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Fro thens sche went to London, clad in a cloth of canvas as it wer a sekkyn gelle as 
sche had gon beyondyn the se. Whan sche was comyn into London, mech pepil knew 
hir wel anow; in as mech as sche was not clad as sche wold a ben for defawte of mony, 
sche, desiryng to a gon unknowyn into the tyme that sche myth a made sum chefsyawns, 
bar a kerche befor hir face. Not wythstondyng sche dede so, sum dissolute personys, 
supposyng it was Mar. Kempe of Lynne, seydyn that sche myth esily heryn thes wordys 
into repref. "A, thu fals flesch, thu schalt no good mete etyn." Sche, not answeryng, 
passyd forth as sche had not an herd. The forseyd wordys wer nevyr of hir spekyng, 
neythyr of God ne of good man, thow so wer that it wer leyd to hir, and sche many 
tymys and in many placys had gret repref therby. Thei wer fowndyn of the devyl, 
fadyr of lesyngys, favowryd, maynteynd, and born forth of hys membrys, fals invyows 
pepil, havyng indignacyon at hir vertuows levyng, not of powyr to hyndryn hir but 
thorw her fals tungys. Ther was nevyr man ne woman that evyr myth prevyn that sche 
seyd swech wordys, but evyr thei madyn other lyars her autorys, seying in excusyng 
of hem self that other men telde hem so. On this maner wer thes fals wordys fowndyn 
thorw the develys suggestyon. Sum on person er ellys mo personys, deceyvyd be her 
gostly enmy, contrivyd this tale not long aftyr the conversyon of the sayd creatur, 
seying that sche, sittyng at the mete on a fisch day at a good mannys tabyl, servyd 
wyth divers of fyschys as reed heryng and good pyke and sweche other, thus sche 
schulde a seyd, as thei reportyd, "A, thu fals flesch, thu woldist now etyn reed heryng, 
but thu schalt not han thi wille." And ther wyth sche sett awey the reed heryng and ete 
the good pike. And swech other thus sche schuld a seyd, as thei seydyn, and thus it 
sprong into a maner of proverbe agen hir that summe seydyn, "Fals flesch, thu schalt ete 
non heryng." And sum seydyn the wordys the whech arn beforn wretyn, and al was 
fals, but yet wer thei not forgetyn; thei wer rehersyd in many a place wher sche was 
nevyr kyd ne knowyn. Sche went forth to a worschepful wedows hows in London, 
wher sche was goodly receyvyd and had gret cher for owr Lordys lofe, and in many 
placys of London sche hily was cheryd in owr Lordys name, God rewarde hem alle. 
Ther was on worschepful woman whech specialy schewyd hir hy charité bothyn in 
mete and drynke and other rewardys gevyng, in whoys place on a tyme sche beyng at 
the mete wyth other dyvers personys of divers condicyons, sche unknowyn onto hem 
and thei unto hir, of the whiche summe wer of the cardenalys hows (as sche had be 
relacyon of other), thei haddyn a gret fest and ferdyn ryth wel. And, whan thei wer in 
her myrthys, sum rehersyd the wordys beforn wretyn er other liche, that is to seyn, 
"Thu fals flesch, thu schalt non etyn of this good mete." Sche was stille and suffyrd a 
good while. Ech of hem jangelyd to other, havyng gret game of the inperfeccyon of 
the persone that thes wordys wer seyd of. Whan thei had wel sportyd hem wyth thes 
wordys, sche askyd hem yf thei had any knowlach of the persone whech schulde a seyd 
thes wordys. Thei seyd, "Nay forsothe, but we have herd telde that ther is swech a fals 
feynyd ypocrite in Lynne whech seyth sweche wordys, and, leevyng of gret metys, 
sche etith the most delicyows and delectabyl metys that comyn on the tabyl." "Lo, 
serys," sche seyd, "ye awt to seyn no wers than ye knowyn and yet not so evyl as ye 
knowyn. Nevyrthelesse her ye seyn wers than ye knowyn, God forgeve it yow, for I 
am that same persone to whom thes wordys ben arectyd, whech oftyn tyme suffir gret 
schame and repref and am not gylty in this mater, God I take to record." Whan thei 
beheldyn hir not mevyd in this mater, no thyng reprevyng hem, desiryng thorw the 
spirit of charité her correccyon, thei wer rebukyd of her owyn honesté, obeyng hem to 
aseeth makyng. Sche spak boldly and mytily wher so sche cam in London ageyn 
swerars, bannars, lyars and swech other viciows pepil, ageyn the pompows aray bothin 
of men and of women. Sche sparyd hem not, sche flateryd hem not, neithyr for her 
giftys, ne for her mete, no for her drynke. Hir spekyng profityd rith mech in many 
personys. Therfor, whan sche cam into chirch to hir contemplacyon owr Lord sent hir 
ful hy devocyon, thankyng hir that sche was not aferd to reprevyn synne in hys name 
and for sche suffyrd scornys and reprevys for hys sake, behestyng hir ful meche grace 
in this lyfe and aftyr this lyfe to havyn joy and blysse wythowtyn ende. Sche was so 
comfortyd in the swet dalyawns of owr Lord that sche myth not mesuryn hirself ne 
governe hir spirit aftyr hyr owyn wyl ne aftyr discrecyon of other men, but aftyr that 
owr Lord wolde ledyn it and mesuryn it hys self in sobbyng ful boistowsly and wepyng 
ful plenteuowsly, wherfor sche suffyrd ful mech slawndyr and repref, specyaly of the 
curatys and preistys of the chirchis in London. Thei wold not suffyr hir to abydyn in 
her chirchys, and therfor sche went fro on chirch to an other that sche schulde not ben 
tediows onto hem. Mech of the comown pepil magnifiid God in hir, havyng good 
trost that it was the goodnes of God whech wrowt that hy grace in hir sowle.