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N
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

   2
 
 

In fewe yerys aftyr that this yong man had weddyd he cam hom in to Inglond to hys 
fadyr and hys modyr al chongyd in hys aray and hys condicyonis. For afor tyme hys 
clothys wer al daggyd and hys langage al vanyté; now he weryd no daggys, and hys 
dalyawns was ful of vertu. Hys modyr, havyng gret merveyl of this sodeyn chongyng, 
seyd unto hym, "Benedicité, sone, how is it wyth the that thu art so chongyd?" "Modyr," 
he seyd, "I hope that thorw yowr preyerys owr Lord hath drawyn me, and I purpose be 
the grace of God to folwyn yowr cownsel mor than I have don beforn." Than hys 
modyr, seyng this mervelyows drawte of owr Lord, thankyd God as sche cowde, 
takyng good heed of hys governawns for dred of symulacyon. The lengar that sche 
beheld hys governawns, the mor sadde sche thowt he was and the mor reverent to owr 
Lordward. Whan sche knew it was the drawt of owr Lordys mercy, than sche was ful 
joyful, thankyng God ful many timys for hys grace and hys goodnes. Sithyn, for he 
schulde be the mor diligent and the mor besy to folwyn owr Lordys drawyng, sche 
openyd hir hert to hym, schewyng hym and enformyng how owr Lord had drawyn hir 
thorw hys mercy and be what menys, also how meche grace he had schewyd for hir, 
the whech he seyd he was unworthy to heryn. Than he went many pilgrimagys to 
Rome and to many other holy placys to purchasyn hym pardon, resortyng ageyn to 
hys wife and hys childe as he was bowndyn to do. He enformyd hys wife of hys 
modyr in so meche that sche wolde leevyn hir fadyr and hir modyr and hir owyn 
cuntré for to comyn into Inglonde and seen hys modyr. He was ful glad therof and 
sent word into Inglond to hys modyr to certifyin hir of hys wyfys desyr and to wetyn 
whedyr hys modyr wolde cownselyn hym to comyn be lond er be watyr, for he trustyd 
meche in hys moderys cownsel, levyng it was of the Holy Gost. Hys modyr, whan 
sche had lettyr fro hym and knew hys desyr, went to hir preyer to knowyn owr Lordys 
cownsel and owr Lordys wyl. And, as sche preyid for the sayd mater, it was answeryd 
to hir sowle that whedyr hir sone come be lond er be watyr he schulde comyn in safwarde. 
Than wrot sche letterys to hym, seying that whedyr he come be londe er be watyr he 
schulde come in safté be the grace of God. Whan he was certifiid of hys moderys 
cownsel, he speryd whan schippys schulde come into Inglond and hiryd a schip er ellys 
a part of a schip in whech he putt hys good, hys wife, hys childe, and hys owyn self, 
purposyng alle to comyn into Inglond togedyr. Whan thei weryn in the schip, ther 
resyn swech tempestys that thei durstyn not takyn the see, and so thei comyn on lond 
ageyn, bothyn he, hys wife, and her childe. Than thei left her childe in Pruce wyth her 
frendys, and he and hys wife comyn into Inglond be lond wey to hys fadyr and to hys 
modyr. Whan thei wer come thedir, hys modir ful meche enjoiid in owr Lord that hir 
felyng was trewe, for sche had felyng in hir sowle, as is wretyn beforn, that whedyr 
thei come be lond er be watyr thei schulde comyn be safté. And so it was in dede, 
blissyd mote God ben. Thei come hom on the Satyrday in good heele, and on the next 
day that was the Sonday, whil thei wer at mete at noon with other frendys, he fel in 
gret sekenes that he ros fro the tabyl and leyd hym on a bed, whech sekenes and 
infirmité ocupiid hym abowte a monyth, and than in good life and ryth beleve he 
passyd to the mercy of owr Lord. So gostly and bodily it myth wel ben verifiid he schal 
comyn hom in safté, not only into this dedly lond but also into the lond of levyng men, 
wher deth schal nevyr aperyn. In schort tyme aftyr, the fadyr of the sayd persone folwyd 
the sone the wey whech every man must gon. Than levyd stille the modyr of the sayd 
persone, of whom this tretys specyaly makyth mencyon, and sche that was hys wife, a 
Dewche woman, dwellyng wyth hys modyr a yer and an halfe unto the tyme that hir 
frendys whech wer in Duchelond, desyryng to have hir hom, wretyn lettrys to hir and 
steryd hir to resortyn to hir owyn cuntré. And so sche, desiryng the benevolens of hir 
frendys, utteryd hir conseyte to hir eldmodyr, declaryng to hir the desyr of hir frendys, 
preying hir of good lofe and leve that sche myth resortyn to hir owyn cuntré. And so 
thorw hir eldmodrys consentyng sche purveyid hir to gon as sone as any schippys 
wentyn into that lond. So thei speryd a schip of that same lond and hir owyn cuntremen 
schulde seylyn thedyr, and hem thowt it was goodly that sche schulde rathyr seylyn wyth 
hem in her schip than wyth other men. Than sche went to hir confessowr for to be 
schrevyn, and, whil sche was in the schryvyng, the sayd creatur, hir eldmodir, went up 
and down in the qwer, thynkyng in hir mende, "Lord, yyf it wer thi wille I wolde 
takyn leve of my confessowr and gon wyth hir ovyr the see." Owr Lord answeryd to 
hyr thowt, seying, "Dowtyr, I wote wel, yf I bode the gon, thu woldist gon al redy. 
Therfor I wyl that thu speke no word to hym of this mater." Than was sche ryth glad 
and mery, trustyng sche schulde not gon ovyr the see, for sche had ben in gret perell on 
the see afor tyme and was in purpos nevyr to comyn theron mor be hir owyn wille. 
Whan hir dowtyr in lawe was schrevyn, the good man whech was confessowr to hem 
bothyn as that tyme cam to hir and seyd, "Ho schal gon wyth yowr dowtyr to the see 
syde tyl sche come at hir schip? It is not goodly that sche schulde gon so fer wyth a yong 
man alone in strawnge cuntré wher her neithyr is knowyn," for a strawnge man was 
come for hir and her neithyr was but lityl knowyn in this cuntré, wher for hir confessowr 
had the mor compassyon of hir. Than the sayd creatur seyd ageyn, "Syr, yyf ye wele 
biddyn me, I schal gon wyth hir my self tyl sche come at Yepiswech, ther lyth the schip 
and hir owyn cuntremen that schal ledyn hir ovyr the see." Hir confessowr seyd, "How 
schulde ye gon wyth hir? Ye hirtyd but late yowr foote, and ye ar not yet al hool, and 
also ye arn an elde woman. Ye may not gon." "Sir," sche seyd, "God, as I trust, schal 
helpyn me ryth wel." Than he askyd ho schulde gon wyth hir and brynge hir hom ageyn. 
And sche seyd, "Ser, her is longyng to this chirch an ermyte, a yong man. I hope he 
wil for owr Lordys lofe gon and comyn wyth me, yef ye wil gevyn me leve." So sche 
had leve to brynge hir dowtyr to Yepiswich and than comyn ageyn to Lynne. Thus thei 
passyd forth in her jurné in tyme of Lenton, and, whan thei weryn five er six myle 
fro Lynne, thei comyn forby a cherch, and so thei turnyd in for to heryn messe. And, 
as thei wer in the chirche, the forseyd creatur, desiryng teerys of devocyon, non myth 
purchasyn at that tyme but evyr was comawndyd in hir hert for to gon ovyr the see 
wyth hir dowtyr. Sche wolde a putt it owt of hir mende, and evyr it cam ageyn so fast 
that sche myth not rest ne qwiet han in hir mende but evyr was labowryd and 
comawndyd to gon ovyr the see. Sche thowt it was hevy to hir to takyn sweche labowr 
upon hir and excusyd hir self to owr Lord in hir mende, seying, "Lord, thu wost wel I 
have no leve of my gostly fadyr, and I am bowndyn to obediens. Therfor I may not do 
thus wythowtyn hys wil and hys consentyng." It was answeryd ageyn to hir thowt, "I 
bydde the gon in my name, Jhesu, for I am abovyn thy gostly fadyr and I schal excusyn 
the and ledyn the and bryngyn the ageyn in safté." Sche wolde yet excusyn hir yf sche 
myth in any wey, and therfor sche seyd, "I am not purveyd of gold ne of sylver suffi- 
ciently for to gon wyth as I awt to be, and, thow I wer and wolde gon, I wote wel my 
dowtyr had levar I wer at hom, and peraventur the schip maistrys schulde not receyvyn 
me into her vessel for to gon wyth hem." Owr Lord seyd ageyn, "Yf I be wyth the, ho 
schal ben ageyns the? I schal purveyin for the and getyn the frendys to helpyn the. Do as 
I bydde the, and ther schal no man of the schip sey nay unto the." The creatur say ther 
was non other help but forth sche must at the comawndyng of God. Sche thowt that 
sche wolde fyrst gon to Walsyngham and offeryn in worschep of owr Lady, and, as 
sche was in the wey thedir ward, sche herd tellyn that a frer schuld seyin a sermown in 
a lityl village a lityl owt of hir wey. Sche turnyd into the cherch wher the frer seyd the 
sermown, a famows man, and a gret audiens had at hys sermown. And many tymys he 
seyd thes wordys, "Yyf God be wyth us, ho schal be ageyns us?" thorw the whech 
wordys sche was the mor steryd to obeyn the wil of God and parformyn hir entent. So 
sche went forth to Walsingham, and sithyn to Norwich wyth hir dowtyr in lawe, and 
the ermyte wyth hem. Whan thei cam at Norwich, sche mett a Grey Frer, a worschepful 
clerk, a doctowr of divinyté whech had herd of hir levyng and hir felyngys befor 
tyme. The doctowr schewyd hir gret cher and dalyid wyth hir as he had don befor 
tyme. Sche, many tymys syhyng, was hevy in cher and in cuntenawnce. The doctowr 
askyd what hir eylyd, "Sir," sche seyd, "whan I cam owte of Lynne wyth the leve of 
my confessowr, I purposyd to ledyn my dowtyr to Yepisweche, wher is a schip in the 
whech sche be the grace of God schal seylyn to Deuchelond, and I than to turnyn hom 
ageyn as sone as I myth goodly to Lynne wyth an ermyte whech cam wyth me for the 
same entent to ledyn me hom ageyn. And he wenyn fully that I schulde don so. And, ser, 
whan I was abowtyn six myle owt of Lynne in a chirch to makyn my preyerys, I was 
comawndyd in my sowle that I schulde gon ovyr the see wyth my dowtyr, and I wote 
wel sche wolde I wer at hom, and so wolde I yf I durst. Thus was I mevyd in my sowle 
and no rest myth han in my spiryt ne devocyon tyl I was consentyd to do as I was 
mevyd in my spiryt, and this is to me gret drede and hevynes." The worschipful clerk 
seyd unto hir, "Ye schal obey the wil of God, for I leve it is the Holy Gost that spekyth 
in yow, and therfor folwyth the mevyng of yowr spiryt in the name of Jhesu." Sche 
was meche comfortyd wyth hys wordys and toke hir leve, goyng forth to the see syde 
wyth hir felaschip. Whan thei were comyn thedir, the schip was redy to seilyn. Than 
sche preyid the maistyr that sche myth seilyn wyth hem into Duchelond, and he goodly 
receyvyd hir, and thei that weryn in the schip seyd not onys nay. Ther was non so 
meche ageyn hir as was hir dowtyr, that awt most to a ben wyth hir. Than sche toke hir 
leve of the ermyte that was come thedyr wyth hir, rewardyng hym sum deel for hys 
labowr and preying hym to excusyn hir to hir confessowr and to hir other frendys 
whan he come hom to Lynne, for it was not hir wetyng ne hir entent whan sche partyd 
fro hem to a passyd the see nevyr whil sche had levyd, but, sche seyd, "I must abeyn 
the wil of God." The ermyte partyd fro hir wyth hevy cher and cam hom ageyn to 
Lynne, excusyng hir to hir confessowr and to other frendys, tellyng hem of her sodeyn 
and wondirful partyng and how it was not hys knowyng that thei schulde a partyd so 
sodeynly asundyr. The pepil that herd therof had gret wondyr and seydin as thei woldyn. 
Sum seyd it was a womanys witte and a gret foly for the lofe of hir dowtyr in lawe to 
putte hir self, a woman in gret age, to perellys of the see and for to gon into a strawnge 
cuntré wher sche had not ben beforn ne not wist how sche schulde come ageyn. Summe 
heldyn it was a dede of gret charité for as meche as hir dowtyr had beforn tyme left hir 
frendys and hir cuntré and cam wyth hir husbond to visityn hir in this cuntré that 
wolde now halpyn hir dowtyr hom ageyn into the cuntré that sche cam fro. Other 
whech knewe mor of the creaturys levyng supposyd and trustyd that it was the wille 
and the werkyng of almythy God to the magnifying of hys owyn name.