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N
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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N
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

It happyd on a tyme that the husbonde of the sayd creatur, a man in gret age passyng 
thre scor yer, as he wolde a comyn down of hys chambyr bar foot and bar legge, he 
slederyd er ellys faylyd of hys fotyng and fel down to the grownd fro the gresys, and 
hys hevyd undyr hym grevowsly brokyn and bresyd, in so meche that he had in hys 
hevyd five teyntys many days whil hys hevyd was in holyng. And, as God wold, it 
was knowyn to summe of hys neybowrys how he was fallyn downe of the gresys, 
peraventur thorw the dene and the luschyng of hys fallyng. And so thei comyn to hym 
and fowndyn hym lying wyth hys hevyd undir hym, half on lyfe, al rowyd wyth 
blood, nevyr lyke to a spokyn wyth preyst ne with clerk but thorw hy grace and myracle. 
Than the sayd creatur, hys wife, was sent for, and so sche cam to hym. Than was he 
takyn up and hys hevyd was sowyd, and he was seke a long tyme aftyr, that men wend 
that he schulde a be deed. And than the pepil seyd, yyf he deyd, hys wyfe was worthy to 
ben hangyn for hys deth, forasmeche as sche myth a kept hym and dede not. They 
dwellyd not togedyr, ne thei lay not togedyr, for, as is wretyn beforn, thei bothyn wyth 
on assent and wyth fre wil of her eithyr haddyn mad avow to levyn chast. And therfor 
to enchewyn alle perellys thei dwellyd and sojowryd in divers placys wher no suspicyon 
schulde ben had of her incontinens, for first thei dwellyd togedir aftyr that thei had mad 
her vow, and than the pepil slawndryd hem and seyd thei usyd her lust and her likyng 
as thei dedyn beforn her vow makyng. And, whan thei wentyn owt on pilgrimage er to 
se and spekyn wyth other gostly creaturys, many evyl folke whos tongys wer her 
owyn, faylyng the dreed and lofe of owr Lord Jhesu Crist, demtyn and seydyn that 
thei went rathyr to woodys, grovys, er valeys to usyn the lust of her bodiis that the 
pepil schuld not aspyin it ne wetyn it. They, havyng knowlach how prone the pepil 
was to demyn evyl of hem, desiryng to avoydyn al occasyon, in as mech as thei myth 
goodly, be her good wil and her bothins consentyng, thei partyd asundyr as towchyng 
to her boord and to her chambrys, and wentyn to boord in divers placys. And this was 
the cawse that sche was not wyth hym and also that sche schulde not be lettyd fro hir 
contemplacyon. And therfor, whan he had fallyn and grevowsly was hurt, as is seyd 
beforn, the pepil seyd, yyf he deyid, it was worthy that sche schulde answeryn for hys 
deth. Than sche preyid to owr Lord that hir husbond myth levyn a yer and sche to be 
deliveryd owt slawndyr yyf it wer hys plesawns. Owr Lord seyd to hir mende, "Dowtyr, 
thu schalt have thi bone, for he schal levyn and I have wrowt a gret myrakyl for the that 
he was not ded. And I bydde the take hym hom and kepe hym for my lofe." Sche seyd, 
"Nay, good Lord, for I schal than not tendyn to the as I do now." "Yys, dowtyr," seyd 
owr Lord, "Thu schalt have as meche mede for to kepyn hym and helpyn hym in hys 
nede at hom as yyf thu wer in chirche to makyn thi preyerys. And thu hast seyd many 
tymys that thu woldist fawyn kepyn me. I prey the now kepe hym for the lofe of me, 
for he hath sumtyme fulfillyd thi wil and my wil bothe, and he hath mad thi body fre 
to me that thu schuldist servyn me and levyn chast and clene, and therfor I wil that thu be 
fre to helpyn hym at hys nede in my name." "A, Lord," seyd sche, "for thi mercy 
grawnt me grace to obeyn thi wil and fulfille thi wil and late nevyr my gostly enmys 
han no powyr to lett me fro fulfillyng of thi wil." Than sche toke hom hir husbond to 
hir and kept hym yerys aftyr as long as he levyd and had ful mech labowr wyth hym, 
for in hys last days he turnyd childisch agen and lakkyd reson that he cowd not don 
hys owyn esement to gon to a sege, er ellys he wolde not, but as a childe voydyd his 
natural digestyon in hys lynyn clothys ther he sat be the fyre er at the tabil, whethyr it 
wer, he wolde sparyn no place. And therfor was hir labowr meche the mor in waschyng 
and wryngyng and hir costage in fyryng and lettyd hir ful meche fro hir contemplacyon 
that many tymys sche schuld an yrkyd hir labowr saf sche bethowt hir how sche in hir 
yong age had ful many delectabyl thowtys, fleschly lustys, and inordinat lovys to hys 
persone. And therfor sche was glad to be ponischyd wyth the same persone and toke it 
mech the mor esily and servyd hym and helpyd hym, as hir thowt, as sche wolde a don 
Crist hymself.