3820 
3821
3822 
3823 
3824
3825 
3826 
3827 
3828 
3829 
3830 
3831 
3832 
3833 
3834 
3835 
3836 
3837 
3838
3839 
3840 
3841
3842
3843 
3844
3845

     66
 
 

"Now, dowtyr, I wyl that thu ete flesch agen as thu wer won to don, and that thu be 
buxom and bonowr to my wil and to my byddyng and leve thyn owyn wyl and bydde 
thy gostly fadyrs that thei latyn the don aftyr my wyl. And thu schalt have nevyrthelesse 
grace, but so meche the mor, for thu schalt han the same mede in hevyn as thow thu 
fastydyst stille aftyr thin owyn wyl. Dowtyr, I badde the fyrst that thu schuldist leevyn 
flesch mete and non etyn, and thu hast obeyd my wyl many yerys and absteynd the 
aftyr my cownsel. Therfor now I bydde the that thu resort ageyn to flesch mete." The 
sayd creatur with reverent drede, seyd, "A, blisful Lord, the pepil, that hath knowyn of 
myn abstinens so many yerys and seeth me now retornyn and etyn flesch mete, thei 
wil have gret merveyl and, as I suppose, despisyn me and scornyn me therfor." Owr 
Lord seyd to hir agen, "Thu schalt non heed takyn of her scornys but late every man sey 
what he wyl." Than went sche to hir gostly fadyrs and teld hem what owr Lord had 
seyd unto hir. Whan hir gostly faderys knew the wyl of God, thei chargyd hir be vertu 
of obediens to etyn flesch mete as sche had don many yerys beforn. Than had sche 
many a scorne and meche reprefe for sche eete flesch ageyn. Also sche had mad a vow 
to fastyn o day in the weke for worschep of owr Lady whyl sche had levyd, whech 
vow sche kept many yerys. Owr Lady, aperyng to hir sowle, bad hir gon to hir 
confessour and seyin that sche wolde han hir dischargyd of hir vow that sche schulde 
ben mythy to beryn hir gostly labowrys, for wythowtyn bodily strength it mytyn not 
ben enduryd. Than hir confessowr, seyng be the eye of discresyon it was expedient to 
be do, comawndyd hir be the vertu of obediens to etyn as other creaturys dedyn 
mesurabely wher God wolde sche had hir fode. And hir grace was not discresyd but 
rathar encresyd, for sche had levar a fastyd than an etyn yyf it had ben the wyl of God. 
Forthermor owr Lady seyd to hir, "Dowtyr, thu art weyke inow of wepyng and of 
crying, for tho makyn the febyl and weyke anow. And I kan the mor thank to etyn thi 
mete for my lofe than to fastyn, that thu mayst enduryn thy perfeccyon of wepyng."