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47
Than the styward of Leycetyr,
a semly man, sent for the seyd creatur to the jaylerys
wyfe, and sche, for hir husbond was not at hom, wolde not late
hir gon to no man,
styward ne other. Whan the jayler knew therof, he cam hys propyr
persone and browt
hir befor the stywarde. The styward anon, as he sey hir, spak
Latyn unto hir, many
prestys stondyng abowtyn to here what sche schulde say and other
pepyl also. Sche
seyd to the stywarde, "Spekyth Englysch, yf yow lyketh, for I
undyrstonde not what
ye sey." The styward seyd unto hir, "Thu lyest falsly in pleyn
Englysch." Than seyd
sche unto hym agen, "Syr, askyth what qwestyon ye wil in Englysch,
and thorw the
grace of my Lord Jhesu Cryst I schal answeyn yow resonabely therto."
And than askyd
he many qwestyonys, to the whech sche answeryd redily and resonabely
that he cowde
getyn no cawse ageyn hir. Than the stywarde toke hir be the hand
and led hir into hys
chawmbyr and spak many fowyl rebawdy wordys unto hir, purposyng
and desyryng,
as it semyd hir, to opressyn hir and forlyn hir. And than had
sche meche drede and
meche sorwe, crying hym mercy. Sche seyd, "Ser, for the reverens
of almythy God,
sparyth me, for I am a mannys wife." And than seyd the stywarde,
"Thu schalt telle me
whethyr thu hast this speche of God er of the devyl, er ellys
thu schalt gon to preson."
"Ser," sche seyd, "for to gon to preson I am not aferd for my
Lordys lofe, the whech
meche mor suffyrd for my lofe than I may for hys. I pray yow
doth as yow thynkyth
the beste." The stiwarde, seyng hir boldenes that sche dred no
presonyng, he strobelyd
wyth hir, schewyng unclene tokenys and ungoodly cuntenawns, wherthorw
he frayd
hir so mech that sche telde hym how sche had hyr speche and hir
dalyawns of the Holy
Gost and not of hir owyn cunyng. And than he, al astoyned of
hir wordys, left hys
besynes and hys lewydnes, seying to hir as many man had do beforn,
"Eythyr thu art
a ryth good woman er ellys a ryth wikked woman," and delyveryd
hir ageyn to hir
gayler. And he led hyr hom ageyn wyth hym. Sithyn thei tokyn
two of hyr felaws that
went wyth hyr on pylgrimage, the on was Thomas Marchale beforn
seyd, the other, a
man of Wisbeche, and put hem bothyn in preson for cawse of hyr.
Than was sche
hevy and sory for her distres and preyd to God for her delyverawns.
And than owr
mercyful Lord Crist Jhesu seyd to hys creatur, "Dowtyr, I schal
for thy love so disposyn
for hem that the pepyl schal be ryth fayn to letyn hem gon and
not longe kepyn hem."
And, on the next day folwyng, owr Lord sent sweche wederyng of
levenys, thunderys,
and reynes contynuyng that al the pepyl in the town wer so afrayd
thei wist not what to
do. Thei dreddyn hem it was for thei had put the pylgrimys in
preson. And than the
governorys of the town went in gret hast and toke owt tho tweyn
pilgrimys whech had
leyn in preson al the nyth beforn, ledyng hem to the gyldehalle
ther to be examynyd
befor the meyr and the worschepful men of the town, compellyng
hem to sweryn yyf
the forseyd creatur wer a woman of the ryth feyth and ryth beleve,
continent and clene
of hir body, er not. As fer as thei knewyn, thei sworyn, as wittyrly
God schulde help
hem at the day of dome, that sche was a good woman of the ryth
feyth and ryth beleve,
clene and chaste in al hir governawns as fer as thei cowde knowyn
in cher, cuntenawns,
in worde, and in werke. And than the meyr let hem gon whedyr
thei wolde. And anon
the tempest sesyd, and it was fayr wedir, worschepyd be owre
Lord God. The pilgrimys
thei wer glad that thei wer delyveryd and durst no lengar abydyn
in Leycetyr but went
ten myle thens and abood ther that thei myth have knowlach what
schulde be do wyth
the seyde creatur, for, whan thei bothyn wer put in preson, thei
had telde hyr hemselfe
that thei supposyd, yyf the meyr myth han hys wil, he wolde don
hir be brent. |