3846
3847
3848 
3849
3850 
3851 
3852 
3853 
3854 
3855 
3856 
3857 
3858 
3859 
3860 
3861 
3862 
3863 
3864 
3865
3866 
3867 
3868 
3869
3870 
3871 
3872 
3873 
3874 
3875 
3876
3877 
3878 
3879 
3880 
3881 
3882
3883
3884 
3885 
3886 
3887 
3888 
3889 
3890
3891 
3892 
3893 
3894 
3895
3896 
3897 
3898
3899
3900
3901 
3902
3903 
3904
3905 
3906 
3907 
3908 
3909 
3910 
3911
3912
3913 
3914 
3915 
3916 
3917 
3918


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

N
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

N
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

   67
 
 

On a tyme ther happyd to be a gret fyer in Lynne Bischop, whech fyer brent up the 
gylde halle of the Trinité and in the same town, an hydows fyer and grevows ful lekely 
to a brent the parysch cherch dedicate in the honowr of Seynt Margarete, a solempne 
place and rychely honowryd, and also al the town, ne had grace ne myracle ne ben. 
The seyd creatur beyng ther present and seyng the perel and myschef of al the towne, 
cryed ful lowde many tymes that day and wept ful habundawntly, preyng for grace 
and mercy to alle the pepil. And, notwythstondyng in other tymes thei myth not enduryn 
hir to cryen and wepyn for the plentyuows grace that owr Lord wrowt in hir, as this 
day for enchewyng of her bodily perel thei myth suffyr hir to cryen and wepyn as 
mech as evyr sche wolde, and no man wolde byddyn hir cesyn but rathyr preyn hir of 
contynuacyon, ful trustyng and belevyng that thorw hir crying and wepyng owr Lord 
wolde takyn hem to mercy. Than cam hir confessowr to hir and askyd yyf it wer best 
to beryn the sacrament to the fyer er not. Sche seyd, "Yys, ser, yys, for owr Lord 
Jhesu Crist telde me it schal be ryth wel." So hir confessowr, parisch preste of Seynt 
Margaretys Cherche, toke the precyows sacrament and went beforn the fyer as devowtly 
as he cowde and sithyn browt it in ageyn to the cherche, and the sparkys of the fyer 
fleyn abowte the cherch. The seyd creatur, desiryng to folwyn the precyows sacra- 
ment to the fyre, went owt at the cherch dor, and, as sone as sche beheld the hedows 
flawme of the fyr, anon sche cryed wyth lowde voys and gret wepyng, "Good Lorde, 
make it wel." Thes wordys wrowt in hir mende inasmeche as owr Lord had seyd to hir 
beforn that he schulde makyn it wel, and therfor sche cryed, "Good Lord, make it wel 
and sende down sum reyn er sum wedyr that may thorw thi mercy qwenchyn this fyer 
and esyn myn hert." Sithyn sche went ageyne into the cherch, and than sche beheld 
how the sparkys comyn into the qwer thorw the lantern of the cherch. Than had sche 
a newe sorwe and cryed ful lowde ageyn for grace and mercy wyth gret plenté of 
terys. Sone aftyr, comyn into hir three worschepful men wyth whyte snow on her 
clothys, seying unto hir, "Lo, Margery, God hath wrowt gret grace for us and sent us 
a fayr snowe to qwenchyn wyth the fyr. Beth now of good cher and thankyth God 
therfor." And with a gret cry sche gaf preysyng and thankyng to God for hys gret 
mercy and hys goodnes, and specyaly for he had seyd to hir beforn that it schulde be 
ryth wel whan it was ful unlykely to ben wel, saf only thorw myrakyl and specyal
grace. And now sche saw it was wel in dede, hir thowt that sche had gret cawse to 
thankyn owr Lord. Than cam hir gostly fadyr unto hir and seyd he belevyd that God 
grawntyd hem for hir preyerys to be delyveryd owt of her gret perellys, for it myth not 
be, wythowtyn devowt preyerys, that the eyr beyng brygth and cler schulde be so sone 
chongyd into clowdys and derkys and sendyn down gret flakys of snow, thorw the 
whech the fyr was lettyd of hys kendly werkyng, blyssed mote owr Lord ben. 
Notwythstondyng the grace that he schewyd for hir, yet, whan the perelys wer sesyd, 
sum men slawndyrd hir for sche cryed, and sum seyden to hir that owr Lady cried 
nevyr, "Why crye ye on this maner?" And sche seyd for sche myth non otherwise do. 
Than sche fled the pepil that sche schulde geve hem non occasyon into the priowrys 
cloistyr. Whan sche was ther, sche had so gret mende of the Passyon of owr Lord 
Jhesu Crist and of hys precyows wowndys and how dere he bowt hir that sche cryed 
and roryd wondirfully so that sche myth be herd a gret wey and myth not restreyne 
hyrself therfro. Than had sche gret wondyr how owr Lady myth suffyr er dur to see 
hys precyows body ben scorgyd and hangyd on the crosse. Also it cam to hir mende 
how men had seyd to hirself beforn that owr Lady, Cristys owyn modyr, cryed not as 
sche dede, and that cawsyd hir to seyn in hir crying, "Lord, I am not thi modir. Take 
awey this peyn fro me, for I may not beryn it. Thi passyon wil sle me." So ther cam a 
worschepful clerk forby hir, a doctowr of divinité, "I had levyr than twenty pownde 
that I myth han swech a sorwe for owr Lordys Passyon." Than the sayd doctowr sent 
for hir ther he was to come and speke with hym, and sche wyth good wyl went to hym 
wyth wepyng terys to hys chambyr. The worthy and worschepful clerk dede hir drynkyn 
and made hir ryth good cher. Sithyn he ledde hir to an awter and askyd what was the 
skylle that sche cryed and wept so sor. Than sche teld hym many gret cawsys of hir 
wepyng and yet sche teld hym of no revelacyon. And he seyd sche was mech bowndyn 
to lovyn owr Lord for the tokenys of lofe that he schewyd to hir in divers wysys. 
Aftyrward ther cam a persun that had takyn degré in scole wheche schuld prechyn bothe 
for non and aftyr non. And, as he prechyd ful holily and devowtly, the sayd creatur 
was mevyd be devocyon in hys sermown, and at the last sche brast owt wyth a crye. 
And the pepil began to grutchyn wyth hir crying, for it was in the tyme that the good 
frer prechyd ageyn hir, as is wretyn beforn, and also er than owr Lord toke hir crying 
fro hir. For, thow the mater be wretyn beforn this, nevyrthelesse it fel aftyr this. Than 
the persun cesyd a lityl of hys prechyng and seyd to the pepil, "Frendys, beth stille and 
grutchith not wyth this woman, for iche of yow may synne deedly in hir and sche is 
nowt the cawse but yowr owyn demyng, for, thow this maner of werkyng may seme 
bothe good and ylle, yet awt ye for to demyn the best in yowr hertys, and I dowt it not 
it is ryth wel. Also I dar wel say it is a ryth gracyows gyft of God, blissed mote he be." 
Than the pepil blissyd hym for hys goodly wordys and wer the mor steryd to belevyn 
hys holy werkys. Aftyrward, whan the sermown was endyd, a good frend of the seyd 
creatur met wyth the frer whech had prechyd so sor ageyn hir and askyd how hym 
thowt be hir. The frer, answeryng scharply ageyn, seyd, "Sche hath a devyl wythinne 
hir," no thyng mevyd fro hys opynyon but rathyr defendyng hys errowr.