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Afftyr on Seynt Jamys Day the good frere prechyd in Seynt Jamys chapel yerd at 
Lenne — he was as that tyme neythyr bacheler ne doctowr of divinyté — wher br>
meche pepil and gret audiens, for he had an holy name and gret favowr of the pepyl, in 
so meche that summe men, yyf thei wiste that he schulde prechyn in the cuntré, thei 
wolde go wyth hym er ellys folwyn hym fro town to town, so gret delite thei had to 
heryn hym and so, blissed mote God ben, he prechyd ful holily and ful devowtly. 
Nevyrthelesse as this day he prechyd meche ageyn the seyd creatur, not expressyng 
hir name, but so he expleytyd hys conseytys that men undirstod wel that he ment hir. 
Than was ther mech remowr among the pepil, for many men and many women trustyd 
hir and lovyd hir ryth wel and wer ryth hevy and sorweful for he spak so meche ageyn 
hir as he dede, desiryng that thei had not an herd hym that day. Whan he herd the 
murmowr and grutchyng of the pepil, supposyng to be geynseyd an other day of hem 
that weryn hir frendys, he, smityng hys hand on the pulpit, seyd, "Yyf I here any mor 
thes materys rehersyd, I schal so smytyn the nayl on the hed," he seyd, "that it schal 
schamyn alle hyr mayntenowrys." And than many of hem that pretendyd hir frenschep 
turnyd abakke for a lytyl veyn drede that thei haddyn of hys wordys and durst not wel 
spekyn wyth hir, of the whech the same preyste was on that aftirward wrot this boke 
and was in purpose nevyr to a levyd hir felyngys aftyr. And yet owr Lord drow hym 
agen in schort tyme, blissed mote he ben, that he lovyd hir mor and trustyd mor to hir 
wepyng and hir crying than evyr he dede beforn, for aftyrward he red of a woman 
clepyd Maria de Oegines and of hir maner of levyng, of the wondirful swetnesse that 
sche had in the word of God heryng, of the wondirful compassyon that sche had in hys 
Passyon thynkyng, and of the plentyuows teerys that sche wept, the whech made hir 
so febyl and so weyke that sche myth not endur to beheldyn the crosse, ne heryn owr 
Lordys Passyon rehersyd, so sche was resolvyd into terys of pyté and compassyon. Of 
the plentyuows grace of hir teerys he tretyth specyaly in the boke beforn wretyn the 
eighteenth capitulo that begynnyth, "Bonus es, domine, sperantibus in te," and also in 
the nineteenth capitulo wher he tellyth how sche, at the request of a preyste that he 
schulde not be turbelyd ne distrawt in hys messe wyth hir wepyng and hir sobbyng, 
went owt at the chirche dor, wyth a lowde voys crying that sche myth not restreyn hir 
therfro. And owr Lord also visityd the preyste beyng at messe wyth swech grace and 
wyth sweche devocyon whan he schulde redyn the Holy Gospel that he wept wondirly 
so that he wett hys vestiment and ornamentys of the awter and myth not mesuryn hys 
wepyng ne hys sobbyng, it was so habundawnt, ne he myth not restreyn it ne wel 
stande therwyth at the awter. Than he levyd wel that the good woman, whech he had 
beforn lityl affeccyon to, myth not restreyn hir wepyng, hir sobbyng, ne hir cryyng, 
whech felt meche mor plente of grace than evyr dede he wythowtyn any comparison. 
Than knew he wel that God gaf hys grace to whom he wolde. Than the preste whech 
wrot thes tretys thorw steryng of a worshepful clerk, a bacheler of divinité, had seyn 
and red the mater beforn wretyn meche mor seryowslech and expressiowslech than it 
is wretyn in this tretys (for her is but a lityl of the effect therof, for he had not ryth cler 
mende of the sayd mater whan he wrot this tretys, and therfor he wrot the lesse therof) 
than he drow ageyn and inclined mor sadly to the sayd creatur, whom he had fled and 
enchewyd thorw the frerys prechyng, as is beforn wretyn. Also the same preyste red 
aftyrward in a tretys whech is clepyd "The Prykke of Lofe," the second chapitulo that 
Boneaventur wrot of hymselfe thes wordys folwyng, "A, Lord, what schal I mor noysen 
er cryen? Thu lettyst and thu comyst not, and I, wery and ovyrcome thorw desyr, 
begynne for to maddyn, for lofe governyth me and not reson. I renne wyth hasty 
cowrs wher that evyr thu wylte. I bowe, Lord, thei that se me irkyn and rewyn, not 
knowyng me drunkyn wyth thi lofe. Lord, thei seyn `Lo, yen wood man cryeth in the 
stretys,' but how meche is the desyr of myn hert thei parceyve not." And capitulo 
Stimulo Amoris and capitulo ut supra. He red also of Richard Hampol, hermyte, in 
Incendio Amoris leche mater that mevyd hym to gevyn credens to the sayd creatur. 
Also, Elizabeth of Hungry cryed wyth lowde voys, as is wretyn in hir tretys. And 
many other whech had forsakyn hir thorw the frerys prechyng repentyd hem and 
turnyd agen unto hir be processe of tyme, notwithstandyng the frer kept hys opinyon. 
And alwey he wolde in hys sermown have a parte ageyn hir, whethyr sche wer ther er 
not, and cawsyd mech pepil to demyn wol evyl of hir many day and long. For summe 
seyd that sche had a devyl wythinne hir, and summe seyd to hir owyn mowth that the 
frer schulde a drevyn to develys owt of hir. Thus was sche slawnderyd, etyn, and 
knawyn of the pepil for the grace that God wrowt in hir of contricyon, of devocyon, 
and of compassyon, thorw the gyft of whech gracys sche wept, sobbyd, and cryid ful sor 
ageyn hir wyl, sche myth not chesyn, for sche had levar a wept softly and prevyly than 
opynly yyf it had ben in hyr power.