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N

They beed not long in the sayd place, but in schort tyme thei tokyn her wey to 
Akunward, ryding in waynys tyl thei comyn to a watyr wher was meche concowrs of 
pepil, sum to Akunward and sum to other placys, among whech was a monke, a ful 
rekles man and evyl governyd, and in hys cumpany weryn yong men, chapmen. The 
monke and the chapmen knewyn wel the man that was gyde to the sayd creatur and 
clepyd hym be hys name, schewyng hym rith glad cher. Whan thei wer passyd the 
watyr and went on the lond, the monke wyth the chapmen and the seyd creatur wyth 
hir man alle in felaschep togedyr in waynys, thei comyn forby an hows of Frer 
Menowrys havyng mech thrist. Thei bodyn than the seyd creatur gon into the frerys 
and getyn hem sum wyne. Sche seyd, "Serys, ye schal have me excusyd, for yf it wer an 
hows of nunnys I wolde al redy gon, but for as meche thei arn men I schal not gon be 
yowr leve." So went on of the chapmen and fette to hem a potel of wyne. Than cam 
frerys to hem and preyid hem that thei wolde comyn and seen the blisful sacrament in 
here chirche, for it was wythinne the utas of Corpus Cristi, and it stod opyn in a cristal 
that men myth se it yf thei wolde. The monke and the men went wyth the frerys to 
seen the precyows sacrament. The sayd creatur thowt sche wolde se it as wel as thei 
and folwyd aftyr, thow it wer agens hir wille. And, whan sche beheld the preciows 
sacrament, owr Lord gaf hir so mech swetnes and devocyon that sche wept and sobbyd 
wondyr sor and not myth restreyn hir self therfro. The monke was wroth and al hir 
felaschip for sche wept so sor, and, whan thei wer comyn ageyn to her waynys, thei 
chedyn hir and rebukyd hir, clepyng hir ypocrite and seyd many an evyl worde unto 
hir. Sche for to excusyn hir selfe leyd scriptur ageyn hem, versys of the Sawter, "Qui 
seminant in lacrimis" and cetera "euntes ibant and flebant" and cetera, and swech 
other. Than wer thei wel wrothar, and seyd that sche schulde no lengar gon in her 
cumpany, and procuryd hir man to forsakyn hir. Sche mekely and benyngly preyid 
hem that thei wolde for Goddys lofe suffyr hir to gon forth in her cumpanye and not 
letyn hir alone wher sche knew no man ne no man hir whidyr sche schulde gon. Wyth 
gret preyer and instawns sche went forth wyth hem tyl thei comyn at a good town in 
the utas of Corpus Cristi. And ther thei seydyn uttyrly for no thyng sche schulde no 
lengar gon wyth hem. He that was hir gyde and had behite hir to a browt hir into 
Inglond forsoke hir, deliveryng hir gold and swech thyng as he had of hir in kepyng, 
and proferyd to a lent hir mor gold yf sche had wolde. Sche seyd to hym, "John, I 
desiryd not yowr gold; I had levar yowr felaschep in these strawnge cuntreys than al 
the good ye han, and I leve ye schulde mor plesyn God to gon wyth me as ye hite me at 
Dansk than yf ye went to Rome on yowr feet." Thus thei putt hir owt of her cumpany 
and leet hir gon wher sche wolde. Sche seyd than to hym that had ben hir gyde, "John, 
ye forsakyn me for non other cawse but for I wepe whan I se the sacrament and whan 
I thynke on owr Lordys passyon. And, sithyn I am forsakyn for Goddys cawse, I 
beleve that God schal ordeyn for me and bryngyn me forth as he wole hym selfe, for he 
deceyvyd me nevyr, blissyd mote he be." So thei went her wey and letyn hir ther 
stille. The nyght fel upon, and sche was ryth hevy, for sche was alone. Sche wist not 
wyth whom sche myth rest on that nyght ne wyth whom sche schulde gon the next 
day. Ther cam preistys to hir ther sche was at oste of that cuntré. Thei clepyd hir Englisch 
sterte and spokyn many lewyd wordys unto hir, schewyng unclenly cher and 
cuntenawns, proferyng to ledyn hir abowtyn yf sche wolde. Sche had mech drede for 
hir chastité and was in gret hevynes. Than went sche to the good wife of the hows, 
preying hir to han sum of hir maydenys that myth lyn wyth hir that nyght. The good 
wife assygnyd tweyn maydenys, the whech weryn wyth hir al that nyght, yet durst 
sche not slepyn for dred of defilyng. Sche woke and preyid ny al that nyght that sche 
myth be preservyd fro al unclennes and metyn wyth sum good felaschep that myth 
helpyn hir forth to Akun. Sodeynly sche was comawndyd in hir sowle for to gon to 
chirche betymys on the next day, and ther schuld sche metyn wyth felaschep. On the 
next day betyme sche payd for hir lodgynge, speryng at hir oostys yf thei knewe of 
any felaschep to Akunward. Thei seyd, "Nay." Sche, takyng hir leve of hem, went to 
the chirche for to felyn and prevyn yf hir felyng wer trewe er not. Whan sche cam ther, 
sche saw a cumpany of powr folke. Than went sche to on of hem, speryng whidyr 
thei wer purposyd to gon. He seyd, "To Akun." Sche preyid hym that he wolde suffyr 
hir to gon in her cumpany. "Why, dame," he seyd, "hast thu no man to gon wyth the?" 
"No," sche seyd, "my man is gon fro me." So sche was receyvyd into a cumpany of 
powr folke, and, whan thei comyn to any towne, sche bowte hir mete and hir felaschep 
went on beggyng. Whan thei wer wythowtyn the townys, hir felaschep dedyn of her 
clothys, and, sittyng nakyd, pykyd hem. Nede compellyd hir to abydyn hem and 
prolongyn hir jurné and ben at meche mor cost than sche schulde ellys a ben. Thys 
creatur was abavyd to putte of hir clothis as hyr felawys dedyn, and therfor sche thorw 
hir comownyng had part of her vermyn and was betyn and stongyn ful evyl bothe day 
and nyght tyl God sent hir other felaschep. Sche kept forth hir felaschep wyth gret 
angwisch and disese and meche lettyng unto the tyme that thei comyn to Akun.