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N
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

On a Wednysday the seyd creatur was browt into a chirch of Alle Halwyn in 
Leycetyr, in whech place befor the hy awter was sett the abbot of Leycetyr wyth 
summe of hys chanownys, the den of Leicetyr, a worthy clerke. Ther wer also many 
frerys and preystys, also the meyr of the same town wyth mech other of lay pepyl. 
Ther was so meche pepyl that thei stodyn upon stolys for to beheldyn hir and wonderyn 
upon hir. The sayd creatur lay on hir knes, makyng hir prayerys to almythy God that 
sche myth han grace, wytte, and wysdam so to answeryn that day as myth ben most 
plesawns and worschep to hym, most profyth to hir sowle, and best exampyl to the 
pepyl. Than ther cam a preste to hir and toke hir be the hand and browt hir beforn the
abbot and hys assessowrys syttyng at the awter, the wheche dedyn hir sweryn on a 
boke that sche schulde answeryn trewly to the artyculys of the feyth lych as sche felt in 
hem. And fyrst thei rehersyd the blysful sacrament of the awter, chargyng hir to seyn 
ryth as sche belevyd therin. Than sche seyd, "Serys, I beleve in the sacrament of the 
awter on this wyse, that what man hath takyn the ordyr of presthode, be he nevyr so 
vicyows a man in hys levyng, yyf he sey dewly tho wordys ovyr the bred that owr 
Lord Jhesu Criste seyde whan he mad hys Mawndé among hys disciplys ther he sat at 
the soper, I beleve that it is hys very flesch and hys blood and no material bred ne 
nevyr may be unseyd be it onys seyd." And so sche answeryd forth to alle the artycles 
as many as thei wolde askyn hir that thei wer wel plesyd. The meyr, whech was hir 
dedly enmy, he seyd, "In fayth, sche menyth not wyth hir hert as sche seyth with hir 
mowthe." And the clerkys seyden to hym, "Sir, sche answeryth ryth wel to us." Than 
the meyr alto rebukyd hir and rehersyd many reprevows wordys and ungoodly, the 
whiche is mor expedient to be concelyd than expressyd. "Sir," sche seyde, "I take 
witnesse of my Lord Jhesu Crist, whos body is her present in the sacrament of the 
awter, that I nevyr had part of mannys body in this worlde in actual dede be wey of 
synne, but of myn husbondys body, whom I am bowndyn to be the lawe of matri- 
mony, and be whom I have born fourteen childeryn. For I do yow to wetyn, ser, that 
ther is no man in this worlde that I lofe so meche as God, for I lofe hym abovyn al 
thynge, and, ser, I telle yow trewly I lofe al men in God and for God." Also ferthermor 
sche seyd pleynly to hys owyn persone, "Sir, ye arn not worthy to ben a meyr, and that 
schal I prevyn be Holy Writte, for owr Lord God seyde hymself er he wolde takyn 
venjawnce on the cyteys, `I schal comyn down and seen.' And yet he knew al thyng. 
And that was not ellys, sir, but for to schewe men as ye ben that ye schulde don non 
execucyon in ponischyng but yyf ye had knowyng beforn that it wer worthy for to be 
don. And, syr, ye han do al the contrary to me this day, for, syr, ye han cawsyd me 
myche despite for thyng that I am not gilty in. I pray God forgeve yow it." Than the 
meyr seyde to hir, "I wil wetyn why thow gost in white clothys, for I trowe thow art 
comyn hedyr to han awey owr wyvys fro us and ledyn hem wyth the." "Syr," sche 
seyth, "ye schal not wetyn of my mowth why I go in white clothys; ye arn not worthy to 
wetyn it. But, ser, I wil tellyn it to thes worthy clerkys wyth good wil be the maner of 
confessyon. Avyse hem yyf thei wyl telle it yow." Than the clerkys preyd the meyr to 
gon down fro hem wyth the other pepyl. And, whan thei weryn gon, sche knelyd on 
hir knes befor the abbot, and the den of Leycetyr, and a Frer Prechowr, a worschipful 
clerke, and telde thes three clerkys how owr Lord be revelacyon warnyd hir and bad 
hir weryn white clothys er sche cam at Jerusalem. "And so have I tolde my gostly 
faderys. And therfor thei han chargyd me that I schulde gon thus, for thei dar not don 
ageyn my felyngys for dred of God, and, yyf thei durste, thei wolde ful gladlych. And 
therfor, serys, yyf the meyr wil wetyn why I go in whyte, ye may seye, yyf yow likyth, 
that my gostly faderys byddyn me gon so, and than schal ye make no lesynggys ne he 
schal not knowe the trewth." So the clerkys clepyd up agen the meyr and teldyn hym 
in cownsel that hir gostly faderys had chargyd hir to weryn white clothis and sche had 
bowndyn hir to her obediens. Than the meyr clepyd hir to hym, seying, "I wil not 
letyn the gon hens for thyng that thow canst seyn les than thu wil gon to my Lord of 
Lynkoln for a lettyr, inasmeche as thu art in hys jurisdiccyon, that I may be dischargyd 
of the." Sche seyd, "Ser, I dar speke to my Lord of Lyncolne ryth wel, for I have had 
of hym rith good cher afor this tyme." And than other men askyd hir yyf sche wer in 
charité with the meyr, and sche seyd, "Ya, and with alle creaturys." And than sche, 
obeyng hir to the meir, preyd hym to ben in charité wyth hyr wyth wepyng terys and 
forgevyn hir any thyng that sche had displesyd hym. And he gaf hir goodly wordys 
for a while that sche wend al had ben wel and he had ben hir good frende, but aftyrward 
sche wist wel it was not so. And thus she had leve of the meir for to gon to my Lord of 
Lyncolne and fettyn a lettyr be the whech the meyr schulde be excusyd.