University of Virginia Library

Ȝete tel wil I a tale here,
þat men suld haf ȝarning to here,
hou þe mychtty kyng of hewine,
þat althing mad in dais sewyn,
is redy ay til resawe hyme
þat vtrely wil lef his syne,
of his mysdide hafand hert sare,
in wil to mysdo nomare,
& syne amendis fore to make,
& mekis hyme for cristis sake,
as I sal be ensampil tel
hou of a woman quhile It befel.

In antyoche, þe nobil ton,
a woman duelt of [gret] renon;
of Riches, kyne, & of bewte
wes nane lyk hyre in þat cyte.
a luflyare thing mycht be nane
be nature mad of flesch na bane.
fore hare schenand as gold scho hade,
with teyndir fassone & forred brade,
with browis brent and [ene] brycht,
& nese mesurit al þat rycht,
wantande nathing of bewte,
þat in a woman suld fundyn be.
& ay with sa costly aray
scho had, þat I suld Irk to say,
& of schere schape, & syndri wise,
þat maistri ware it to dewise;
sa be ony manis sycht
scho lyk wes [til] ane angel brycht,
thru clere gold & preciuse stanis,
þat sa clere schane at anys.
& with sic kynd of spicery
scho ennoyntit wes Ithandly,
þat, quhar scho ȝed or stud in stret,
þe fluyre mad þe ayr al swete.
& befor hyr ay þare went
four ȝung men, gay and gent,
& madynnis in þe sammyn degre
folouyt hyre in gret plente,
wele arayt and rychely
in clethinge þat wes rycht costly.
bot scho þat welth & þat beute
myspendit in sic degre,
þat quha-sa-euir gef hir maste,
suld haf his wil of hir in haste;
for scho had e to nocht ellis
bot, as men þat chafere sellis,
þat quha-sa wald mast hir gefe,
of erand suld ereste eschewe.
sa of sic cause, fore inwy,
& als fore luste of lychery,
sum men ware slane, sum begare made,
sum tynt for hyr al þat þai hade;
for scho in sic luste ay
in lyk redy wes to play,
& þat wynnyng wes lang hir plucht,
þo scho had ellis gud Inuch.

[þ]ane hapnyt to cum to þat ton
a haly man of gud renone,
þat verone had to name, alsa
þe bischope of damyata;
þe quhilk, as he com gangand by
& þis woman be-held grathly,
gret richt sare, be-cause [þat] scho
far mar besynes cane do
to enplese to þis warld, þan he
did enplesand to god to be.
for-þi he one þe cause fel,
& gret sare & loude can ȝel,
& one þe erde froittit his face,
& sichtand sare ofte sad: “alace!
almychtty god, þu spare to me
þat neuir a day cuth serwe þe,
for þe apparale of a day
of þis hyr here now se I ma,
has ourcumyne hale þe slycht,
þat I in [al] my lyf do mycht;
na of hyr þis thol nocht þe ray
confonde me one domysday,
quhene I sal present be
befor þine awful maieste.
for ȝone hyr, for warldly wynis,
enhornis hyr with alkine thingis
to be to men ma be plesande;
bot, þo I sum tyme tuk on hande
to serwe god ay inmortale,
I falȝe of my purpose hale,
& lefit of my reklesnes
to serwe hyme, as I haldyn wes.”
þane sad he to þe gudmen, stud by:
“gudmen, I tell ȝou suthfastly,
þat þe last day of Iugment
hir þis sal god [ger] be present
a-gayne ws, quhen he sal deme
quyk and ded, as hym think quem;
for scho has set hale hyr wil
hyr lufaris here til enples til,
& fore þat cause hyr payntis, sa
þat farare nane one erde ma ga;
& we, þat suld god plese maste,
oure verray spouse, rekis nocht a laste
hou foule ore vnfaire we be
in þe sicht of his maieste,
& sollit in þe filth of syne,
nocht witand quhen we hyn twyn.”
his men þane tuk hym vpe but bade,
& to his Inys sone hyme hade,
& [he] fore slepe ȝede til his bede
fore werynes, as he was clede,
& fel one slepe. & hyme thocht, he
a-beoufe hyme suld a blak dou se
þar rycht faste flichterande,
& thocht do mes he suld stande,
& byd þam þat vnhowine ware,
þat þai suld ga þar gat but mare;
& þat, [as] he þis word can say,
þat stinkand blak dow wan away;
& quhen he had his mes al done,
as hyme thocht, it apperit sone,
&, thocht he, þe dow he gat
& put it in a wattir fat,
& it gat out quhyt & faire,
& flaw vpe quyt in þe ayre.
& he waknyt, & did his dede,
& til his dreme tuk gud hede.

[t]o þe maste kirk ane oþir day,
þar to preche, he tuk his way,
quhare þe gretaste of þe towne
assemlyt to se his sermone.
& he prechit sa wele þaim til,
þat þai til here hym had gud wil;
fore quhen þare cristyne ware
þat he ne gert repent þame sare,
haffand rycht gret delyte
of þare synnis to be quyte.
& namely [þis] pelagya
of hyr syne hir repentit sa,
þat of case cumyne wes þare
& herde hyme; ȝet gret scho sare,
& fra þe sermone wes done,
scho send lettris til hyme alsone,
quhare-[in] sic wordis scho wrat þane:
“to byschope veron, þe haly man
& cristis leile prentyse alsa,
þe wikit woman pelagya,
discipile of þe feynde verray.
gyf it be suth þat I here say,
þat criste, to sauf sinful man,
of hewyne lichtyt in woman,
& þu his suthfast printese be,
rycht as he did, þu rew of me,
þat now forthinkis sare myn syne,
in gude wil þarof to blyne.”
& he agane til hir fut hate
sic a lettire til hyre wrate:
“with hartly wil I pray to þe
þu fande nocht my humylite,
fore I ame bot a sympil man.
bot gyf þou ȝarnis ocht be þan
be my teching schewit be,
me alane þu sal me se,
bot before sic þat witnes may
quhat I sal do to þe ore say.”
& quhen þis lettir scho red hade,
til hyme scho come but abade,
& flatly [d]one [fel til] his fete,
& with hyre terris can þaim wete,
& sad, gretande ful increly:
“pelagia callit ame I;
for pelagia vndone þus,
ma wele callit be pelagus,
& þat vndone is for to say
þe sey, þat is doutowise ay.”
(for-þi scho lyknyt hyre þare-til
be-cause scho gert mony spil)
“fore I of fule ame þe suelth,
þat has nocht anerly my-selfe
sonkyne in syne vnhapely,
bot men but nombre als haf I
gert synk in-[to] þe suelth of syne,
throu my entysing, & fra god twyn.
fo[r] I haf bene dissaweful nete,
þat þe feynde sere sawlis has gert gete,
& sa feile has send til hel,
þat I cane nocht þe nombre tel.
þat now me wlatis sa myn syne
þat I for-sak it mare & myne,
& prais þe for godis sake
þat þu me penytent wald take
& to Ihesu reconforte me,
þat fore me deit one þe tre.
& for þat cause, I wele kene,
in erde he come, be-cause of men.”
þe byschope of hyr had pyte,
& sad þane: “quhat cal þai þe?”
& scho ansuere til hym can ma:
“men callis me pelagya,
bot of my clethinge for beute,
margaret, men callis me,
for I fore pompe is sa costlike,
þat nane vthire is me lyke.”
þe bischope of veron, as gud man,
til mercy hir resawit þane,
&, considerande hale hyre chance,
Iniungit hyr heileful pennance,
& of wanehope put hire oute,
& tacht hyre hou scho god suld dout,
& of oure treutht þe articlis xij
he hyr tacht distinctly hym-selfe,
& syne þe sacramentis sewine
quhar-throu we serue god of hewyn,
& syne þe commaundmentis tene,
þat god mad for to teche men.
& he taucht hyre with-al
It we þe sewine vertuise cal;
& þe dedis of mercy
he [hir] taucht al parfytly;
& quhilk ware þe synnis sewine,
þat lattis man to cum to hewine
he tacht hir, & of tonge þe syne
he bad hyr forbere mare & myne;
& in þe name syne in al haste
of fadir & sone & haly gaste
he baptyste hyre, & mad clene
of al hyr firste synnis bedene.
& of hyre, þat before was
þe herbry of sathanas,
he mad able fore to wyne
þe grace of god & to lefe syne.

þe feynde þarfor hye can cry,
þat mony herde, ful vgly:
“alace! I thole but defence
of hyme þis ald gret wyolence,
þat is falȝit nere fore elde,
& rewis me my blis & belde;
wa be þe day quhare-in þu
wes borne þat þus contraris me now!
fore þu has refte me thru þi tale
hyre, quham-in my hope wes hale,
fra god & his grace, to twyne
feile saulis thru hyre for þar syne.”
þe byschope bad hym þan þine fle
in þe name of þe trinite.
þane langare durste he [þar] nocht byde,
bot fled away & hyme can hyde.
syne tyd a nycht pelagya
to slepe to hir bede cane ga;
& as scho halfe slepand lay,
þe feynde apperyt befor day,
& waknyt hyre al opynely,
& sad: “my laydy margrate, quhy
has þu lewit me, my dere, sa sone?
quhare-in haf I þe mysdone?
haf I nocht ryches gewine þe,
& warldis plesance in plente,
& glore Inuch and ennorment,
to ger þe cum to þine entent,
& al delyte & alkyne ese,
þat I trewit mycht þe enplese?
& gyf I hafe wrethit þe
in ony thing, þu tel It me,
& I sal It amende in hy,
þat þi lykine wtrely,
sa ȝet þu lef nocht me
to gere me euir schamyt be
with cristine men, to mak hethinge
of me as of a bysninge thing.”
þane sone one hyre þe croice scho made
& bleu one hyme; & he but bade
ourcumyne wanyste away.
& scho þane one þe thryd day
hale hyr gud to-gyddir brocht,
reseruand til hyr richt nocht,
& delt it al ymang poure mene,
thru grace þat god cane til hir lene.
& eftyr þat away scho stal
be þe nycht, vnwittand al,
and to þe hil of olywete
went priuely, one hir bare fete,
& sa did þat þat scho gat tyte
þe clething of ane ald heremyte,
& gerte mak hyre a litil cel.
þar-in anerly scho can duel,
doande pennance in abstinence,
& serwit god [ay] but offence.
sa of hyr rane fer þe fame;
& men wend at hir name
frer pelag[i]us ay had bene,
a man of haly lyf & clene.

a dekine, þat wes vpe-brocht
with bischope veron, hym bethocht
in pylgrimage þat he wald ga
to Ierusaleme & placis ma,
sa þat pardone he mycht wyne
& get forgifnes of his syne,
& to þe bischope his entente
tald, before he furth wente.
& [he] sad hyme: “quhen þu has bene
in haly placis & þame sene,
eftir pelagius þu spere,
þat is a full haly frere,
& suthfastly is seruand ay
to god of hewine nycht & day!”
þat with gud wil & benysone
of his maister he went of ton,
& trawalit sa, ore he cuth reste,
þat to Ierusaleme he com firste,
& syndry placis þare has sene,
quhare Ihesu criste hym-self had ben,
& fra þine one his bare fete
to þe hill callit of olywete.
& as þare he fand percase
quhare frere pelagius wes.
& as he hyr þare has sene,
& wenand a man scho had ben,
he knew hyre nocht—sa wes scho made
of abstinence falow & fade;
bot scho knew hyme rycht wele,
& let[it] hyme nocht wit a dele,
bot speryt at hyme gyf kend he hade
a bischope quhare he duelling made.
sad he: “ȝey.” & scho sad þane:
“for suth, he is a haly mane.
bruthyre, to hyme þare-for ȝe say
þat he til god for me wil pray.”
son went he til þe ton ewyne;
& þe thryd day he come agane
as he befor did, to þe sel,
quhare frere pelagius can duel,
& knokit þat þe dure. but þare
wes nan in it wald ansuere.
for-þi [to] þe wyndow he socht,
& gat It vpe as he best mocht,
& saw þe f[r]ere dede lyand þare.
& went agane þan but mare,
& tald þe byschope hou þat he
þe frere dede in his sel can se.
þe bischope þan with his clergy
Come to þe sel in grete hy,
to mak exequies
for þat cors, as custum was;
for þai wist wele but wene
þat he al tyme haly had bene.
þane reuerently of god with doute
þai brak þe sel & had hym oute,
& fand þat it wes a woman,
quhare-of ferly þai had þane.
fore-þi [to] god gret thank þai ȝalde,
& þis mad kide til ȝung & alde,
hou god vertu in womene
quhile set, rycht as in mene.
þe body syne in erde þai lade,
& deput seruice fore It sade
eftir þe oyse of haly kirke,
þat sa to do sal nocht Irke.
& þe obyt be-tyd of hyre
þe aucht day of octobre
twa hundre ȝeris fou[r]score & tene
fra criste come ymang men.
as medyatrice hyr wil I sende
to god, þat mad sic ende
eftyr sa wikit begynnynge,
þat we ma here mak sic endynge,
& of þis lyfe þat we twyne
but det, schame, & dedly syne.