4697
4698 
4699 
4700 
4701 
4702 
4703 
4704 
4705 
4706 
4707 
4708 
4709 
4710 
4711 
4712 
4713 
4714 
4715 
4716 
4717 
4718
4719 
4720 
4721 
4722 
4723 
4724 
4725
4726 
4727 
4728 
4729 
4730 
4731 
4732 
4733
4734 
4735
4736 
4737
4738 
4739 
4740 
4741 
4742 
4743 
4744

N
 
 

On the Purificacyon Day er ellys Candilmesse Day whan the sayd creatur beheld 
the pepil wyth her candelys in cherch, hir mende was raveschyd into beholdyng of 
owr Lady offeryng hyr blisful sone owr Savyowr to the preyst Simeon in the tempyl, 
as verily to hir gostly undirstondyng as yyf sche had be ther in hir bodily presens for 
to an offeryd wyth owr Ladys owyn persone. Than was sche so comfortyd be the 
contemplacyon in hir sowle that sche had in the beholdyng of owr Lord Jhesu Crist 
and of hys blissyd Modyr, of Simeon the preyste, of Joseph, and of other personys that 
ther weryn whan owr Lady was purifyid, and of the hevynly songys that hir thowt 
sche herd whan owr blisful Lord was offeryd up to Symeon that sche myth ful evyl 
beryn up hir owyn candel to the preyst, as other folke dedyn at the tyme of offeryng, 
but went waveryng on eche syde as it had ben a dronkyn woman, wepyng and sobbyng
so sor that unethe sche myth stondyn on hir feet for the fervowr of lofe and devocyon 
that God putte in hir sowle thorw hy contemplacyon. And sumtyme sche myth not 
stondyn but fel downe amonge the pepil and cryid ful lowde, that many man on hir 
wonderyd and merveylyd what hir eyled, for the fervowr of the spiryt was so meche 
that the body fayld and myth not endur it. Sche had swech holy thowtys and meditacyons 
many tymes whan sche saw women ben purifyid of her childeryn. Sche thowt in hir 
sowle that sche saw owr Lady ben purifiid and had hy contemplacyon in the beheldyng 
of the women wheche comyn to offeryn wyth the women that weryn purifiid. Hir 
mende was al drawyn fro the erdly thowtys and erdly syghtys and sett al togedyr in 
gostly syghtys, whech wer so delectabyl and so devowt that sche myth not in the tyme 
of fervowr wythstondyn hir wepyng, hir sobbyng, ne hir crying, and therfor suffyrd 
sche ful mech wonderyng, many a jape and many a scorne. Also whan sche sey 
weddyngys, men and women ben joyned togedyr aftyr the lawe of the chirche, anon 
sche had in meditacyon how owr Lady was joynyd to Joseph and of the gostly joynyng 
of mannys sowle to Jhesu Crist, preying to owr Lord that hir lofe and hir affeccyon 
myth ben joynyd to hym only wythowtyn ende, and that sche myth han grace to obeyn 
hym, lovyn and dredyn hym, worschepyn and preysyn hym, and no thyng to lovyn but 
that he lovyth, ne no thyng to welyn but that he wolde, and evyr to be redy to fulfillyn 
hys wil bothyn nyght and day wythowtyn grutchyng er hevynes, wyth al gladnes of 
spiryt, and many mo holy thowtys an sche evyr cowde rehersyn, for sche had hem not 
of hir owyn stody ne of hir owyn witte, but of hys gyfte whos wisdom is in- 
comprehensibyl to alle creaturys saf only to hem that he chesith and illuminyth mor er 
lesse as he wil hys owyn selfe, for hys wil may not be constreyned, it is in hys owyn 
fre disposicyon. Sche had thes myndys and thes desyrys wyth profownde teerys, 
syhyngys, and sobbyngys, and sumtyme wyth gret boistows cryingys as God wolde 
sende it, and sumtyme soft teerys and prevy wythowtyn any boistowsnesse. Sche 
myth neythyr wepyn lowde ne stille but whan God wolde sende it hir, for sche was 
sumtyme so bareyn fro teerys a day er sumtyme half a day and had so gret peyne for 
desyr that sche had of hem that sche wold a govyn al this worlde, yyf it had ben hir, for 
a fewe teerys, er a suffyrd ryth gret bodily peyne for to a gotyn hem wyth. And than, 
whan sche was so bareyn, sche cowde fynde no joye ne no comforte in mete ne drynke 
ne dalyawns but evyr was hevy in cher and in cuntenawnce tyl God wolde send hem 
to hir ageyn, and than was sche mery anow. And, thei so wer that owr Lord wythdrow 
fro hir sumtyme the habundawnce of teerys; yet he wythdrowe not fro hir holy mendys 
ne desyrys of yerys togedyr, for evyr hir mynde and hir desyr was to owr Lord. But hir 
thowt it was no savowr ne swetnesse but whan sche myth wepyn, for than sche thowt 
that sche cowde preyin.