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   Than thys creatur thowt it was ful mery to be reprevyd for Goddys lofe; it was to hir
gret solas and cowmfort whan sche was chedyn and fletyn for the lofe of Jhesu for
reprevyng of synne, for spekyng of vertu, for comownyng in scriptur whech sche
lernyd in sermownys and be comownyng wyth clerkys. Sche ymagyned in hirself
what deth sche mygth deyn for Crystys sake. Hyr thowt sche wold a be slayn for
Goddys lofe, but dred for the poynt of deth, and therfor sche ymagyned hyrself the
most soft deth, as hir thowt, for dred of inpacyens, that was to be bowndyn hyr hed
and hir fet to a stokke and hir hed to be smet of wyth a scharp ex for Goddys lofe.
Than seyd owyr Lord in hir mende, "I thank the, dowtyr, that thow woldyst for my
lofe, for, as oftyn as thow thynkyst so, thow schalt have the same mede in hevyn as
thow thu suffredyst the same deth. And yet schal no man sle the, ne fyer bren the, ne
watyr drynch the, ne wynd deryn the, for I may not forgetyn the how thow art wretyn
in myn handys and my fete; it lykyn me wel the peynes that I have sufferyd for the. I
schal nevyr ben wroth wyth the, but I schal lovyn the wythowtyn ende. Thow al the
worlde be agens the, drede the not, for thei cun no skyl of the. I swer to thi mend, and
it wer possybyl me to suffyr peyn ageyn as I have do beforn, me wer levar to suffyr as
mech peyn as evyr I dede for thi sowle alon rathyr than thow schuldyst partyn fro me
wythowtyn ende. And therfor, dowtyr, rygth as thow seyst the prest take the chyld at
the funtston and dyppe it in the watyr and wasch it fro oryginal synne, rygth so schal I
wasch the in my precyows blod fro alle thi synne. And, thow I wythdrawe sumtyme
the felyng of grace fro the, eythyr of spech er of wepyng, drede the not therof, for I am
an hyd God in the that thu schuldyst have no veynglory and that thu schuldyst knowyn
wele thow mayst not han terys ne swych dalyawns but whan God wyl send hem the,
for it arn the fre gyftys of God wythowtyn thi meryte and he may geve hem whom he
wyl and don the no wrong. And therfor take hem mekely and thankyngly whan I wyl
send hem, and suffyr pacyently whan I wythdrawe hem, and seke besyly tyl thow
mayst getyn hem, for terys of compunccyon, devocyon, and compassyon arn the
heyest and sekerest gyftys that I geve in erde. And what schuld I don mor for the les than
I toke thi sowle owt of thi body and put it in hevyn, and that wyl I not yet. Nevyrtheles
whersoevyr God is hevyn is, and God is in thi sowle and many an awngel is abowte
thi sowle to kepe it bothe nygth and day. For, whan thow gost to chyrch, I go wyth the;
whan thu syttest at thi mete, I sytte wyth the; whan thow gost to thi bed, I go wyth the;
and, whan thu gost owt of towne, I go wyth the. Dowtyr, ther was nevyr chyld so
buxom to the fadyr as I wyl be to the to help the and kepe the. I far sumtyme wyth my
grace to the as I do wyth the sunne. Sumtyme thow wetyst wel the sunne schynyth al
abrod that many man may se it, and sumtyme it is hyd undyr a clowde that men may
Not se it, and yet is the sunne nevyr the lesse in hys hete ne in hys brytnesse. And rygth
so far I be the and be my chosyn sowlys. Thowgh it be so that thu wepe not alwey at
thi lyst, my grace is nevyrthelesse in the. Therfor I preve that thow art a very dowtyr
to me and a modyr also, a syster, a wyfe, and a spowse, wytnessyng the gospel wher
owyr Lord seyth to hys dyscyples, `He that doth the wyl of my Fadyr in hevyn he is
bothyn modyr, brothyr, and syster unto me.' Whan thow stodyst to plese me, than art
thu a very dowtyr; whan thu wepyst and mornyst for my peyn and for my passyon,
than art thow a very modyr to have compassyon of hyr chyld; whan thow wepyst for
other mennys synnes and for adversytés, than art thow a very syster; and, whan thow
sorwyst for thow art so long fro the blysse of hevyn, than art thu a very spowse and a
wyfe, for it longyth to the wyfe to be wyth hir husbond and no very joy to han tyl sche
come to hys presens."