3090 
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3141 
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3185 
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3188 
3189

N
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

N
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

N
 
 
 
 

N
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

N

The seyd creatur, lying in hir bed the next nyth folwyng, herd wyth hir bodily erys 
a lowde voys clepyng, "Margery." Wyth that voys sche woke, gretly aferyd, and, 
lying stille in sylens, sche mad hir preyerys as devowtly as sche cowde for the tyme. 
And sone owr merciful Lord ovyral present, comfortyng hys unworthy servawnt, seyd 
unto hir, "Dowtyr, it is mor plesyng unto me that thu suffyr despitys and scornys, 
schamys and reprevys, wrongys and disesys than yif thin hed wer smet of thre tymes 
on the day every day in sevyn yer. And therfor, dowtyr, fere the nowt what any man 
can seyn onto the, but in myn goodnes and in thy sorwys that thu hast suffryd therin 
hast thu gret cawse to joyn, for, whan thu comyst hom into hevyn, than schal every 
sorwe turnyn the to joye." On the next day sche was browte into the chapetylhows of 
Beverlé, and ther was the Erchebischop of Yorke and many gret clerkys wyth hym, 
prestys, chanowns, and seculer men. Than seyd the Erchebischop to the seid creatur, 
"What, woman, art thu come agen? I wolde fayn be delyveryd of the." And than a 
preste browt hir forth befor hym, and the Erchebischop seyd, alle that wer present 
heryng, "Serys, I had this woman befor me at Cowode, and ther I wyth my clerkys 
examynd hir in hir feyth and fond no defawte in hir. Forthermor, serys, I have sithyn 
that tyme spokyn wyth good men whech holdyn hir a parfyte woman and a good 
woman. Notwythstandyng al this I gaf on of my men five shillings to ledyn hir owt of 
this cuntré for qwietyng of the pepil. And, as thei wer goyng in her jurné, they r>
takyn and arestyd, my man put in preson for hir, also hir gold and hir sylver was takyn 
awey fro hir wyth hir bedys and hir ryng, and sche is browt her agen befor me. Is her 
any man can sey any thyng agens hir?" Than other men seyd, "Her is a frer can meche 
thing agens hir." The frer cam forth and seyd that sche dispravyd alle men of holy 
chirche and mech ylle langage he uttryd that tyme of hir. Also he seyd that sche schulde 
a be brent at Lynne, had hys ordyr, that was Frer Prechowrys, ne be. "And, syr, sche 
seyth that sche may wepyn and han contricyon whan sche wil." Than cam tho too men 
whech had arestyd hir, seyng wyth the frer that sche was Combomis dowtyr and was 
sent to beryn lettrys abowtyn the cuntré. And thei seydyn sche had nowt ben at Jerusa- 
lem ne in the Holy Lond ne on other pilgrimage, liche as sche had ben in trewth. Thei 
denyed al trewth and meynteyned the wrong, as many other had don beforn. Whan 
thei had seyd inow a gret while and a long tyme, thei wer in pes. Than seyd the 
Erchebischop to hir, "Woman, what seyst thu herto?" Sche seyd, "My Lorde, save 
yowr reverens, it arn lesyngys alle the wordys that thei sey." Than seyde the 
Erchebischop to the frer, "Frer, the wordys arn non heresye; thei arn slawnderows 
wordys and erroneows." "My Lord," seyde the frer, "sche can hir feyth wel inow. 
Nevyrthelesse, my Lord of Bedforthe is wroth wyth hir, and he wyl han hir." "Wel 
frer," seyde the Erchebischop, "and thu schalt ledyn hir to hym." "Nay, ser," seyde the 
frer, "it fallyth not for a frer to ledyn a woman abowtyn." "And I wille not," seyde the 
Erchebischop, "that the Duke of Bedforde be wroth wyth me for hir." Than seyde the 
Erchebischop to hys men, "Takyth hede to the frer tyl I wyl have hym agen," and 
comawndyd an other man to kepyn the seyde creatur also tyl he wolde have hir agen 
an other tyme whan he lykyde. The sayd creatur preyde hym of hys lordschip that 
sche schulde not be putte amongs men, for sche was a mannys wyfe. And the 
Erchebischop seyde, "Nay, thu schalt non harm han." Than he that was chargyd wyth 
hir toke hir be the hand and led hir hom to hys hows and dede hir sittyn wyth hym at 
mete and drynke, schewyng hir goodly cher. Thedyr comyn many prestys and other 
men eftsonys to se hir and spekyn wyth hir, and meche pepil had gret compassyon that 
sche was so evyl ferd wyth. In schort tyme aftyr, the Erchebischop sent for hir, and 
sche cam into hys halle. Hys meny was at mete, and sche was ledde into hys chawmbyr 
evyn to hys beddys syde. Than sche, obeyng, thankyd hym of hys gracyows lordschip 
that he had schewyd to hir befortyme. "Ya, ya," seyd the Erchebischop, "I am wers 
enformyd of the than evyr I was beforn." Sche seyd, "My Lord, yyf it lyke yow to 
examyn me, I schal ben aknowe the trewth, and, yf I be fowndyn gylty, I wyl abeyn 
yowr correccyon." Than cam forth a Frer Prechowr whech was suffragan wyth the 
Erchebischop, to whom the Erchebischop seyde, "Now, ser, as ye seyde to me whan 
sche was not present, sey now whil sche is present." "Schal I so?" seyde the suffragan. 
"Ya," seyde the Erchebischop. Than seyde the suffragan to the seyde creatur, "Dam- 
sel, thu wer at my Lady Westmorlond." "Whan, sir?" seyde sche. "At Estern," seyd 
the suffragan. Sche, not replying, seyd, "Wel, ser?" Than seyd he, "My Lady hir owyn 
persone was wel plesyd wyth the and lykyd wel thy wordys, but thu cownseledyst my 
Lady Greystokke to forsakyn hir husbonde, that is a barownys wyfe and dowtyr to my 
Lady of Westmorlonde, and now hast seyd inow to be brent for." And so he multiplyed 
many schrewyd wordys befor the Erchebischop; it is not expedient to rehersyn hem. 
At the last sche seyde to the Erchebischop, "My Lord, yf it be yowr wille, I saw not 
my Lady Westmorlond this too yer and mor. Sir, sche sent for me er I went to Jerusa- 
lem and, yyf it lyke yow, I wyl gon ageyn to hir for recorde that I mevyd no sweche 
mater." "Nay," seyde thei that stodyn abowtyn, "late hir be putte in preson, and we schal 
sendyn a lettyr to the worshepful lady, and, yyf it be trewth that sche seyth, late hir go 
qwite wythowtyn dawnger." And sche seyde sche was ryth wel apayd that it wer so. 
Than seyde a gret clerke whech stood a lytyl besyden the Erchebischop, "Putte hir 
forty days in preson and sche schal lovyn God the bettyr whyl sche levyth." The 
Erchebischop askyd hir what tale it was that sche telde the Lady of Westmorlonde 
whan sche spak wyth hir. Sche seyde, "I telde hir a good tale of a lady that was 
dampmyd for sche wolde not lovyn hir enmiis and of a baly that was savyd for he 
lovyd hys enmys and forgaf that thei had trespasyd agen hym, and yet he was heldyn 
an evyl man." The Erchebischop seyd it was a good tale. Than seyd hys styward and 
many mo wyth hym, crying wyth a lowde voys to the Erchebischop, "Lord, we prey 
yow late hir go hens at this tyme, and, yf evyr sche come ageyn, we schal bren hyre 
owrself." The Erchebischop seyde, "I leve ther was nevyr woman in Inglond so ferd 
wyththal as sche is and hath ben." Than he seyde to the sayde creatur, "I wote not what 
I schal don wyth the." Sche seyde, "My Lord, I pray yow late me have yowr lettyr 
and yowr seyl into recorde that I have excusyd me ageyn myn enmys and no thyng is 
attyd ageyns me, neithyr herrowr ne heresy that may ben prevyd upon me, thankyd be 
owr Lord, and John, yowr man, agen to bryngyn me ovyr the watyr." And the 
Erchebischop ful goodly grawntyd hir al hir desyr, owr Lord rewarde hym hys mede, 
and delveryd hyr purs wyth hir ryng and hir bedys whech the Dukys men of Bedforth
had takyn fro hir beforn. The Erchebischop had gret merveyl wher sche had good to 
gon wyth abowtyn the cuntré, and sche seyde good men gaf it hir for sche schulde prey 
for hem. Than sche, knelyng down, receyved hys blissyng and toke hir leve wyth ryth 
glad cher, goyng owt of hys chambyr. And the Erchebischopys mene preyd hir to prey 
for hem, but the styward was wroth, for sche lowgh and made good cher, seying to 
hir, "Holy folke schulde not lawghe." Sche seyd, "Ser, I have gret cawse for to lawghe, 
for the mor schame I suffyr and despite, the meryar may I ben in owr Lord Jhesu 
Crist." Than sche cam down into the halle, and ther stood the Frere Prechowr that had 
cawsyd hir al that wo. And so sche passyd forth wyth a man of the Erchebischop, 
beryng the lettyr whech the Erchebischop had grawntyd hir for a recorde, and he 
browt hir to the watyr of Humbyr, and ther he toke hys leve of hir, returnyng to 
hys lord and beryng the sayd lettyr wyth hym agen, so was sche left alone 
wythowtyn knowlache of the pepyl. Al the forseyd disese fel hir on a Fryday, 
thankyd be God of alle.