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   The fyrst two yer whan this creatur was thus drawyn to owyr Lord, sche had gret
qwiete of spyryt as for ony temptacyons. Sche mygth wel dure to fastyn, it grevyd hir
Not. Sche hatyd the joys of the world. Sche felt no rebellyon in hyr flesch. Sche was
strong, as hir thowt, that sche dred no devylle in helle, for sche dede so gret bodyly
penawnce. Sche thowt that sche lovyd God mor than he hir. was smet wyth the
dedly wownd of veynglory and felt it not, for sche desyryd many tymes that the cruci-
fix schuld losyn hys handys fro the crosse and halsyn hir in tokyn of lofe. Ower
mercyful Lord Crist Jhesu, seyng this creaturys presumpcyon, sent hir, as is wrete
befor, three yer of greet temptacyon, of the whech on of the hardest I purpos to wrytyn
for exampyl of hem that com aftyr that thei schuld not trostyn on her owyn self ne
have no joy in hemself as this creatur had, for no drede owyr gostly enmy slepyth not,
but he ful besyly sergyth owr complexions and owyr dysposycionys, and wher that he
fundyth us most freel ther be owyr Lordys sufferawns he leyth hys snar, whech may
No man skape be hys owyn power. And so he leyd beforn this creatur the snar of
letchery, whan sche wend that all fleschly lust had al hol ben qwenchyd in hir. And so
long sche was temptyd wyth the syn of letchory for owt that sche cowd do. And yet
sche was oftyn schrevyn, sche weryd the hayr, and dede gret bodyly penawns, and
wept many a byttyr teer and preyd ful oftyn to owyr Lord that he schuld preserve hir
and kepe hir that sche schuld not fallyn into temptacyon, for sche thowt sche had levar
ben deed than consentyn therto. And in al this tyme sche had no lust to comown wyth
hir husbond, but it was very peynful and horrybyl unto hir. In the secund yer of hir
temptacyons yt fel so that a man whech sche lovyd wel seyd onto hir on Seynt
Margaretys Evyn befor evynsong that for anythyng he wold ly be hir and have hys lust
of hys body, and sche schuld not wythstond hym, for, yf he mygth not have hys wyl
that tyme, he seyd, he schuld ellys have it another tyme, sche schuld not chese. And he
dede it for to preve hir what sche wold do, but sche wend that he had ment ful ernest
as that tyme and seyd but lytyl therto. So they partyd asondyr as than and wentyn
bothen for to here evensong, for her cherch was of Seynt Margaret. This woman was
so labowrd wyth the mannys wordys that sche mygth not heryn hir evynsong, ne sey
hir Pater Noster, er thynkyn ony other good thowt, but was mor labowrd than evyr
sche was befor. The devyl put in hir mende that God had forsakyn hir, and ellys
schuld sche not so ben temptyd. She levyd the develys suasyons and gan to consentyn
for because sche cowde thynkyn no good thowt. Therfor wend sche that God had
forsake hir. And, whan evensong was do, sche went to the man befor seyd that he
schuld have hys lust, as sche wend that he had desyred, but he made swech symulacyon
that sche cowd not knowe hys entent, and so thei partyd asondyr for that nygth. This
creatur was so labowrd and vexyd al that nygth that sche wyst nevyr what sche mygth
do. Sche lay be hir husbond, and for to comown wyth hym it was so abhomynabyl
onto hir that sche mygth not duren it, and yet was it leful onto hir in leful tyme yf sche.
had wold. But evyr sche was labowrd wyth the other man for to syn wyth hym inasmech
as he had spoke to hir. At the last thorw inoportunyté of temptacyon and lakkyng of
dyscrecyon sche was ovyrcomyn, and consentyd in hir mend, and went to the man to
wetyn yf he wold than consentyn to hire. And he seyd he ne wold for al the good in
this world; he had levar ben hewyn as smal as flesch to the pott. Sche went away al
schamyd and confusyd in hirself, seyng hys stabylnes and hir owyn unstabylnes. Than
thowt sche of the grace that God had govyn hire befortyme, how sche had two yer of
gret qwyet in sowle, repentawns of hir synne wyth many byttyr teerys of compunccyon,
and parfyt wyl nevyr to turne ageyn to hir synne, but rather to be deed hir thowt. And
Now sche saw how sche had consentyd in hir wyl for to don synne. Than fel sche half
in dyspeyr. Sche thowt sche wold a ben in helle for the sorw that sche had. Sche thowt
sche was worthy no mercy for hir consentyng was so wylfully do ne nevyr worthy to
don hym servyse for sche was so fals unto hym. Nevyrthelesse sche was schrevyn
many tymes and oftyn, and dede hir penawns whatsoevyr hir confessowr wold injoyne
hir to do, and was governd aftyr the rewelys of the Chirch. That grace God gafe this
creatur, blyssyd mot he be, but he wythdrowe not hir temptacyon but rather incresyd
it as hir thowt. And therfore wend sche that he had forsakyn hir and durst not trostyn
to hys mercy, but was labowrd wyth horrybyl temptacyons of lettherye and of dyspeyr
Ny al the next yer folwyng, save owyr Lord of hys mercy, as sche seyd hirself, gaf hir
ech day for the most party too owerys of compunccyon for hir synnys wyth many
byttyr teerys. And sythen sche was labowrd wyth temptacyons of dyspeyr as sche was
befor and was as for fro felyng of grace as thei that nevyr felt noon. And that mygth
sche not beryn, and therfor alwey sche dyspeyrd. Safe for the tyme that sche felt
grace, hir labowrs wer so wondyrful that sche cowd evel far wyth hem but evyr mornyn
and sorwyn as thow God had forsakyn hir.