University of Virginia Library

now mak we relacione
hou al to contemplacione
mary hyr gafe of hart & vil.
& scho sa ȝarnful wes þar-til,
þat scho til wildirnes has socht,
& fand a derne sted, was wrocht
In til a crage of angil wark;
& yddir ewinely can hyr mark,
In þe hycht of þat ilke roche,
quhare man na beste mycht nocht aproche.
& þar scho dwelt thretty ȝere,
vnknawine to man þat lifand vere.
& nere about hyr greu rycht nocht,
þat hyr confort or solace mocht,
gers, na tre, na nocht ellis,
na vattyr, as þe story tellis;
for god, in quhais luf scho brynt,
sa halely to hyme has hyr hint,
þat he na wald þat scho confortynge
for-out hyme had of temporale thinge.
vith warldis fud was scho nocht fede
In al þe tyme þat scho þare led;
for ilke day, in houris sewine,
with angelis þat til hyr com fra hewine
vpe in þe ayre scho lyftyt was,
& of ane hour hale þe space
vith gret delyt of angel sange
fed scho was, & Ioy Imange,
syne brocht agane.—sic ves hyr fud,
& of na vthyr temporale gud;
for al þat tyd na delyt
had scho in met, na apetyte.

þat tyme a preste þare ves
of gud lyfe & of halynes,
þat fled þe warld as heremyt,
of god to haf þe mare meryt;
& in þat roche hey & stay,
a cawe he had quhare he lay,
þat twelfe stage was fra þe place,
quhare þe magdelane vynnand vas.
& ilke stage, quha wil depart,
Is of a myle þe auchtand parte;
for a stage, þu sal wite,
sex score It haldis of fete;
& men says þat hercules,
haffand na rednes na pes,
þat he a stage in a rese
vald ryne—sa wel anedyt he ves.
quhene þis preste lange þer had ben,
a tyme god opnyt his ene
& lete hym se manifestly
vith fleschly ene opynly,
hou þat þe angelis in þat place
lich[t]yd, quhare þe magdelan was,
& had hyre vpe but dyspare
vith gret Ioy in to þe ayre,
& of ane houre wele þe space
held hyre þare in gret solace.
syne eftyre þai can hyre hafe
done agane in-[to] hyre cawe,
vith gret Ioy & angel gle.
& fra þis sicht sene had he,
oure althinge he ȝarni[n]ge had
of þat sicht wyse to be mad.
with contryt hart he mad hym bone
In prayere and devocione,
& sa he trawalyt þat he was
be a stane caste ner þe place.
þane begane his kneis to quake,
& al his body for to schake,
& al his strynth falȝet, sa
þat he mycht na forthyr ga.
& ay þe mare he presit hyme
to þat Ioyful place to clyme,
þe mar he wox mat & mate,
sa þat he mycht nakine gat
cum nere þe place, þo he pressit faste,
þane a mane with a stan mycht caste;
for hyme falȝet mud & mayne
for to cum þar, þo he wald fane.
þane wele persawit he,
þat it wes godis pryuete,
þat but god man ma nocht cum to
for ony thinge þat he mycht do.
þane thocht he, god wald be
mare plesyt thru humylite
na strinth of man. for-þi but mare
he prayt god, gretand rycht sare,
þat he wald for his mekil grace
thole hyme haf accesss to þat place.
vith þat rycht hely cryit he:
“In goddis name I coniure þe,
quhethyre þu be man or wyfe,
þat in þat cawe ledis þi lyfe,
þat þu spek & answer me
of It þat I spere at þe.”
& quhene he had sad þus thryse,
scho ansuerit hym one þis wyse:
“cum nere, & al þu wil spere,
I sal þe tel, for-owtine were.”
& he tremaland, as he mocht,
þe crage clymand vpe he hyre socht,
til he come to þe myd-way,
& forþir nocht. þane cane scho sa: