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N
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

   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.