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N
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

N
 
 
 

N
 
 
 
 

   And, whan this creatur was thus gracyowsly comen ageyn to hir mende, sche thowt
sche was bowndyn to God and that sche wold ben his servawnt. Nevyrthelesse, sche
wold not leevyn hir pride ne hir pompows aray that sche had usyd befortym, neithyr
for hyr husbond ne for noon other mannys cownsel. And yet sche wyst ful wel that
men seyden hir ful mech velany, for sche weryd gold pypys on hir hevyd and hir
hodys wyth the typettys were daggyd. Hir clokys also wer daggyd and leyd wyth
dyvers colowrs betwen the daggys that it schuld be the mor staryng to mennys sygth
and hirself the mor ben worshepd. And, whan hir husbond wold speke to hir for to
levyn hir pride, sche answeryd schrewydly and schortly and seyd that sche was comyn
of worthy kenred, hym semyd nevyr forto a weddyd hir, for hir fadyr was sumtyme
meyr of the town N and sythyn he was alderman of the hey Gylde of the Trinyté in N
And therfor sche wold savyn the worschyp of hir kynred whatsoevyr ony man seyd.
Sche had ful greet envye at hir neybowrs that thei schuld ben arayd so wel as sche.
Alle hir desyr was for to be worshepd of the pepul. Sche wold not be war be onys
chastysyng ne be content wyth the goodys that God had sent hire, as hir husbond was,
but evyr desyryd mor and mor. And than, for pure coveytyse and for to maynten hir
pride, sche gan to brewyn and was on of the grettest brewers in the town N a three yer
or four tyl sche lost mech good, for sche had nevyr ure therto. For, thow sche had
Nevyr so good servawntys and cunnyng in brewyng, yet it wold nevyr prevyn wyth
hem. For, whan the ale was as fayr standyng undyr berm as any man mygth se, sodenly
the berm wold fallyn down that alle the ale was lost every brewyng aftyr other, that hir
servawntys weryn aschamyd and wold not dwellyn wyth hir. Than this creatur thowt
how God had punched hir befortyme and sche cowd not be war, and now eftsons be
lesyng of hir goodys, and than sche left and brewyd no mor. And than sche askyd hir
husbond mercy for sche wold not folwyn hys cownsel afortyme, and sche seyd that
hir pride and synne was cause of alle her punschyng and sche wold amend that sche
had trespasyd wyth good wyl. But yet sche left not the world al hol, for now sche
bethowt hir of a newe huswyfré. Sche had an horsmille. Sche gat hire tweyn good hors
and a man to gryndyn mennys corne and thus sche trostyd to getyn hir levyng. This
provysion duryd not longe, for in schort tyme aftyr on Corpus Cristi Evyn fel this
merveyl. Thys man, beyng in good heele of body and hys tweyn hors craske and lykand
that wel haddyn drawyn in the mylle befortyme, as now he toke on of this hors and put
hym in the mylle as he had don befor, and this hors wold drawe no drawt in the mylle
for nothing the man mygth do. The man was sory and asayd wyth al hys wyttys how
he schuld don this hors drawyn. Sumtyme he led hym be the heed, sumtyme he beet
hym, and sumtyme he chershyd hym, and alle avayled not, for he wold rather gon
bakward than forward. Than this man sett a scharp peyr sporys on hys helys and rood
on the hors bak for to don hym drawyn, and it was nevyr the bettyr. Whan this man
saw it wold be in no wey, than he sett up this hors ageyn in the stabyl and gafe hym
mete, and he ete weel and freschly. And sythen he toke the other hors and put hym in
the mylle. And lech as hys felaw dede so dede he, for he wold not drawe for anything
that the man mygth do. And than this man forsoke hys servyse and wold no lengar
abyden wyth the fornseyd creatur. Anoon as it was noysed abowt the town of N that
ther wold neythyr man ne best don servyse to the seyd creatur, than summe seyden
sche was acursyd; sum seyden God toke opyn venjawns upon hir; sum seyd on; and
sum seyd another. And sum wyse men, whos mend was mor growndyd in the lofe of
owyr Lord, seyd it was the hey mercy of our Lord Jhesu Cryst clepyd and kallyd hir fro
the pride and vanyté of the wretthyd world. And than this creatur, seyng alle this
adversytes comyng on every syde, thowt it weryn the skourges of owyr Lord that wold
chastyse hir for hir synne. Than sche askyd God mercy and forsoke hir pride, hir
coveytyse, and desyr that sche had of the worshepys of the world, and dede grett
bodyly penawnce, and gan to entyr the wey of evyrlestyng lyfe, as schal be seyd aftyr.