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68
Sone aftyr ther was at Lynne
holdyn the chapetyl of the Frer
Prechowrys, and
thedir comyn many worschepful clerkys of that holy ordyr of whech
it longyth on to
seyn a sermown
in the parisch
cherch. And ther was come amongys other to the sayd
chapetyl a worschepful doctowr whech hite Maistyr Custawns, and
he had knowyn
the forseyd creatur many yerys beforn. Whan the creatur herd
seyn that he was comyn
thedyr, sche went to hym and schewyd hym why sche cryed and wept
so sor, to wetyn
yyf he myth fyndyn any defawte in hir crying er in hir wepyng.
The worschepful
doctowr seyd to hir, "Margery, I have red of an holy woman whom
God had govyn
gret grace of wepyng and crying as he hath don onto yow. In the
cherch ther sche
dwellyd was a preyste whech had no conseyt in hir wepyng and
cawsyd hir thorw hys
steryng to gon owte of the cherche. Whan sche was in the cherch
yerd, sche preyd
God that the preyst myth have felyng of the grace that sche felt
as wistly as it lay not
in hir powyr to cryen ne wepyn but whan God wolde. And so sodeynly
owr Lord sent
hym devocyon at hys messe that he myth not mesuryn hymself, and
than wolde he no
more despisyn hir aftyr that but rathyr comfortyn hir." Thus
the sayde doctowr,
confermyng hir crying and hir wepyng, seyd it was a gracyows
and a specyal gyft of
God, and God was hyly to be magnifyed in hys gyft. And than the
same doctowr went
to an other doctowr of divinité whech was assygned to
prechyn in the parisch cherche
befor al the pepil, prayng hym that yyf the sayd creatur cryid
er wept at hys sermown
that he wolde suffyr it mekely and no thyng ben abaschyd therof
ne not spekyn ther
ageyns. So aftirward, whan the worschepful doctowr schulde prechyn
and worthily was
browt to the pulpit, as he began to prechyn ful holily and devowtly
of owr Ladiis
Assumpsyon,
the sayd creatur, lyftyd up in hir mende be hy swetnesse and devocyon,
brast owt wyth a lowde voys and cryid ful lowde and wept ful
sor. The worschepful
doctowr stod stille and suffyrd wol mekely tyl it was cesyd and
sithyn seyd forth hys
sermowne to an ende. At aftyrnoon he sent for the same creatur
into place ther he was
and mad hir rith glad cher. Than sche thankyd hym for hys mekenes
and hys charité
that he schewyd in supportacyon of hir crying and hir wepyng
befor noon at hys
sermown. The worschepful doctowr seyd ageyn to hir, "Margery,
I wold not a spokyn
ageyn yow thow ye had cryid tyl evyn. And ye wolde comyn to Norwich,
ye schal be
rith wolcom and han swech cher as I can make yow." Thus God sent
hir good
maystyrschep of this worthy doctowr to strengthyn hir ageyn hir
detractorys, worschepid
be hys name. Aftirward in Lenton
prechyd a good clerk, a Frer
Austyn, in hys owyn
hows at Lynne, and had a gret audiens, wher that tyme was the
sayd creatur present.
And God of hys goodnes enspired the frer to prechyn mech of hys Passyon
so
compassyfly and so devowtly that sche myth not beryn it. Than
fel sche down wepyng
and crying so sor that meche of the pepil wondryd on hir and
bannyd and cursyd hir
ful sor, supposyng that sche myth a left hir crying yyf sche
had wolde, inasmech as the
good frer had so prechyd ther ageyn, as is beforn wretyn. And
than this good man that
prechyd as now at this tyme seyd to the pepil, "Frendys, beth
stille, ye wote ful lityl
what sche felyth." And so the pepil cesyd and was stille and
herd up the sermown
wyth qwyet and rest of body and sowle. |