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N
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

   7
 
 

Whan thei wer come to Akun, the seyd creatur met wyth a monke of Inglond, the 
whech was to Romeward. Than was sche mech comfortyd in as mech as sche had a 
man that sche cowde undirstonden. And so thei abedyn ther togedyr ten er ellys eleven 
days for to seen owr Ladys smokke and other holy reliqwiis whech wer schewyd on 
Seynt Margaretys Day. And in the mene tyme that thei abedyn ther it lukkyd that a 
worschepful woman cam fro London, a wedow wyth meche meny wyth hir, to seen 
and worschepyn the holy relikys. The sayd creatur cam to this worthy woman, 
compleynyng that sche had no felaschep to gon wyth hir hom into Inglond. The wor- 
thy woman grawntyd hir al hir desyr, and dede hir etyn and drynkyn wyth hir, and 
made hir ryth good cher. Whan Seynt Margaretys Day was comyn and gon and thei 
had seyn the holy relikys, the worschepful woman sped hir fast owt of Akun wyth alle
hir mené. The seyd creatur, wenyng to a gon wyth hir and thus defrawdyd of hir 
purpose, was in gret hevynes. Sche toke hir leve of the monke whech was to Romeward
as is wretyn beforn, and sithyn gate hir a wayne wyth other pilgrimys and pursuyd 
aftyr the forseyd worthi woman as fast as sche myth to lokyn yf sche cowde ovyrtakyn 
hir, but it wolde not be. Than it happyd hir to metyn wyth tweyn men of London 
goyng to Londonward. Sche preyid hem to gon in her cumpany. Thei seydyn, yf sche 
myth duryn to gon as yerne as thei, sche schulde be wolcome, but thei myth not han no 
gret lettyng; nevyrthelesse thei wolde helpyn hir forth in hir jurné wyth good wyl. So 
sche folwyd aftyr hem wyth gret labowr tyl thei comyn at a good town wher thei 
mettyn pilgrimys of Inglond wer comyn fro the cowrt of Rome and schulde gon hom 
ageyn into Inglond. Sche preyid hem that sche myth go wyth hem, and thei seydyn 
schortly that thei woldyn not lettyn her jurné for hir, for thei weryn robbyd and haddyn 
but lityl mony to bryng hem hom, wherfor thei must nedys makyn the scharpar jurneys. 
And therfor, yf sche myth duryn to gon as yern as thei, sche schulde be wolcome and 
ellys not. Sche saw non other socowr than to abydyn wyth hem as long as sche myth, 
and so left tho other tweyn men and abood stille wyth this men. Than thei wentyn to 
her mete and madyn mery. The sayd creatur lokyd a lityl besyden hir and sey a man 
lyn and restyn hym on a benchys ende. Sche enqwiryd what man that was. Thei seydyn 
it was a frer, on of her felaschep. "Why etith he not wyth yow?" "For we wer robbyd 
as wel as he and therfore ych man must help hym self as wel as he may." "Wel," seyd 
sche, "he schal have part of swech good as God sendith me." Sche trustyd wel that owr 
Lord schuld ordeyn for hem bothyn as wer nedful to hem. Sche dede hym etyn and 
drynkyn and comfortyd hym ryth meche. Sithyn thei wentyn alle in fer togedyr. The 
sayd creatur cam sone behyndyn; sche was to agyd and to weyke to holdyn foot wyth 
hem. Sche ran and lept as fast as sche myth tyl hir myghtys failyd. Than sche spak 
wyth the powr frer whom sche had cheryd beforn, proferyng to aqwityn hys costys tyl 
he come at Caleys, yf he wolde abydyn wyth hir and latyn hir gon wyth hym tyl thei 
comyn ther, and yet gevyn hym reward besyden for hys labowr. He was wel content 
and consentyd to hir desyr. So thei letyn her felaschep gon forth, and thei tweyn 
folwyd softly as thei myght enduryn. The frer, beyng evyl for thryst, seyd to the 
creatur, "I knowe thes cuntreys wel anow, for I have oftyn tymys gon thus to Romeward
and I wote wel ther is a place of recreacyon a lityl hens. Late us gon thedyr and 
drynkyn." Sche was wel plesyd and folwyd hym. Whan thei cam ther, the good wife 
of the hows, havyng compassyon of the creaturys labowr, cownselyd that sche schulde 
takyn a wayne wyth other pilgrimys and not gon so wyth a man alone. Sche seyd that 
sche was purposyd and fully trustyd for to a gon wyth a worschepful woman of London, 
and sche was deceyvyd. Be than that thei had restyd hem a while and dalyid wyth 
the good wife of the hows, ther cam a wayn forby wyth pilgrimys. The good wife, 
havyng knowlach of the pilgrimys in the wayne, whan thei wer passyd hir hows, sche 
clepyd hem ageyn, besechyng hem that this creatur myth rydyn wyth hem in her wayne 
for the mor sped of hir jurné. Thei, goodly consentyng, receyvyd hir into her wayn, 
rydyng alle togedyr tyl he comyn at a good towne wher the sayd creatur parceyvyd the 
worschepful woman of London of whom is beforn seyd. Than sche preyid the pilgrimys 
that weryn in the wayne thei schulde heldyn hir excusyd and latyn hir payn for the tyme 
that sche had ben wyth hem as hem lykyd, for sche wolde gon to a worschepful woman 
of hir nacyon that sche parceyvyd was in the towne, wyth the whech sche had mad 
forward whan sche was at Akun for to gon hom wyth hir into Inglond. Sche had good 
lofe and leve and partyd fro hem. Thei redyn forth, and sche went to the worschepful 
woman, wenyng to a be receyvyd wyth a rith glad cher. And it was evyn ryth contrary; 
sche fonde rith schort cher and had rith scharp langage, the worschepful woman seying 
to hir, "What wenyst thu for to gon wyth me? Nay, I do the wel to wetyn I wyl not 
medelyn wyth the." The creatur was so rebukyd that sche wist not what to do. Sche 
knew no man ther ne no man knew hir. Sche wist not whedir to go. Sche wist not wher 
the frer was whech schulde a ben hir gyde ne whedyr he schulde comyn that wey er no. 
Sche was in gret diswer and hevynes, the grettest, as hir thowt, that sche had suffyrd 
syn sche was comyn owt of Inglond. Nevyrthelesse sche trustyd in owr Lordys promysse 
and abood stille in the towne tyl God wolde sendyn hir sum comfort. And, whan it 
was ny evyn, sche saw the frer comyng into the towneward. Sche hyid hir to spekyn 
wyth hym, compleynyng how sche was deceyvyd and refusyd of the good woman that 
sche trustyd so meche to. The frer seyd thei schulde don as wel as God wolde gevyn 
hem grace and comfortyd hir into hys power, but he seyd he wolde not abydyn in that
towne that nyth, for he wost wel it was a perlyows pepil. Than went thei forth togedyr 
owt of the towne ageyn the evyn wyth gret drede and hevynes, mornyng be the wey 
wher thei schuldyn han herborwe that nyth. Thei happyd to comyn undyr a wodys syde, 
bisily beheldyng yf thei myth spyin any place wherin thei myth restyn. And, as owr 
Lord wolde, thei parceyvyd an hows er tweyn, and in hast thedir thei drowyn ther was 
dwellyng a good man wyth hys wife and tweyn childeryn. Than heldyn thei non hostel 
ne not wolde receivyn gestys to her herborw. The seyd creatur saw an hep of 
brakys in an hows, and wyth gret instawns sche purchasyd grace to restyn hir on the 
brakys that nyth. The frer wyth gret preyer was leyd in a berne, and hem thowt thei wer 
wel esyd that thei haddyn the hows ovyr hem. On the next day thei made aseth for 
her lodgyng, takyng the wey to Caleysward, goyng wery weys and grevows in dep 
sondys, hillys, and valeys tweyn days er thei comyn thedyr, sufferyng gret thrist and 
gret penawns, for ther wer fewe townys be the wey that thei went and ful febyl herberwe. 
And on nyghtys had sche most dreed oftyn tymys, and peraventur it was of hir gostly 
enmy, for sche was evyr aferd to a be ravischyd er defilyd. Sche durst trustyn on no 
man; whedir sche had cawse er non, sche was evyr aferd. Sche durst ful evyl slepyn 
any nyth, for sche wend men wolde a defylyd hir. Therfor sche went to bedde gladlich 
no nyth les than sche had a woman er tweyn wyth hir. For that grace God sent hir, 
wher so sche cam for the most party maidenys wolde wyth good cher lyn be hir, and 
that was to hir gret comfort. Sche was so wery and so ovyrcomyn wyth labowr to 
Caleysward that hir thowt hir spiryt schulde a departyd fro hir body as sche went in the 
wey. Thus wyth gret labowrys sche cam to Caleys and the good frer wyth hir, the 
which ful goodly and honestly had ben governyd to hirward the tyme that thei went 
togedyr. And therfor sche gaf hym reward as sche myth ateyn so that he was wel 
plesyd and content and departyd asundyr.