The Book of Margery Kempe

by Margery Kempe

  And immediately afterwards, she was summoned to appear before the Bishop of Worcester, who was staying three miles outside Bristol.3 She rose early the next day and went to the place where he was – he being still in bed – and happened to meet one of his worthiest men in the town, and so they talked of God. And when he had heard her talk for a good while, he asked her to eat with him, and afterwards he brought her into the Bishop’s hall.

  When she came into the hall, she saw many of the Bishop’s men in clothes very fashionably slashed and cut into points. Lifting up her hand, she blessed herself. And then they said to her, ‘What the devil’s wrong with you?’

  She replied, ‘Whose men are you?’

  They answered, ‘The Bishop’s men.’

  Then she said, ‘No, truly, you are more like the devil’s men.’

  Then they were annoyed and rebuked her, and spoke angrily to her, and she put up with it very meekly. And afterwards she spoke so seriously against sin and their misconduct that they were silent, and held themselves well pleased with her talk -thanks be to God – before she left.

  Then she went into the church and waited for the Bishop to come; and when he came she knelt down and asked what was his will, and why was she summoned to come before him; it was very inconvenient for her, inasmuch as she was a pilgrim, intending by the grace of God to go to Santiago.

  Then the Bishop said, ‘Margery, I have not summoned you, for I know well enough you are John of Brunham’s daughter from Lynn. I beg you not to be angry, but be pleasant with me, and I shall be pleasant with you, for you shall eat with me today.’

  ‘Sir,’ she said, ‘I beg you to excuse me, because I have promised a good man in town to eat with him today.’

  And then he said, ‘You shall both eat with me.’

  And so she remained with him till God sent wind so that she could sail, and she was made very welcome by him, and by his household as well. Afterwards, she was shriven by the Bishop, and then he asked her to pray for him to die in charity, for he had been warned by a holy man, who had understood by revelation that this Bishop would be dead within the space of two years. And so it happened, indeed. And therefore he lamented to this creature, and asked her to pray for him, that he might die in charity.

  At last she took her leave of him, and he gave her gold and his blessing, and commanded his household to escort her on her way. And he also asked her, when she came back again from Santiago, to come to him.

  And so she set off for her ship. Before she entered the ship, she said her prayers that God would guard and preserve them from vengeance, storms and perils on the sea, so that they might go and return in safety. For she had been told that, if they had any storm, they would throw her into the sea, for they said it would be because of her; and they said the ship was the worse for her being in it.

  And therefore in her prayers she said in this way: ‘Almighty God, Christ Jesus, I beseech you for your mercy: if you wish to chastise me, spare me till I come back to England again. And when I get back, chastise me just as you will.’

  And then our Lord granted her her boon, and so she took ship in the name of Jesus and sailed forth with her companions, whom God sent fair wind and weather, so that they reached Santiago on the seventh day.4

  And then those who were against her when they were in Bristol were now very nice to her. And so they stayed there for fourteen days in that country, and there she had great happiness, both bodily and spiritually, high devotion, and many loud cryings at the memory of our Lord’s Passion, with abundant tears of compassion.

  And afterwards they came home again to Bristol in five days, and she did not stay there long, but went on to see the Blood of Hailes,5 and there was shriven and had loud cryings and violent sobbings.

  And then the religious men took her in amongst them, and made her very welcome, except that they swore many great and horrible oaths. And she rebuked them for it in accordance with the Gospel, and at that they were very surprised. Nevertheless, some were very well pleased – God be thanked for his goodness.

  Chapter 46

  Afterwards she went on to Leicester with a good man, Thomas Marchale, of whom is written before. And there she came into a fine church where she beheld a crucifix, which was piteously portrayed and lamentable to behold, and through beholding of which, the Passion of our Lord entered her mind, whereupon she began to melt and utterly dissolve with tears of pity and compassion. Then the fire of love kindled so quickly in her heart that she could not keep it secret for, whether she liked it or not, it caused her to break out in a loud voice and cry astonishingly, and weep and sob very terribly, so that many men and women wondered at her because of it.

  When it was overcome, and she was going out of the church door, a man took her by the sleeve and said, ‘Woman, why are you weeping so bitterly?’

  ‘Sir,’ she said, ‘it is not to be told to you.’

  And so she and the good man, Thomas Marchale, went on and found lodgings for themselves and ate a meal there. When they had eaten, she asked Thomas Marchale to write a letter and send it to her husband, so that he might fetch her home. And while the letter was being written, the innkeeper came up to her room in great haste and took away her bag, and ordered her to come quickly and speak with the Mayor.1 And so she did. Then the Mayor asked her from which part of the country she came, and whose daughter she was.

  ‘Sir,’ she said, ‘I am from Lynn in Norfolk, the daughter of a good man of the same Lynn, who has been five times mayor of that worshipful borough, and also an alderman for many years; and I have a good man, also a burgess of the said town of Lynn, for my husband.’

  ‘Ah,’ said the Mayor, ‘St Katherine told of what kindred she came, and yet you are not alike, for you are a false strumpet, a false Lollard, and a false deceiver of the people, and therefore I shall have you in prison.’

  And she replied, T am as ready, sir, to go to prison for God’s love, as you are ready to go to church.’

  When the Mayor had rebuked her for a long time and said many evil and horrible words to her, and she – by the grace of Jesus – had reasonably answered him in everything that he could say, then he commanded the gaoler’s man to lead her to prison. The gaoler’s man, having compassion for her with weeping tears, said to the Mayor, ‘Sir, I have no place to put her in, unless I put her in among men.’

  Then she – moved with compassion for the man who had compassion for her, praying for grace and mercy to that man as to her own soul – said to the Mayor, T beg you, sir, not to put me among men, so that I may keep my chastity, and my bond of wedlock to my husband, as I am bound to do.’

  And then the gaoler himself said to the Mayor, ‘Sir, I will undertake to keep this woman in my own safekeeping until you want to see her again.’

  Then there was a man from Boston, who said to the good wife where she was lodging, ‘Truly,’ he said, ‘in Boston this woman is held to be a holy woman and a blessed woman.’

  Then the gaoler took her into his custody, and led her home to his own house and put her into a fine room, locking the door with a key, and ordering his wife to keep the key safe. Nevertheless, he let her go to church when she wished, and let her eat at his own table, and made her very welcome for our Lord’s love – thanks be to Almighty God for it.

  Chapter 47

  Then the Steward of Leicester, a good-looking man, sent for the said creature to the gaoler’s wife, and she – because her husband was not at home – would not let her go to any man, Steward or otherwise. When the gaoler knew about this he came himself, and brought her before the Steward. As soon as he saw her, the Steward spoke Latin to her, many priests standing about to hear what she would say, and other people too. She said to the Steward, ‘Speak English, if you please, for I do not understand what you are saying.’

  The Steward said to her, ‘You lie most falsely, in plain English.’

  Then she replied to him, ‘Sir, ask what question you will in English, and through the grace of my Lord Jesus Christ I shall ans
wer you very reasonably.’

  And then he asked many questions, to which she answered readily and reasonably, so that he could get no cause against her.

  Then the Steward took her by the hand and led her into his chamber, and spoke many foul, lewd words to her, intending and desiring, as it seemed to her, to overcome her and rape her. And then she had great fear and great sorrow, begging him for mercy. She said, ‘Sir, for the reverence of Almighty God, spare me, for I am a man’s wife.’

  And then the Steward said: ‘You shall tell me whether you get this talk from God or from the devil, or else you shall go to prison.’

  ‘Sir,’ she said, ‘I am not afraid to go to prison for my Lord’s love, who suffered much more for my love than I may for his. I pray you, do as you think best.’

  The Steward, seeing her boldness in that she was not afraid of any imprisonment, struggled with her, making filthy signs and giving her indecent looks, through which he frightened her so much that she told him how she had her speech and conversing from the Holy Ghost and not from her own knowledge.

  And then he, completely astonished at her words, left off his lewdness, saying to her as many a man had done before, ‘Either you are a truly good woman or else a truly wicked woman,’ and delivered her up again to her gaoler, and he led her home again with him.

  Afterwards they took two of her companions who went with her on pilgrimage – one was Thomas Marchale, aforesaid, the other a man from Wisbech – and put them both in prison because of her. Then she was grieved and sorry for their distress, and prayed to God for their deliverance. And then our merciful Lord Christ Jesus said to his creature, ‘Daughter, I shall, for your love, so dispose for them that the people will be very glad to let them go, and not detain them for long.’

  And on the next day following, our Lord sent such storms of thunder and lightning, and continuous rain, that all the people in the town were so afraid they didn’t know what to do. They feared it was because they had put the pilgrims in prison.

  And then those who governed the town went in great haste and took out the two pilgrims, who had lain in prison all the night before, leading them to the Guildhall, there to be examined before the Mayor and the reputable men of the town, compelling them to swear if the said creature were a woman of true faith and true belief, chaste and pure of body, or not.

  As far as they knew, they swore, as certainly as God should help them at the Day of Judgement, that she was a good woman of true faith and true belief, pure and chaste in all her conduct as far as they knew, in manner and expression, in word and deed.

  And then the Mayor let them go wherever they wished. And soon the storm ceased, and the weather was fair – worshipped be our Lord. Those pilgrims were glad that they were released, and dared not stay in Leicester any longer, but went ten miles away and stayed there, so that they could get information as to what would be done with the said creature. For when they were both put in prison, they had told her themselves that they supposed that, if the Mayor could have his way, he would have her burnt.

  Chapter 48

  On a Wednesday, the said creature was brought into a church of All Saints in Leicester,1 in which place, before the high altar, were seated the Abbot of Leicester2 with some of his canons, and the Dean of Leicester,3 a worthy cleric. There were also many friars and priests; also the Mayor of the same town with many other lay people. There were so many people that they stood upon stools to look at her and marvel at her.

  The said creature knelt down, saying her prayers to Almighty God that she might have grace, wit and wisdom, so to answer that day as might be most pleasure and honour to him, most profit to her soul, and best example to the people.

  Then a priest came to her and took her by the hand, and brought her before the Abbot and his assessors sitting at the altar, who made her swear on a book that she should answer truly to the Articles of the Faith, just as she felt about them. And first they repeated the blessed sacrament of the altar, charging her to say exactly what she believed about it.4

  Then she said, ‘Sirs, I believe in the sacrament of the altar in this way: that whatever man has taken the order of priesthood, be he never so wicked a man in his manner of life, if he duly say those words over the bread that our Lord Jesus Christ said when he celebrated the Last Supper sitting among his disciples, I believe that it is his very flesh and his blood, and no material bread; nor may it ever be unsaid, be it once said.’

  And so she went on answering on all the articles, as many as they wished to ask her, so that they were well pleased.

  The Mayor, who was her deadly enemy said, ‘Truly, she does not mean with her heart what she says with her mouth.’

  And the clerics said to him, ‘Sir, she answers us very well.’

  Then the Mayor severely rebuked her and repeated many reproving and indecent words, which it is more fitting to conceal than express.

  ‘Sir,’ she said, ‘I take witness of my Lord Jesus Christ, whose body is here present in the sacrament of the altar, that I never had part of any man’s body in this world in actual deed by way of sin, except my husband’s body, to whom I am bound by the law of matrimony, and by whom I have borne fourteen children. For I would have you know, sir, that there is no man in this world that I love so much as God, for I love him above all things, and, sir, I tell you truly, I love all men in God and for God.’

  Also, furthermore, she said plainly to his face, ‘Sir, you are not worthy to be a mayor, and that shall I prove by Holy Writ, for our Lord God said himself before he would take vengeance on the cities, “I shall come down and see,”5 and yet he knew all things. And that was for nothing else, sir, but to show men such as you are that you should not carry out punishments unless you have prior knowledge that they are appropriate. And, sir, you have done quite the contrary to me today, for, sir, you have caused me much shame for something I am not guilty of. I pray God forgive you it.’

  Then the Mayor said to her, ‘I want to know why you go about in white clothes, for I believe you have come here to lure away our wives from us, and lead them off with you.’6

  ‘Sir,’ she said, ‘you shall not know from my mouth why I go about in white clothes; you are not worthy to know it. But, sir, I will gladly tell it to these worthy clerks by way of confession. Let them consider whether they will tell it to you.’

  Then the clerks asked the Mayor to go down from among them with other people. And when they had gone, she knelt on her knees before the Abbot, and the Dean of Leicester, and a Preaching Friar, a worthy cleric, and told these three clerics how our Lord by revelation warned her and bade her wear white clothes before she went to Jerusalem.

  ‘And so I have told my confessors. And therefore they have charged me that I should go about like this, for they dare not go against my feelings for fear of God; and if they dared, they would do so very gladly. And therefore, sirs, if the Mayor wants to know why I go about in white, you may say, if you please, that my confessors order me to do so; and then you will tell no lies, yet he will not know the truth.’

  So the clerics called the Mayor up again, and told him in confidence that her confessors had charged her to wear white clothes, and she had bound herself in obedience to them.

  Then the Mayor called her to him, saying, ‘I will not let you go from here in spite of anything you can say, unless you go to my Lord Bishop of Lincoln for a letter, inasmuch as you are in his jurisdiction, so that I may be discharged of responsibility for you.’

  She said, ‘Sir, I certainly dare speak to my Lord of Lincoln, for I have been very kindly received by him before now.’

  And then other men asked her if she were in charity with the Mayor, and she said, ‘Yes, and with all whom God has created.’ And then she, bowing to the Mayor and weeping tears, prayed him to be in charity with her, and forgive her anything in which she had displeased him. And he spoke fine words to her for a while, so that she believed all was well, and that he was her good friend, but afterwards she well knew it was not so.

&nb
sp; And thus she had leave from the Mayor to go to my Lord Bishop of Lincoln, and fetch a letter by which the Mayor should be excused responsibility.

  Chapter 49

  So she went first to Leicester Abbey1 and into the church, and as soon as the Abbot had espied her he, out of his goodness, with many of his brethren, came to welcome her.

  When she saw them coming, at once in her soul she beheld our Lord coming with his apostles, and she was so ravished into contemplation with sweetness and devotion, that she could not stand until they came, as courtesy demanded, but leaned against a pillar in the church and held on to it tightly for fear of falling, for she would have stood and she could not, because of the abundance of devotion which was the reason that she cried and wept very bitterly.

  When she had overcome her crying, the Abbot asked his brethren to take her in with them and comfort her, and so they gave her very good wine and were extremely nice to her.

  Then she got herself a letter from the Abbot to my Lord of Lincoln, putting on record what controversy she had been in during the time that she was in Leicester. And the Dean of Leicester was also ready to provide a record and act as witness for her, for he had great confidence that our Lord loved her, and therefore he comforted her very highly in his own place.

  And so she took leave of her said son [Thomas Marchale], intending to travel to Lincoln with a man called Patrick, who had been with her to Santiago previously. And at this time he was sent by the said Thomas Marchale, from Melton Mowbray to Leicester, to inquire and see how things stood with the same creature. For the said Thomas Marchale was very afraid that she would have been burnt, and therefore he sent this man Patrick to find out the truth.

  And so she and Patrick, together with many good folk of Leicester who had come to encourage her, thanking God who had preserved her and given her victory over her enemies, went out to the edge of the town, and there they gave her a good send-off, promising her that, if she ever came back, she would receive a much better welcome amongst them than she had before.