylous þinge & neuere herde, after þe imcomparabil & singler virgyne Cristes moder! ¶ And so þe virgyne Cristyn was norysched nyne wokes wiþ þe mylke of hir owne pappe. Þe mene-tyme she was iþ yren chaynes, as she was byfore; but in vayne.
For she was þen delyuerid by oure lorde & come to þe cite of Leody. And Hier fehlt etwas; lat.: Quae s. agni immaculati carnes paschales esuriens, supplicavit &c.Cristofirs þat hee wolde howsel hir, e atte þat tyme: þen she wolde no lengir abyde, but wente to an oþere chirche and asked of þe preste þe body of oure lorde Jhesu Criste. ¶ And hee anoon comunyd hir after his askynge. ¶ And forþwiþ she ere preste of seint Cristofirs folowed hir booþ vnto þe flode alle-most So ms. st. of Mose, lat.: usque ad fluenta Mosae.stoppyd hir (v. a. h.) agaynes lat.: Quam ad obvias aquas se comprehendere posse gavisi.mman byfore hem errey body, as hit were a fantum, goo in to þe depe streemes of þe watir and come vp harmles oute by þat oþere banke.
Crystyn þen bygan to do þat for þe whiche oure lorde sende hir ageyne. And she wente into hoot-brennynge ouenes, redy to bake ere was no soor nor hurt seen outwarde in hir body. ¶ And whan shee hadde no fourneys nor ouenes, thanne she keste hir-selfe in to houge fyres & grete in mennes houses, or allonly putte in hir feet and ere so longe, vnto, but if hit hadde be myra∣kelle of god, þey myghte be brente to askes. ¶ Also oþer-while she wente into cauderons, fulle of hoot-boylynge watir, to þe breste or ellis to þe lendys, aftir þe heighte of þe cauderouns, ¶ and she poured scalde-hoot watir on þos membrys þat were harmles with-outen, and mman þat trauelles wiþ childe; ȝit neþeles whan sche come oute, sche hadde no harme.
She abood often-tyme and longe vndir þe water of þe flode of Moyse in firste e hedlynge and alle hir body after. Anders lat.: In hieme etiam sub rota molendini ibat erecta stare, ita quod aqua dilaberetur per medium caput et membra ejus.ere-while she cam swymmynge with þe watir & felle with the water aboue þe whele; ¶ neþles þere was no hurtynge seen in hir body.
Also in maner of hem þat were turmentyd she bowed hir leggys & e wonte to haue her iewesse; ¶ and ȝit, whan she come downe, þere semyd no brekynge in hir lymmes. ¶ Also she wente to þe galous and hengyd hir-selfe vp wiþ
ere she henge a daye or to. And ful often she entryd in to deed mens graues & (þere) maad sorowe for synnes of men.
And oþere-while aboute mydnyghte she ros and prouoked & callid forþe alle þe dogges of þe cite of seinte Trudous to barke, and ranne faste byfore hem as a beste, and þey folowd after hir and droof and chacyd hir thurgh buskes & brerys and þikke þornes, soo þat þere lafte no party of hir body vnwoundyd; ¶ ȝit neþles, whanne she hadde ere apperyd no token of hurte no soor. ¶ In þis same manere didde she alle hir-selfe with þornes and brerys, soo þat alle hir body on ilke a syde semyd be dowen in blood. ¶ Wherfore many folke þat sawe þat, often merueilid þat þere was so mykel blood in o body. ¶ Ȝit, sooþly, with-outen alle thees bledynges
Hir body was (so) sotil & lighte, þat she wente in hyȝe thynges & as a bredde hengyd in ful smale twigges of trees. And whanne she ere summe hygh thinges, þat she so beynge allone fro alle folke, myghte fynde riste of hir spirite. ¶ And efte-sone whan she prayed and goddes grace of contemplacyone come to hir, euen as she were made hote & chaufed, alle hir membrys were closed to-gedir on ere myghte no thinge be perceyued of hir but allonly a rownde gobet. ¶ And after þat spirituel felynge whan þe actuel felynges come to hir kynde ageyne, in þe maner of an vrchyn þe lumped body Ms. body.e shappe, and strekyd oute the membrys þat were firste stoken vndir an vnlikly mater and forme. ¶ And often ere she seyde hir sawter: for it was ful heuy and greuous to hir to touche þe erþe, while she prayed.
For suche-maner doynge hir sistres & frendes were greetly ashamyd þat men trowyd hir ful of fendes: and þey made couenaunte with a ful wicked & ful strange man, and gaf hym mede, þat hee shulde pursue and take hir and bynde hir wiþ iren cheynes. And whanne þat shrewed man hadde pursued hir in wildernes & myȝhte not take hir e. Þen was she broghte home, and hir sisters hyred a leche, þat shulde heel hir broken legge. ¶ Þenne was she ladde in a chayer to Leody. And þe leche knewe the spirite of hir strengthe and bonde hir faste to a piler in a celer wallid alle aboute ere leche to hir woundes but oure sauyour Jhesu Cryste. And alle-myghty god deceyued hir not: For on an nyghte, whan þe holy goost felle in hir, þe bondes þat she was tyed with were loused, and she alle-hoole and harmeles walked in at þat euere þe faster it is streyned in þe bow þe strenger it fleeþ, euen Ms. fro.iþ þe selfe body of verrey fleshe, as hit is seide, flowe forþ as a bridde in þe eyre.
Neþeles hir sustirs and frendes wolde (not) fehlt.e, þey bonde hir faste in the shuldres wiþ a bonde of tre, and fedde hir as a dogge with a litil breed & watir alone. ¶ But, atte Cryste wolde shewe in hir passynge myracul of his vertue, þerefore hee suffred hir to be ouer∣comen & haue tribulacyone for þe tyme. ¶ Wherfore hir buttokes were ere þat hadde compassyone of hir disese. But oure lorde hadde mercy on hir merueilosly and wroghte in hir þat nobil miracul atte was neuer harde heer-byfore. ¶ For hir maydenly pappes e & hadde hit for potage and oynemente, and sche enoynted þere-with þe woundes of hir festirde membrys. ¶ þen hir sustres and frendes, seynge þat, bigan to wepe & fro þen forþ þey sturglid at þey hadde done to hir, & so leet hir go.
She was þanne free and didde what hir liste, & suffred paynes for ere gadred mykel pepil alle daye fro ferre & nere & froo ful straunge contrees, forto see miracles and meruales of god in Cristyne: þen Religious men & wymmen þat were in þe forsayde towne, dredynge leste þat houge wonderynge of mer(u)eylles shulde passe mannys witte & turne beestly lat.: converterentque bestiales hominum mentes in malignam operationem facta divina, maxime in eis quod &c.resens of men & clombe vpon hyȝhe thinges as a brydde and dwellid longe in watirs as a fyshe: ¶ þey be-soghte oure lorde wiþ bisy prayers þat hee wolde tempir
er þe comun state of men. ¶ And oure lorde dispysed not þe prayers of hem mekely wepynge.
And so it fel vpon a daye þat she, stirid of spirite ful hougely, ranne to a chirche in a towne þat is callid Wellen, & fyndynge þe fontestoon ere-in. And wiþ þat, as it is seyde, she gate þere þat fro þen forþe þe manere of hir lyfe was more tempyrde to men, & hadde hir-selfe afterwarde more esely, & better myghte suffre þe taste of men & dwelle amonge hem.
She toke in holy deuocyon þe sacramente of þe auter often, & moost vpon sondayes, and in þat she receyued strengþe of body, as she sayde, & most gladnesse of spirite. ¶ þerfore she þat hadde forsaken for Crystes loue hir owne godis, myghte no-þinge vse in mete or at þere-by þey shulde be callyd to looþnes er but make a good ende atte laste day. And at þis be shewed wiþ ensaumpil, wee enforme hit þat wee haue seyde, wiþ a dede of Cristyne.
Hit byfelle vpon a daye þat she was stired of god vnto an vnsufferabil þriste, and ranne to þe borde of a ful wikked man, þat ȝeet wiþ ryche araye, and askyd hym drynke. ¶ Þenne he ageynes his custome was stirid wiþ pite and gaf hir a litil wyne to drynke. ¶ Wherfore Cristyn e of alle þat knewe þat man, þat hee hadde forgifnesse of penauns & contricyone atte his deed.
And þis was þe cause, as wee haue seide, þat she was constreyned at was wrangesly goten, hit semyd to hir þat she ȝeet þe bowellis of paddokes or of todes or þe guttis of neddirs. ¶ For in etynge of siche almes she cryed as a womman trauelynge of childe and seyde: ¶ 'O Cryste, what dost þou wiþ me? why turmentis þou er þou shalte not repente, and thanne shal it profit þee þat profetis now no-thinge'.—¶ And whanne she wantid a sleue in hir cote or an hode in hir scapulary: if she mette any body of whome she knewe by spyrite þat (she) shulde take hit of, she preyed hym; and if he wolde e cloþes. ¶ Nor she shamed not þogh þe sleues in o coot were party and of dyuerse colours. ¶ Hir cloþes was a white coote and a white scaplury alle hir body to þe feet and often sewyd to-gedir wiþ noon oþere þrede but wiþ þe barke of a tilia Ms. Cilia.rickes or wode. Hoses or shoes hadde she noon, goynge barefot alwey. ¶ Þe meet þat she vsyd was foule and abiecte, and washynges of dyshes þat schulde be caste aweye she boyled with watir, & þat ȝeet she wiþ brede of bran ful harde, neþeles firste softned in watir. ¶ And þis er she hadde fasten two dayes or three to-gedyr.
She fledde worshepes and preisynges wiþ ful mykel bisynesse, and seyde þat for suche þingis þey were moste turmentyd in helle or l. her.ere to hele or to custome of lyfe(!). lat.: vel ad salutem vel ad interitum.e of hem-selfe. ¶ And sooþly, for hem þat steygheþ vp and shulde be saued, she ertue of hir spirite, lightly myghte perceyue in hir ioye or sorow what shulde falle to hem þat dyed in þe cite.—Ful gladdely and ful goodly she wolde be aboute hem þat dyed, sterynge hem to schrifte of synnes & to fruyte erlastynge ioye & to feer of perilous bren∣nynge. And not oonly she didde þus to cristen folke þat dyed, but bisely also wiþ a merueilous compassyone to Jewys, of þe whiche was a ful grete congregacyone in þe cite. ¶ She seyde: certeynly, þat Criste was ful mercyful to hem þat wolde be turned to hym, & neuer∣þeles ere-to by right∣wisnesse, as þe synne of man asked; ¶ also þat hee soghte bisely occasyons by þe whiche hee myghte gyue hele to synners and wrecches. ¶ And whan she tolde þis of oure lorde Cryste, she hadde a wonder ere is a place nere
e of hem þat were defuyled wiþ grete synnes & were repentaunte atte hir laste ende; ¶ þis place, she seyde, was so feerdful for peynes, þat þere was no differens bi∣twix hem and þe peynes of helle, outaken þat þei þat were turmentid in þos peynes, hadden ese in triste of mercy; ¶ and ouere þese
She hadde the spirite of prophecy in many þingys, and warned many men to saluacyone, & she reprehendid hem l. many.
Whan þat miserabil and wrecchyd company was gaderid bitwix þe ersaryes, where in a place þat is callid Sceps l. Steps; Steppa, Stipsbergen.i. j. 1213 (nach einem zusatze im lat. texte).mman trauelynge of childe, & seyde: 'allas, allas, I see þe eyre ful of swordes and blode. Renne, sistres, rinne, praye oure lorde; heelde oute teres, leste hee holde his mercyes in wraþ.' er, renne swiftly to prayer and praye oure lorde for þy fader, for hee is now be-stadde in fulle grete perille'.
Soþely, whanne a Nunne of þe same abbey þoghte to go aweye, er-þe-les hir soule cost not Criste so litil, þat wolde dye and shedde his blode for hir'. ¶ And Cristyn stintid not seiynge often þese wordes, tille þe repentaunte nunne were receyued.
A nobil knyghte was gon a pilgrimage by-ȝonde the se to þe sepulere of oure lorde. þen Cristyn was preyed & adiurid of the wife of the forseide knyghte þat she wolde brynge hym saufe agayne þurgh hir prayer. Whos iuracyone Cristyn took at grefe; ¶ neuerþeles she uod she, I haue broghte þy husbande safe ageyne by importunite of thy preyers; but wit þou wele þat þou shalte not haue ioye longe of his presence'. Whos worde was shewid sooþ soon after: for with-in e & sorowe.
Also mykel byfore þe tyme she profecyed þat þe holy londe of usalem shulde be taken or ȝolden to wicked saracyns. And whanne þe daye come þat Jerusalem was taken, wiþ þe sepulere of oure lorde & Crystes crosse, of Saladyne, kynge of Perses: she was in þe castelle of Loen & knewe in spirite what was done. In þe whiche dede she ioyed hougely. ¶ And þey þat were presente, prayed hir to telle uod she, I make ioye, for oure lorde Criste þis daye ioiynge wiþ his gladde aungels hath gyuen occasyone by þe whiche multitude of mankynde shalbe saued'. ¶ And when þei enquyred what þat occasyon schulde be: 'wyt ȝee, quod she, þat the holy londe is taken this daye into wicked e of saluacyone. ¶ Sooþly Cryste voucheþ-saufe his scorne in þis atte þat lande be taken in to despyte and schame, alle-þof hyt be halowed wiþ þe peyne of his passyone—neuerþeles hit schalle perisshe wiþ þe worlde in þe worldes ende; siþen by recouerynge of þe same londe soulles, ere abyde, and boghte with his blode, shalbe turnyd fro þe waye of wickednesse to þe weye of rightwisnesse; and men shalle shed her blode for þe holy londe & in grete deuocyone deye for Cristys sake'. Þen alle þat þere were, meruelyd of, somme of hem notyd þe tyme; and soo it was after knowen þat Cristyn seyde byfore.
Also she profecyed longe tyme byfore a ful grete hungyr, þat was aboute þe ȝeere of oure lorde a þowsande two (l. an) hundreth and seuenty. ¶ And many oþere thinges Cristyne prophecyed, þoos þat are now er.—¶ Ferþermor siþen she was famylier and homely with þe nunnys of seint Kateryns wiþ-outen þe toun of seinte Trudous and oþere-while sittynge with hem spake of Cryste: sodeynly and vnsupposid alle hir body was taken of spirite & turnyd in to a whirlynge about as a scoprelle or a ere myghte be perceyued no forme ne schape of membrys in hir body. ¶ And whan she hadde be so longe turnyd aboute, as ȝif she shulde defayle for hougenes, she restyd with alle hir membris. And þen þere sownyd bitwix þe þrote and the breste of hir a merueilous ere-to wiþ any craft. Þat songe hadde a-lone notes vp and down & tones of musyke; þe wordes sooþly of þat melody, if þey maye be callyd woordes, sounyd to-gadir incomprehensibly. ¶ And þat whele come oute of hir mouthe or nose neiþer noos ne brethynge, mmes restyd and hir ye-liddes were stoken as she slepte. Þen sumwhat after þat sche turnith to hir-selfe
errely dronken goostly roos vp & cryed loude: 'Brynge þe couente to me, þat wee maye to-gedir louve Jhesu of hye goodnes in his meruelis'. ¶ Anoon þe couente come rennynge about on ilke a syde, and was ioyeful of Cristyns solas. Þen sche bigan Te deum laudamus, and alle þe couente folowynge er, she made an ende þere-of. And after þat, whan sche was comen fully to hir-selfe & knewe by rehersynge of oþere what she hadde doon, she fladde for shame and demyd hir-selfe a fole.
Oþer-while, sooþly, sche seyde wiþ grete bitternesse of herte, whenne she was turnyd to hir-selfe fro þe state now seyde: ¶ 'O þou miserabil and wrecchyd worlde, not knowynge þy maker: why serues þou hym not? why takes þou no nede to his longe abidynge & pacyens? If þou sawe his goodnesse, þof anoþer worlde seyde naye, þou myghtest mman trauelynge, and wryþed to-gadir hir membrys & walowed in þe erþe, wiþ ful grete weymentacyone and criynge often seiynge
After þis she lefte hir owne hous and kynred & wente vnto a castelle in þe marches of Almayne, þat is called Loen; where she dwellid nyne ȝeere with a womman reclused, of ful religyous lyfe, Iuet by name; ere oure lorde by Cristyn wroghte meruelles. Of þe whiche recluse I hadde many thinges þat I haue writen: ¶ for, sooþly, I ȝede vnto hir for þe same cause oute of fer contrees of Fraunce. ¶ And in þat same place Cristyn was atte matyns euery nyghte, & whanne alle oþere were goon oute of þe chirche and þe dores lokked, she dwellynge ere aungels songe þan mannes. ¶ Þat songe was so mer∣ueilous to hir þat passed alle þe uoyses and Instrumentis of musikers or mynstralles, but lesse and ferre vnlike to þe swetnesse of þat melodye þat sownyd by-twix hir þrote and hir brest. ¶ But þat songe ripture, þof sche neuer knewe lettir syþen she was borne; ¶ and whan she was asked moost dyuyne questyons of holy wrytte, she wolde declare hem moost openly to summe of hir spiritual freendes. But ere, for þe houge loue of Cryste, þagh, neuerþeles, she on contrary wyse suffred many wronges of hem. ¶ She mony∣shed riuely with a wonder reuerens prestys and clerkys þat synned, as hir owne faders, leste by hir (l. her) excesses þey schulde scorn þe good name of Cryste amonge þe pepil.
The ful nobil man Lowys, Erille of Loen, knowynge by ryfe fame þe holynesse of Cristyn, bygan to loue hir hertely and vsed hir cown∣seylles and communynges. Where-so-euer hee sawe hir, hee roos vp ageyn hir and mette hir, callynge hir moder. ¶ Soþely, if the same e what-so-euere righte wolde aske.
Also, whan þe same Erile Lowys layed hym down vpon a daye in þe chirche-ȝeerd, and many a knyghte aboute hym, she come priuely by nere to þe Erlis heed and holdynge vp hir eyen and handys, bygan to seye with wonder grace of mouþe: ¶ 'O lorde, þou arte ful feyre'. mman preysith þe?' 'ȝee, quod þe Eril, I woot whome she preyseþ. Hit am not I; she louveþ hir heuenly lorde, þat is fey∣rest of alle & maker of feirnesse.' ¶ 'Þou seiþ ful sooþ, quod she; þerfore why ne loues þou hym not?'
The same Erle on a tyme laye in his p(a)lys at Loen, þat now is dist∣royed, wiþ þe duke of Lymborgens, and an noþere Eril in þe none-tyde in somer vpon a mater as spekynge to-gedir. Þen Cristyn ranne to her speche boldely and cryed to þe Eril Lowes: ¶ 'O þou wrecche, quod at is thyne enemy & now puttiþ to þe hande of a traytoure'. ¶ Anoon þat traytour dredde þe voys and helde his pees for þe tyme; ȝit hee feyned hit in woordes, but þe ende proued þe soþe.
This same Eril Lowys, whanne he laye in his deed-bed, garte calle Cristyne to hym and preyed hir mekely þat she wolde abyde wiþ hym; and she grauntid. Þen hee goodly commaunded alle þat were wiþ hym to go oute of þe chaumbyr, & wiþ-helde Cristyn in þe chaumbyr. Þen forþwiþ þe Erille dressed hym vp wiþ þe strengthe, (&) knelynge byfore ere-by to praye for hym. ¶ After þat þe Eril garte calle alle his men in to þe chaumbyr and dis∣posid er Cristyns counseyle, and deyed. And she sawe his soule bitaken to purgatory, forto be turmentyd wiþ ful bitter peynes.
Off whome þis pitevous womman hadde grete pite, and gate graunte of oure lorde þat she shulde take parte with þe soule of peynes þat er his deth for helpe, Cristyn seyde to hym: 'haue done now and goo hennes, and þole peynes for þy synnes after goddes dome. ¶ I,
ns to my body'. Whan this was done, men myght see Cristyn longe tyme after in þe nyghte-tyme be turmentyd wiþ brennynge smokes, & oþere-while wiþ byuerynges of coldys, and certeyne, after þat atte þe soule of the Erle was peyned with o turmente & oþere. ¶ Also she
In þe laste ȝeere of hire lyfe she dwellid often in deserte and soli∣tude; and sche cam ageyne neuer-þe-les, þogh hit were ful selden, to e constreynyd of spirite to take mete. No erþely man myghte þat tyme wiþholde hir whanne she desyred to go to deserte. ¶ And whanne she come ageyne, no man hir salutid ne noman durste aske hir any thinge. Atte euene on a tyme sooþly she come home & passed by þe hous-myddes as a spirite on þe erþe, e of hir lyfe þe spirite hadde goten þe beestly body welnye in alle partyes, þat mennes myndes or eyen vnneþes myghte Ms. hit myghte.e and drede e of seint Trudous in þe abbey of seint Kateryne.
A worshypful man of myne name, Thomas, now abbot of seinte Tru∣dous, þen preste of þe cite, tolde me a thinge of Cristyn, ful worþy nge wente home with his felowe fro matyns: & Cristyn passed by with grete bire & ȝede into þe chirche. After whome þey folowed priuely & aspyed byhynde a piler of the chirche what she wolde do. And anon Cristyne cast doune hir-selfe byfore þe auter as a sekke ful of drye boonys; ¶ þen she made e grenously and by-gan often to knokke hir breste & hir body with hir fistes; ¶ 'O, quod sche, þou wrecchyd and miserabil body, how longe shalte þou tourmente me careful catyfe? ¶ How longe schalte þou tarye me fro the sighte of Criste? Whan shalt þou for∣sake me, þat þe soule maye turne ageyne frely to hir creature? ersone of the body, seyde as vnto þe spirite: ¶ 'O þou wrecchyd soule, why peynes þou me þus? What holdeþ þee in me, or what de∣lites þee of me? Why lettys þou me not go ageyne to þe erthe þat iþ restynge ful litil wiþ holy meditacyone in god, she breste into a ful swete laghter, and takynge her feet wiþ hir handes, Ms. I suffre.e corrupcyone and be assocyed to þe soule in euerlastynge ioye þat thou haste hadde felowe in þis worldes sorowe'. ¶ And wiþ siche woordes er she made þat merueilous ioi∣ynge þat wee seyde byfore, & was fulfilled wiþ so mykel myrþe wiþ∣inforþe, as hit shulde seem þat hir body shulde breste wiþ-oute-forþe. ¶ Sooþly, god is meruelous in alle his seintes, but in Cristyn, if I hit (may) seye, meruelous passynge alle merueilles!
In þe laste tyme of hir lyfe she ȝeet ful selden and litel. She wolde not sitte as she vsed byfore, to speke with sisters and religyous, but etynge a litil & refreshed wiþ slepe, a while byfore mydde-nyghte she wente to deserte. In þoos dayes neuere man sawe laughynge of hir er-mykel sorowe is made myndeles. ¶ She ȝeed praynge, weymentynge and mournynge; ¶ and þerfore it is leuyd of summe þat oure lorde shewed hir moor þan by∣fore þe staat and wickednesse of þe worlde. ¶ On þinge was þere for þe whiche she often made sorowe wiþ a wondir weymentacyone: e man-kynde was corrupte in abhomynabil spyces of leccherye, and þerfore goddes wraþe was nere to take sone vengeauns wel nye on alle cristiante.
Forsooþ, whan tyme come þat she shulde be holden with langour of e, þat hit was ful greuous to hir to haue hir þoghte oghwhere ellis. ¶ Þen Ms. þen þen.rayed benignely on Beatrys, Nunne of seint Kateryns, þat she wolde ordeyne hir a bedde priuely in a chaum∣byr, for by-cause hit semyd to hir at she shulde be seke. ¶ And she e and þe euyl en∣cresynge, ¶ she laboured in sieknes. And whan she (had) be holden with langour by wokys, she asked to be comunyd and aneled. Whan þat was done, þe sam Beatris knelyd down byfore Cristyn & prayed þat she shulde clarifye hir in sum thinges, or she passed of lyfe. ¶ And er-warde, differred þe questyone and wente oute of þe chaumbyr to do what ellis, & þe while lafte Cristyn allone.
Wherefore hit is seyde of summe þat Cristyn preyed often oure lorde
mmun deth of men: and in þis, sooþly, she was hard of oure lorde: for, or þe same Beatrys come ageyne, atte Crystes callynge Cristyn ȝolde þe gost. ¶ And anoon þe forsayde Beatris come wiþ an oþere sustir: and fonde þe deed body on þe grounde, forþe streight errely wiþ seruys of aungellis. ¶ Þanne Beatrys doynge impacyently, felle on þe deed body criynge and hougely weymentynge. ¶ And whan amonge criynge she hadde asked the deed why she wolde passe wiþ-outen gladnesse & leeue takynge of sisters, atte laste she conceyued triste vnto oure lorde of ou has ben in þy lyfe euere obedyente to me: I adiure þe now and byhote þe by oure lorde Jhesu Criste, whom þou louedist in thy lyfe wiþ brennynge desyre, þat þou obey to me also now, for þou arte myghty & mayste doo what þou wolte, þurgh hym erefore turne now ageyne to lyfe and telle me þat I haue asked wiþ grete desyre to be openyd of þe in þy lyfe'. ¶ A meruelous þinge! Anoon as Beatrys hadde cryed þees wordes in þe deed erys, Cristyn turnyd to lyfe & maad an heuy sighynge and with a sory chere, betynge Beatrys þat reuoked hir iþ token of crosse & woord blessed hem, ¶ and þe þridde tyme was experte of dethe and þe thridde tyme dyed. ¶ And so she passed to immortal worldes of worldes. She lyued, sooþly, after she firste roos froo deþ to lyue, two and fourty ȝeere; and she dyed aboute þe ȝeere e of oure lorde a þousand two hundred and foure & twenty.
She was biryed, sooþly, wiþ-outen þe towne of seinte Trudous in þe abbey of seynte Kateryne, & þere she restyd seuen ȝeere, vnto tyme þat þe bigynnynge l. biggynge, aedificium.ransferred to a better place nnys wente to þe toumbe of worshypful Cristyn. Whan þey hadde openyd hir l. hit.e þat þere was, þat alle wiþ oo þoghte, wiþ o mouþe cryed alle to-gadir ¶ how Cristyn was in alle hir lyfe eruelous and also after hir deth gloryous. ¶ Sooþly, no man doutyþ þe myracles þere haue be doon to hem þat visityd hir toumbe wiþ verrey feith; but wee maye not pursue siche maters atte this tyme.
Take heed þerfore, þou reder, how mykel wee be bounden, þat see ristyn haue suffryd so many turmentys not for hir-selfe but for hir
e come, and shal not tarye, þat wee wolde fulfayne assaye to doo moor þanne þees, if spase of penauns were gifen to hem þat aske, and if þey myghte turne agayne to do þe tymes þat þey sette not by before. ¶ And woo to hem þat wil erfore wiþ voyde laumpe þey shalle knokke on þe ȝate, but noon entry shalle they get, for hit shalbe seyde to hem: ¶ 'sooþly I seye to ȝow, I knowe ȝow not'. ¶ Þerfore wakiþ, for ȝee knowe neiþer þe daye ne oure. Wherfore þe sleper is concludid wiþ a necessarye argumente, erfore, for ȝee knowiþ neiþere þe oure ne þe daye whan ȝoure lorde shalle come. And what ellis cryed Cristyn in alle hir lyfe but do penauns, & men to be redy ilkan oure? Þat taughte she wiþ many ere heere-byfore or comynge after, vnto þe worshyp and louvynge of Cryste, þat wiþ þe fadir & þe holy goost lyueþ and reigniþ god with∣outen ende. AMEN.
Worshypful James, byshope of Accone, wrote vnto þe byschope of Tholose a longe proheme Dieser Prologus ad Fulconem episc. Tolosanum findet sich in den A. SS. Boll. Juni IV, 636.e folowiþ: in þe whiche proheme hee writiþ compendiously dyuerse commendacyouns erueilles of many deuoute & holy wymmen in þe dyocis of Leody and in þat cuntreye. ¶ And amonge his writynge, as clerge & retho∣rik askeþ, hee puttiþ legeauns and figuratif spekynges þat are not lighte to be turnyd in to englische langage wiþ-outen moor expounynge; and if a man wolde take summe of þe same proheme, þe sentense erfore I leeue alle þat proheme, excepte þis shorte ouerly touchynge.
¶ Heere bigynneþ þe chapiters of þe firste boke of þe lyfe of seinte Marye of Oegines: þe whiche lyfe Maister James, confessour & famylier of þe same Marye, after byshop of Accone, & after þat Car∣dynalle e of þe courte of Rome, endyted in latyn, in þe ȝeere of grace a thowsand two hundrede and fiftene.
e . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cap. II.ersacyone l. conversyone.at þey for∣soke e . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cap. III.ersecucyon of hir cosyns . . Cap. IV.e and terys . . . . . . . . Cap. V.e . . . . . . . Cap. VII.e of hir handes . . . . . . . . . Cap. XII.e of chere and oþer membrys of hir body . . . . . . . . . . . Cap. XIII.
In þe bisshoperiche of Leody, in a toun þat is callid Niuelle Ms. Viuelle.ere was a ȝonge mayden, in lyfe & name gloryous, þe whiche highte Mary, comen of fadir and moder þat were of comun. And þof þey aboundid in erþeles worldly godes neuer enty∣ced hir mynde to hem, fro she was a childe, so þat welnye fro hir moder wombe she was casten in to oure lorde. ¶ And neuere, or elles ful selden, she played hir as oþere do, nor she was felawe with suche damysellis þat fare alle with fantum, but kepynge hir soule fro alle couetyse & vanyte, e childe-hode what she shulde be in eldir age. Wherfore often in her ȝouþe she knelyd byfore hir bedde and offred to oure lorde orysouns þat she hadde leryd, as firste fruytes of hir lyfe. ¶ In so mykel, sooþly, froo a childe litil grewe wiþ hir mercy and pite, & as wiþ a naturel pite loued religyone: Þat Ms. þan st. þat.ere come breþere of Cisteus ordyr oþere-while by hir fader hous, she lokynge vp folowed after priuely & hadde wondir of hir abyte; ¶ and whan she hadde no more þat she myghte do, for desire she sette hir fete in þe steppes of þe conuerses or monkes. ¶ Also whan hir fader and modir, as maner is of seculers, wolde haue rayed ressed naturally in hir mynde þat seinte Petir seiþ of wymmen þus: ¶ 'Whas araye of cloþinge be not wiþ-oute-forþe tressynge & tiftynge of here or tire of golde or gownes'; ¶ and also seinte Poule seiþ; 'Not in crumpled lokkys or golde or perilles or recyous clothe'. Wherfore hir fader and modir, lawghynge and scornynge þe mayden, seyde: 'what-maner womman schalle oure doghter be?'
And þerfore þey hauynge envye at hir gracyous dedys, whanne she rauailed with hir owne handes mykel parte of þe nyghte, after labour she was ful longe in hir prayers; and at oþere dele of þe nyghte, as often as hit was leeueful to hir, she
riuely hidde atte hir beddes feet. And for she hadde not openly power of hir owne body, she bare priuely vndir hir smok a fulle shharpe corde, with þe whiche she was girdid ful harde.—¶ I seye not þis, prci∣synge þe exces, but tellynge þe feruoure. In þis and many oþer þat riuelege of grace, lat þe discrete reder take hede þat priuilege of a fewe makiþ not a commun lawe. Folowe wee hir vertues; (þe werkes of hir vertues) wiþ-outen specyal priuilege folowe maye wee not. ¶ Sooþly, þof þe body be to be constreyned to serue þe spirite; þof we ow to bere in oure body þe woundys of oure lorde esu Cryste, neuerþeles wee woot þat þe kynges worshyp loueþ lawe and riȝhte, ne sacrifice of raueyne plesiþ not oure lorde. Certeynly, necessaryes are not to be wiþdrawen fro þe pore fleshe, but vices are to be refreyned. ¶ And þerfore þat atte wee rede sum seyntes haue done by famylyer & homly counseyle of the holy gost, wee e raþere meruaile þanne folowe.
And whan she so a good while had lyued wiþ John̄, hir spouse, in matrymoyne, oure lorde byhelde the meeknes of his mayden and gra∣cyously rayers: for John̄ was enspyred to haue Mary as taken to kepe, whom he hadde firste as wife. Hee made þe chast man tutour of his mayden, þat she shulde haue solas of hir keper, and lafte to hir a trewe puruyour, þat she myȝhte more frely serue oure lorde. And also byfore of a naturel goodnes þe same John̄ ere men, but ful goodly suffred and compassyone hadde of hir laboures: and visityd was of oure lorde, þat hee deserued not allonly . . . Lat.: coelibem et vere angelicam vitam; im Engl. fehlt ein wort.erre aungels lyfe by contynens and chastite, but also to gyue alle þat hee hadde for Crystes loue to þore men and to folowe his felowe in holy e. For euere þe ferre hee was departyd fro hir by carnelle affeccyone, þe nerre was hee knytte to hir by loue of sprituel spousehode. ¶ Wherfore oure lorde apperyd after in visyone to his mayden and bihighte þat as reparelde matrymoyne he wolde gyue ageyne to hir in heuene hir felowe, þe whiche for loue of chastyte erfore wrecchyd lecchours, fulynge hem owne selfe oute of wedloke with vnleueful commixtions, maye be schamed and ferde, syþen booþ þese blissed ȝongelynges, absteinynge fro leeueful halsynges for goddes loue, ouere-come the harde heet of brennynge ȝouþe þurgh feruour of religyone. For þey erued corons for þe pryse: to whome oure lorde gaf in his hous and in his wallis place & name better þan sones and doghters, (syþen) of a blessed kynde of martirdome in fyre not brennynge, where luste aboundid her owne luste sleynge, nere þe flude þristynge & amonge (metis) hungerynge, þey stikked her fleshes with nayles of goddes mwhile to summe mesellis bisyde Neuelle Ms. Venelle.at is named Villambroce.
Deueles sawe and envyed, seculers and cosyns sawe and with teeþ ageyns hem (gnastyd; whome) firste they worshepyd ryche, after þey riste vnto contumilious scornes of þe crosse and sette be-syde þe ioye and þis worldes worshyp. Hyt better is to þe bee abiecte and noȝhte sette ure lorde, þanne dwelle in haulles and chaumbirs of synners. Þou has loste grace of cosyns, but þou haste founden Cristes grace. Haste þou loste þy cosyns loue? Naye, for, certeynly, þei loued þee neuere, but þy catelle. Flyes folowe Ms. felowe.e, and þeues hir praye, not þe man.
Lorde, þou arte ful good to hem þat tristen in þe, þou arte trewe to hem þat abyden thee. þy mayden haþ despysed þe reume of þe worlde and alle þe worshyp þere-of for þy loue: sooþly, þou hast gyuene hir ageyn þe hundirdfold in this worlde & euer-lastynge lyfe in þat atte is to ertues, as a sadde and hool vesselle of golde onoured wiþ euery precyous stoon, þou hast arayed and tyred þy ful dere frende, wiþ how grete miracles þou haste worschepyd hir, þat abiecte and scornyd of seculers. Þe bigynnynge of hir conuersacyone l. conuersyone.l. loue; pri∣mitiae dilectionis.e; þy herynge she herde and dredde, she byhelde þy Ms. þe.reuent & inspirid of þe, considerid þe beenfetȝ þat þou mercyfulle schewdist in flesche to mankynde, she fonde so mykel grace of compunxyone, so grete plente of terys, þristyd oute in þy passyone with þe pressure e rennynge on þe kirke∣paumente shewed where she ȝeed. ¶ Wherfore longe tyme after this visitacyone of hir she myghte not byholde an ymage of the crosse, ne speke ne heere oþere folke spekynge of the passyone, but if sche felle in to a swounynge for hyȝ desyre of herte. ¶ And þerfore ere-while, to tempir hir sorowe and to wiþholde aboundauns of teerys, she lafte þe manhede of Criste and helde vp hir mynde to þe godhede & mageste, þat she myȝhte fynde comforte in his vnsufferabilite. ¶ But where as she enforced hir to restreyne hir wepynge, þere encresed meruelously teerys moor and moor. ¶ For whan she toke iþ newe teerys was refresshed by a swete compunxione.—¶ Hit was vpon a daye byfore good-fridaye nere Cristes passyone, whanne she hadde offred hir-selfe to oure lorde wiþ mykelle watir of teerys, sobbynges and sighynges, a preste of at she shulde praye softely and latte be hir wepynge. She, sooþly, as she euer was sham∣faste & in alle thinges sympil as a doufe, didde hir bisynesse to obey. ¶ Þenne she, knowynge hir vnmyghte, wente priuely oute of þe chirche and hidde hir in a priue place fer fro alle folke: and gate nte of oure lorde with terys þat he wolde shewe to þe same preste þat hit is not in mannes powere to wiþholde þe stronge streme of teerys, whanne a grete blaste blowþ and þe watir flowiþ. Wherfore þat preste, þe while hee sange masse þat same daye, was so ouer∣comen wiþ abundauns of terys, þat his spirite was wel nyghe stran∣gelyd; e his terys, þe moor not oonly hee but also þe buke and þe auter-clothes were wette wiþ water of wepynge: ¶ soo þat hee vnavisyman, he þat blamer of Crystes mayden, leeryd with schame by experiens what hee schulde do þat hee wolde not firste knowe by meeknesse and compassyone. er many sobbynges, pronounsynge many wordes vnordynatly now and now, atte laste vnneþes hee skaped fro perille; ¶ and hee bare witnesse, þat booþ sawe and knewe, and wee wot þat his witnesse is trewe. ¶ Sooþly, þen longe tyme after the messe was endid, Cristes mayden, turnynge ageyne & wondirly as if she hadde be resente vmbreidynge tolde what felle vnto þe preste. 'Now, quod sche, ȝee haue leeryd by experyens þat hit is not in a man to wiþ∣holde þe fersenes of þe wynde whanne þe sowth bloweþ'.—¶ And while booþ daye and nyghte contynuelly water wente aweye by hir eyen, and not oonly hir terys in hir chekys but also leste they shulde erceyued in þe paumente, she kepte hem in kerchefs wiþ þe whiche she couerd hir heed; and siche lynnen cloþes she vsed fulmany, þe whiche sche nedid often to chaunge, þat, as on wette, anoþere myghte drye. ¶ And þen, certeynly, whan men of compassyone with desyre after so longe fastynge, after so many wakynges & after so ere she felte any soor or akynge, as hit is wonte to be of a tome hede: ¶ 'þes teeris, quod she, are my refresshynge, þes are my sustynauns nyghte & daye; þat dissese not the heed, but feden þe mynde; þey angwyshe wiþ noon akynge, but þey lightsum þe soule with a shynnynge; þey avoyde not þe brayne,
After hir compunccyone now see wee shortly of hir shrifte. I take ere in alle hir lyfe or conuersacyone I myghte perceyue oon deedly synne. ¶ And if happely hit semyd to hir þat she hadde trespassed any litil venial synne, she shewyd hir to a preste wiþ so grete sorow of herte, wiþ so mykel schame and wiþ so longe contricyone, þat oþere-while for grete angwyshe of herte she er of a womman trauelynge of childe; ȝe, þof she so eshewed fro smal and veniels, þat oþere-while she myghte not fynde in hir herte in fiftene dayes vnordynate þoghte.
ere where no gilte is, often she knelyd atte prestys feet and accusynge hir-selfe confessyd hir with terys of sum thinge in þe whiche vnneþis wee myghte absteyne fro laghter, as sum childely woordes þat she sorowed fore, the whiche, as she mynned, she spake in veyne in hir ȝouþe. ¶ But sooþly, after þat ere byfore hir eyen Salomons worde: 'hee þat rekkiþ not smale thinges falliþ doune by litlum', þat wee myghte neuer or selden perceyue in hir ydel worde or vnordynat lokynge or ere-while for abundaunt ioye, whanne she myghte vnneþes holde hir-selfe, (she) were constreyned to shewe þe ioynge of hir herte by oute-warde berynge of body with a litil excesse & gladnesse of chere; ouþer brestynge oute by cleernesse of herte in er of her goodnesse receivynge any of hir frendys wiþ a litil & shamfaste clippynge, ouþer of entir deuocyone sum prestis handes or feet kissynge. ¶ And whanne she comen to hir∣selfe ageyne as after a moystnesse of mynde, rekenyd & countid streitly atte euene alle hir deedys: if she myghte perceyue þat she hadde ex∣cedid er so litil, she shroue hir wiþ Ms. and st. wiþ.e of herte (&) she st. so?nge hir-selfe, often dredyd þere where was nouþer drede ne doute. And in þis allone wee, sekynge solas to oure slouth, oþere-while reprehendid hir þat she shrof hir of siche smale thinges oftener þanne wee wolde.
Now after hir confessyone seye wee ferþer wiþ how mykel and mer∣ueilous penauns she punyshed hir body, wiþ how grete loue and delyte in clippynge Cristes crosse she pyned hir fleshe. Let vs see þat firste scole lessun of oure lorde Jhesu Cryste and þat firste techynge of the e selfe & take his crosse and folowe me'. ¶ She turnyd þis often in hir herte and bisyed hir to folowe Cryste in þese thre paces and steppys. For, certeyne, she forsoke not oonly oþere mennes goodes, no thinge of oþer men coueityng; not oonly hir owne, alle thinges e selfe, hir owne wille fully forsakynge. ¶ She forsoke hir owne selfe, sub∣mittynge hir to an oþere mannes wille by obedyens; she toke þe crosse, chastisynge hir body by abstynens; and she folowyd Criste, settynge noghte by hir-selfe þurgh meeknesse. ¶ In so mykelle, sooþly, she at alle fleshely delyte was to hir vnsauery. So þat on a tyme she broghte ones to mynde at after a grete sicknesse þat she hadde, (she) was constreyned, as of nede, to vse a litil while fleshe & wyne: and of abomynacyone of þat delectacyone byfore she punyshed hir-selfe and hadde no reste in spirite, vnto she hadde made e, siche
is and for shame hidde hem in þe erþe; and for she was enflaumed wiþ houge heet of loue, she sawe on of Seraphyn, þat is a brennynge aungel, standynge by hir in þis excesse of mynde. ¶ And whan hir body shulde be washen after she was deed, wymmen e, wiste what it was. ¶ þey þat worship and meruaile wormys wellynge oute of seint Symeouns woundes & seinte Antones fyre how he brent his fete: why wonder þey not in a freel kynde so grete strengthe of a womman, þat, woundyd with charite iþ Cristes woundys, sette not by þe woundes of hir owne body?
Crystes mayden passed & was excellent by so grete grace of fastynge, þat þos dayes in þe whiche hir byhoued to haue recreacyone of body, ere, but selden smale fyshes; and she was sustenyd with frutes of trees, crbys and potage. And longe tyme she ȝeet ful blak brede & ful sharpe, Ms. ennye, so öfter.e by-payned with enuye; and whan he Ms. she.ere∣mykelle'. ¶ Sooþly, she hadde dissese often-tyme in etynge, for mykel fastynge & longe; moor-ouer hir stomak aked and wroghte, as er-mykel abstynens. ¶ Þerfore euer þe more þat þe venemous spirite was Ms. wiþ.er er-þe-les she soffred no harme of body nor of hir handes werkys. And whanne she refreshed hir body with a litil brede & watir in hir celle wiþ-in þe chirche at euene or in þe nyȝhte, fro Ms. for.er e as þurgh a brighte wyndowe: of whos presens she hadde so grete com∣forte & so grete ioye of spirite, þat þe goostly swetnesse passed alle delite of sauoure. ¶ Also seinte Johne Euangelist, whom she loued e, come oþere-while to hir borde, while she eet; and in his presens hir sensibil appetite was so voyded for deuoute desire, þat she myghte vnneþes take any mete. And certaynly, oure lorde rewardid hir bodily delites Ms. desetes, lat. delicias.ere-while þurgh comforte of this mete she fastid, neiþer etynge ne drynkynge eyghte dayes, sumtyme ellenene, þat is fro Ms. for.e of oure lorde vnto Witsondaye: and wondirly, hir hede akyd no tyme, ne she lafte not for þat laboure of hir handes, as stronge þe laste daye of hir fastynge as þe firste. ¶ And if she wolde haue eten e to hir-selfe; for as longe as þe soule, abundaunt so copiously, was so ful of sprituel fedynge, (hit) wolde not suffir hir receyue any refeceyone of bodily mete. ¶ Also oþere-while she restynge esely with oure lorde fyue and thretty dayes in a swete esu Cryste'; ¶ and whanne she hadde receyued þe sacramente, she dwellid wiþ oure lorde euery daye in silens. ¶ Sooþly, (s)he felid in þos dayes hir spirite as departid fro þe body, so beyng in þe body as if hit were er fyue wekys she turnynge ageyne to hir-selfe, openyd hir mouþe & spake and receyued bodily food; and þey þat stood aboute, maruelyd. er hit happenyd to hir þat sche myghte on no manere soffir þe sauours of fleshe or of any friynge or of wyne, but whanne she toke wyne in þe rynshynge after þe sacrament; and þen she myȝhte suffre þe smel with-outen any greuauns. ¶ Also whanne she went by dyuers townes to a byschope forto haue þe sacramente of e, þe sauours þat she myȝt not suffir byfore, dredde hir not a deel.
Euer þe more þat she made hir body lene wiþ fastynges, þe more freer was hir spirite and replete wiþ praiynges; þe body wiþ abstynens ure lorde was strengþed. ¶ She gat of oure lorde so grete grace and so specyalle of praiynge, þat nyȝhtes & dayes neuere or selden hir spirite was ouercomen ne releced fro prayer. ¶ She prayed wiþ-outen blinnynge, ouþer criynge to god wiþ stille herte, or ellis wiþ hir mouþ expressynge þe hertys desyre. Ms. smaule st. sauter; psalterium.Ms. salues.ere to oure lorde, with þe whiche as wiþ nayles she couplyd hir hert to god, leste hit wandird in veyne. And whanne she prayed specially for any body, as with a wondirful experiens oure lorde shewyd to hir & answerid e spirite. ¶ Sooþly, she perceyued oþere-while by eleuacyone of hir spirite or depressyone wheþer she were herde or noon.—¶ Vpon a tyme she prayed for a deed man soule: and hit was seyde to hir: 'prey not for hym, for hee is reproued of god'. In certeyne, þe same man hadde his deþes wounde and wrecchedly was deed in turnament, st. a.raynge. ¶ Þen she, meruelynge & not knowynge what þat shulde be, was sumwhat adredde, and fledde to þe chirche. An oþere daye, while she was in hir celle, she sawe eftesones þe same rayers or of an oþere, wiþ recyous oynemente. ¶ Sooþly, she lafte oþere-while custumabil orysouns for swetnes of con∣templacyone; ¶ also sumtyme she myghte not open hir mouþe nor she myghte thinke on noon oþere thinge but of god.—¶ She vsed, by-cause of pilgrimage or prayer, to vyset seint Mary chirche of Oegines Lat. de Heignes.e lady; and þat chirche was fro hir place two grete myles. ¶ And whan hit was wonder houge wynter, she ȝede barefote to þat chirche þurgh first, wiþ-outene any harme or hurt of hir-selfe. ¶ And whil she hadde but o mayden with hir and knewe not þe wey þat is ful vnredy & ful of wode, a lighte but Tilge but?ere wronge. ¶ Also syþen þat daye she hadde no thinge eten and alle nyght waked in þe chirche, on þe morne whanne she shulde go home & not ete til euene, neuerþeles with-outen any difficulte she wente home ageyne, holy aungels ledynge hir on booþ sydes. ¶ Sooþly, sumtyme ere semyd an houge rayne in þe cloudys & she hadde no cloþes to chare hir fro þe rayne, she lokynge vp sawe sum sterris obeysaunte to hir wiþ-holdynge þe rayne, and so in þe rayne∣tyme come home ageyne vntouched.—Also oþere-while, whan hir soule was replete and purifyed as sumtyme more þan oþere, she myghte rayere: wherfore she salutid oure-lady in þe nyghte and in þe daye knelynge a þowsande syþes & an hundirde, contynuynge þis meruelos and vnharde offys of salutacyone fourty dayes to-gedir. þe firste tyme in an houge spirife she knelyd wiþ-oute stynte sex hundreth syþes; ¶ þe secunde tyme standynge on hir feet she redde e of oure lady aue maria &c.; ¶ but þe þridde tyme þ(r)e hundreþ syþes at euery knelynge wiþ a scharpe ȝeerd smytynge hire, sacrifyed & offerde hir-selfe with a longe martirdome to god and to þe blessed mayden Mary. ¶ Sooþly, wiþ þe (þre) laste strokes, to sauer wiþ þe toþere, she iþ aūngels helpe, þat sustenyd hir and socoured. ¶ How mykel the vertue of hir prayer was, not oonly men were often expert to socour, but also fendys to turmente: þe whiche in so mykel she constreyned þat she drowe hem as wiþ ropes, & þey were compellid e prayers, ¶ oþer-while gnastynge with hir teeþ ageyns hir, ¶ sumtyme makynge quarels & pleinynge of hir, ¶ and also vmwhile as bisechynge hir lowly. ¶ Sooþly, whan any of hir frendes were trauelid with any temptacyone, she was stired wiþ þe spirite of compassyone and cesed not of hir prayere tille þe ercomen and þe man delyuered.—And so þere was on of hir specyalle frendys þat oþere-while þe more sotily þe more perliously was temptyd of þe deuelry þat walkes in derknesse. Þat sly enmy, transfigurynge hym into an aungel of lighte, as vndir a spyce of pite apperyd homely in slepe to hir frende byfore-seyde, bla∣mynge mme vyces, and warned hym also gylously of sum good dedys þat hee shulde do, and ȝaf hym firste tryacul, þat hee myghte þe more priuely brynge in after venym. Þen whan hee was trowed as hee hadde be trewe, ¶ þen in maner of a sofister amonge sum trewe þat traytour enforced hym to medil false with-alle, hydynge er hadde be concluded with a myserabil conclusyone l. confusyone.Ms. but of.e of þe holy goost perceyued þe symulacyone & sotilte of þat sly sofister. ¶ And whan she seyde at þat reuelacyone was not of god but deceyte uod she, or what is thy name?' ¶ And hee, as he was of a proude loke, byhelde hir alle ascoyle; ¶ 'I am he, quod hee, whome þou, corsed womman, haþ garte come to þe þurgh thy prayers and has by-rafte me my frende. ¶ Slepe is er þe ende proued openly atte þat man was deceyued of þe feend.—¶ Also þere was a ȝonge virgyn in an abbey of þe Cisteus e seruynge oure lorde: to whome þe olde serpente hadde þe more envye, in as mykelle as hee sawe hir take þe purpose of so harde ly(u)ynge in freel kynde and ȝonge age. ¶ And syþen hee knewe þat virgyne dreedful and meke, hee assayled hir wiþ blasfemys and vnclene þoghtes, at hee myghte e in to dispayre by ferdefulnesse and vnordynate drede.
ere þe wounde of hir herte, þat she myghte re∣ceyue medecyn for feerdfulnesse, (she) felle as into despayre. ¶ For so er pater noster ne credo; and hir synnes wold she not schryue. ¶ And if oþere-while she were coacte, eiþer with feyre wordes or þretys to confesse sum thinges, she myghte be broghte on no maner to aske forgifnesse. She myghte not be atte þe sacramentis of holy erturbacyone to sle hir-selfe, she dispysed goddes worde & prechynge for hir hele, she hatyd alle good, þe deuel putte oute by hir mouþe many wordes of blasfemye and scorne. ¶ And whan hir meke sistirs hadde mykel prayed for hir to oure mercyful lorde, er of deuilry myghte not anoon be casten Ms. custen.e spouse dispysed þe prayers of so many holy virgyns, but for he reserued þat most cruel kynde of deuelry to be ouer-comen by his mayden, þat she shulde þirle þurgh þe chekys iþ þe spedfulnesse of hir prayers & myghtely drawe þe praye fro his mouþe. ¶ Þerfore, whan þat ȝonge virgyne was broghte to Cristes mayden: as she was ful of compassyone and of goostly swetnesse, receyued hir ful godely, not oonly in hir celle by liberalle and free hospitalite, but also in herte by spirite of charite. ¶ And rayed mykel for hir to oure lorde, ȝit hee þat wende haue holden hir faste, wolde not leue hir. Þen she sacrifyed hir-selfe more to oure lorde & fasted fourty dayes wiþ wepynge and prayers, so þat she ȝeet but twyes or thryes in þe woke. ¶ Sooþly, in þe ende of fastynge hee þat most hidous spirite lafte þe virgyne e, soo þat hit semyd as hee hadde easten oute alle his bowellis, berynge wrecchidly on his nekke alle þat was wiþ-in hym—¶ for þat at oure lorde wirkiþ invisibily in spirite, oþere-while hee shewiþ hit visibily by vt∣warde ere she enioyned hym. ¶ And þan she, þat neuere presumed of hir-selfe nor any thynge wolde do wiþ-outen counseille, called a famylier frende er, on whome she trastid. ¶ Þan whan he counceylid hir þat she shulde sende hym into a deserte place, where he myȝhte noye no man vnto þe daye of dome: anoþer man, ful homely and priuey to hem booþ, come to, & whan hee knewe þe cownseile, as more feruente þurgh fersnesse of an houge spirite, 'nay quod hee, þat tray∣tour e anoon in to
e downe wiþ ȝellynge, and she herde in spirite a grete crye of fendys, whan þey sawe so grete and so myghty prynce come to hem: Þen Cristes mayden meruailed þat mykel & þanked god of his grete grace and goodnesse. And þat forsaide virgyne was delyuered þat same oure, & shroue hire ere-while, (while) she rested in hir bedde after many wakynges, þe fende apperyd to hir in dyuerse liknesses, gnastynge agayns hir & cursynge: 'Iuel riste haue þou wiþ vs, quod he, in helle be þy riste. I am no lesse payned wiþ þy reste þan I
This stronge wise womman þoughte greuous and vnsuffurabil harme of ydel tyme—for dayes ouer-passe, but þey come not ageyne; wher∣fore ere bodyly þinges þat are loste. ¶ And þerfore she eschewyd wiþ most bisynesse, in as mykelle as was leueful to hir, þat noon oure of þe daye or nyghte shulde ouer-passe, hir vnoccupyed or ydel. ¶ For she slepte selden anyghtes, knowynge ercyabil lafte of oure lorde not to meryte & mede, but to recreacyone of mannes freel febilnesse. Soþ hit is þat wee deserue no mede slepynge, for wee haue noon vse of fre choys & dome. ¶ Wherfore, as mykel as she myghte, absteinynge for slepe she serued oure lorde in þe nyghtes-watchys, and so mykel more deuoutely þat e nyghte, didde awey fro hir eyen alle slepe wiþ-outen any bodily eruelous noyse, as of a multitude of pepil, delyted hir eres wiþ a doucet and mery molody. Hit shoke awey slouþe, hit refreshyd þe hede, hit comfortyd þe mynde wiþ a wondir swetnesse, hit sterid deuocyone, hit enflaumed sanctus sanctus sanctus dominus &c., ¶ þat is: holy, holy, holy lorde. Latte wrecched & fonned wymmen loke this & take hede and sorowe for her synnes, þat wiþ hir vntoune & lacches songes kyndeliþ þe fyre of lecchery and makiþ coles to brenne wiþ erfore þey, alyenid fro þe songe of aungels, perisshe in hir vanyte & pryde, whos laghter shalbe turnyd in to wepynge, ioye into sorowe, and songe into a careful ȝellynge; to whome oure lorde byhetiþ for hir gaye girdille a rope, for swete sauour stynke, and for crisped coloryd here a balled hede. ¶ Soþely, oure Mary, recyous relikes of seintes
e wardeyne, gladid her spirite wiþ a meruelous mirthe; and in hir laste sicknesse, hauynge compassyone, counfortyd hir & byhette hir helpe and mede anent god for hir labour and kepynge. ¶ She erþeles wiþ litille stre, in þe whiche she rested selden; for ful often she, sittynge in þe chirche and lenynge hir hede to þe walle, was refresshed wiþ a litil slepe and hadde recours to þe swete laboures of wakynges. Neuerþeles she spendid not þe tyme of hir slepe alle wiþ-outen fruyte: for while she slepte, hir herte er byfore hir eyen in sweuenes hym þat she desyred—for 'where loue is, þere is þe eye'; & sooþly, where hir tresoure was, ere was hir herte, as Cryste seiþ of hym-selfe: 'where I am, þere my seruaunte shalbe'. ¶ Also often oure lorde shewed to hir many þinges, while she slepte, and visitid his mayden wiþ many reuelacyouns, lesse slepe schulde passe in ydel—as Joseph & oþere seintes were warned Ms. warmed.rophete Johel: ¶ 'ȝoure e ȝongelynges shalle see vi∣syouns'. ¶ Oþere-while she myȝht haue rest in hir celle; but sum∣tymes, and moste whan grete sollempnites were nere, she myghte fynde no reste but wiþ-in þe chirche wiþ-in þe presens of Criste; ¶ and thanne she muste abyde in þe chirche nyghte and daye. ¶ For ngel, whan she was oþere-while afflicte wiþ ouer-mykel fastynge, warned hir to take reste; and whan she hadde rested a litil, he reysed hir and ladde hir ageyne to þe chirche. ¶ And so, by houge incitacyone of hym and e of vertue & strengthe, vpon a tyme fro þe feste of seint Martyn vnto lenten she cleued so to þe paument of þe chirche, þat, wheþere she satte or laye, she myȝhte not suffir bytwix hir and þe bare erthe as mykel as o litil stre. And while she slepte, she hadde þe bare erþe or a stoke of tre ouerthwarte byfore þe grees of þe ere was so grete colde and so grete froste, þat, as me meniþ, in þe holy chalys, while þe preste songe, wyne fros sensibly & sodeynly in to yce. Neuerþeles she felte no colde, nor hir hede akyd but litil, þe holy aungel mercyabely haldynge vndir his hande. ¶ Woo to ȝow þat are e falle in to þe deppeste of helle, where vndir ȝow shalbe strewed vermyne and ȝoure couerynge shalbe wormes. er sparith hir, þat sche be not schente wiþ colde; ¶ holy aungels mynistir to hir, þat she in no þinge suffer sore. ¶ Ageyne ȝow, fonned foles, þe world shalle fighte for god: for þat at he made shalbe armed to vengeauns of his enmyes, and þe creature þat seruiþ to þe maker
She þat was cladde wiþ the holy lambys flees, she þat was wiþ-inne onoured wiþ þe brydalle garmente, she þat wiþinforþe hadde cloþed hir wiþ Cryste, chargyd not of outewarde araye. ¶ Neuerþeles hir ere. ¶ Sooþly, she eschewyd fayre araye & foule booþ ilike: for þat one sounes delytes and lustes, & þat oþer ypocricy and preisynge of þe pepil. ¶ Neuerþeles she knewe þat seinte John̄ Bap∣tiste was praysed of oure lorde for sharpnes of cloþes, & þat Cryste seiþ erfore she vsed not next hir flesche a lynnen smok, but an harde sakke, þat is callid in open tunge stamyne. er hir falle not wiþ precyous cloþes or crafty∣ously coloured, but with letheren cotes. She, þat brennyd wiþ-inne-forþe, helde hir payed wiþ þe sympelnesse of þese cloþes and dredde no colde, nor she nedid no materyal fyre to chare awey chele in wynter; ¶ but in a meruelous manere, whan þere was sharpe wynter and harde ere-while hir cloþes smellid wiþ-inne of hir swete sauoured swote. ¶ Also sum∣tyme þe sauour of hir cloþes was as odour of encens, whil she offerde hir orysouns to oure lorde wiþ censour of clene herte. ¶ What seye erflue wymmen, ful of pompe and pryde, þat chargiþ ȝoure caryouns wiþ many-folde of clothes and shewith ȝoure-selfe like bestiss oute of kynde wiþ ȝoure longe tayles, shyndynge ȝoure sem∣blaunte wiþ hornys and hokes zusatz des übersetzers.is and stinken, þe cloþes of this holy womman recyous cloþes ouercomen wiþ no colde, were þey neuere soo þinne, & þerfore halowed bycause of colde, ¶ and soþely, for þe halowynge þey are kepte ful bisily and worshepyd wiþ affeccyone of pite of deuoute pupil after hir obyte.
This wise womman wiste wele þat oure lorde hadde putte penauns to þe firste fadir and moder after synne, and þurgh hem to her childer, þat is: 'In swote of þy semelande þou shalte ete þy mete'. ¶ Wher∣fore, as longe as she myghte, she laboured wiþ hir owne handys, at she shulde pyne hir body wiþ penauns, at she shulde mynistir neces∣sa(r)yes ere wiþ hir handes fruyte and laboure bisily, enten∣tynge ercise of labour she counted Ms. comytid.at þe onbygoten sone of þe hye kynge of heuene, þat openiþ his hande and fillith euery beste wiþ his blessynge, was noryshed wiþ handes laboure of Joseph and of a litil pore trauelynge virgyne. Þer∣fore er þe apostil, she wirkynge wiþ hir handes ete hir brede—for hir strengthe was in silens & hope. In so mykel, sooþly, she fledde noyse and company of men and loued stilnesse and reste, þat on a tyme fro holy-rode-daye to paske she kepte silens, vnneþes spekynge any worde. And siche-maner silens oure lorde ac∣ceptyd e of þe holy goste she gat graunt of god þere-fore, aboue alle oþere thinges, at she shulde passe to paradys wiþ-outen purgatory peyne. Here-by shewiþ how grete is þe vice of eloquacite ¶ and iangelynge, syþen þat silens & stilnesse is so plesaunde to oure lorde. And þenne atte laste she multipliynge euery erest stage and lafte alle sensibile þinges: so mykelle wiþ abundaunt spirite hir sen∣sualite was absorpt, þat she þan myghte not wirke but mete þat perissh Lat. quasi emerita.e wirchynge of handes, fro þen forþe she restyd allonly in oure lorde: wiþ þe whiche fredome Cryste endowyd his mayden.
Composicyon of berynge of hir outewarde and ferþermore partyes shewyd þe inwarde makynge of hir mynde, and þe semlynes of hir semelande wolde not late þe ioye of hir hert by hydde. ¶ Forsoþ, in a meruelous mesure she tempyrde þe sadnes of hir herte wiþ glad∣nesse e, and somwhatly couerde þe mirþe of hir mynde wiþ symplenesse of shame of visage. mmen shul prey wiþ hilid hede', þe white veyle þat hidde hir hede, hynge byfore hir yȝen. ¶ She wente mekely wiþ a slowe and esy paas, hire hede loutynge and hir face lokynge to þe erþe. In so mykel, sooþly, Lat. Spiritus sancti gratia.e visage of plente of hir herte, þat many of þe selfe lokynge of hir were goostly refreshed and stired to deuocyone & wepynge; and redynge in hir chere þe vnccione of þe holy goste as in a boke, knewe þat fro hir come vertue. ¶ And so hit felle on a daye þat a goodly man, famylyer and frende of relygious ersones, Guy, sumtyme chauntour of þe chirche Cameracense, turnyd oute of his wey to viset hir. Þen on of his felawes, þe whiche happely vnto þen knew not by experiens how mikel visitacyone & homblynes l. homlynes.ur, ere wil (ȝe) folowe and take flyes and flyand botirflyes wiþ childer?' Hee, sooþly, þat was meke, mylde & suffrynge, lefte not his weye, þat hee purposed, for siche wordes, but deuoutly wente to Cristes mayden, of whos presens anoþere tyme hee hadde not a litil comforte. ¶ And er syde was occupyed with dyuerse and ydel wordes. Þan whan hee was ful and irke of abidynge, ¶ hee come to þe chauntour to bidde hym þat hee shulde hye in haste. And happely as he loked rudely Ms. radely?eruelously he felle into so grete wepynge of teerys, þat vnneþes hee myghte be broghte a longe tyme after fro þat place and presens of hir. ¶ Þan þe chauntour, þogh he wolde for shame haue holden counseile, takynge hede and knowynge þe chauns, was gladde and scornyd his felowe ageyne and seyde: 'Goo wee Ms. dyne.er∣flyes'. And hee, after many sighynges and terys, vnneþes atte laste hee myghte be pullyd þennes, seiynge: 'Forgif me, fadir, for I wiste not what I seyde byfore; ¶ now, sooþly, I haue perceyued by ex∣peryens goddes vertue in þis womman'.—¶ Also vpon a tyme, whan ere-while hir armes were wryþen as a serkil for sorowe, & she was constreyned to bete hir breste wiþ hir handes. ¶ And whenne e while slaked and restyd, þan she þanked oure lorde wiþ so mykel ioye, þat chastisiþ ilke a childe þat hee receyueþ, at þe apostils worde is openly fulfillid in hir, seiynge þus: 'Whan I am sieke, þanne am I stronge and myghty'. Þenne after þat oure lorde hadde proued his chosen childe wiþ þis infirmyte as ere la∣boures, þat vnneþes stronge men myghte suffir þe þridde parte of hir labour. ¶ Neuerþeles oþere-while, whan any of hire frendys were greued wiþ any dissese or casten doune wiþ any temptacyone, þan she Ms. and st. in.mme of hir membrys. ¶ Þen anoone, in a newe manere of myracul, she callyd sum preste, þat shulde make a crosse wiþ his fynger on þe sore place of seeknesse: and þe yuel fledde to an noþer place, as erynge yuel and fleynge durst no lenger abyde þe birþen of þe crosse, butte atte laste wente alle awey fro þe body of Cristys mayden, wiþ a mervelous and vnherde manere of wor∣shepynge of þe crucifixe. ¶ Sooþly, she, lokynge wiþ þe eyȝe of feith into þe brasen serpente, & delyuered fro bitynges of þe neddirs e, but also of spekynge togader she gaf plentivous swetnesse to summe, and not allone goostly in herte, but also þey hadde sensible in þe mouþe, as sauour of hony. Men þat are slowe to leue, shalle here þis and e eyen, spake to hir vpon a daye, þe whiche man of grete mekenesse and entere charyte e þat daye no sauoure of material mete myghte putte a-weye fro his mouþe þat hony∣swete sauoure þat he hadde. Whos holy mannes name I reherce not, of purpos, for hee is wondirly dissesed wiþ his preisynges, and he is roued in þe mouþe of preysers, as golde in a furneys; an exiled byshop hit was. Es ist Fulco, bischof von Toulouse, wie aus dem, im Engl. aus∣gelassenen, schlusse des buches zu schliessen.e, in þe whiche we haue seyde of þoos thinges þat pertene to þe oute∣warde man, þat is to seye þe body, and sensibly are vsed wiþ-oute∣forþe; and as halfe oure daye-iourneye done, or wee passe ferþere to
er, and seuene gyftys of the holy goste . . . . . . . Cap. I. e . . . . . . . . . . Cap. VI.
ermore seye we how grete was þe kynges doghters ioye fro wiþinwarde, and wiþ how mykel dyuerste of vertues she was arayed & tyred wiþ-inforþe of þe fadir. Soþly, many doghters in oure dayes han gaderid rycchesses; she þis, as we leue, haþ ouer-passed ilkon: ¶ to whome þe fadir made a cote sere-colerd comynge to þe helys, e the floures of goddes gardyns. But for we maye not ne suffys to noumbir by on and oþer alle þe sterres of this shynynge firmamente, alle þe floures of þis feyre medowe and alle dyuerstees of hir vertues: go we to þe seuene giftes of the holy goste, þat are origynal causes fro þe whiche e hir good dedys folowed. ¶ Soþly, oure lorde fillid hir wiþ þe spirite of wisdome and vndirstandynge, wiþ þe spirite of counseile & strengþe, wiþ þe spirite of connynge & pite, & wiþ þe spi∣rite of goddes drede. ¶ Þe spirite of wisdam made the kynges doghter in delytes haboundynge & in charite brennynge, þe spirite of vndir∣stondynge Lat. cautam.
Of þe whiche spirite of drede se we first: not allonly þe drede of oure lorde is begynnynge of wisdome, but also keper of alle godes. And þof parfite charyte putte oute fro þe kynges doghter alle drede, þat is to seye, pyne and heuynesse of drede, neuerþeles she was so e'. ¶ In sooþ, she was aferde and dredde alle hir e-wey in hir sighte and þenkynge on hym in alle hir wayes, leste she shulde displese hym in any tyme. ¶ Also wele she wiste þat, þof a man eschewe grete þinges, ȝit maye hee be casten downe wiþ grauelle—Absolon hanged wiþ multitude of heerys was slayne; many venyal synnes, of contempte, while þey er-lastynge deth. ¶ Þerfore she hadde holy drede in herte as a brestbande þat streynid to-gadir hir þoghtes; in Ms. and in.e vanite. She, soþely, as a gardyn closed and a welle couerid, receyued no þinge lightely but Criste & þoos þinges þat pertenyd to Cryste. Criste was to hir þoghte in herte, worde in mouþe, ensaumpil in werke. I haue no mynde þat euere I e Ms. Vinelle.ere þat growen by hem-selfe wiþ-outen settynge, atte she myghte make hir potage of hem, leste she ȝete almes þat rauey∣nours urposid to flee, þat vnknowen & dispised amonge straungers (she) myghte begge fro dore to dore, þat she naked myght folowe Cryste, leuynge þe mantelle of alle worldly goodes as Joseph, þe pycher as þe Samarytan, þe sendel as seint John̄ euangelist. She toke hede often and þoghte erte, þat, whan he Ms. she.arketstede, þat had not where he myghte leue Ms. leue.ribute, and þat wolde be fedde of almes and be receyued in oþere mennes herburgh: ¶ and so vpon a tyme she hadde so grete desyre of pouerte, þat she toke iþ hir a sachel to put almes in, and a litil coppe where-of to drynke watir or ellis to putte in potage, if þey were gifen hir, while she eet l. begged; dum mendi∣caret.e wepynge of hir frendes. For whanne she hadde taken hir leue at hir frendes & pore Crystes mayden wolde haue taken e & cuppe, þere was so grete sorowe and so grete wepynge of hir frendis þat loued hir in Cryste, þat she, as she was ful of charite, myghte not suffre. ¶ Þerfore she was constreynyd of two thinges, hauynge desyre to fle & begge wiþ Cryste; neuerþeles she chas to abyde for hir breþir and sistris, to whome erfore þat she myghte: ¶ After þat she lyued in so grete loue of pouerte, þat oþere-while she cuttyd hir kerchifes or hir borde-cloþe þat she eet vpon, holdynge sum to hir-selfe; & dalte parte to þe pore. ¶ Woo to ȝow þat ioyniþ hous to hous and coupil felde to felde vnto þe stedes ende, ȝe þat maye ere-of; þat makeþ tresours to ȝow in erþe, where ruste and moghtes distroye, where þeues delueþ and steliþ; euer are gaderynge and euer nedy and wantynge! What lacked þere to þis pore Cristes mayden, þat euere fledde rycchesses and hadde alwey wherof to gif oþere? ere pouerte, and so mykel þe more oure lorde lant hir þat she nedid. ¶ Also not only þurgh the spirite of drede she displesed l. dispysed.erte she was so litil in hir own yȝen and wiþ so mykel mekenes she caste downe hir-selfe, þat she countyd hir-selfe as noghte, and whan she hadde done alle wele, not rofitabil, but felte so in herte; supposynge hir-selfe lowere þan alle oþere, she neuere pre∣sumed of hir-selfe, holdynge alle folke holyer l. hyer.ere mennes merite. She soghte neuere hir preisynge, but referred alle to hym of whome ere so vnsadde man or synner, ¶ and sooþly, whan she was noghte sette by of oþere, she sette þere-by no thinge. ¶ She was vmby-lapped wiþ þe shelde of trewþe by alle fame on þe righte syde and þe lifte—for as hir mer∣kenesse, ressed wiþ reproues ne prouded wiþ hir preisynges. For þurgh large lownesse she coueytid euere to be priuey as myche as she myghte. ¶ Wherfore, when for ioy of herte and plente of grace she myghte not by hidde wiþ hir∣selfe, sumtyme she fledde to feldes nerhand & buskys, þat sche, esche∣wynge e to hir-selfe and to god in a coffer of clene conseyens. Neuerþeles sum-tyme she was compelled wiþ preyers of frendes, or sende specially fro oure lorde to sum man, or ellis wiþ wille of compassyone stired to comforte febil folke in þe feith: and þen of many thinges þat she ure lorde as wiþ grucchynge: 'Lorde, what is þat to me? Sende whome þou arte to sende, I am not worþy to go and bere þy counseilles to oþere'. mme thinges deserued to profit of oþere. ¶ How many of hir famylier frendys she warned byfore in perils! ¶ How often she discoueryd to frendes þe priuey gnares of wicked gostes! ¶ How ofte she strengþed febil folke and wauerynge in þe feiþ wiþ miracles ns! ¶ How often she warned men þat þey shulde not performe þos thinges þat þey þoght allonly in mynde! ¶ How often she releuid by goddys comfortis folke fallynge in synne & welny in dispeyre! ¶ What schames þe þerfore, þou feerdful womman? Why drawest þou so many goodis fro þe nedy, þou chynche? Why er-mykel mekenesse? Wheþere for þee, þat as vnseuerably was ioyned to god, not nedynge siche reuelacyons, god shewed to þe so many and so grete giftes, and not raþir for hir st. her.st. þou.erfore why hydes þou þy besaunt? why shewist þou not þy Criste to þe worlde, þat is neuer the les, þof oþere haue parte? Whedir þou cryedist not sumtyme for moystnes, whanne þe kynge er þe swete sauoure of þyne oynementis'. ¶ But blessyd by god, þat þurgh his liberalite and largenesse lettid þy scarsnesse and, woldest þou or noon, shewe(d) þy pryue dennes! For, whan þou was filled wiþ must of a feruente Lat. respiraculum.Lat. a (corde) puro et ebrio.er slepe, as a stronge man ouercomen wiþ wyne, and restoryd to thy-selfe, þen ouþer þou was stille & haddest forgoten what þou saydest, or ellis, happely if þou broghtist to mynde any thinges of the mater þat þou of tolde byfore, þen was er she felte any titil∣lacione of veynglorye of mennys preisynges or of goddes reuelacyons: 'To regarde, quod she, of the verrey ioye þat & desyre, alle mannes e'. ¶ Sooþly, she was groundid in so grete treuþe, saddid in oure lorde in so grete grauite Ms. graunte.errey godes, in so mykel she was fattid & farsed wiþ goostly fodes, þat, as any man, after he were filled, amonge many-manere deynte metes wolde forsake an vnsauory & e mete, if I putte hit to hym, righte so not oonly she receyued no worldes ioye, no vanyte of mannys praysynges for þe swetnes of endles goodes, but forsoke hem Ms. hym.e hir mynde, þat no þinge hir saueryd but Cryste.
Not oonly þurgh þe spirite of drede sche eschewyd fro alle yuelle, but þurgh þe spirite of pite she was redy to alle good. Exercitacyone of body she sette litil by to regarde of pyte, þe whiche, as þe apostil e thinges, hauynge byheste of þe lyfe þat now is and schalbe; and she kyndelyd in þe laumpe of hir herte contynuelly þe fire of charite with oyle of mercy, leste in happe she were founden wiþ þe fonned maydenes wiþ-outen oyle and putte aweye fro þe weddynge of myrþe wiþ-outen ende. Þerfore she bisyed hir atte hir erceyued ful often by reuelacyone of oure lorde many thinges of heuenly priuetes. Soo hit felle vpon a daye þat a sister erceyued a multitude of fendes rorynge aȝeyns þe bedde of the siek sister. Þen she, as forgoten hir custummabil sadnesse & naturel shamfastnesse, turnyd hir to the bedde and putte hir-selfe ageyns þe wicked spirites, (&) not oonly faght wiþ hir prayers, but also wiþ hir Lat. mortem Crucifixi.nge and redy to mete ere is a fredome—& answeryd: 'Lorde, I vndirtake borowshyp for þis soule. Sooþly, þof she haue synnyd, she is shreven of hir synnes; ¶ and if any þinge happely by lafte in hir by neglygens or ignorauns, þof she maye not speke, neuer∣þeles er allonly perceyued þe voys of hir & fightynges ageyns þe fendys, and þey preyed deuoutely for þe soule of hir sustir. Atte laste þe fendes were confused and ouer∣comen, ¶ and holy aungels come; & she, thankeynge god, come to hir-silfe & restid, and takynge hir mantil ageyne þat she hadde furþe e after þat in þe feste of Petir & Poule, while she prayed deuoutly for þe same soule and was bisy aboute þe state of hir for whom she was borowe, seinte Petir schewed to hir þat soule hougely disesyd wiþ peynes of purgatory. ¶ Sooþly, ere-mykel þe worlde and lustis of þe worlde; oþere-while she was pyned wiþ ful mykel colde, for she hadde ben slowe to gode, & moost for she ouere-neglygently correctyd hir childer & hir owne er she was wrecchedly angwishyd wiþ þriste, for she gaf hir ouere-mykel in hire life to drynkynge; also, for she hadde be superf(l)ue in cloþes, she suffred ful grete sorowe for nakyd. ¶ Þan þe pitevous mayden of Criste, as she was alle ful of pite, namely aȝenst hem þat were pyned in purgatory, not oonly content wiþ e preyers, but sche gat to þat soule many suffragys and helpes of messes and prayers of oþere.—¶ Anoþere tyme, whan a religyous widowe, þat longe in holy wydowshyp hadde serued god and kepte hir doghters in holy maydenhode to þe heuenly husbande, laye on hir deþ-bedde atte Villambroc bysyde Niuelle: she sawe oure iþ a wisker waftynge wynde vpon hir, temperd mercyfully þe hete þat dissesed hir. ¶ And whanne hir soule wolde haue goon oute of þe body, a company of deuyls aspiynge ere wolde not departe fro þennes wiþ no instauns of prayers, vnto an aungel drof hem oute confused wiþ a baner of er þe preste hadde done dirige for þe dede, as the maner is, þan Cryste wiþ multitude of halowes, as to hir semyd, endyd þe offys. And whan þe body was done to byriels, Cristes mayden sawe þe soule of hir, þat was er in þis worlde playnly purged, be putte to purgatorye, to fulfille þat wanted of hir peyne. ¶ For hir Ms. his.erchaunte and hadde goten summe goodes be gyle, as is merchauntȝ maner; ¶ also she hadde receyued in hir ostry summe men of þe dukys meynye of Louayne þat hadde mykel spendid in hir hous of wrange-goten goodes; iþholden ȝit in purgatory. ¶ Whan þis was tolde hir doghter, deuoute virgyne Margarete of Villambroc, and hir sistirs, þey gat hir many prayers and after her power made restitucyone. ¶ Wherfore not mykel after þe soule of þat wydowe, er þan snowe, briȝhter þanne þe sunne, apperyd to Crystes mayden, whanne she steygh vp to euerlastynge blysse; & as hit semyd, she holdynge þe boke of lyfe in hir handes, ¶ radde þere-vpon.—¶ Also whanne a holy blessyd olde man, þat in his childe∣hode hadde lyued in innocens and maydenhode, was nere deed, whos us, þat hadde forsaken alle worldly goodes and wiþ his ensaumpil and holy prechynges hadde gotene many soulles to god: she, whan she was presente by hym in his sieknes, sawe a multitude of aungels beynge aboute þe olde man & ioiynge; ¶ she felte also a wonder sauour of swetnesse, þat she myghte e and hadde hym as for fadir. And then it was shewed to hir in spirite at þat olde man, þat hadde done so grete penauns in fleshe, ¶ whil he lyued, and hadde suffred pacyently for Cryste so many persecucyouns and reproues, and so iustly and dreedly hadde erwarde, whanne she laboured in hir laste sieknesse, þe soule of þe holy olde man, wiþ an oþere dede frende of hirs, frere e-chapel, was sende fro oure lorde to hir specialy by-cause of visitacyone & comforte.—¶ Cristes mayden hir-selfe was ful compacyente and grete pite hadde on þe seke, aboute þe while Ms. while.ere of Oegines was trauelyd wiþ a ful greuous and longe sieknes and she mman, and welnye an hundred ȝeere olde and nere the deth, hadde a ful greuous breþe. ¶ And whan þe holy womman on a nyghte vnneþes myghte bere hir breeþ wiþ-outen grete sorowe of herte, neuerþeles she beynge nere hir, as by vyolens garte hir-selfe abyde. Þan, whan she myghte no recyous spyced wyne, & she felte moste swete smelle as of encens brente, wiþ þat sauoure, nere-hande þre dayes, soo þat sauour of no-manere mete myȝht putte aweye þat forseyde spyced sauoure.—¶ Also oure lorde not oonly gaf to many seke comforte and pacyens of hir presens, but mme burstyne childer were broght to hir: and after she hadde handelyd hem, þey were alle hool. ¶ Þere was a childe bisyde Oegines þat hadde a per∣lyous sieknes, for contynuelly atte his eere blode ranne fro his heed: ¶ and whanne hee myghte not be cured by no leche-crafte, be mede∣cyne arfitely hele; þen þe childes moder bare hym to þe chirche & þanked god & his mayden for hir sone. ¶ Also a womman was heled atte hir touchynge of a ful perlyous yuel, þat is aposteme of þe þroot, þat is callid þe squyn∣nacy. ¶ Also a clerke þat was sieke at Oegines, Lamberte by name, e, tolde me, þat, whan hee hadde a fulle grevous sieknes and alle lechys hadde lafte hym for dispayre, & noon was þat by-highte hym hele, hee come to Crystes mayden and gate wiþ many prayers at she wolde put hir hande on hym. Sooþly, þe same nyghte hym er she was passed fro hym, hee was alhole. ¶ Also an oþere preste, meke man and deuoute and hir goostly fadir, maister Guy of Niuelle, after þat Crystes mayden hadde touched a ful perlyous yuel þatte hee hadde in his þrote, was parfitely cured. ¶ Also an oþer man, of whos yuel er he had assayed many lechys and was neuer þe better & abode but deeþ, was heeled atte þe touchynge of hir heerys.—¶ But why abyde we aboute smale þinges, seþen þere be ȝitte byhynde so many grete meruayles? ¶ For, þof hit be pite to socour bodily sieknesses, neuerþelesse it is ferre in∣comparabil erel of soules troubled hir mynde. ¶ In þis oonly, atte I speke wiþ hir pees, she hadde no mesure, ¶ she sorowful weyled, ere-while cryed as a trauelynge womman. ¶ Wiþ how grete sorowe troweþ þou she was woundede, whan fendes rorynge and gnastynge wiþ teeþ felle flokke by flokke vpon þe congregacyon of holy maydenes in a towne where they serued deuoutly to oure e of the holy wymmen: ¶ þenne she criynge and ȝellynge vnneþes myghte susteyne hir-selfe for sorow. ¶ Anoþere daye she sawe moste noumbir of wicked spiritys þe whiche as alle blody after batayle with proude and pompos blasterynge come ere come messangers to Oegines, þat tolde at þe cite of Leody was destroyed
mmen oppressed wiþ fors, cytisens slayne, and alle þe godes of þe cite robbed wiþ enmyes. ¶ Þat tyme, as happenyd, þere was atte Oegines an holy man, of honest conuersacyone and of good opinyone, ȝe anens ille men, lanter(n), doctour & goostly fader of alle þe byschoperiche, maister Johne of Niuelle Ms. Vinelle.erceyued siche warste tiþinges, was easten downe and slokenyd nere for sorowe, and moste, for hee douted wiþ a fadirly bisynesse leste þe holy virgyns þat he hadde be prechynge and good ensaumpil goten to oure lorde, shulde be oppressed with vyolens, as summe gabbers sayde. ¶ Hee made not mykel doel for þe losse of temporel goodes, Ms. coūmtid.recyous stone of alle vertues specially and passyngly onoured, made dule vn∣comfortabely for defoylynge of chirches and destroiynge of soulles, and as a fadir sorowed for his sones, as a patrone for his chirche, & as a frende of þe spouse for þe virgyns whome hee hadde weddyd erveylid þat knewe wiþ how grete affeccyone she loued clene virgyns þat in þe cite of Leody serued de∣uoutly Cryste. ¶ But þe mercyful fader of heuene wiste wele þat his doghter shulde haue be shente and confounded, but if she hadde be er of Oegines, as clerkis maner is, were ful ferde for þat at hit was seyde how enmyes wolde come to hem, she in alle þees was vnturbilde & dreedles, for holy aungels confortyd hir and seyde: 'pees in londe to men þat are wele willy'. She felte grete pees and reste anenst oure house Ms. lorde.Ms. and.ertyfyed in spirite booþ of pees of Ms. & st. of.erþeles hit semyd to hir þat þe erþe quaked and in maner playned, þat sofferyd men so contraryous to her creatour in so outrage shrewdnesse.—¶ Hit byfelle vpon a tyme þat a nobil knyghte of hir cuntre, stronge man in armes and gyfen to þe Lat. Ywanus de Zoania.rayers of þe holy womman, lafte þe worlde and was conuerted to oure lorde. Þanne þe wikked fende, wode and wonderly confused, aperyd to Cristes mayden pleynynge and wiþ þret∣ynge contenauns as an houge grete dogge batynge hir seyde: ¶ 'O þou ersarye, I hadde late an houge harme þurghe þe, for þou haste rafte fro me oon of my specyalle ser∣uauntȝ'. ¶ And afterwarde, whan þe same knyghte hadde perseuerid in good purpos a while, hit happenyd vpon a daye þat hee eet in þe hous of an ost of his, to whome hee was dettoure Ms. doctoure.e, in whos hous hee lyued secu∣lerly & made superflu spens, as maner of knyghtes is; for hee myghte not lightly be departid fro his company for dette þat he aughte hym. ¶ And so whan hee þat burgeys serued þe knyghte wiþ many deynty meces and delycate, while þey were atte mete, ¶ þe wicked enmy Ms. enny.Lat. comportavit aggerem.at is to seye þe knyghte, and reduced to mynde worshyp þat hee hadde in þe worlde, luste and likynge, and alle-maner fantum þat fallith to þe fleshe. And þe fende temptyd and tyced hym soo, þat he was neer ouercomen. ¶ Þen þe mercyful louer of men þat latiþ no e, shewyd to his mayden in spiryte how þat knyght, for Ms. how st. for.m-selfe wiþ a wanderynge thoghte, þere come a messanger of Crystes mayden, lokynge priuely atte dore, and as sone as hee at hee shulde come anoon to his lady. And whan hee come to þe place where she dwelled wiþ-oute Nyuelle, hee fonde hir for sorowe & dissese of herte as seke and waterynge wiþ plente of wepynge þe fete of þe crucifixe þat she hadde halsed. ¶ Þanne he meruelynge & abashed for shame, whan hee asked uod she, to make doel for ȝow, & for ȝoure wrecchednesse my herte is troublid, þat, syþen ȝee haue bygunen wiþ þe spirite, ȝee purpose wrecchedly to ende and to be consumed wiþ þe fleshe; þat, after ȝee haue putte ȝoure hande to þe ploghe, ȝe loke byhynd ȝow wiþ þe wyfe of Loth erabundaunte mercy of hym þat haþ delyueryd ȝow fro þe brennynge of this worlde, while oþere perisshed'. Þan he turnyd agayne to hym-selfe and holsumly compunct wiþ myrakil of so grete reuelacyone: 'forgif me, quod hee, meke moder, and preyeþ for me wrecche; and I be-hete to god e abyde saddely fro now forþe in his seruys þat þurgh ȝow haþ callid me ageyne'. ¶ Sooþly, while þe worlde wiþholde hym in sum partye and was tangelde wiþ many seculer nedes, þat compellyd hym to go often to grete Lordes courtis: þanne þey þat were sumtyme his felawes, cosyns and famylyers, sorowynge ere enforced to angyr hym and breke hym wiþ wranges and scornys. ¶ Also summe seruauntes of þe fende drowe hyder and þyder þe nobil man, þat was not vsed to siche wronges, by þe cappe or by þe hode. ¶ Hee, sooþly, agayne alle þees put ere-while, as mannes custume is, was sumwhatly aschamed. And whan he come home agayne as a schepe pullyd fro wolues mouþes, wente to comforte of his goostly moder after so grete perelle. ¶ And she meruelosly inspired of god tolde wiþ spirite of prophecy scornys and vmbraydynges seyde to Crystes erday þis tyme, quod sche, ȝee nedid helpe, and þan I prayed to oure mer∣cyful lorde for ȝow atte hee wolde graunte ȝow þurgh folowynge of hym to dispise welthe of þe worlde and to drede noon aduersite þere-of'. Wiþ þe whiche myrakel and comforte of Crystes mayden er wynde ne rayne myghte
e his hous þat was sadly sette vpon a stronge stone. ¶ For in soþ he was often putte n fastynge and prayere. ¶ And whan she hadde mekyd hir soule e of his mayden, suffryd no lenger hir affliccyone and shewed þat hee hadde delyuerid hir frende, & openy(d) to hir into how grete sloghe of synne hir famylier frende hadde fallen, but if þe enmye hadde be oppressed wiþ hir fastynges and prayers. Woo is vs þat haue loste ns and temptacyouns, (but if she rewarde) to vs in heuene þat wee haue loste in þis exile. Ferþermore, þof þe instauns of hir prayers were spede∣ful medecyne ageyns dyuers and manyfolde sieknesses of soulles, she passed wiþ a syngulere grace ageyne þe spirite of blasfemye and ere (to) tempte, she was moste myghty to socoure.—¶ Hit happenyd þat a monke of Cisteus ordyr hadde so grete ȝele and loue of Innocens and clennesse, þof not after sciens, þat hee enforced and bisyed hym wiþ feruour of spirite to come as to þe euenlik state of the firste arfite clannes wiþ-outen any venyalle synne. ¶ And so by entisynge of þe myddaye fende e he hadde labored, he myghte on no manere haue hadde þat hee wolde: atte laste for sorowe e, in so myche þat hee hopyd to gete saluacyone no-wyse in þe state of corrupcyone þat hee was in, as he þat countid deedly synnes þoos þat are venyalle—þe whiche wee maye not wante in þis lyfe. Wherefore hee wolde not receyue Crystes body any-maner, not þoos dayes þat were ordayned þere-to erabil fal Ms. ful.at olde enmye drowe a sym∣ple soule, þat was sieke and fledde salue, & þat onys hadde forsaken his owne wille, putte aweye fro hym þe ȝok of obedyens. ¶ And, atte I telle a fabil not fabulos and sey fals not falsly, ¶ þis monke e Ms. paddokis.e quantite, wolde haue comen to þe gretnnesse of hym and haue be like to þe same ox; þen she bygan wiþ grete enfors to streke hir and blowe hir-selfe abrode; but in veyne: for þof she hadde brosten, she myghte not haue taken þe quantite of þe ox. ¶ And so er, while hee wolde haue enhaunced hym-selfe aboue hym∣selfe, felle wrecchidly be dispeyre vndir hym-selfe. And whan his abbot, þat was pitevous man & frende of alle gode, knewe þe siek∣nesse of his soule; þof hee and many oþere hadde prayed to god for þe monke, neuerþeles the enmy ouercome & wiþ-outen blynne mman, as he þat knewe hir vertue (þat) sum∣tyme he felte by experiens in hym-selfe, made þe monke be ladde to Crystes mayden. ¶ And whanne she bysoghte oure lorde for þe monke wiþ terful sighes in a meruelos maner: while þe monke seyde rayed enterly for hym: as litil blake stonys were seen falle oute of þe monkes mouþe atte ilke a worde of Confiteor. Þan she, perceiuynge in þat sighte þat obstynacyone of despayre and blaknesse of sorowe & woo hadde lafte þe monke, þanked oure lorde, 'þat wole not þe deþe of a synner but raþir ertid and lyue'. ¶ Þe monke, sooþly, after masse as fro a ferre contre tornyd to hym-selfe ageyne, receyuynge l. receyuid?er he hadde taken heelful medecyne, parfitily recuueryd.
For in eshewyng yuel þurgh þe spiryte of drede and in doynge good e and wisdome of discrecyone, þe fadir of lightes, whos vnccyone techiþ vs of alle goodes, lightenyd his doghter wiþ þe spirite of connynge, atte she shulde witte whate is to be done or eschewyd, and on what maner þat she shulde sauer alle hir sacrifys wiþ salte, þat is to sey wiþ discrecyone. ¶ For yuel is ere-while, (while) fehlt.erfluyte, sumtyme fallith into chynchery, or, whanne hee eschewiþ abyte of seculere cloþynge, haþ ioye in foule arraye. ¶ For oþere-while vyces semen a spyce of vertue, wherfore þe warre þey deceyue her sewers, for þey hadde Ms. hadde st. hyde, tegunt se.ur coloure of rightewisnesse cruelte is done, and an heuy slouþe is trowed buxumnesse; ¶ also sumtyme to do a thinge wiþ reklesnesse or forgettilnesse, is callid ese and reste. ¶ Sooþly, she declyned neiþer on righte syde nor lifte, but wente a blessed meen-weye in a meruelous maner. For she gaf to god þat e, and she was made accordynge to alle men, atte she myghte wynne alle Ms. also.ere, and mme oþere, þof þey wer firste gyuene to þe worlde, enspyred of god and holpen þorow hir wyse admonycyone, lafte alle and wente to þe Cisteus ordir.—¶ Also oþere-while, whan she swetly and esely was ioyned to oure lorde wiþ glewe of loue, as o spirite made wiþ hym, wee tolde hir þat somme men were comen fro fer contrees to erþeles, for she wolde neuere, but alle-wey desyred to ligge with oure lorde in myddaye, oþere-while of a triste vnneþes wee reysed hir. ¶ She, soþly, herynge e & clippynge of hir spouse, þat sumtyme sche euomyte pure blode in grete quantite, as hir bowelles hadde brusten; hauynge leuer to be tourmentyd wiþ þat martirdome þan to turbil or disese hir euene∣cristen, rincipally pees of pilgrimes. Neuerþeles oþere-while, whan by reuelacyone of þe holy gooste she knewe byfore þe comynge of sum þat were ferre fro hir, she fledde to feldes or to woddes nere and hidde hir, þat vnneþes wee myȝte fynde hir of alle a daye. Ȝit vmwhile, for profit of summe þat nedyd helpe, she was compellid to Lat. Vade, spiritus aiebat.uod she, for not curiusly, but for-cause of necessite summe body abyde(th) the'. ¶ And þof she kepte pees wiþ a wondir discrecyone anent hir neighbors, not oonly þat were good and esy, but also aȝenst hem þat were vnreuly: neuerþeles to hir-selfe she was ere-litil by hir-selfe and turmentynge a-boue mesure, as hit semyd to vs sumtyme. ¶ In so myche she was more discrete anenste hir-selfe, in as myche as she presumed to do nothinge of hir-selfe but famylierly taghte of þe holy goste. ¶ Sooþly, she dorste not passe o daye wiþ-oute refeccyone of mete, but if sche knewe erþeles oþere-while, atte she shulde kepe pees of hem þat were bisyde hir, she assayed to take sumwhat in siche state; & she myghte no thinge take, but nere defayled for sorowe.—¶ Wherfore afterwarde she gat so grete prerogatif of fredome, þat no man durste e, wiþ a specyalle priuilegge she, lafte to god and to hir-selfe, demed alle, but of no man was demyd. Sooþly, þe holy goste shewed to hir ofte resoune in þinges to be done or to be lafte þe whiche we maye not come to by no mannes witte. ¶ Wherfore a while of þe ȝeer, whanne m-while, quod she, I condescende e and take bodily mete. Soþly, vpon þursdaye, þat is a daye of þe holy goost, & sondaye, for ioye of resurrexione, I am contente wiþ goostly refresshynge & fillyd wiþ euerlastynge metis, and aldaye I make a feste, seþen me nedys not to descende lower for any vse of sensibil refeccyone of fleshe'. And I, herynge þis, helde ermore openyd not my mouþe ageyne hir, and count∣ynge my resoune noon, was sympled in myne owne sighte.—¶ For∣sooþ, þof she by endeyn forsoke not synners, but raþer by compas∣syone wiþ wise warnynge she wiþdrowe often many men fro þe wey of wickednesse: neuerþeles hir spirite loþed synnes ful mykel, þat, er tristynge presumptuosly of hir-selfe, eschewed dwellynge and homlynesse of yuel men. For yuel to-gedir-spekynges harmeþ good maners; ¶ and oure lorde badde his disciples: whan þey entred in to a cyte, þat þe shuld aske if any þere-in were worþy in whos ostage þey myghte dwelle honestly and sikirly. Wherfore hit felle on a tyme mmynge-agayne as she ȝede þurgh Niuelle, fille to hir mynde synnes & abhomynacyouns þat seculers done often in þat towne. And she conceyued and toke in herte so grete endeyn & loþinge, þat sche bygan to crye for sorowe, e, wolde haue kitte þe skynne fro hir feet, for þat she hadde passed by places in þe whiche wrecchyd men prouoken her creature wiþ so many wronges & wraþþen hym wiþ so many mysdedys and synnes. And syþen she sorowed not oonly in soule, but also, þat more meruelous erþeles atte laste vnneþes myghte she haue reste, after she hadde often-tymes smyten hir fete to-gadir.—¶ Sooþly, þe wise and discrete womman was suffy∣ciently byshyned wiþ holy writte; for often she herde goddes wordes and kepte and bare in hir herte wordes of holy writte, ¶ and haunt∣ynge e þat do hit: þat atte she herde de∣uoutly, she bisyed hir to fulfille hit more deuoutly in dede. ¶ Wher∣fore, whan she was in hir laste sieknesse nere in poynte of dethe and any prechour sayde a sermone in þe chirche to þe pepil, þan hir spi∣rite e to hem þat stood aboute. ¶ And in so myche she loued prechours and trewe kepers of soulle, þat wiþ a wonder affeccyone she holdynge her fete after þe trauel of prechynge, and Tilge and.ere þey wolde or noon, ouþer she muste longe-tyme kysse hem or ellis she cryed for sorowe, whanne sche wiþdrowe hir. Lat. cum se subtraherent.e, wiþ many teerful sighes, wiþ many prayers and fastynges she askynge wiþ ful grete instauns, gat graunte of oure lorde, at he wolde recompens to hir in some oþere persone þe merit and offys of rechynge þat she myghte not get and do hir-selfe in deed, and þat
ronounced wordes of prechynge by hym as by an Ms. in.e and wiþ prayers of hir gaf hym in trauelle strengthe of body, ministryd worde, gouernyd his gates, and þurgh merite of his mayden gaf grace rechynge, she bysoghte for hym to oure lorde and to oure lady and seyde ilke a daye a hundred tymes aue maria—as Martyne prayed, while Hillary preched. ¶ And sooþly she commendid ful deuoutly to oure lorde hir prechour, whome she lafte alyue atte hir deþe. For Ms. wham.Ms. lyued.e þat is callid T(r)asignes Ms. Casignes, lat. Tra∣segnies.e. And whanne þat wicked and proude fende bosted hym to be an hirde-man: 'nay, quod she, þou arte not a hirde-man; but our maistirs, þat preche goddes wordes and feden trewly oure soulles, þey are verrey herde-men'. 'I, quod he þat shrewde & proude enmye, haue mo Ms. no.at hee wrangusly toke to hym þe name of an hirde-man þat lediþ his gote by pastures of vanyte to pastures of dampnacyone where deþ shalle wrecchedly deuoure hem; but she hauynge compassyone of wrecchys, er, whan she reduced to mynde hym þat warste herd-man, she myghte not absteyne fro terys.—¶ And þof she were taughte wiþ-inforþe þurgh vnxione of þe holy goste and goddes reu(e)lacyons, neuerþeles sche gladly herde wiþ-oute-forþe wordes of holy writte, þe whiche accordid fully to þe iþ-outen voys, neþer-þe-les outewarde techynge wiþ worde expouned to hem scriptures, to whome hee seyde: 'Now are ȝee clene for þe worde þat I haue spoken to ȝow'. ¶ Þer∣fore sche fro daye to daye was more wasshen in clennesse wiþ þe e Lat. exornationem.erles if feiþ may propirly be seyde in hir þe whiche by reuelacyoune of oure lorde perceyued inuisibil þinges as visibil wiþ an open feiþ. ¶ In a tyme, whanne she was in a village þat is callid Itre, bisyde Niuelle, &, while she was presente, a chile e in senshype de∣parte fro þe childe. And whan she hir-selfe heef þe childe of þe holy founte, her eyen were openyd and sawe þe holy goste comynge doune into þe childes soule, and a multitude of holy aungels aboute þe e commynge wiþ mykel lighte. ¶ And whanne þe preste receyued þe sacramente, after þe fraccyon, she sawe in spirite oure lorde abidynge in þe prestys soule & be-shynynge þe eruelous cleerte; and if hee toke hit vnworþily, she sawe þat oure lorde wente aweye wiþ grete indignacyone, and þe soule of þe wrecchid preste was laft tome and voyde and ful of derknesse. ¶ And þof she were not in þe chirche, but in hir celle, and hir eyȝen couerde, as she vsid, wiþ a white vayle, and preyed wiþ st. whan.nt Cryste Tilge Cryste.e, neuerþeles she wondirly chaungyd felte Crystes commynge. ¶ Also, whil siek men toke þe sacramente of anoyntynge in hir presens, she felte Cryste presente wiþ a multitude of seyntes, þat mercyfully strengþed þe seke, put awey fendes, purged þe soule, and as in a lighte transfused hym-selfe þurgh erse membres of hym were anoynted.
And for it profetiþ litil to eschew yuel þurgh þe spirite of drede, to do good by þe spirite of pite, to haue discrecyone in alle þinges by þe spirite of connynge, but if we wiþstande yuel by strengþe, kepe Ms. mode.erlastynge lyfe by perseuerauns and suffrauns: þerfore þe fadir vncuuered his tresours and onoured his doghter wiþ a grete precyous stone, þat is þe spirite of strengþe, & warisshed hire agayne alle contraryes, atte she schulde not be broken wiþ assaylynge of ad∣uersite erynge of prosperite, atte she shulde suffre scornes wiþ pees & tranquillyte, atte she shulde doo to no man yuel for yuel. ¶ She answeryd not to vntrewe accusers, she prayed for hir pursuers; abidynge in hir purpos by sadnesse of mynde, be∣rynge alle thinges esely by sikernesse of resone, takynge on hande ersecucyouns and disseses she hadde pacyens, but also in tribula∣cyouns er, quod she, if it plesed god, þat þese fourty dayes bygan ageyne newe'. at more meruel is, she seyde ferþer þat she neuer sawe seke man, but she desyred his sieknesse, what-sum-euere hit were. ¶ Woo to ȝow þat beriþ oure lordes crosse vnwillynge Ms. vnwillyngis.ure lorde, while ȝee grucche ageyne his scourge. Soþly, þis precyous e of hir, hidde hym in a place and bysoghte god uod she to hir mayden, and seye to þat man at hee cece to preye for me, for, while I fare better þurgh medecyn of his prayers, I take harme of my disciplyne'. ¶ Also on a tyme, whan she was vexyd wiþ a greuauns, on of hir frendes made riuely allone in herte. Þan sche, by reuelacyone of oure lorde knowynge þe priuetes of his herte, sende hir mayden to hym, seiynge: 'sey þou to hym atte hee make no more dule for me'. Sooþly, she was more greued wiþ oþere mennes sorowe þanne she was vexid wiþ hir owne infirmytes.—And not oonly she hadde e to wiþstond aduersitis þurgh þe spirite of strengþe, but also to absteyne hir fro alle fleshly freeltes. For in so mykel she chastised hir body and broghte it vndir to þraldome, at þe body euer obeyed at hir biddynge and grucchyd not ageyne. She, excusynge hir-selfe wiþ no feinynge, motered not ageyne god, but folowynge þe strengþe er wiþ slouþe; ¶ she defayled in trauayle neuere or selden. For in so mykel she þat ȝonge tymberer hadde strecchyd hir body and dryed hit as by-twix two trees of þe crosse, þat many ȝeeris to-gadir she neuere felte ryse ageyne hir þe firste sterynges of lecchery. Wherof sche hadde so grete triste amonge ere like hir-selfe. ¶ Wherfore, whan a famylier frende of hirs of ful grete excesse of gostly affeccyone helde faste hir hande on a tyme, þof wiþ a chaste wille he þoghte noon ille; ȝit he felte as man of þat ouer-nere neyghynge þe firste felynges of freel fleshe. er-of, she herde a voys fro aboue, þat was Noli me tangere, ¶ þat is to seye: wille þou not touche me—neuerþeles she vnderstode not what hit bytokenyd. ¶ Sooþly, good god and compacyent to oure infirmite wolde not haue hym shamed byfore þe holy womman; ȝit he wolde as a gelous louer kepe the erils þat myghte falle. Wherfore, whan she seyde to hym: 'I harde now a voys, but what hit betokeniþ, in sooþ I wote nere: þat is Noli me tangere', ¶ hee, vndirstandynge what þis was, fro þenne forþe was þe bettir ware, ¶ and þankeynge god þat wolde not discuuer his febilnesse, toke his
Forsoþe, þurgh þe spirite of counselle she, doynge no-þinge on-hede, no-þinge vnordynatly, purveynge and doynge alle þinges diligently, wiþ deliberacyone and avyce, in alle þat she shulde do or leue she e eyȝ-liddes ȝede byfore hir fete, wirkynge alle by councelle, leste she shulde neuer so litel afterwarde repente. ¶ For what myghte she do wiþ-outen sadnesse, wiþ-outen maturite of coun∣celle, whos mynde hee fulfilled and in whos wille of soulle hee dwellyd þat saiþ of hym-selfe: ¶ 'I wisdam dwelle in councels & am e of þe holy gost, þof sche were enformed sufficyently wiþ holy writte: ȝit for houge plente of mekenesse, leste she shulde seme wyse in hir owne sighte, forsakynge hir owne wille she endeyned not to lowe hir∣selfe gladly and deuoutly to oþere mennes councelle. ¶ Neuerþeles nge wiþ-outene hir councelle: for þat atte she myghte not knowe by mannes resone, she wiste þurghe preyer by inspiracyone of god. ¶ Wherfore, whane a frende of hirs, content wiþ goodes þat god gaf hym, þe more sikirly þat hee was oute of er, þat purveyed hym plentivously hors and cloþes and many oþere goodes: hee asked coun∣celle of þe holy womman what hym was to do. ¶ She, sooþly, þat neuer presumed of hir-selfe, after she hadde preyed and was comen uod she, in þis deed a blakke hors be ordeyned to ȝow þat neyde towarde helle, and an oste of fendes þere-of were fayne. Þerfore after my councelle dwelliþ in þis callynge in þe whiche ȝee are called of oure lorde, leste ȝee gif occasyone to þe fende by couetyse of worshyp ere amonge hir frendes, þe meker þat hee was þe homlyer to hir, whan hee hadde a prouendour menely sufficient to hym, was ouercomen wiþ many prayers and receyued anoþer prouendere þat was gretter of dignite and rentys. Whan he, as he was righte deuoute and dreedful, asked councelle of er he hadde offendid god in þat dede, she, as hir maner was, asked a litil respyte of answere; and atte laste she, enspyred and by reuelacyone of god certifyed wiþ-outen any scrupul of doute: ¶ 'I sawe, quod she, a man cloþed in white cloþes and redy I-now to renne, be cladde aboue wiþ a blacke mantel & charged rofitabil fardelle'. Whanne she hadde (seyd) þese wordes & oþere like, he helde to hym þe first provendir, þat was sufficyent, & leste he schulde ambiciously occupye þe stede of anoþer man, the wyse man, dredynge god and assentynge to heelful councelle, wiþ-outen tariynge resigned þat oþere prouendere. Forgyueþ me, breþere, ȝee rovendyr to provender: hyt is not myne þat I haue tolde, but Crystes owne schewynge. ¶ Spariþ Cristes mayden and wille ȝee not bakbyte þe Innocent. In what haþ she hurte ȝow, if she holsumly counceylid hir frende, if sche tolde þe trewþ þat she herde of oure lorde. But happely, ¶ whil ȝe often Lat. dum Gratianum revolvitis; der übersetzer las granum.ere on þis libelle, ouþer ȝe wil count þe
ns of Crystes mayden fantoms, or ellis, as ȝoure maner is, scorne hem as dremes. ¶ For þe pharysees, whanne oure lorde des∣putid of couetyse and seyde þat riche men myȝht not entre þe kynge∣dome of heuene, not oonly scornyd hym, but also demed hym as a man oute of mynde.—¶ And, sooþly, atte I telle þe grete dedes of mman wiþ-oute accepcyone of persones, I shalle not spare my-selfe, but I shalle sey a story of myne owne infelicite. ¶ Whan I, þof vnworþy, bygan to preche goddes worde to lewde symple folke and hadde neiþer exercise nor custom to make a sermone to þe puple, ¶ euere dredynge of my-selfe, leste in happe I shulde haue wantid ere many auctorites, ¶ and so, whanne I heped mykel mater to-gedir, what-so-euer I hadde in mynde þat wolde I sey forþe. ¶ For a fool telliþ forþe alle his spirite, but a wise man kepiþ sum to afterwarde. ¶ And whan I shent my-selfe wiþ so grete delauynesse, turnynge to er þe sermon, I felle into an heuynesse of herte, for bycause me semyd þat I hadde seyde mykelle vnordynatly and vn∣manerly. And on a tyme whanne Cristes mayden sawe me drery wiþ siche-manere sorowe, I wolde not for shame shewe to hir þe cause, ¶ and, atte more wrecchedful was, whan any man þat herkenyd me Ms. ne.er þe sermone, as custome is, as if I hadde seyde sotily: I receyued in þat sum-manere comforte. I am schamed to shewe my foulnesse, ¶ but I dare not councelle þe preisynge of þe holy woman. Þe whiche vpon a tyme, whan she, biholdynge me as confused and couerde with a clowde of þe forsayde sorowe, callid iþ-in: 'I sawe, quod she, þe liknesse of a man ful of clowdes, couerde wiþ superfluyte of heeres, and a strumpet, arrayed as wiþ summe brighte bemes, byholdynge hym wente · rownde aboute hym wiþ a shinynge laumpe; and whanne ere∣fore at this ensaumple of hir I perceyued ful certeynly anoon þat I was sieke of þ(r)e soores: for þe superfluyte of heres genderid to me sorowe, þe strumpet arayed, þat is pryde, gaf me comforte wrecchedly erynge. I woot not wiþ what lowuynges, þou holy womman, I shalle preyse the, þat knewe þe priuetis of god; to whome oure lorde openyd þoghtes of men not wiþ-outen cause, and gaf vertue to þy werkes to make medecyne for many mannes malady.—¶ Also, whan she was homely wiþ a good holy ȝonge woman, Lat. Heldewidis nomine.er, nerehande twelue ȝeere to-gadir; whan þat ȝonge womman was tempted wiþ any greuauns, she openyd þe þoghtes and temptacyons to þe same ȝonge womman, þat meruelyd how she shulde knowe hir þoghte; and also nforte of þe presens of maister Guy, þat þen was preste in þe chirche of Willambroc; and for þat atte falliþ sodeynly bringeþ more turbelle: she tolde hir halfe a ȝeere byfore or maister Guy wente fro Willam∣broc wiþ Johne his broþere, & warnyd Ms. warmyd.ns st. her.resens she loued so mikel. ¶ Also of a religyous womman þat hight Beselne, þe whiche trewly serued longe tyme Cristes mayden, of whos presens þe forsaide recluse hadde grete comforte, she seyde longe byfore þat she shulde go fro hir seruys, and at she shulde suffir wiþ-outen turbille þat oure ere of þe same hous purposed to go vnto Parys forto be þe maisters lodesman: 'abyde, quod she, & hye not so faste, for þe messanger þat þe maister sendiþ to ȝow, is nowe in þe weye com∣mynge'; e þat broþere abode stille, to þe messangere come to Oegines, þat was to come, as she byfore tolde þurgh þe spiryte of prophecye. And whan þe forsayde maister was gone on pilgrimage to Rome forto visite þe apostils, vntrewe tiþinges were tolde þat he shulde be deed. And his frendes leuyd so, and uod she, but hee lyueþ, & siche a daye hee wente fro Rome saufe and sounde to come home aȝein'. Þen alle men merueled & lafte of to synge for hym; and as she seyde, so þe ende proued.
Therfore þe doghter of Jerusalem, onowryd wiþ þese broches, be∣shyned wiþ þees forseide giftys of þe holy goste as wiþ lanternes of lightes; hir lyfe was in heuenly þinges wiþ purifyed herte þurgh þe spirit of vndirstondynge. For in so mykelle hir soule chace suspencyone e worldlynesse, þat oþere-while, (while) alle a daye she flowe fulle hye, & sumtyme many dayes to-gadir, with clere brightnesse of herte, not smyten ageyne, she byhelde þe sune of rightwisnesse as an Egil; wiþ þe whiche sunne-bemes she, dryed vp fro alle moisture of sensibil þinges, purged fro euery cloude of bodily ymages, wiþ-outen e she sawe in soule sympil fourmes and dyuyne as in a clene myrrour. ¶ For, sensibil formes putte oute of hir, vnchaungeabil and fourmed Lat. uniformes.erayn sympyl and vn-varyabil mageste. And whanne erynge gummes, and as by summe grecys in þe contreye of quyke folke walkynge by stretys and lanes she soghte whome she loued, now delyted with lylyes of holy virgyns, now refresshed wiþ swete smell∣ynge ere-while socyed to setes of aungels: whanne she hadde gon vp by alle greces, whan she hadde walked with gladde wille by alle þe places of paradys, a litil after shee was passed alle, she fonde þat at hir soule feruently desyred; þere atte laste she hadde ful reste, þere she abode fix & vnmoued, alle þinges forgoten ere so dere, nor þenke on holy aungels: alle seintes as leuynge byhynde hir, (she) cleued to þat at she brennyngly coueytid. ¶ And whan she loked nere in þe boke of lyue, sche perceyued þere-in many þinges þurgh þe spirite of vndirstandynge; þe whiche atte laste after rophecy. ¶ Wherfore þree ȝere or men were signed agayn Prouyn∣cyalle heretykes, she seyde þat she sawe crosses copyously comynge doune fro heuene vpon multitude of men—neuer-þe-les no mencyone was made þat tyme in oure contreye of þoos heretykes. Ȝit oure lorde at hee hadde welny loste alle þat londe & at (he) as banyshed was casten oute of þat cuntrey. And whanne þe holy martirs of Criste þat for loue of þe crucifix come fro ferre contrees to a place þat is called Mons gaudij, þat is hille of ioye, to venge þe villany of Cryste, were slayne þere of Crystes ere purgatorye. ¶ Wherof she toke so grete desyre of þat pilgrymage, atte she myghte not by holden, if she myghte haue gone any-maner wiþ-outen sclaunder of neyghbores. And whan we ere, if sche hadde comen þider: 'atte leste, quod she, I wolde worshyp my lorde, knowlechynge his name þere w(h)ere wicked men haue disspysed him Ms. hir.Ms. frendes.Ms. rornynge.ristes seruaunt þat was signed and kepte wiþ þe baner of þe crosse, þey putte to hym maliciously many synnes and keste agayne hym þat at procedyd not in treuþe. And whanne she bysoghte (oure) lorde for þe siek man, she sawe a brighte ery syde. ¶ And þof þat man taken wiþ deþe didde not his pilgrimage, ȝit mykel parte of purgatory, for þat atte hee hadde wille and ful∣fillid hit not, was forgyuen to þe same man, signed wiþ þe crosse, as oure lorde shewyd to þe holy womman.—¶ A frende of oures, ere are þree þinges þat dryue a man e of þe ȝonge man, preyed mykel for his wyfe to oure lorde; and esely comfortynge þat nobil man, seyde þat his wife shulde sone after be conuerted to oure lorde. And þat we knewe done and þanked god þere-of: for she, parfitely disspisynge vanyte of þe worlde, as she was byfore contraryous to þe gode purpos erwarde and as goynge-byfore drowe hym þat she fyrste hynderyd and letted.—¶ Also vpon a daye, whanne a chanone of þe chirche of seinte Geretrude in Niuelle was in poynte of deth, breeþer of Oegines wolde for a righte-wys cause witte þe daye of his diynge. ¶ And whan hit was tolde to a lewde man e, þat was þenne atte Oegines, þat (he) shulde go þennes and sende hem witerynge whan þe chanone shulde dye: 'if þou wolte, quod þe holy womman, sende tiþinges be-tyme of þat atte is bidden þee, þee byhoueþ to go þennes in þe mornynge and take þy weye'. And on þe morne whanne he Ms. she.e, þe belles were rungen for þe e.—¶ Vpon a fastyngange(!)-tysedaye atte nyghte, whanne seculere men vse to gif hem to etynge & drinkeynge, she sawe some fendes sory and confused comynge fro a religyous womman; þat hadde dissesyd hir greuously wiþ temptacyouns, but þurgh socoure of oure lorde þey hadde not þe victory. And after þat, whan she asked of mman how hit was wiþ hir: 'I, quod she, was greued gretly, but þat oure was I delyueryd þurgh þe grace of god'. And she knewe þat atte þat tyme she sawe þe fendes go a-weye fro þe same womman.—¶ Also a preste on a tyme songe masse, while she was presente; & for she oftene preyed for þat preste: siþen he hadde no thinge more iþ: leste hee shulde seme Ms. serue.eruelde and asked how she knewe þat—for god allone knoweþ uod she, sawe a fulfayre douve comynge downe aboue ȝoure hede in þe auter, þat as flikerynge stryked hir wenges to me, and I knewe in spiryte þat þe holy gost transferid þat masse to me'.—¶ And what-tyme prestes sange masses worþily and deuoutly, she sawe holy aungellys ioynge and helpynge þe prestes wiþ grete erently to þe worshipful sacramente, offenden holy aungellis þere presente! for of an heelful medecyn þey wrecchedly geten deþ. ¶ Vpon a tyme whanne a ful dere frende of hirs was ordeyned preste atte Parys, she sawe how hit was with hym whan he was enoynted into preste, and þe place where hee toke ordir, and his cloþinge and erof hadde
mme lettirs to hym to Parys, she wrote amonge other sum wordes þat þe preste myghte not vndirstande vnto þey were fullfilled: þat are þese wordes or lyke: ¶ 'a newe tree now haþ floured, of þe whiche oure lorde haþ ordeyned to me þe first fruytes'. ¶ For seþen þe preste purposed to synge his firste resens of þe holy woman.
Forsoþe, atte þe wise werke-man shulde brynge his werke to a par∣fite ende, þe hyest preste his chirche, þe worþyest kynge his doghter, erfeccyone of ende. She tasted sauer of þis wisdom and sawe þat oure lorde is swete, while hir soule was fulfilled as wiþ grees and fatnesse; while Ms. of.riue aungels mete in þe gardeyne of louely luste and likynge: hir herte was inwardly affecte wiþ þe delycyous gifte of þis wisdam, hir wordes were swetned, and alle hir iþ esynes of goostly enointynge. ¶ She was meke in herte, swete in mouþe, softe and esy in dede, dronken in charyte, and so dronken and abstracte fro sensibil þinges, þat vmwhile, whenne we ronge to noon or to euensonge, she as wakenynge askyd wheþer hit were ȝit prime. ¶ Also vpon a tyme whanne she hadde riuely aweye, þat her semed atte she hadde liggen vnneþes a momente. For oþere-while she hungyrde god wiþ wondir chaungynge of affeccyouns, and vmwhile she toke Lat. sitiebat.e ȝit hunger, e ȝitte thriste', euer þe more she felte oure lorde, þe more hir desyre encreced: she was greuyd & cryed, and bysoghte þat hee wolde abyde; and leste he shulde go, she helde hym as halsynge by-twix hir armes and preyed with wepynge atte he wolde shewe hym more to hir. ¶ Sumtyme thre dayes to-gadir or more, as l. hir-selfe.ere shulde not se hym; sumtyme she kyssynge played wiþ hym as with a childe. ¶ Sumtyme he she∣wed hym-selfe as a meke lambe be-syde hir skyrte; ¶ oþere-while the meke maydens sone shewed hym-selfe as a doufe to solas of his m to hir as likned to his feste: as in Criste-masse lyke a childe soukynge þe pappes of þe moder-mayden and weymentynge in cradel-cloþes—& þanne she erse affeccyouns and desyre after dyuerse shewynges; and so solempnites were renewed euery ȝeere. ¶ In þe feste of purificacyone she sawe oure lady offrynge hir sone in þe tempil, and Symeon receyuynge hym in his armes: and in þis visyone she ioyed as myche for myrþe as if she hadde be e in dede. ¶ And sumtyme in þis feste, whan hir serge hadde be longe vnlighted in þe processyone, sodeynly hit receyued a ful clere lighte, no man kyndelynge hit but god. ¶ And in þe passyone vmwhile oure lorde apperyd in þe crosse, but selden, for vnneþes myght she suffir þat. ¶ Also whanne þere ere-while eyght dayes byfore. And so after þe cours of alle þe ȝere she was chaunged in dyuers maners and hadde hir meruelosly. And whan any seyntes holyday was nere, þat seinte shewid to hir his feste, comynge to hir vpon his daye and visityd hir wiþ a multitude of heuenly felawes; e þat daye wiþ þe same seinte. ¶ For of homely and often to-gedir spekynge of seintes, as any man can knowe one of his neyghbors fro an noþere, ¶ righte so she knewe on aungel or o seynte fro anoþere. ¶ Also oþerwhile sum seynte fully vnknowen in þis cuntreye tolde hir his fest þat was done in ferre ered hir swetter þan sympil dayes. ¶ Sooþly, she halowed festful dayes writen in hir mynde and inpressed in hir herte as in a martiloge. ¶ Wherfore, whan she was on a tyme Lat. Lenlos.e perceyued not þat feste: she, felynge in soule so∣lempnite nere-hand, myghte no lenger contene hir-selfe. And whan þe preste was not redy, & noon oþere body range þe belles, as custum e stede and as she myghte, bygan to rynge þe belles. Þe preste herde þat and meruelynge ranne to hir. 'Why, quod hee, rynge ȝee, as þof hit were holy-daye, siþen we vse not but if it be a feste to rynge þis tyme of þe daye?' þan sche schamfaste and ferde: 'forgif me, sire, quod l. nede oder me do; sicut fit.mtyme to recreacyone, er in o stede wiþ-outen any felawshyp wiþ-outen
m brighte bemes goynge oute fro þe ymage of þe crucifix and comynge to hir & as persynge euene to hir herte—in alle whiche sightes she myche delyted ncelle of þe chirche, and she askyd what-maner wynges þoos were, hee answeryd: þat hee as an riuetis. ¶ And siþen she hadde in grete worshyp and with a specyal loue loued seint John̄ ewangeliste, hit happenyd on a tyme þat she con∣fessed to a preste a litil venyalle synne, wiþ myche weymentynge and uod she, refreyne wepynge'. For-why she sawe an egil vpon hir breste, þat as in a welle plonged the bile in hir breste and filled þe ayere wiþ grete noyse; ¶ and she vndirstode in spirite þat blessed Johne bare aweye hir weylynge & wepynge. She sawe on a at a douve come doune on þe prestys shuldir & þat a ful clere welle spronge oute of his shulder. ¶ Oþere-while she sawe þe maydens sone as a childe wiþ fulle grete brightnesse aboute þe box in þe whiche þe sacramente of þe auter was put; and whan we asked what-maner bright∣nesse e broghte to oure chirche, she felte byfore in spirite comynge of þe reliqes, and alle nyghte ioyed wiþ þe holy reliqes, and she sawe Criste ioiynge, and oþere relikes er þey were verrey relykes, hir spirite perceyued wonderly. For of þe litil crosse þat is in þe chirche of Oegines, in þe which is summe of þe tre of þe holy crosse, she sawe go oute a beem ful of brightnesse and a heuenly clernesse. ¶ Also a famylier frende of oure hous ere relyqes þat hee hadde, fonde a bone of a seynte wiþ∣oute writynge, and wiste not whos relikes þey were. And whanne he broghte to hir þese relikes to wite þe soþe, she perceyued in spirite þe vertue & þe verrynesse of hem. And whan hee prayed þat god shulde shewe to hir of whome þey were, a grete gloryous seinte n asked: 'who arte þou?' But hee named not hym-selfe, but discreued foure lettirs byfore hir mynde. And whan she helde þe lettirs in hir þoghte, but wist not what þey mente,
aiol. And þenne she knewe openly þat þis relikes were of seint Aiol, þe whiche atte Prime in Chaumpayn erens.—¶ Forsoþ, siþen she angwysshed in þis exile for desyre of erlastynge lyfe, for loue of þe sighte of god and for ȝernynge of þe coueytid blissednesse, neuerþeles on-lepy & hy remedy and singler solas was to hir aungels mete, heuenly brede, vnto she come to þe londe of byheste. In this þe sorowe of herte was tempirde, in þis hir woo was lokkened & hir spirite strengþed; in þis hye and passyngly eriles of þis pilgrimage, she ouercome alle þe labours of this wildernesse, & she, quickenyd wiþ þis fode, sette litil by alle defautes of this wrecchednesse. ¶ For holy fleshe fatned hir and blode quikenyd, wossh and clensed hir. Þis only solas she myghte not longe wante, for it was euen lyfe to at was deth to hir to abstene and be desseuered fro þis sacramente. ¶ For in soþe, she hadde leryd by experiens in þis worlde þat atte oure lorde seiþ in þe gospelle: 'but if ȝee ete þe fleshe of þe sone of a woman and drynke his blode, ȝee shalle not haue lyfe in ȝow. Who-so etiþ my fleshe & drynkeþ erlastynge lyfe'. Þis worde was not harde to hir as to þe Jewes, but softe; for not only inwarde in soule, but also in hir hony-swete mouþe she felte alle delyte and alle swetnes of sauour in receyvynge of this sacramente; and oþere-while vndir þe liknesse of a childe vndir sauour of hony with smelle of swete sauerynge er þe masse she asked þat she myghte atte lest byholde longe þe bare chalys on the auter.
But for we haue shewyd þe precyous broches of þis kynges doghter & þe sote-sauourynge cloþes of þis spouse of Cryste, þof not sufficiently neuerþeles after oure powere: now go we to þe hemmes of hir cloþes, þat is to seye to hir blyssed passynge, þat we offre wiþ þe hede þe tayle of oure ost. ¶ Whan she hadde longe tyme sacrifyed hir-selfe Ms. Wallambroc.e, for by-cause she was so nere þe next towne þat is clepyd Niuelle. ¶ And whan she hadde bysoghte oure lorde often-tymes wiþ many prayers þat he wolde ersones þat mekely wolde agre hem to hir desyre, þe place of Oegines was shewyd to hir, þat she sawe neuer byfore, siþen also þat for newnesse and pouerte of þe hous vnneþes was þan any mencyon þere-of amonge men. ¶ And longe avisynge hir-selfe, she wiste not what-maner place ristynge of oure lordes byheste, longe
er of obedyens toke leue of Johne hir husbonde & of his broþere, maister Guy, hir gostly fader, to visit þat place and to dwelle þere, if hir liste. ¶ Soþly, (þey), lest þey shulde make hir sory whome þey loued in charyte, graunte(d) hir lightly leue, for why god enspyred hem to gyue hir leue; and þey trowed on no e þat she shulde dwelle in siche a place þat she neuer knewe ne hadde any homlynesse of hem þat þere dwelled. ¶ Þan she þurgh goddes ledynge takynge (þe) wey towarde þe place ordeyned to hir, or she come þyder by a good space, seint Nicholas, patrone of þe same place, mette hir wiþ mikel myrþe and ladde hir to his chirche. e þat daye while she was in þe wey, she mykel meruelid, for why she felte in hir herte a grete sollempnyte of seint Nicholas to be atte þat tyme. ¶ For hit was not vnknowen to hir þat þe feste of seint Nicholas is wonte to be halowed byfore Cristemasse, & not in Maye þat was þen; ¶ neuerþeles þe same daye þat she come, breþer ranslacyone. ¶ And whan she come to þat place, she knewe in a wondir maner disposicyone of þe place, and breþer of þe same hous, as god shewed to hir byfore; & perceyued þat hit was seint Nicholas daye, and prophecyed þat she shulde make hir ende in þe same place. ¶ Also she shewed to me erwarde a place in þe chirche where hir biryels shulde be whan she dyed, as þe ende after proued. For in þe same place of Oegines she dyed, þof many after þat enforced to lede hir ageyne; and in þat party of þe chirche whiche she seyde to me byfore, was she biryed, þof oþere men wolde haue done oþere-wyse, after hir obyt.
After þat þurgh oure lordes biddynge she was goon fro hir owne cuntrey & kynred, after þat she hadde sitten, þe more priuely, þe more esely vndir þe vmbre of hym þat she desyred: I suffis not to conceyue iþ oure lordes moder, ¶ how often oure lorde hym-selfe presencyally apperid to hir. For euer þe more þe terme e of hir temporal lyfe neyghed, oure lorde shewed to hir þe more aboundaunt tresours of his largenesse. ¶ And whan þe laste ȝeer þat oure lorde byhighte was nere—þe whiche hir-selfe myghte not hyde for ioye: for six ȝere byfore she named hit to maister Guy; also she prophecyed to vs often booþ þe e (&) þe tyme of hir passynge, but she expressed not þe daye—neuerþeles, whan she myghte no lenger contene hir-selfe, she panted, sighed & for desyre cryed, as no lenger suffrynge to she shulde clyppe oure lorde: ¶ 'Lorde, I wole not þou go wiþ-outen me. I coueyte no more here to abyde: I wole go home'. And in a meruelous manere, er. ¶ Also for feruour of spirite, while she criynge was drawen oute of hir-selfe, she semed as firy in visage; and, atte more meruele is, while she was in þat excesse of mynde, she myghte byholde þe compas of þe material sunne wiþ þe sighte of hir eyen vnsmyten ageyn. Þan she, moysted wiþ mirþe, myghte not be stille, but cryed: 'hit is seyde in sancta sanctorum'—þat is to sey into holy thinges—¶ 'O so swete a worde! Telle me, Clennes, what is sancta sanctorum'—for Clennes hight hir mayden, of whom for goostly drunkenesse she asked significacyone of þe worde, þat þey neiþer wiste; ¶ neuerþeles þat worde she rehercyd often, for hit sauered eruelde þat she was rauyshed abouen hir-selfe more hougely þanne byfore, hit was seyde to hir: 'meruel þou not, þis is þe laste ȝeere: now haþ þou no more tyme'. And she herde a voys of oure lorde, clepynge hir and seiynge: 'come þou my frende, my douve, & þou shalte be ere: ¶ 'þe cloþes of þe kynges doghter smellen like spyce, and þe membrys of hir body are halowed of oure lorde as precyous relykes'.—¶ Sooþly, in þe ȝeere þat she passed reche and signe whom god enspyred, she asked me whanne I purposed to come ageyne. And whan I answeryd þat I shulde tarye longe tyme, þanne, syþen she hadde no-maner sieknesse byfore lentone: 'I, quod she, leue to er my deþe'—¶ for, as hit is seyde, she hadde seen hir obyt longe byfore þat tyme; and she seyde to me þat dissolucyone of hir body neyghed nere. And for she knewe not when I schulde come ageyne, she hyed to make hir testa∣mente, leuynge to me a þonge, þat she was girde with, and a lynnyn ur, wiþ þe whiche she wipte hir teres, and summe oþere smale thinges, derrer to me wiþ-outen comparysone þan golde or siluere. ¶ And whan tyme of hir desyred sieknesse, tyme of hir laste infirmyte come nere, she seyde to hir mayden, deuoute womman of virgyns, þat serued hir: 'I drede lest I mone be charge to þe and oþere, for wiþ ure lorde. Who schalle mowe abyde so longe by me?' Sooþly, she dredde alwey leste by occasyone of hir any-body shulde be greuyd, neuer-þe-les whan nere-hande alle were sory þat þey myghte not be by hir often and serue hir. For she tolde byfore þat she shulde ligge dede abouene e þat ȝeere welny she fasted þe same fery, so þat she þat daye ȝete no-maner mete. ¶ And euere þe nere þat hir tyme come, þe more she bisyed hir to serue and plese oure lorde wiþ-outen any stynte, nyghte and daye. Wherfore fro þe annuncyacyone of oure lady vnto myssomer-daye no but elleuene er ioiynge, abi∣dynge þe brydalle-daye with myrþe. Forsoþe, she hadde ful famylier, and most loued amonge oþere seintes seint Andrewe apostil, þat clepyd
e þere-fro. ¶ Sooþly, þat blessed apostil of Cryste seyde to Crystes mayden byfore hir laste infirmyte: ¶ 'Syker be þou, doghter, for I schalle not leue þe. For as I knowlechyd þe feiþ of Cryste and denyed not, righte so in þe daye of þy passynge (I) schalle stande by
Than þe tyme byhighte was nere þe whiche she hadde desyred byfore wiþ many teres and asked wiþ many sobbynges and sighes. And loo, sodeynly was made a sowne fro heuene and a turtirs voys herde in e wepynge fro þe yen of his mayden and fillid hir herte wiþ myrþe and hir lippys wiþ modulacyone. ¶ Soþly, she bygan to synge wiþ an hye voys and clere, & cecyd not þe space of þree dayes ere holy thinges, of hir frendes and of holy writte; ¶ and she avised hir not to fynde sentens, ne abode to sette hem to-gedir þat were founden; but as þey hadde be writen nge and settynge of hir wordes. For, as hir semyd, oon of Seraphyn, þat is a brennynge aungel, spradde his weyngys abouene hir breste; by whos mynistrynge & swetly bistandynge þat Lat. raucae factae sunt fauces ejus; l. chaules?ur of oure hous was fayne, for by-cause on þe morne, þat was sondaye, seculere men of þe cuntreye are wonte ere-by & counte hir as a fole. ¶ For-why men of þe worlde, men of sorow merueile not if any body crye for angwysshe and ache, as it falliþ in a trauelynge womman, but þey haue wondir and meruel if er not nor grucche, leste þey be sclaunderyd, and wiþ alle mekenesse worshyp þe grete giftes of god in his seyntes.—And atte morne oure tymbrere bygan to harpe hyer and clerer þan byfore: for oure lordes aungel þat nyghte e hosenesse fro hir þrote, puttynge into hir breste enoyntement of wondir soupilnesse; and so hir artery-veynes repareld and voys renewed, welny aldaye she ceced not, and men herde louvynge of god, voys of gladnesse and mery notes of melody. ¶ Soþly, þe dores were stoken and alle shytte oute, and oure Pryour and þe holy mmans mayden abode in þe chirche; but þey myghte not vndir∣stonde
riuatys, & summe þey vndirstode, but, woo þe while, þey helde not st. but.rinite, louvynge ful longe tyme þe trinite in vnite, (vnite) in trinite, settynge amonge to hir swete songe meruelous þinges and vnspekabil of þe holy trinite; mme þinges of holy writte (newly) and wondirly expownynge Lat. novo et mirabili modo exponens.e, wiþ st. of.e þat she neuer herde. ¶ Fro þe trinite, sooþly, she come doune to þe manhede of Cryste, fro þens to oure lady, fro þennes pronouncynge many þinges of holy aungels, of þe apostils and oþere mmendynge hem to oure lorde ilke after oþere by rowe, preyed to god for hem wiþ many orysouns. ¶ And alle þis she seyde in ryme & romayne tunge.—¶ Forsoþ, she seyde amonge many oþere þat of þe lighte of þe holy rinite holy aungellys haue vndirstondynge, and (of) þe lighte of Crystes body glorifyed in holy soulles, þey haue fruyte and ioye. ¶ Also she affermyd sadly þat oure lady seynte Mary, goddes moder, is now glorifyed in body, and at þe bodyes of seintes þat roos in Crystes passyone, neuere after turned ageyne in to pouder. ¶ Also she seyde, ere-of she was fulgladde, þat þe holy goost in haste shulde viset his chirche and more plentivous þan byfore shulde send holy labourers to fruyte of soulles þurgh alle-holy chirche and shulde be-shyne þe worlde for þe most part. ¶ She seyde also, whan she songe of seint Stephen, whom she clepyd Rosyer of paradys, þat, while he prayed e, oure lorde gaf hym seint Poule in gyft, and whan seint Poule, consecrate þurgh martirdome, ȝelde þe gost att his diynge, seynte Stephen was þere-by and offird þe spirite of seint Poule to oure lorde, seiynge: 'lorde, þou gaf me þis grete and singulere gifte, & I wiþ many-folde fruyte gif hit ageyne to þe'. ¶ And þen she Lat. ut prius eum dominus conservaret.eruelous maner she rekenyd vp alle þe temptacyouns rechour, and welny alle his synnes þat hee hadde done sumtyme; preiynge oure lorde þat hee wolde vouchesaufe to kepe hym fro suche synnes. ¶ Oure pryour herde, þat knewe þat mannes conscyens and (had) herd his confessyone; & goynge to hym seyde: 'wheþere ȝee haue seyde ȝoure synnes to Dame Marye? For while she songe, she tolde so ere-in mykel mirþe and swetnesse. ¶ Whan (in) þe ende of þe songe she come to þe songe of Symeon, þen she commendid ful deuoutly to oure lorde hir frendes mmen þat dwellen in þe cite of Leody, and preiynge for hir St. her.ery clause, þat is Nunc dimittis seruum tuum domine secundum verbum tuum in pace, ¶ þat is to saye: Lorde, now þou leuys þy seruaunte in pees after þy worde.—¶ Þen þe þree dayes of ioiynge paste, she garte nge godes; ¶ loo, now foloweþ wee Lat. Vae.e neuere ete after now, I schal ere her-after rede in þis boke': and takyng to breþer a litil boke þat sche hadde, in þe whiche she vsed to seye orysouns and somme dytees & rymes of oure lady, she putte hir-selfe pacyently vndur disciplyne of oure lorde, and abode wiþ ioye a blessyd ende in silens & in hope.
Soþly, in þis sieknesse she was trauelyd greuously wiþoute-forþe, but she restyd ful esely wiþ-in. For seintes, þat hadde stonden by hir often in state of heel, visityd hir oftener in sieknesse, ¶ and Cryste, apperynge often to hir, as wiþ chere of compassyone byhelde ere seint Andrewe þe apostille, comynge often to hir, gaf hir ful grete comforte & made þe sore of hir sieknesse as insen∣sibil to hir; and also holy aungels were by hir and serued hir deuoutely. Wherfore, whan she þristed on a nyghte and for mykel febilnes myghte Lat. incedere.er was putte, she dranke, and þey ledynge ageyne, she ȝede to hir bedde wiþ-outen any trauel. And þurgh warnynge of oure lady whan she sholde be anoynted, alle þe apostils were presente; seynt Petir, sooþly, shewed þe keyes and byhyghte Lat. ungeretur.erse sydes in takynge of þe sacramente, she felte wirkynge of þe holy goste wiþ fulle grete lightnesse of þat party of þe body. ¶ Also summe of hir frendes (&) knowleche þat were dede by∣fore, e prest erles was ȝit in purgatory. ¶ Also a man þat (wolde) aske e and shewed hym-selfe in state of perfeccyone, but after þat with sclaunder of many men & shame of religyone turnynge ageyne to þe worlde, made a contracte with a womman, þat also longe tyme shewyd parfite lyfe and brake hir firste feiþ; ¶ and abouen alle þinges hee seyde þat hee was peyned & punysched, for hee hadde e comforte and bodily strengthe of þe byshopes presens; and, as it semyd to hir, oure lady liftyd hir as in þe ayere ageyns þe byshope. ¶ Also whan þe same byshope hadde halowed þe auter of ercepcyone of þe sacramente as a white douve þat put þe sacramente in þe holy byshopes mouþ, and a Ms. alle.iþ-in, and by reuelacyone of oure lorde she knew his soule be-lemned. Lat.: maximamque claritatem eum interius transfun∣dentem et ejus animam illustrantem, domino ostendente cognovit.ur þe sauoure of a litel brede, lightly she toke often Cristes body, þat anoon as meltynge wente in to hir soule and not oonly comforted hir spirit but also esyd wiþ-outen tariynge hir bodily siek∣nesse. ¶ Soþly, hit felle in hir infirmyte, while she receyued Cristes body, þat hir semblaunde shyned as wiþ sunne-brighte bemes of lighte. er she myghte take an obley vnconsecrate, anoon she loþed þe sauoure of brede. For, whanne a litil party touched hir teeþ, she bygan to crye, to spitte and to pante, as hir brest shulde haue bristene; and whanne she hadde longe cryed for ache & often-tymes hadde washen her mouþe wiþ watir, after mykel er so febil in body & hir heed neuer so weyke and tome, as she þat þre and fifty dayes or she dyed ete no-maner mete, neuerþeles alwey she suffred þe lighte of þe sunne and neuer closed hir eyȝen ageyns briȝhtnes of þe lighte. And, þat more meruelle iþ many masons smytynge with malles bisyde hir, she myghte neuere be greued Ms. grettered.ertene to god and to mme þat were absente & hadde not comene to hir, of mme she seyde 'ȝit schalle I see hem', & of summe she seyde 'I shal neuer see hem in þis worlde'—and þat haue (we) witen falle. ¶ Also a nobil woman, sumtyme wyfe of þe duke of Louany ristes mayden longe or she dyed, while she dwelled atte Willambroc. arted fro hir and seide 'Dame, I wote not wheþer I schalle euere see ȝou more': 'ȝit, quod þe holy woman, shalle ȝee see me'. Þan whan she, þat dwelled aboute Coleyne fer fro oure contrey, herde þat þe holy woman laye on diynge: 'I triste in god, quod sche,
e see hir, as she byhight'—and so was hit. For whan sche come to vs, þe belles were rungen for þe liche: and þen she was present while þe body was wasshen and buryed. ¶ Sooþly, summe thinges she seyde to a pryue man of vs þat shulde falle after hir deeþ, as she knewe by reuelacyone and byheste of þe holy goste; þe er, þat when þey falle may lightely be perceyued by scripture; ¶ but þe mene Ms. more.e passe ouer & cunnynge shalle multiplye. Certeynly, summe men, but if þey see anoon falle þat at god reserues to profite of hem er, bygynne to grucche and moter, seiynge wiþ the Jewys: ¶ Manda remanda, exspecta re-exspecta, þat is a scorneful worde writen in þe prophet Ysaye and be-meneþ þus: Zusatz des übersetzers (vgl. Isa. 28, 10).rophecyes often, but hit is not trewe, for wee maye abyde & longe loke aftir. Zusatz des übersetzers (vgl. Isa. 28, 10).er∣þeles mme haue wee now seen falle, as of þe place þat sche is in buryed, and of þe cloþes halowed and honoured for colde, and of þe Monday in þe whiche she biryed Lat.: super terram.erwarde. And þerfore we abyde to þe toþer dele to come ful certeynly, as of þe newe songe Lat.: de cantu novae solennitatis, propter voces ange∣lorum auditas sibi a domino promisso.
For soþ, whan hir tyme neyȝhed nere, oure lorde shewed to his doghter porcyone of hir erytage amonge hir breþere, and she sawe a place in heuenly þinges ordeyned to hir of oure lorde; she sawe and ioyeful mme-maner suppose, if wee myghte holde in þe herte þe precyous stones & vertues of perles & gemmes þat she wondirly dis∣cryued, and þe names of stones þat she named þurgh shewynge of oure lorde; but, for hit is writen: 'iȝe haþ not seen, god, except þe, re∣hende; but allonly we maye knowe how grete ioye she is worþy þat serued god so deuoutly, þat loued Cryste so feruently, and wham Ms. whan.e lorde honoured in erþe wiþ so many priuileggys synggulerly. Þe þursdaye byfore þe daye of hir passynge, while we were presente Quam pulcher rex noster domine, ¶ þat is to sey in englysche: Ful feyre kynge, oure lorde. Whanne she hadde longe abyden in so grete ioye, singynge, laghynge and oþere-while hir handes clappynge, þan she turnyd to hir-selfe as of a newe comynge-ageyne to felynge of infirmyte, þat erþeles l. merveiles, lat. mirabilia.uod she, I wolde sey to ȝow, ȝif I durste'. ¶ Sooþly, þe same satirdaye at euene whan þe daye of ioye and myrþe was nere Ms. neuer.e, daye of þe vigil of seint Johne baptiste, in þe whiche also, as men seiþ, seint Johne Euangelist passed fro þis worlde, þof his feste be holden a noþer tyme: ¶ Þan Crystes mayden, þat hadde eten no-maner mete two and fifty dayes, bygan wiþ a swete voys to mwhat to drede and also to aske helpe of hem þat stode aboute. But þen she, takynge ageyne triste of oure lorde and strongly brekynge þe dragons hede & sheldynge hir∣selfe uod she, þou filþ and foulnesse'—for she called hym not foule, but foulnesse. ¶ Þan þe fende fleyng aweye, she bygan to synge, & þonked god of his grete grace. ¶ And þan, certeinly, whan þe euene come nere, byfore þe fest of seint Johne baptist, aboute þat oure þat oure lorde ȝolde the er chaungynge for any sorowe of deþ gladnesse of semelande or visage of ioiynge; nor I haue mynde þat in hele she hadde more glad∣nesse of chere and more liknesse of lyfe; nor, as custum is after deþ, she semed broune or blo in face, but wiþ an aungels contenauns and er hir deþ she stired many to deuocyone. ¶ Also many were moysted swetly in hir obyt with plentevous flode of teerys, and þey perceyued hem-selfe visityd of god þurgh hir prayers, as a holy woman sawe byfore of þe holy goste and seyde by-fore þat þey þat come e and lene þurgh infirmite & fastynges, þat þe rigge-bone of hir bak was clungen to hir wombe, and as vndir a þynne lynnen cloþe þe bones of hir bak semyd vndir þe litil skynne of hir er hir deeþ whome she loued in hir
mme she come ageyne, ¶ also she spake Ms. spaken.mmen and of proued lyfe, and she taghte hir frendes what þey shulde do, and warned hem in perils, puttynge awey alle doute fro hir hertes be certeyne priue tokens. Also she gat of oure lorde with preyers to summe of hir frendes booþ grace of wisdome & feruour mme of his frendes. ¶ Anoþer tolde me þat he sawe in slepynges hir body borne Lat. permutatum.e of Cryste a þowsande two hundreth and threttene, þe nynþe kalendis of Jule, in þe euen of seint John̄ baptist, þe sonday aboute noon, þe precyous perle of Cryste, Mary of Oegines, aboute sex and þritty ȝeere of hir age, was borne in to þe palys of euer∣lastynge kynge, where is lyfe wiþ-outen deþe, daye wiþ-oute nyghte, e, euerlastyngnesse wiþ-oute ende; where þe herte is not angwyshed wiþ besynesse, where þe body is not dissesed wiþ sorowe; where þe ryuer of luste filliþ alle þinges and stoppis wiþ spirite of ful fredome, where we shul knowe as wee are e in alle and shalle gif reyme Ms. regnum.esus Criste, þat wiþ þe fadir & þe holy gost lyueþ & reyneþ, wiþ-outen ende. Amen.
Here bigynneþ þe copy of a letter touchynge þe lyfe of seint Kateryn of Senys, þe whiche lettir endyted in latyn Dan Stephen of Senys, sumtyme Pryour of þe hede-Charteus in tyme of scisme, after Pryour of Papy, vnto frere Thomas Anthonij of Senys, of þe
Broþer Stephen of Senys, pryour, þof vnworþy, of þe hous of the Charteus ordyr nere Papy, gretiþ wel in hym þat is verrey hele of alle, a worshypful man & religyous & ful amyabil to hym with chere Lat. corde sincero; l. clere?as Anthonij of Senys, of þe ordyr of prechours, e & Paule att Venys.—I haue received affectuosly ȝoure lettirs, and haue redde hem bisily, by þe whiche ȝee gretly require and pray me þat I shulde sende to ȝoure charite in open forme trewe informacyone of þe dedys, maners, vertues and doctrines of famos holynesse of þe virgyn blyssed Kateryn of ersacyone sumtyme I deserued while she lyued, as
e of a quarelle made at Venese in þe byshopes palys anens þe halowynge of þe feste or commemoracyone of þe same virgyn; for many wole not leue atte þe vertues be trewe þat are trewly seyde of hir. Atte I sey openly þe soþ: þe visage of þe same virgyn, wiþ alle hir kynne, was þurghly vnknowen to me and e of oure lorde a þousand three hundreþ seuenty and sex or þere-aboute. Nor also þat tyme I, as drowned in þe floteryngis of þis lyfe, desyred to haue knowleche of hir; but þe goodnes of god, þat wole no man peryshe, disposed to delyuer my soule fro þe pitte of helle, þurgh þis ere felle wiþ-outene oure blame a werre bitwix vs and oþere men, mykel more stranger þan we; in þe whiche werre whan many grete citesyns oþere-while hadde ben occupyed & irked, þei myghte haue no-weyes hope of any good wille of pees of þoos aduersarijs. ¶ Soþly, þan þe forsaide virgyn was of grete e Tuskayne and wiþ many grete preisynges of ver∣tues she was enhaunced and tolde ful wondir werkes; wherfore hit was seyde to me, þat, if I wolde preye hir of siche a nede, wiþouten doute I shulde haue pees, for she hadde done many siche þinges. For-why I hadde councelle wiþ a neyghborgh, a nobil man, þat longe erwarde hadde made pees, and hadde knowleche of þe holy virgyn. Þe whiche man, as he herde my mouynge, anoon answeryd: 'haue þou no doute, for þou shalte fynde no persone in þis cite þat is more abil þanne she for siche a pees', and seyde: 'abyde no lenger & I schalle go wiþ þe'. Þerfore wee visityd hir; l. affectuous.ere comen home fro fer contrey. Where-(of) I merueld and takynge hede to þe spedfulnesse of hir holy wordes þat enduced me not oonly but also compelled me to knowlechynge and vertuos liuynge, I seyde: lat. digitus dei est hic.e þou haue fulle good pees; and alweys lat me haue siche-maner charge on þis hede'. And so the ende proued: for afterwarde ful miraculosly þurghe hir medyacyone wee hadde pees, ersarijs—bot þis leue I, be-cause of shortnesse. ¶ Þe mene-tyme I desyrynge to stir pees, visityd hir oftene, & euery daye for hir most spedful wordes & most parfyte en∣saumples I felte my soule be refourmed in to better þurgh compellynge of conscyens. ¶ She preyed me þe while more þat I wolde write summe eruelous maner wiþ hir maydenly mouþe. And þat, sooþly, I toke ful blyþely, ilke a daye (felynge) in me by notabil feruour my herte kyndelyd to heuenly þinges, disspisynge þe worlde & alle his, wiþ so grete displesauns of liuynge byfore, þat I myght vnneþes suffir my-selfe; and siche and so mykelle chaungynge e þe cite hadde meruel. ¶ And euere þe more I toke hede to þe lyfe, ensaumples, maners & wordes of þe forseyde virgyn, so mykelle more I perceyued in me encres of goddes loue and dispisynge of þe worlde. ¶ For sooþ, a litil while after þe for∣seyde holy virgyn seyde to me in priuite: 'wite þou ful wele, beloued er∣ceyued þat and was sumwhat astonyed, for I coude not fynde what I wolde haue in þe worlde, but raþer I forsoke alle worldly godes. Þerfore I seyde: 'O ful dere modir, I prey ȝow what is þe moste desyre þat I haue?' ¶ 'Seke þou, quod she, in þy herte'. And I er desyre in me þan to be contynuelly nere ȝow'. And sodenly she answeryd: 'And þat shalbe'. ¶ Forsoþe, I coude not vndirstonde þe maner how it myghte so be honestly or vantagely, for vnlikly con∣dycyone of eiþer state. Hee, sooþly, to whome no þinge is impossibil, Lat. ad Avenionem.e pope elleuenþ: and so, þof vnworþy, I Ms. þof I vnworþy.e settynge by and leuynge my fader and my moder, breþer, sister and alle my cosyns, countynge my-selfe blessyd for þe virgyns presens. After þat þe Pope hym-selfe come er∣þeles of goddes biddyng, as hit is ful openly knowen to me Ms. to me &c.e to holy chirche; where god wroght by hir many meruels, as hit is shewyd sumwhat in hir legende. ¶ And I deserued ere with hir. Atte laste ȝit was I wiþ hir atte Rome; where after many &, if I sey hit, vnsuffurabil labours, vnfeyntly borne to þe worschyp of god and ful gladly suffird, wiþ a fulle-blessed cours sche closed þe laste daye in my presens; wham Ms. whan.e handes to sepulture, þat is to þe chirche of Frere prechours, to be er to be kepte in a cofer of cypresse & worshypfulle toumbe. ¶ Sooþly, while she labored in hir laste ende, she ordeyned wiþ summe men what þey shulde do after hir passynge; afterward, turnynge hir visage to me, she seyde, & strecchyng forþ hir fyngyr: 'forsoþe, I bydde the on goddes byhalue and in vertue of obedyens, e-maner wyse þou go to þe Charteus ordyr; he haþ called & chosen þe'. Þan she, seynge vs bisyde hir wepynge, seyde: 'ful dere childir, ȝee schulde not wepe no-wise, but raþer ioye in oure lorde and make a mery daye: for I am delyuered oute of þis prysone, goyng þis daye to þe most specyalle spouse of my soule. And I by∣heet e helpe ȝow here-aftir more wiþ-outen comparyson þan euere y hadde powere to helpe ȝow while I haue ben þus enprisoned'. And, as she byhighte wiþ mouþe þat st. and.mme ensaumpil, one shalle I seye to þe worshyp of god & of þe e þe worlde wolde haue agayne-seyde me, I myghte no-wise haue graunted, eriens techyd. In þe whiche ordyr how mykel & what she hath wroghte & ȝit wirkeþ with hir sone, þof vnprofitabil & vnworþy, hit is not þis tyme to telle. Neuer-þeles þis dare I seye, þat after god & þe blessid virgyn Mary I trow me more bounden to þe holy virgyne Kateryn þan to eny creature of þe worlde; and if oght of gode were e to hir aftir god.—Hit maye be perceyued by (þis) scripture þat I haue hadde summe ȝeeres more þanne many oþer men ful homely conuersacyone of hir, in writynge lettirs & hir pri∣uetis, and parte of hir boke, þe which I wrote after hir owne maydenly mouþe. For abouen my deseruynge she loued me ful affectuosly with er-þeles I consideryd bisily with grete dili∣gens wordes, maners, dedys of hir in alle thinges, lesse and more. And for my wille is to conclude mykel in a litil, on my consciens byfore god and alle-holy chirche I bere hir trewly þis witnesse: þat, er-þe-les I haue hadde sexty ȝeere gon & more knowleche of many and ful famose seruantȝ of god and (n)euere sawe or herde of mykelle herebyfore any goddes seruaunte þat haþ ben in ilke a vertue in so ful parfyte & hye degre. Wherfore, as worthy was, she was countyd of alle men an ymage of alle vertues ere so lewdly seyde, but anone she reduced hem to summe sprituel profite. ¶ Alwey and wiþ vn∣feyntyd herte she spake of god or of maters inducynge to hym. I er slepte or etyn, if sche had hadde herers con∣tynuelly, as wee fonde in hir euery daye. ¶ Soþly, if she were com∣pellyd sumtyme to her doynges of þe worlde or vnprofitabil woordes to soule-hele, she was sodeynly rauyshed in swogh & hir body abode þere with-outen any felynge, as beynge in prayer. In þat maner ilke e openly þe treuþe of þis, lest in happe somme men wolde suppose þat she feyned e, þe pope Gregor beforseyde made be assyned to vs a feyre hous with a ful honest chapelle. Þe sister of the same Pope, as ful deuoute lady, after she hadde spoken vmwhile with þe forseyde virgyne, toke grete affeccyon and deuocyone to hir; ¶ and amonge ere she seyde in pryuete to mayster Raymonde, hir confessour, þat she gretly desyred to be presente whan þe holy virgyn shulde be houseled; and he bihighte hir þat hee wolde certefye hir the nexte
er. Þe whiche daye atte þe oure of tiers þe holy virgyn come in to þe chapil wiþ-oute shoes, allonly wiþ sokkes; and as hir custum was, she was rauysshed in to a swogh, desirynge and abidynge to be comuned. ¶ Þen maister Raymund cleped me and seyde: 'Go to siche a palys, where þe worshypful sister of þe pope dwelliþ, & e haste come to oure hous, wiþ a worshepful cumpany er she broghte with hir þe wyfe of þe popys nevow, þat was clepyd Raymounde of Turen. ¶ In soþe, þe ȝonge damyselle was ful of vanyte, no-þinge hauynge of god. Þe Popes sustir hadde hir ful deuoutly. ¶ Soþly, sche þat wrecche, as I trowe, þoghte þat þe virgyn feyned. ¶ Þerfore after masse sche shewed e to putte hir face vndir þe fete and pricked hir fulle sharply with a nedil in þe fete many tymes. But she stode stille vn∣moued—for so hadde she stonden, þof she hadde cut of þe fete. And after alle were gone & þe virgyne come ageyne to hir bodily wittes, hir fote bygan to ake sore, so þat she myghte vuneþes walke. rayer with summe hye thinges and harde and bisyed hit to ascende with grete strengthe, hit reryd vppe þe heuynesse of þe body fro þe erþe. ¶ Wherfore she was often∣tymes seen of many men in preyer houene and lifted vppe fro þe ere-of I hougely mer∣uelid. Forsoþe, how hit maye so be done, hit is openly writen in a boke þat þe holy mayden made; þe whiche I wrote in party, while she endyted hit wiþ hir maydenly mouþe in a ful meruelos manere. Vpon þe whiche mater hit is to be noted ful mykel þat goddes maieste e bere ful trewe witnesse. But I maye not hele þis on þat I perceyved in my∣selfe. e, we were a moneþ and more in þe cite of Jeyne e oure company welny was seke; but þat lady hadde mikel bisynesse aboute hem alle, and broghte two leches, worþy men. Wiþ þe whiche I hadde ful grete laboure, for I iþ passyng hede-ache and laborous vomet. And whan the holy virgyn perceyued, she come hir-selfe to me with confessours and hir felowes, þat were wymmen. Þanne she asked me where-in I was so greuyd. And I was lightned mme men seye me þat I suffir I wote not what'. Þan she, stired with modirly charite, felte my forhede wiþ hir maydenly hande and sumwhat waggynge hir hede, seyde: 'herkeniþ þis sone þat sciþ summe men telle me þat I suffir I wote not whatte, while hee suffriþ a ful grete feuere ague!' e sieke men do, but in þe vertue of holy obedyens I bidde þe þat þou suffir no lenger þis sieknesse, for I wole þat þou be hool on alle wise and atte þou helpe oþere, as þou diddest byfore'. And after þat, as hir custum was, she bygan to speke of god. HIt is wondir to sey, but mykel e in dede: I was fully hole. Þan a Tilge þan a.e hool, alle men meruelynge þat þere were; and so was I many ȝeerys after. In maner like, þat is to wite by a myghtful biddynge, þe same virgyne heled a worshep∣ful man, Dan Johne, monke professed and dwellynge in þe celles of Ms. Passignam.e, þat is to witte in (presens of) two of his disciples þe whiche he hadde sende to þe same virgyne; and she badde hym hye Ms. bye.e he Ms. she.e I kepte in oure celle ful deuoutly. Neuerþeles ȝit more pleynly he tolde by mouþe þat at is writen aboue, preisynge þe virgyn openly e of hir the whiche hadde de∣lyuered hym fro deþ raþer comaundyng þan preiynge, and mykelle meruelynge louved oure lorde þat hadde graunted siche auctoryte & so grete to þis virgyne, his spouse.—And þof alle þe lyfe of þe for∣seyde virgyne boþe after body and soule be, at I so seye, vnherde e Ms. felle.erþelesse sum seruauntes of god passynge oþere toke hyer hede to o thinge fulle wondirfulle and vnused in an erþely man. For, what-so-euer shee didde, seyde or herde, hir holy mynde was alwey in god and actuelly onyd to hym; and for þe mouþ spekys of abundauns of herte, she spake neuer but of god or of maters e vnite of loue. I haue mynde þat, whan she sawe floures in the my∣dewe, in þe whiche she hadde grete likynge, wiþ holy gladnesse she stired vs and seyde: 'se ȝee not þat alle thinges worshypes & know∣leches to god? Þoos rede floures shewe to vs openly þe rody woundes esu Cryste'. Whan she sawe a multitude of amptes, she seyde: 'so þes come oute of the holy þoghte of god as I, in whos four∣mynge hee laboureþ as mykelle as in makynge þe floures of þes trees'. And in effecte we alle were alweye in alle thynges comfortid in hir presens, and so mykelle edifyed, þat, if I hit seye, wiþ-outen bodily e hir, how mykelle so euere wee hadde ben dissesed on oþere syde or greued wiþ siek∣nesse. ¶ Also men þat sholde be henged or hir hedes smyten of, þe whiche, whan she was sende after, she visytid in prysone, hit semyd þat þey hadde alle forgoten for þat tyme hir peynes and afflic∣cyouns, ere þey come, in þe sighte of hir. ¶ Þe fendes temptacyouns also semyd (to cese) atte alle wyse in a meruelous maner, as, whan þe sunne shynes brighte, dirknesse is not sene. I haue mynde þat I haue dyuerse tymes gon to hir, purposynge forto telle hir many thinges of my state, and afterwarde I tolde hir þat I hadde forgoten. er þan I my-selfe coude seye or aske. And þat no man meruelle of siche-maner spekynge, ¶ wite alle folke wele þat þis ful holy virgyn in maner knewe dispo∣sicyone of soulles as wee knowe disposicyone of visages; as experiens roued ful openly. Wherfore wee myghte not any-wyse be hadde l. hidde.eril to be nere ȝowe þan to go by the se, for by-cause þat ȝee so se alle oure pryuetes'. And þan she seyde to me in priuete: 'wit þou wele, ful dere Ms. derere.Ms. blenyshynge.e of god'. And to more clernesse of þis trewþe hit is ful open knowen to me þat for hir most spedful exhortacyons she made be confessed in my presens what men and wymmen many þousandes, at she didde in siche maters, Pope Gregore elle∣uenþ gracyously graunted to hir to haue contynuelly wiþ hir three confessours wiþ ful grete auctorite. Neuerþeles sumtyme come hir summe synners so harde bounden of þe fende, þat þey wiþ-stode hir e wyse & seyde: 'sooþly, lady, if ȝee seyde to me þat I shulde go to Rome or to seynte James, I wolde fulfille hit wiþ-outen fayle; ¶ but of þis poynte of confessyone I praye ȝow spare me, for I maye not'. Atte last whan she myghte not ouercome hym noon oþer maner, she seyde to hym in priuite: 'If I telle þe þe cause wherfore þou wilte er?' Þan hee as astonyed and ouercomen byhighte to do so. ¶ And sche seyde þanne: 'ful dere broþer, we maye oþere-while bi hidde fro mennes yen, but neuere fro þe sighte of god. ¶ Þerfore siche a synne þat þou didist in siche tyme and siche place, is þat wherþurgh þe fende so confoundys þy ere þat hee latis þe not be confessyd'. And he,
e ful lowely at hir feet, wiþ mykel wepynge askynge forgifnes, and forþ-wiþ was confessed. ¶ I wote ful wele þat þis was done dyuerse tymes & wiþ many men; of þe whiche on ful famose man and of grete state þurgh alle Ytalye seyde to me: 'God allone and Ms. þat st. and.erfore by þis maner þe ful wyse virgyne dy∣lyuered soulles of synners fro þe fendes pouste. Þis þat is seyde, may suffys atte þis tyme of hir myraculis l. myraculos.er þe soule, þof þis mater be ful mykel; but ȝit þe lyfe of hir was myraculos after þe er-while hir body was sustenid wiþ-outen any materyalle mete, & abstenynge fro a drope of watir—& þat myghte I deme impossibil, but if I hadde sene hit wiþ myne eyȝen. In Rome sumtyme she toke þe sacrament of þe auter allonly. Neuerþeles þe maner of buriynge l. berynge? modus vivendi.iones and egges she loþed gretly; but wymmen þat were wiþ hir, dighte vnto hir communly grene erbes, whan þey myghte any gette, or ellis oþere-while a mece of wortys wiþ oyle. Of an ele she eet allonly þe hede and þe tayle; but chese ete she noon, but if hit er grapes and siche oþere. Neuerþeles she ete not þese, but chewyd hem wiþ hir teeþ, oþer-while wiþ brede, oþere-while withoute brede, soukynge þe iuse, and spittyd oute euery morsel of þe gros mater; soupynge ful often clere watir by hit-selfe. And she abode so longe tyme to do so, as longe as hir mmen, stode etynge atte borde; ¶ afterwarde she roos & seyde: 'Go we to þe rightwisnesse of þis wrecchyd synner' and wiþ a stalke of fynel or an oþer þinge þat she put in to hir stomake, she broghte oute violently by þe same weye þat iuse & þe watir þat sche hadde taken. And some-tyme she soffred so erfore herby is confounded þe opinyone of summe men mysby∣leeuynge, þe whiche ful falsely detractyd hir & seyde: 'þof she ete not openly, neuerþeles she etys after-warde pryuely'. ¶ But þis treuþe is fully tryed þat wee many haue seen longe tyme: þat, ere was in hir stomake any substauns of any iuse or watir or of any oþere thinge, ȝe as mykel as a walnot, hir body was alle siek and febil. For oþere-while come to hir summe grete men þe tyme þat she most do þat rightwisnes, þat I vse hir worde, þat is Justicia, ¶ and so to plese hem þat tyme hir byhoued to araye siche doynge er; ¶ but she swouned sodeynly and was euene as dede, vnto she hadde made þat avoydans of hir stomake—for þis haue wee sene as I so seye, oftener þan maye be tolde. And I þerto takynge gode hede, on a tyme ful tristely seyde to hir: ¶ 'Fulle louely moder, I see þat þe refresshynge of þat atte ȝe take ȝee holde it so litil ere-of may haue no helpe or litil,
ernesse and peyne. Wherfore hit semiþ þat ȝee were better to abstene fro siche takynge'. Þanne she, as most discrete, answerid to me: 'Ful dere sone, I haue many consideracyons in þis takynge: oon is, for I haue preyed god þat hee shulde punyshe me for þe synne erfore I take with gode chere þis dis∣cipline þat god haþ graunted to me; and for I do my bisynesse to plese many oþere men þat seme sclaundirde in me, whan I ete not, and þey seyde þat þe deuel deceyued me, and also þat Tilge þat.ere may be anoþere good considera∣cyone: mwhat turnyd ageyne to bodily strengþes; anoþer Lat. alias.e þat herde hir, were astonyed. She delyuerid and ex∣pounyd alle-holy writte so cleerly and so openly, þat alle men, were þey neuer so leryd, or maistirs, as astonyed hadde wonder; and also þat semyd meruelous: mannes connynge defayled so in hir sighte Ms. fighte.nne shynes most hoot. Many resens of oure lorde Pope Gregor elleuenþe, after in þe presens of oure lorde Pope Vrban sexte, & of Cardynals, alle wiþ grete meruel seiynge þat neuere man spake so; ¶ and: wiþ-outen doute, þis is no woman þat spekes, but þe holy roueþ ful openly. And for þe mater falliþ now to pur∣pos, o þinge I wil shortly reherce þat was done while I was present. ¶ At Auynone, while Pope Gregor elleuenþe gaf grete audiens to þis holy virgyn & hadde hir Ms. hit.erens, þre grete prelates, auyse hem with what spirite, spake of hir to þe Pope, seiynge: 'holy fadir, wheþer ng to ȝoure holynesse'. 'Wee leue, quod þe Pope, þat ȝee shul be edefyed'. Þen þey come to oure hous anoon after none in þe somer and knokked. And uod þey, þat wee wil speke wiþ hir'. Þe holy virgyne herde þat & come downe to hem, wiþ maister John̄, hir confessour, & summe oþere relygyous persones; and þey made hir sitte in þe myddes in a couenabil place. For soþ, her firste spekynge bygan of grete pryde, prouokyng hir wiþ bit∣ynge ere: 'We er comen of þe byhalfe of oure lorde (þe) Pope & wee coueit to heere, if men of Florens sende þe hider, as þe tale is; and if þat be soþe, wheþer þey haue not summe worþy man whom þey maye sende for siche a nede vnto siche a lorde. And if þey haue not sende þe, we haue mykel meruel, seþen mman, þat þou takiþ vpon þe to speke of so grete a mater wiþ oure lorde þe Pope'. But she, as a sadde piler, stode stiffe, shewyng meke and ful effectuous and redy answeris, so þat þey meruelid ful myche. And whan she hadde fully answerid hem to þat matier, þey put to hir ful grete questyons and many, ransfiguris hym into an aungel of lighte, how she wote or noon wheþer she be deceyued of þe deuel; and many oþer þey seyde & purposed Ms. purposed to h.; lat. proposuerunt.e lasted to þe nyghte. ere-while maister Johne wolde haue answeryd for hir; & þof he were maister in dyuynite, neuerþeles þey were so myghty, þat in a fewe wordes þey confoundid hym, & seyde: 'ȝee aghte to be ashamed to sey siche wordes in oure presens. Late hir answere, for she answers vs mikel better þan ȝee'. Amonge þoos thre was an arche-byshope er two ageyne seyde hym: 'what Ms. what what.e expoune these maters more openly and more pleynly þan euere wee haue founden e trewe tokens'. And so þere was scisme & discorde amonge hem. Atte laste þey wente alle hir weye, booþ edifyed and comfortyd, tellynge oure lorde the Pope þat þey neuere fonde soule so meke nor so enlumyned. Neuerþeles þe Pope, whan he wist þat þey hadde prouoked so þe er Fraunceys of Senys, þat þen was þe Popes leche, seyde to (me): 'knowes þou þos erdaye to ȝour hous?' And I answeryd naye. Þen he seyde: 'wyte þou þat, if þe connynge Ms. comynge.Ms. comynge.e þat are in þe courte of Rome were layde in an oþer, the connynge Ms. comynge.Lat.: et scio tibi dicere quod, si non invenissent istam virgi∣nem habere solidum firmamentum, ipsa nunquam fecisset ita pessimum iter.l. affectuos.eryment and knowynge of hem, as hir profunde mekenesse, most myghty pacyens, in so my∣kelle þat she was neuer sene ones chaunged in chere or þat euere erfeccyone. Who myghte telle hir most brennynge charite, þurgh þe whiche she gaf to þe worshyp of god
rofet for hir neyghbores not oonly temporel godes, while she was in hir fadir hous, but also hir owne selfe. Wherfore god shewyd many myracles, oþere-while multipliynge brede in þe chiste, encresynge wyne in þe barel. Sumtyme she gafe to a pore man hir owne cote: afterwarde oure lorde shewyd hit to hir arayed in þe bakke with ful recyous stones, as þis dede is figured atte Rome bisyde hir tumbe. ¶ Anoþer tyme she wente wiþ confessours & hir felowes, þat were wymen, to a place & she mette a pore man, as hit semyd, ful importune schame-ful askeer, þe whiche asked almes of hir. And she answeryd: 'soþly, ful dere broþer, I haue no money'. Þen he seyde: e þat ȝe Ms. he.uod she, and anoon she gaf hit hym. Þanne þe confessours folowynge hir myghte vnneþes wiþ grete prys by ageyne þe mantil of þat pore man. And whan þey reprehendid hir why she wolde go wiþ-outen abyte of hir ordyr, she answeryd: 'I wil raþer be founden with-outen abyte þan eruelyd hir perfeccyon.—¶ Soþely, my bodily disposicyone compellynge me with dyuerse occupacyons comynge vpon me; for of þis large mater myȝt be made many bokes, I wole make an ende of myn vnmanerly wordes. ¶ And þerfore I monyshe in oure lorde denoute men, þat haue liste to errey vertues, to be folowed, ful heelful & ensaumplers of þis holy virgyne &, at I so Ms. as I to.esu Criste & also with þe blessid virgyn Mary and with oþere seintys, not slepynge or dremynge but bodily wakynge: rede he þe lyfe and er Raymounde of Capua, maister of diuinite, þat longe tyme was hir confessour, ¶ and aftir hir blissed obyt was made generalle maister of his ordyr, þat is of frere prechours; where he shalle fynde many profitabil thinges and also fulle feyre. And þof summe slawe reder e fruyte of deuocyone sey þat he haþ writen ful longe, wyte alle men þis openly þat in comparysone of thinges done hee haþ ouer-mykelle abreggyd hir lyfe, in whatkyns maner hit be þere writen; and þos þinges þat hee wrote, I suppose wiþ-outen doute þat he wrote hem þurgh enditynge of the holy gost. Þis worde ersacyone; and I know his commendabil lyfe & gracyous giftes þat he hadde, þat is maydenhode, nobilte of body, grete conynge, & oþere vertues with þe whiche hee was endowed & onourid of oure lorde god. ¶ Þis on in þe ende I maye not coun∣ceille, e þat with entente rede þat fayre and deuoute tretys þat hee made vpon Magnificat. ¶ And for I leue þat he is now passed to lyfe þat euere lastes, o priuyte here-byfore now shal I seye, as y am certeyn of my-selfe: for many ȝeerys, nt of hirs to be hir fadir & confessour, þat shulde gif hir mykel more comforte þanne she hadde byfore of hir oþere confessours; as þe dede proued after. ¶ Þerfore þese fewe þinges come now to witnesse to þe lyfe er to ȝow as ȝee asked of me wiþ instauns; þe whiche I haue writen wiþ symple stile & haue endyted with symplere herte, þof I be greuyd with bodily sieknes & gretly occupyed. ¶ And forbycause I toke hede to o worde in ȝoure lettir, þat is to wite þat I shulde sende ȝow trew and verrey e, I wole not passe þat vntouchyd. God forbed þat any man shulde suppose, namely a wise man, also god forbede fro þe clennes of my consciens, þat I wolde wityngely and ageyne conscyens medil Ms. modil.ere thinge amonge any-maner wordes of myne þan þe sympil sooþ, for I woot þat þe mouþe þat lyeþ slees þe soule; ne erof shulde come gode. ¶ Þerfore ful certeyn be ȝee þat I haue seyde the selfe soþe, tellyng þat atte is writyn aboue & afferm∣ynge þe treuþe; for þe whiche not oonly I profir oþe after ȝour askynge & offer me redy to swere vndir any fourme þat is expedyent; but, l. at.er in þe ȝeere of oure lorde MCCCCXI Ms. MCCCXI.resens of many witnesses, and with appensyone of oure grete couente-seel to þe testymone of trewþe, and atte I shulde fulfille ȝoure askynge.
Seynt James þe apostil seiþ þat, who-so synneþ not in tunge, hee is arfite man. Wherfore þe turner of þis englysshe, þat is not but symply vndirstandynge, as here þe soþ preueþ, lowely and mekely (be∣secheþ) alle men and wymmen þat in happe rediþ or heriþ þis englyshe, þat þey be not ouer-capcyous ne curyous in ful many clauses & variauns of stile & alle-so vnsuynge of englyshe, as vmwhile soþeren, oþere∣while ere-of, raþer arettynge his lewdnesse to symple ignorauns and obe∣dyens e. For wite alle men þat he þe whiche drewe þis englysche, so as (it) is, oute of latyne, knowynge his owne sympilnesse and vnkonynge, durst not haue presumed to
ereyn hadde bidden hym, whome he myghte not ageyne-seye. Neuerþeles a souereyns prayer may be clepyd a comaundemente, as on seiþ þus: ¶ Est orare patrum species violenta iubendi, Et quasi nudato supplicat ense potens—¶ þat is to mene: a priours preyynge til obeyand monke is a bidynge. Lingue, non ferri, Prior vtitur ense potenti. Non contradixi, sum quia verna sui.—Nota: pro 'ancilla xpi' verti 'Cristes mayden', & pro superlatiuo gradu vt 'optimus' verti: 'ful gode', & sic in similibus. ¶ Whoso rediþ þis, preye Ms. preyers.er, þat god gif hym a good ende &, if hit profit, hele of body. A . . . M . . . E . . . N.