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   Than thorw the provysyon of owr mercyful Lord Crist Jhesu ther was comyn a
preste, a good man, owte of Inglond into Rome wyth other felawshep speryng and
inqwyryng diligently aftyr the seyd creatur whom he had nevyr seyn beforn, ne sche
hym. But whil he was in Inglond he herd tellyn of swech a woman was at Rome wyth
the whech he longyd hyly to spekyn yyf God wolde grawntyn hym grace. Wherfor,
whyl he was in hys owyn lond, he, purposyng to se this creatur whan he thorw the
sufferawns of owr Lord myght come ther sche was, purveyd golde to bryng hir in
relevyng of hir yyf sche had nede. Than be inqwyryng he cam into the place wher that
sche was, and ful humbely and mekely he clepyd hir modyr, preying hir for charité to
receyven hym as hir sone. Sche seyd that he was wolcom to God and to hir as to hys
owyn modyr. So be holy dalyawns and communycacyon sche felt wel he was a good
man. And than sche, discuryng the prevyté of hert, revelyd what grace God wrowt in
hir sowle thorw hys holy inspiracyon and sumwhat of hir maner of levyng. Than wolde
he no lengar suffyr hir to beggyn hir mete fro dore to dore, but preyid hir to eten
wyth hym and hys felawshep, les than good men and women be the wey of charité and
for gostly comfort wolde preyn hir to mete. Than he wolde that she schulde take it in the
name of owr Lord, and ellys sche ete wyth hym and wyth hys felawschep every day,
and gaf hir golde sufficiently to come hom wyth into Inglond. And than was fulfilled
that owr Lord seyd to hir a lityl beforn, "Gold is to thewarde." And so it was in dede,
thankyd be alle myghty God. Than summe of hir felaws whech sche had ben wyth at
Jerusalem comyth to this good preste, newly come to Rome, compleynyng of hir, and
seyd that sche was schrevyn at a preste whech cowde not undirstondyn hir langwage
ne hir confessyown. Than this good preste, trostyng to hir as to hys modyr, desyryng
the helth of hir sowle, askyd of hir yf hir confessowr undirstod hir whan sche spak to
hym er not. "Good sone, I beseche yow preyth hym to dyne wyth yow and wyth yowr
felawys and late me be present, and than schal ye knowyn the trewth." Hyr confessowr
was preyd to mete and, whan tyme cam, sett and servyd wyth this good preste and hys
felaschep, the seyd creatur beyng present, the good preste of Inglonde dalying and
comownyng in her owyn langage, Englysch. The Duche preste, a worthy clerke as is
wretyn beforn, confessowr to the seyd creatur, satt al stille in a maner of hevynes for
cawse he undirstod not what thei seyden in Englysch les than thei spokyn Latyn. And
thei dede it in purpose, hys unwetyng, to prevyn yyf he undirstod Englysch er not. At
the last, the seyd creatur, seyng and wel undirstondyng that hir confessowr undirstod
not her langage and that was tediows to hym, than, in party to comfort hym and in
party er ellys meche mor to prevyn the werk of God, sche telde in hyr owyn langage in
Englysch a story of Holy Writte whech as sche had lernyd of clerkys whil sche was at
hom in Inglond, for sche wolde spekyn of no vanyté ne of no fantasiis. Than thei
askyd hir confessowr yyf he undirstod that sche had seyd, and he anon in Latyn telde
hem the same wordys that sche seyd beforn in Englisch, for he cowde neythyr speke
Englysch ne undirstondyn Englisch save only aftyr hir tunge. And than thei had gret
mervayle, for thei wist wel that he undirstod what sche seyde and sche undirstod what
he seyd, and he cowde undirstonde non other Englyschman, so blyssed mote God ben
that mad an alyon to undirstondyn hir whan hir owyn cuntremen had forsakyn hir and
wolde not heryn hir confessyon les than sche wolde a left hir wepyng and spekyng of
holynes. And yet sche myth not wepyn but whan God gaf it hir. And oftyntymes he
gaf it so plentyuowsly that sche cowde not wythstonde it. But the mor that sche wolde
a wythstonde it er put it awey, the mor strongly it wrowt in hir sowle wyth so holy
thowtys that sche schulde not sesyn. Sche schulde sobbyn and cryen ful lowde al
ageyn hir wyl that many man and woman also wondryd on hir therfore.