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   On a tyme, as this creatur was at Cawntyrbery in the cherch among the monkys,
sche was gretly despysed and reprevyd for cawse sche wept so fast bothyn of the
monkys and prestys and of seculer men ner al a day bothe afornoon and aftyrnoon,
also in so mech that hyr husbond went away fro hir as he had not a knowyn hir and left
hir aloon among hem, cheys hir as sche cowde, for other comfort had sche noon of
hym as that day. So an eld monk, whech had ben tresowrer wyth the Qwen whyl he
was in seculer clothyng, a riche man, and gretly dred of mech pepyl, toke hir be the
hand, seying unto hir, "What kanst thow seyn of God?" "Ser" sche seyth, "I wyl bothe
speke of hym and heryn of hym," rehersyng the monk a story of scriptur. The munke
seyd, "I wold thow wer closyd in an hows of ston that ther schuld no man speke wyth
the." "A, ser," sche seyd, "Ye schuld meynteyn Goddys servawntys, and ye arn the
fyrst that heldyn agens hem. Owyr Lord amend yow." Than a yong monke seyde to
this creatur, "Eythyr thow hast the Holy Gost or ellys thow hast a devyl wythin the,
for that thu spekyst her to us it is Holy Wrytte, and that hast thu not of thiself." Than
seyd this creatur, "I pray yow, ser, geve me leve to tellyn yow a tale." Than the pepyl
seyd to the monke, "Late hir sey what sche wyl." And than sche seyd, "ther was onys
a man that had synned gretly agens God, and, whan he was schrevyn, hys confessowr
injoined hym in party of penawnce that he schuld o yer hyer men to chyde hym and
reprevyn hym for hys synnes and he schuld geven hem sylver for her labowr. And on
a day he cam among many gret men as now ben her, God save yow alle, and stod
among hem as I do now among yow, despysyng hym as ye do me, the man lawhyng er
smylyng and havyng good game at here wordys. The grettest maystyr of hem seyd to
the man, `Why lawhyst thu, brothel, and art thow gretly despysed?' `A, ser, I have a
gret cause to lawh, for I have many days put sylver owt of my purse and hyred men to
chyde me for remyssyon of my synne, and this day I may kepe my sylver in my purs,
I thank yow alle.' Rygth so I sey to yow, worshepful serys, whyl I was at hom in myn
owyn contré day be day wyth gret wepyng and mornyng, I sorwyd for I had no schame,
skorne, and despyte as I was worthy. I thank yow alle, serys, heyly what forenoon and
aftyrnoon I have had resonably this day, blyssed be God therof." Than sche went owt
of the monastery, thei folwyng and crying upon hir, "Thow schalt be brent, fals
lollare. Her is a cartful of thornys redy for the and a tonne to bren the wyth." And the
creatur stod wythowtyn the gatys at Cawntyrbery, for it was in the evenyng, mech
pepyl wonderyng on hir. Than seyd the pepyl, "Tak and bren hir." And the creatur
stod stylle, tremelyng and whakyng ful sor in hir flesch wythowtyn ony erdly com-
fort, and wyst not wher hyr husbond was become. Than prayd sche in hir hert to owyr
Lord, thynkyng on this maner, "Hedyr cam I, Lord, for thi lofe. Blyssed Lord, help me
and have mercy on me." And anon, aftyr sche had mad hir prayerys in hir hert to owyr
Lord, ther komyn tweyn fayr yong men and seyd to hir, "Damsel, art thow non eretyke
Ne no loller?" And sche seyd, "No, serys, I am neythyr eretyke ne loller." Than thei
askyd hir wher was hir in. Sche seyd sche wyst nevyr in what strete, nevyrthelesse it
schuld be at a Dewchmannys hows. Than this tweyn yong men browgt hir hom to hir
ostel and made hir gret cher, preyng hir to pray for hem, and ther fond sche hyr husbond.
And mech pepyl in N had seyd evyl of hir whyl sche was owte and slawndryd hir in
many thyngys that sche schuld a do whyl sche was in the contré. Than aftyr this sche
was in gret rest of sowle a gret whyle and had hy contemplacyon day be day and many
holy spech and dalyawns of owyr Lord Jhesu Cryst bothe afornoon and aftyrnoon,
wyth many swet terys of hy devocyon so plentyuowsly and contynualy that it was
mervayle that hir eyne enduryd er how hir hert mygth lestyn that it was not consumyd
wyth ardowr of lofe, whych was kyndelyd wyth the holy dalyawns of owyr Lord
whan he seyd to hir many tymes, "Derworthy dowtyr, lofe thow me wyth al thin hert,
for I love the wyth al myn hert and wyth al the mygth of my Godhed, for thow wer a
chosyn sowle wythowt begynnyng in my syghte and a peler of Holy Cherch. My
mercyful eyne arn evyr upon the. It wer unpossibyl to the to suffyr the scornys and
despytes that thow schalt have ne were only my grace supportyng the."