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   74
 
 

The sayd creatur on a day, heryng hir messe and revolvyng in hir mende the tyme 
of hir deth, sor syhyng and sorwyng for it was so long delayd, seyd on this maner, 
"Alasse, Lord, how long schal I thus wepyn and mornyn for thy lofe and for desyr of thy 
presens?" Owr Lord answeryd in hir sowle and seyd, "Al this fifteen yer." Than seyd 
sche, "A, Lord, I schal thynkyn many thowsend yerys." Owr Lord answeryd to hir, 
"Dowtyr, thu must bethynkyn the of my blissyd modyr that levyd aftyr me in erth 
fifteen yer, also Seynt John the Evangelyst, and Mary Mawdelyn, the whech lovyd me 
rith hyly." "A, blysful Lord," seyd sche, "I wolde I wer as worthy to ben sekyr of thy 
lofe as Mary Mawdelyn was." Than seyd owr Lord, "Trewly, dowtyr, I love the as
wel, and the same pes that I gaf to hir the same pes I geve to the. For, dowtyr, ther is no 
seynt in hevyn displesyd thow I love a creatur in erde as mech as I do hem. Therfor 
thei wil non otherwyse than I wil." Thus owr mercyful Lord Crist Jhesu drow hys 
creatur unto hys lofe and to mynde of hys passyon that sche myth not duryn to beheldyn 
a lazer er an other seke man, specialy yyf he had any wowndys aperyng on hym. So 
sche cryid and so sche wept as yyf sche had sen owr Lord Jhesu Crist wyth hys wowndys 
bledyng. And so sche dede in the syght of hir sowle, for thorw the beheldyng of the 
seke man hir mende was al takyn into owr Lord Jhesu Crist. Than had sche gret mornyng 
and sorwyng for sche myth not kyssyn the lazerys whan sche sey hem er met wyth 
hem in the stretys for the lofe of Jhesu. Now gan sche to lovyn that sche had most 
hatyd befor tyme, for ther was no thyng mor lothful ne mor abhomynabyl to hir whil 
sche was in the yerys of werldly prosperité than to seen er beheldyn a lazer, whom 
now thorw owr Lordys mercy sche desyryd to halsyn and kyssyn for the lofe of Jhesu 
whan sche had tyme and place convenyent. Than sche teld hir confessowr how gret 
desyre sche had to kyssyn lazerys, and he warnyd hir that sche schulde kyssyn no men, 
but, yyf sche wolde algatys kyssyn, sche schuld kyssyn women. Than was sche glad, for 
sche had leve to kyssyn the seke women and went to a place wher seke women dwellyd 
whech wer ryth ful of the sekenes and fel down on hir kneys beforn hem, preyng hem 
that sche myth kyssyn her mowth for the lofe of Jhesu. And so sche kyssyd ther two 
seke women with many an holy thowt and many a devowt teer, and, whan sche had 
kyssyd hem and telde hem ful many good wordys and steryd hem to mekenes and 
pacyens that thei schulde not grutchyn wyth her sekenes but hyly thankyn God therfor 
and thei schulde han gret blysse in hevyn thorw the mercy of owr Lord Jhesu Crist, than 
the oo woman had so many temptacyons that sche wist not how sche myth best be 
governyd. Sche was so labowryd wyth hir gostly enmy that sche durst not blissyn hir 
ne do no worschep to God for dreed that the devyl schuld a slayn hir. And sche was 
labowryd wyth many fowle and horibyl thowtys, many mo than sche cowde tellyn. 
And, as sche seyd, sche was a mayde. Therfor the sayd creatur went to hir many 
tymys to comfortyn hir and preyd for hir, also ful specialy that God schulde strength 
hir ageyn hir enmye, and it is to belevyn that he dede so, blissyd mote he ben.