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   Than this creatur and hir felawshep was come to Constawns sche herd tellyn of an
Englysch frer, a maystyr of divinité and the Popys legat, was in that cité. Than sche
went to that worshepful man and schewyd hym hire lyfe fro the begynnyng unto that
owyr as ny as sche mygth in confessyon, because he was the Popys legate and a
worshepful clerk. And aftyr sche teld hym what disese sche had wyth hir felawshep.
Sche teld hym also what grace God gaf hir of contricyon and compunccyon, of swetnes
and devocyon, and of many dyvers revelacyons whech owyr Lord had revelyd unto
hir, and the dred that sche had of illusyons and deceytys of hir gostly enmys, wherfor
sche levyd in gret drede, desyryng to putte hem away and non for to felyn yyf sche
myth wythstonde hem. And, whan sche had seyd, the worshepful clerke gaf hir wordys
of gret comfort and seyd it was the werke of the Holy Gost, comawndyng and chargyng
hir to obey hem and receyve hem whan God wold geve hem and no dowt han, for the
devyl hath no powyr to werkyn swech grace in a sowle. And also he seyd he wold
supportyn hir agen the evyl wyl of hir felawschep. Aftyrward, whan it lykyd hir
felawshep, thei preyde this worthy doctowr to dyner. And the doctowr teld so the
forseyd creatur, warnyng hir to syttyn at the mete in hys presens as sche dede in hys
absens and kepyn the same maner of governauns that sche kept whan he was not ther.
Whan tyme was comyn that thei schulde syttyn at mete, every man toke hys place as
hym lyked, the worshepful legat and doctowr fyrst sett, and sythen other, and at the last
the seyd creatur at the bordys ende syttyng and no word spekyng as sche was won
to do whan the legate was not ther. Than the legate seyd unto hir, "Why ar ye no
myryar?" And sche sat stylle and answeryd not, as hymself had comawndyd hir to do.
Whan thei had etyn, the company mad gret compleynt upon this creatur to the legate,
and seyd uttyrly sche schulde no lengar be in her company les than he wolde
comawndyn hir to etyn flesch as thei dedyn and levyn hir wepyng and that sche schulde
not speke so mech of holynes. Than the worshepful doctowr seyde, "Nay, serys, I wyl
not don hir etyn flesch whyl sche may absteyne hir and ben the bettyr disposyd to
lovyn owyr Lord. Of whech of yow alle that mad avowe to gon to Rome barfote I
wolde not dispense wyth hym of hys vow whyl he myth fulfillyn it, ne I wyl not
byddyn hir etyn flesch whyl owyr Lord gevyth hir strength to absteyne. As for hyr
wepyng, it is not in my power to restreyn it, for it is the gyft of the Holy Gost. As for
hir spekyng, I wyl prey hir to sesyn tyl sche comyth ther men wyl her hir wyth bettyr
wyl than ye wyl do." The company was wroth and in gret angyr. Thei govyn hir ovyr
to the legate and seyden uttyrly thei woldyn no mor medyl wyth hir. He ful benyngly
and goodly receyved hir as thow sche had ben hys modyr and receyved hir golde
abowte twenty pownd, and yet on of hem wythhelde wrongfully abowte sixteen pownd.
And thei wythheldyn also hir mayden and wolde not letyn hir gon wyth hir maystres,
notwythstondyng sche had behestyd hir maystres and sekyrd hir that sche schulde not
forsake hir for no nede. And the legate ordeyned for this creatur and made hir chawnge
as sche had ben hys modyr. Than this creatur went into a cherche and preyd owyr
Lorde to ordeyn hir a ledar. And anon owyr Lord spak to hir and seyd, "Thu schalt
have rygth good help and a good ledar," and aswythe aftyr ther cam to hir an olde man
wyth a whyte berde. He was of Devynschir, and he seyd, "Damsel, wyl ye prey me for
Goddys lofe and for owyr Ladys to gon wyth yow and ben yowr gyde for yowr
cuntremen han forsake yow?" Sche askyd what was hys name. He seyde, "My name
is Willyam Wever." Sche preyd hym at the reverens of God and of owyr Lady that he
wolde helpyn hir at hir nede, and sche schulde wel rewardyn hym for hys labowre.
And so thei wer acordyd. Than went sche to the legate and telde hym how wel owyr
Lord had ordeynd for hir, and toke hir leve of hym and of hir cumpany that so ungoodly
had refusyd hir and also of hir mayden whech was bowndyn to a gon wyth hir. Sche
toke hir leve wyth ful hevy cher and rewful, havyng gret hevynes inasmeche as sche
was in strawnge cuntré and cowde no langage ne the man that schuld ledyn hir neythyr.
And so the man and sche went forth togydder in gret drede and hevynes. As thei went
togydder, the man seyd unto hir, "I am aferde thu schalt be take fro me, and I schal be
betyn for the and forberyn my tabbarde." Sche seyd, "Willyam, dredyth yow not; God
schal kepyn us rygth wel." And this creatur had every day mend of the Gospel whech
tellyth of the woman whech was takyn in avowtré and browt beforn owyr Lord. And
than sche preyde, "Lord, as thow dreve awey hir enmys, so dryfe awey myn enmys,
and kepe wel my chastité that I vowyd to the, and late me nevyr be defowlyd, for yyf
I be, Lord, I make myn avow I wyl nevyr come in Inglonde whil I leve." Than went
thei forth day be day and met wyth many joly men. And thei seyd non evyl worde to
this creatur but govyn hir and hyr man mete and drynke, and the good wyvys ther thei
weryn at inne leyden hir in her owyn beddys for Goddys lofe in many placys ther thei
come. And owyr Lord vysite hir wyth gret grace of gostly comfort as sche went be the
wey. And so God browt hir forth tyl sche cam to Boleyn de Grace. And, aftyr that sche
was come thedyr, cam hir other felawshep thedyr also whech had forsakyn hir befor.
And, whan thei herdyn sey that sche was come to Boleyn er than thei, than had thei
gret wondyr, and on of her felawshep cam to hir preyng hir to gon to hys felaschep
and asayn yyf thei woldyn receyven hir ageyn into her felawshep. And so sche dede.
"Yyf ye wyl gon in owyr felawshep, ye must makyn a new comnawnt, and that is this,
ye schal not speke of the Gospel wher we come, but ye schal syttyn stylle and makyn
mery, as we don, bothin at mete and at soper." Sche consentyd and was receyvyd
ageyn into hir felawshep. Than went thei forth to Venyce and thei dwellyd ther thir-
teen wekys. And this creatur was howselyd every Sonday in a gret hows of nunnys
and had gret cher among hem, wher owyr mercyful Lord Cryst Jhesu visite this creatur
wyth gret devocyon and plentyuows terys that the good ladiis of the place wer mech
amerveylyd therof. Sythyn it happyd, as this creatur sat at mete wyth hir felawshep,
that sche rehersyd a text of a Gospel lych as sche had leryd befortyme wyth other
goode wordys. And anon hir felawshep seyd sche had brokyn comenawnt. And sche
seyd, "Ya, serys, forsothe I may no lengar hold yow comenawnt, for I must nedys
speke of my Lord Jhesu Crist thow al this world had forbodyn it me." And than sche
toke hir chawmbre and ete alone six wokys unto the tyme that owyr Lord mad hir so
seke that sche wend to a be ded, and sythyn sodeynly he mad hir hool agen and al the
tyme hir mayden let hir alone and mad the cumpanyes mete and wesch her clothis, and
to hir maystres, whom sche had behestyd servyse, sche wolde no dele attende.