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   52
 
 

Ther was a monke schulde prechyn in Yorke, the whech had herd meche slawndyr 
and meche evyl langage of the sayd creatur. And, whan he schulde prechyn, ther was 
meche multitude of pepil to heryn hym, and sche present wyth hem. And so, whan he 
was in hys sermown, he rehersyd many materys so openly that the pepil conceyved 
wel it was for cawse of hir, wherfor hir frendys that lovyd hir wel wer ful sory and 
hevy therof, and sche was meche the mor mery, for sche had mater to prevyn hyr 
paciens and hir charité wherthorw sche trostyd to plesyn owr Lord Crist Jhesu. Whan 
the sermown was don, a doctowr of dyvinyté whech lovyd hir wel wyth many other 
also come to hir and seyd, "Margery, how have ye don this day?" "Sir," sche seyd, 
"ryth wel, blyssed be God. I have cawse to be ryth mery and glad in my sowle that I 
may any thyng suffyr for hys lofe, for he suffryd mech mor for me." Anon aftyr cam 
a man whech lovyd hir rith wel of good wil wyth hys wife and other mo, and led hir 
seven myle thens to the Erchebischop of Yorke, and browt hir into a fayr chawmbyr, 
wher cam a good clerke, seying to the good man whech had browt hir thedyr, "Sir, 
why have ye and yowr wife browt this woman hedyr? Sche schal stelyn awey fro yow, 
and than schal ye han a velany of hir." The good man seyd, "I dar wel say sche wil 
abydyn and ben at hir answer wyth good wille." On the next day sche was browt into 
the Erchebischopys chapel, and ther comyn many of the Erchebischopys meny, 
despisyng hir, callyng hir "loller" and "heretyke," and sworyn many an horrybyl othe 
that sche schulde be brent. And sche, thorw the strength of Jhesu, seyd agen to hem, 
"Serys, I drede me ye schul be brent in helle wythowtyn ende les than ye amende yow of 
yowr othys sweryng, for ye kepe not the comawndementys of God. I wolde not sweryn 
as ye don for al the good of this worlde." Than thei gedyn awey as thei had ben 
aschamyd. Sche than, makyng hir prayer in hir mende, askyd grace so to be demenyd 
that day as was most plesawns to God and profyte to hir owyn sowle and good exampyl 
to hir evyn cristen. Owr Lord, answeryng hir, seyd it schulde be ryth wel. At the last the 
seyd Erchebischop cam into the chapel wyth hys clerkys, and scharply he seyde to hir, 
"Why gost thu in white? Art thu a mayden?" Sche, knelyng on hir knes befor hym, 
seyd, "Nay, ser, I am no mayden; I am a wife." He comawndyd hys mené to fettyn a 
peyr of feterys and seyd sche schulde ben feteryd, for sche was a fals heretyke. And than 
sche seyd, "I am non heretyke, ne ye schal non preve me." The Erchebisshop went awey 
and let hir stondyn alone. Than sche mad hir prayers to owr Lord God almythy for to 
helpyn hir and socowryn hir ageyn alle hir enmyis, gostly and bodily, a long while, 
and hir flesch tremelyd and whakyd wondirly that sche was fayn to puttyn hir handys 
undyr hir clothis that it schulde not ben aspyed. Sythyn the Erchebischop cam ageyn 
into the chapel wyth many worthy clerkys, amongys whech was the same doctowr 
whech had examynd hir beforn and the monke that had prechyd ageyn hir a lityl tyme 
beforn in Yorke. Sum of the pepil askyd whedyr sche wer a Cristen woman er a Jewe; 
sum seyd sche was a good woman, and sum seyd nay. Than the Erchebischop toke 
hys see, and hys clerkys also, iche of hem in hys degré, meche pepil beyng present. 
And in the tyme whil the pepil was gaderyng togedyr and the Erchebischop takyn hys 
see, the seyd creatur stod al behyndyn, makyng hir preyerys for help and socowr 
ageyn hir enmiis wyth hy devocyon so long that sche meltyd al into teerys. And at the 
last sche cryed lowde therwith, that the Erchebischop and his clerkys and meche pepil 
had gret wondyr of hir, for thei had not herd swech crying beforn. Whan hir crying 
was passyd, sche cam beforn the Erchebischop and fel down on hir kneys, the 
Erchebischop seying ful boystowsly unto hir, "Why wepist thu so, woman?" Sche, 
answeryng, seyde, "Syr, ye schal welyn sum day that ye had wept as sor as I." And than 
anon, aftyr the Erchebischop put to hir the Articles of owr Feyth, to the whech God 
gaf hir grace to answeryn wel and trewly and redily wythowtyn any gret stody so that 
he myth not blamyn hir, than he seyd to the clerkys, "Sche knowith hir feyth wel 
anow. What schal I don wyth hir?" The clerkys seyden, "We knowyn wel that sche can 
the Articles of the Feith, but we wil not suffyr hir to dwellyn among us, for the pepil 
hath gret feyth in hir dalyawnce, and peraventur sche myth pervertyn summe of hem." 
Than the Erchebischop seyd unto hir, "I am evyl enformyd of the; I her seyn thu art a 
ryth wikked woman." And sche seyd ageyn, "Ser, so I her seyn that ye arn a wikkyd 
man. And, yyf ye ben as wikkyd as men seyn, ye schal nevyr come in hevyn les than ye 
amende yow whil ye ben her." Than seyd he ful boistowsly, "Why, thow, what sey 
men of me." Sche answeryd, "Other men, syr, can telle yow wel anow." Than seyd a 
gret clerke wyth a furryd hood, "Pes, thu speke of thiself and late hym ben." Sithyn 
seyd the Erchebischop to hir, "Ley thin hand on the boke her beforn me and swer that 
thu schalt gon owt of my diocyse as sone as thu may." "Nay, syr," sche sayd, "I praye 
yow, geve me leve to gon ageyn into Yorke to take my leve of my frendys." Than he 
gaf hir leve for on day er too. Sche thowt it was to schort a tyme, wherfor sche seyd 
agen, "Sir, I may not gon owt of this diocyse so hastily, for I must teryin and spekyn 
wyth good men er I go, and I must, ser, wyth yowr leve, gon to Brydlyngton and 
spekyn wyth my confessor, a good man, the whech was the good priowrys confessor 
that is now canonysed." Than seyd the Erchebischop to hir, "thow schalt sweryn that 
thu schalt ne techyn ne chalengyn the pepil in my diocyse." "Nay, syr, I schal not sweryn," 
sche seyde, "for I schal spekyn of God and undirnemyn hem that sweryn gret othys 
whersoevyr I go unto the tyme that the pope and holy chirche hath ordeynde that no 
man schal be so hardy to spekyn of God, for God almythy forbedith not, ser, that we 
schal speke of hym. And also the gospel makyth mencyon that, whan the woman had 
herd owr Lord prechyd, sche cam beforn hym wyth a lowde voys and seyd, `Blyssed 
be the wombe that the bar and the tetys that gaf the sowkyn.' Than owr Lord seyd 
agen to hir, `Forsothe so ar thei blissed that heryn the word of God and kepyn it.' And 
therfor, sir, me thynkyth that the gospel gevyth me leve to spekyn of God." "A ser," 
seyd the clerkys, "her wot we wel that sche hath a devyl wythinne hir, for sche spekyth 
of the gospel." As swythe a gret clerke browt forth a boke and leyd Seynt Powyl for 
hys party ageyns hir that no woman schulde prechyn. Sche, answeryng therto, seyde, "I 
preche not, ser, I come in no pulpytt. I use but comownycacyon and good wordys, and 
that wil I do whil I leve." Than seyd a doctowr whech had examynd hir befortyme, 
"Syr, sche telde me the werst talys of prestys that evyr I herde." The bischop 
comawndyd hir to tellyn that tale. "Sir, wyth yowr reverens, I spak but of o preste be 
the maner of exampyl, the whech as I have lernyd went wil in a wode thorw the 
sufferawns of God for the profite of hys sowle tyl the nygth cam upon hym. He, 
destytute of hys herborwe, fond a fayr erber in the whech he restyd that nyght, havyng 
a fayr pertre in the myddys al floreschyd wyth flowerys and belschyd, and blomys ful 
delectabil to hys syght, wher cam a bere, gret and boistows, hogely to beheldyn, 
schakyng the pertre and fellyng down the flowerys. Gredily this grevows best ete and 
devowryd tho fayr flowerys. And, whan he had etyn hem, turnyng his tayl ende in the 
prestys presens, voydyd hem owt ageyn at the hymyr party. The preste, havyng gret 
abhominacyon of that lothly syght, conceyvyng gret hevynes for dowte what it myth 
mene, on the next day he wandrid forth in hys wey al hevy and pensife, whom it 
fortunyd to metyn wyth a semly agydd man lych to a palmyr er a pilgrime, the whiche 
enqwiryd of the preste the cawse of hys hevynes. The preste, rehersyng the mater 
beforn wretyn, seyd he conceyvyd gret drede and hevynes whan he beheld that lothly 
best defowlyn and devowryn so fayr flowerys and blomys and aftirward so horrybely 
to devoydyn hem befor hym at hys tayl ende, and he not undirstondyng what this 
myth mene. Than the palmyr, schewyng hymselfe the massanger of God, thus aresond 
hym, `Preste, thu thiself art the pertre, sumdel florischyng and floweryng thorw thi 
servyse seyyng and the sacramentys ministryng, thow thu do undevowtly, for thu 
takyst ful lytyl heede how thu seyst thi mateynes and thi servyse, so it be blaberyd to 
an ende. Than gost thu to thi messe wythowtyn devocyon, and for thi synne hast thu 
ful lityl contricyon. Thu receyvyst ther the frute of evyrlestyng lyfe, the sacrament of 
the awter, in ful febyl disposicyon. Sithyn al the day aftyr thu myssespendist thi tyme, 
thu gevist the to bying and sellyng, choppyng and chongyng, as it wer a man of the 
werld. Thu sittyst at the ale, gevyng the to glotonye and excesse, to lust of thy body, 
thorw letchery and unclennesse. Thu brekyst the comawndmentys of God thorw 
sweryng, lying, detraccyon, and bakbytyng, and swech other synnes usyng. Thus be 
thy mysgovernawns, lych onto the lothly ber, thu devowryst and destroist the flowerys 
and blomys of vertuows levyng to thyn endles dampnacyon and many mannys hyndryng 
lesse than thu have grace of repentawns and amendyng."' Than the Erchebisshop 
likyd wel the tale and comendyd it, seying it was a good tale. And the clerk whech had 
examynd hir befortyme in the absens of the Erchebischop, seyd, "Ser, this tale smytyth 
me to the hert." The forseyd creatur seyd to the clerk, "A, worschipful doctowr, ser, in 
place wher my dwellyng is most, is a worthy clerk, a good prechar, whech boldly 
spekyth ageyn the mysgovernawns of the pepil and wil flatyr no man. He seyth many 
tymes in the pulpit, `Yyf any man be evyl plesyd wyth my prechyng, note hym wel, 
for he is gylty.' And ryth so, ser," seyd sche to the clerk, "far ye be me, God forgeve 
it yow." The clerk wist not wel what he myth sey to hir. Aftyrward the same clerk cam 
to hir and preyid hir of forgefnes that he had so ben ageyn hir. Also he preyid hir 
specyaly to prey for hym. And than anon aftyr the Erchebischop seyd, "Wher schal I 
have a man that myth ledyn this woman fro me?" As swythe ther styrt up many yong 
men, and every man seyd of hem, "My Lord, I wyl gon wyth hir." The Erchebischop 
answeryd, "Ye ben to yong; I wil not have yow." Than a good sad man of the 
Erchebischopys meny askyd hys Lord what he wolde gevyn hym and he schulde ledyn 
hir. The Erchebischop proferyd hym five shillings and the man askyd a nobyl. The 
Erchebischop, answeryng, seyd, "I wil not waryn so mech on hir body." "Yys, good 
ser," seyd the sayd creatur, "our Lord schal rewardyn yow ryth wel agen." Than the 
Erchebischop seyd to the man, "Se, her is five shillings, and lede hir fast owt of this 
cuntré." Sche, knelyng down on hir kneys, askyd hys blissyng. He, preyng hir to 
preye for hym, blissed hir and let hir go. Than sche, goyng agen to Yorke, was receyved 
of mech pepil and of ful worthy clerkys, whech enjoyed in owr Lord that had govyn 
hir not lettryd witte and wisdom to answeryn so many lernyd men wythowtyn velani 
or blame, thankyng be to God.