Chapter 15

Our Lord orders her to go to Rome,

the Holy Land and St. James and to wear

white clothing. She and her husband visit

the Bishop of Lincoln and make vows of

chastity before him.

This creature, when Our Lord had forgiven her her sin, as has been written before, had a desire to see those places where He was born, and where He suffered His Passion, and where He died, with other holy places where He was in His life, and also after His resurrection. As she was in these desires, Our Lord bade her, in her mind, two years ere she went, that she should go to Rome, to Jerusalem and to Saint James, and she would fain have gone but she had no money.

And then she said to Our Lord—‘Where shall I get money to go with to these Holy Places?’

Our Lord answered her—‘I shall send thee friends enough in divers countries of England to help thee. And, daughter, I shall go with thee in every country and provide for thee, I shall lead thee thither, and bring thee back again in safety. And no Englishman shall die in the ship that thou art in. I shall keep thee from all wicked men’s power. And, daughter, I say to thee that I will that thou wearest clothes of white and no other colour, for thou shalt be arrayed after My will.’

‘Ah! Dear Lord, if I go arrayed in other manner than other chaste women do, I dread the people will slander me. They will say I am a hypocrite and wonder at me.’

‘Yea, daughter, the more ridicule that thou hast for My love, the more thou pleasest Me.’

Then this creature durst not otherwise do than she was commanded in her soul.

And so she went forth with her husband into the country, for he was ever a good man and an easy man to her, though he sometimes, for vain dread, let her alone for a time. Yet he resorted evermore again to her, and had compassion on her, and spoke for her as he durst for dread of the people, but all others that went with her, forsook her, and full falsely they accused her, through temptation of the devil, of things that she was never guilty of.

And so did one man whom she greatly trusted on, and who proffered himself to go with her into the country, whereat she was right glad, trusting he would well support her and help her when she had need, for he had been dwelling a long time with an anchorite, commencer in divinity, and that anchorite was this womans’ confessor.

And so his servant took leave, of his own stirring, to go with this creature into the country, and her own maiden went with her also as long as they fared well and no man said anything against them.

But as soon as the people, through the enticing of our ghostly enemy, and by the sufferance of Our Lord, spake against this creature because she wept so sore, and said she was a false hypocrite, and falsely deceived the people, and threatened her to be burnt, then the aforesaid man who was held to be so holy, and whom she trusted so much upon, utterly reproved her and foully despised her, and would go no further with her. Her maiden, seeing discomfort on every side, waxed boisterous against her mistress. She would not obey, or follow her counsel. She let her go alone into many good towns and would not go with her.

And ever her husband was ready when all others failed, and went with her where Our Lord would send her, always trusting that all was for the best and would come to a good end, when God willed.

And at this time, he led her to speak with the Bishop of Lincoln, who was called Philip, and they abode three weeks ere they might speak with him, for he was not at home at his palace.

When the Bishop had come home, and heard it said how such a woman had awaited him so long to speak with him, anon he sent for her in great haste to learn her will. And she came to his presence and saluted him, and he warmly welcomed her and said he had long desired to speak with her, and he was right glad of her coming. So she prayed him that she might speak with him in counsel and show him the secrets of her soul, and he settled her a time convenient thereto.

When the time came, she shewed him her meditations, and high contemplations, and other secret things both of the quick and the dead, as Our Lord shewed to her soul. He was right glad to hear them, and suffered her benignly to say what she listed, and commended greatly her feelings and her contemplations, saving they were high matters and full devout matters, and inspired by the Holy Ghost, counselling her seriously that her feelings should be written.

And she said that it was not God’s will that they should be written so soon, nor were they written for twenty years and more.

Then she said furthermore—‘My lord, if it pleases you, I am commanded in my soul that ye shall give me the mantle and the ring, and clothe me all in white clothes. And if ye clothe me on earth, Our Lord Jesus Christ will clothe you in Heaven, as I understand by revelation.’

Then the Bishop said to her—‘I will fulfil your desire, if your husband will consent thereto.’

Then she said to the Bishop—‘I pray you, let my husband come into your presence, and ye shall hear what he will say.’

And so her husband came before the Bishop, and the Bishop asked him—

‘John, is it your will that your wife take the mantle and the ring and live chaste, and both of you?’

‘Yes, my Lord,’ said he, ‘and in token that we both vow to live chaste, I offer my hands into yours,’ and he put his hands between the Bishop’s hands.

And the Bishop did no more to us that day, save that he made us right good cheer and said we were right welcome.

Another day this creature came to meat at the request of the Bishop, and she saw him giving with his hands, ere he sat down to meat, to thirteen poor men, thirteen pence and thirteen loaves with other meat. And so he did every day.

This creature was stirred to high devotion at this sight, and gave God praise and worship because He gave the Bishop grace to do these good deeds, with plenteous weeping, in so much that all the Bishop’s household was greatly marvelling what ailed her.

And afterwards she was set to meat with. Many worthy clerks and priests and squires of the Bishop’s and the Bishop himself sent her full kindly from his own table.

The clerks asked this creature many hard questions, which she, by the grace of Jesus, solved, so that her answers pleased the Bishop right well, and the clerks had full great marvel at her that she answered so readily and pregnantly.

When the Bishop had eaten, he sent for her to his chamber, saying to her—

‘Margery, ye and your husband spake to me to give you the mantle and the ring, for which cause I have taken counsel, and my counsel will not allow me to profess you in such singular clothing, without better advice. And ye say, by the grace of God, that ye will go to Jerusalem. Therefore pray to God that it may wait over till ye come back from Jerusalem, so that ye are better proved and known.’

On the next day, this creature went to church and prayed to God with all her spirit that she might have knowledge how she might be governed in this matter, and what answer she might give to the Bishop.

Our Lord Jesus Christ answered to her mind in this manner—

‘Daughter, say to the Bishop that he dreadeth more the shames of the world than the perfect love of god. Say to him that I would as well have excused him if he had fulfilled my will, as I did the children of Israel when I bade them borrow the goods of the people of Egypt and go away therewith. Therefore, daughter, tell him, though he will not do it now, it shall be done another time when God willeth.’

And so she gave her message to the Bishop of Lincoln as she had been commanded. Then he prayed her to go to the Archbishop of Canterbury—Arundel,—‘and pray him to grant leave to me, the Bishop of Lincoln,’ to give her the mantle and the ring, inasmuch as she was not of his diocese. This cause he feigned through counsel of his clerks, for they loved not this creature.

She said—‘Sir, I will go to my lord of Canterbury with right good will, for other causes and matters which I have to show to his reverence. As for this cause, I shall not go, for God willeth not that I ask him thereafter.’

Then she took her leave of the Bishop of Lincoln, and he gave her twenty-six shillings and eight pence to buy her clothes with and to pray for him.