THE BOOK OF MARGERY KEMPE: FOOTNOTES

2 unspecabyl, unspeakable.

4 deyneth, deigns; nobeley, nobleness.

7 hynderawnce, hinderance; be, by.

9 sumdeel, somewhat.

10 charytefully, charitably; whech, which.

12 penawns, penance.

13 lech, like; reedspyr, reed stalk.

16 worshep, honor.

17 repref, reproof; this creatur, i.e., Margery.

18 gon wyl, become wayward; parfythly, perfectly; steryd, stirred.

20 trad, trod.

21 in party the levyng, in part the life.

23 be, by.

24 werdly, worldly.

26 leyd on syde, put aside; worshepd, honored; sythen, then.

27 kynred, kindred.

34 cheden, chided; indued, endued.

36 dysese, anxiety; lofe, love.

41 trost, trust.

42 prevy, private.

44 awondyr, amazed.

45 wysten, knew; homly, familiar.

49 gostly, spiritual.

52 ankrys, anchorites; hem, them.

53 mende, mind.

56 mevynggys, movings; steringgys, stirrings;

trustly, with faith, trustingly.

63 er than sche ded any wryten, before she committed any to writing.

65 levyngs, manner of living.

66 myth, might.

67 credens, credence.

68 Dewchlond, Germany.

73 comownd, talked the matter over.

74 evel wretyn, badly written.

74-75 cowd lytyl skyll theron, hardly understand it.

76 leved, believed.

77 behyte, promised.

80 behestyd, promised.

85-86 schuld cun best rede the booke, should best be able to read the book.

88 bewreyn, betray, speak ill of, divulge.

91 evel sett, badly set.

92 behestyd, promised.

93 a do, have done.

100 mend, memory.

104 eyn myssyd, eyes failed.

106 creatur, i.e., Margery.

107 lett, hinder.

108 levyn, leave off.

110 lyth, light; qwayr, quire.

111 proym, preface.

114 sythen, afterwards; schamis, shames; reprevys, reproofs.

116 han mend, had memory.

118 clef, cleaved; or, before.

121 bodyn, bidden.

124 obloquie, abuse, calumny.

127 asayd, tried.

129 Mary Maudelyn, Mary Magdalene. July 22 is the day of Mary Magdalene.

130 sumdele, somewhat.

131 worschepful, honorable; kynde, nature.

132 accessys, attacks of illness.

134 dyspered, despaired; wenyng, thinking.

136 lettyd, hindered.

137 heele, health.

138 inow, enough.

139 penawns, penance.

140 dedys, deeds; saf, except.

141 seke, sick; mende, mind.

142 schrevyn, shriven; defawt, lack, sin.

143 iseyd, was said.

145 conselyd, concealed.

146 undyrnemyn, reprove.

148 to, toward, i.e., toward-side.

150 sey, saw.

151 her, their; lowys, flames.

152 rampyng, ramping, adopting a threatening stance; thretyng, threatening.

153 halyng, haling.

154 thretyngys, threats; bodyn, bade.

155 denyin, deny.

157 dede, did.

158 schrewyd, mean-tempered.

160 a fordon hirself, have committed suicide; steryngys, anxieties. See note.

161 bot, bit.

162 roof, rent, tore.

163 agen, against; spetowsly, grievously.

164 a don saf, have done except.

166 wend, thought; a skapyd ne levyd, have escaped nor relinquished.

169 aperyd, appeared.

175 levyn, lightning; stey, rose; eyr, air; esly, easily.

177 stabelyd, settled.

179 botery, buttery.

181 wende, thought.

184 meny, servants.

186 Whan men wenyn . . . fro hem, When men think he is far from them.

187 fel, befell.

188 drawt, spiritual ecstasy.

191 befortym, before that time.

192 wyst, knew.

193 gold pypys on hir hevyd, gold pipes as part of a fashionable headdress.

194 hodys, hoods; typettys, tippets; daggyd, ornamented with points and incisions.

195 staryng, conspicuous.

197 levyn, leave off.

198 kenred, kindred; hym semyd nevyr forto a weddyd hir, i.e., he did not seem like the sort of person to have married her.

199 town N, see note, line 462; hey Gylde of the Trinyté, the Guild of the Trinity was the most powerful of the town of Lynn's parish fraternities.

200 savyn the worschyp, preserve the honor.

201 arayd, arrayed.

205 brewyn, brew (ale).

206 ure, experience.

207 prevyn, be successful.

208 fayr standyng undyr berm, fair standing under the barm, the yeast formed on brewing liquors.

211 punched, punished; war, wary; eftsons, again.

216 huswyfré, household occupation; horsmille, horse mill; tweyn, two.

219 craske, fat, lusty; lykand, in good condition.

221 drawe no drawt, draw no load.

223 don this hors drawyn, make or cause this horse to draw.

231 noysed, noised, rumored.

233 venjawns, vegeance; seyd on, said one (thing).

235 clepyd, summoned; kallyd, called.

236 wretthyd, wretched.

246 habunawnt, abundant.

247 syhyngys, sighings.

248 spytys, scorns.

249 drawt, ecstasy.

252 governawnce, manner of life.

256 to komown fleschly, to have intercourse.

256-57 dette of matrimony, debt of matrimony (a conventional way of speaking of marital relations).

257 levar, rather.

258 wose, ooze; comownyng, intercourse.

263 wyst, knew.

265-66 be her bothins wylle and consentyng of hem bothyn, by both their wills and (by) mutual consent.

272 schrevyn, shriven.

273 conselyd and curyd, concealed and covered.

277-78 an hayr of . . . dryen on malt, a haircloth from a kiln such as men used for drying of malt.

278 kyrtylle, woman's gown; prevylich, secretly.

283 japyd, joked.

286 dyspite, contempt; ches, chose.

291 compunccyon, remorse, penitence; boystows, violent.

292 bethowt, bethought.

296 contwnyng, continuing; wepyn and levyn whan sche wold, weep and leave off whenever she wanted to.

297-98 wept for the world for socowr and for wordly good, wept for the world in order to gain comfort and worldly goods.

302 dure, endure.

306-07 the crucifix, i.e., the figure on the cross, or Christ.

307 halsyn, embrace.

311 for no drede, for doubtless.

312 sergyth, searches.

313 freel , frail; sufferawns, sufferance; snar, snare.

314 skape, escape.

315 wend, thought.

317 hayr, hairshirt.

319 levar, rather.

322-23 Seynt Margaretys Evyn, St. Margaret, whose feast day was July 20, was the virgin martyr tortured and killed for her espousal of Christian chastity by Olybrius, ruler of Antioch. When at home, Margery worshipped in the church of St. Margaret's in Lynn, one of the town's main churches. It was attached to a priory of Benedictines.

325 chese, choose.

326 preve, prove (to).

329 labowrd, labored, afflicted.

330 Pater Noster, Our Father, the Lord's Prayer.

332 levyd, believed; suasyons, persuasions.

334 do, done.

335 symulacyon, simulation.

339 leful, lawful, permissable.

340 was labowrd, was afflicted.

341 inoportunyté, inopportunity.

343 wetyn, know.

344 levar, rather; hewyn, hewn.

350-52 Sche thowt . . . was so fals unto hym, She thought she was deserving of no mercy, for her consenting was so willfully done, not worthy of doing him (i.e., God) service, for she was so false unto him.

352 schrevyn, shriven.

354 rewelys, rules.

356 durst, dared.

357 lettherye, lechery.

359 party, part.

363 wer so wondyrful . . . far wyth hem, were so wonderful (astonishing) that she could hardly deal (fare) with them.

373-74 that have . . . schreve therof, who has brought your sins to your memory and made you to be shriven thereof.

374 contrysyon, contrition.

375 clepe, call.

376 hayr, hair (cloth).

378 derworthy, precious; that, what.

380-81 sacrament of the awter, Eucharist.

383 knawyn, gnawed.

383-84 raton knawyth the stokfysch, rat gnaws the stockfish.

385 inow, enough; be, by.

386 wel, well-being, good fortune; wo, woe.

388 mow, might.

389 leve, leave off; byddyng of many bedys, bidding of many beads (saying of many prayers).

391 be thowt, by thought.

392 hey, high.

393 ankyr, anchorite; Frer Prechowrys, Dominican Priory at Lynn; prevyteys, secrets.

397 ye sowkyn . . . Crysts brest, you suck even on Christ's breast (The nutritive or "female" attributes of Christ were conventional figures in late medieval devotional literature. See Bynum [1987], pp. 270-76.).

398 ernest peny of hevyn, earnest penny (pledge-penny) of heaven.

402 geve hir, devoted herself; bodyn, bidden.

406 sche saw Seynt Anne gret wyth chylde, she saw Saint Anne great with child, i.e., pregnant with the Virgin. For the importance of extra-Biblical fictions relating to the private lives of Saint Anne and the Virgin in late medieval spirituality, see Ashley and Sheingorn.

408 besyde, busied.

409 kerchys, kerchiefs.

418-19 potel of pyment and spycys, two quart vessel of sweetened and spiced wine.

421 wonyd, dwelled.

422 toke hym up fro the erthe, took him up from the earth (where he lay after birth).

424 compassyf, compassionate.

427 dever, duty.

428 Bedlem, Bethlehem; purchasyd hir herborwe, purchased her lodging.

429 beggyd owyr Lady, begged for our Lady.

431 lyg, lie.

434-35 I schal not byndyn yow soor, I shall not bind you (swaddle you) tightly.

442 ob, of (see note).

443 purveyng hir herborw, purveying her lodging.

445 duryng, enduring.

446 sesyng, ceasing.

449-50 for sche was so long dyfferryd therfro, for she was so long deferred therefrom.

451 languren, languish.

456 chastyse us her how thow wylt, chastise us here however you will.

461 felaw, fellow, companion.

463 qwyte, requite.

466-67 executor, executor (of her spiritual estate).

469 halfyndel, half.

470 halvendel, half.

471 mede, reward.

473 even cristen, fellow Christians; dubbyl, double.

476 er Whitsonday, before Whitsunday, the Feast of Pentecost; sle, kill.

477 Estern woke, Easter week.

478 knowlach, knowledge; was wone befor, was accustomed to before; gan neygh hir, came near her.

479 wyse, way.

480 Whytson Evyn, Whitsunday Eve. Whitsunday is the Feast of Pentecost.

482 astoyned, bewildered; voys, voice.

483 venjawns, vengeance.

485 party, part; vowte, vault.

485-86 the fote of the sparre, the foot of the rafter.

486 weyd, weighed.

487-88 sche ferd as . . . a lytyl whyle, for a little while she fared (acted) as though she had been dead.

489 whech hygth, who was called; wondyr cas, wonderful case.

490 gretly dysesyd, greatly distressed.

491 hol, whole; cher, demeanor.

494 levyn, believe.

495-96 Maystyr Aleyn, the Carmelite friar, Alan of Lynn.

498 way, weighted; treys, tree's.

503 venjawns, vengeance.

504 quemfulnes, favor.

506 gostly, spiritual; mygth not, might not.

515 voys, voice; levyng, living.

516 behestyst, promise.

520 bere, beer; cake, cake, loaf.

521 her, there.

522 smyte of, smite off; les than, unless; comown kendly, lit., common naturally, i.e., have intercourse with. See note.

524 medele, meddle, have intercourse with.

525 why meve ye this mater, why do you bring up this matter.

526 For I wyl wete, For I will know.

527 levar, rather.

536 mede, meed, reward; hayr, haircloth; haburgon, jacket of mail (next to your skin).

537 wele, wills.

537-39 "Nay," he seyd . . . not so.", "Nay," he said, "that will I not grant you, for now I may use you without mortal sin and then I might not." (By taking a vow of wedded chastity, John and Margery would sacramentally eliminate the physical element of their marriage.)

541-42 to Brydlyngtonward, toward Bridlington; fornseyd, aforesaid.

544 clepyng, calling.

547 dettys, debts.

549 leve, live.

550 leve, leave.

551 goodlych, well.

557 contraryen, go against; mekyl, great; les, unless.

562 opteyn, obtain.

568 qwyte, requite, pay back.

574 sythen, afterward.

577 ankrys, anchorites; reclusys, recluses.

579 dyvers, different.

580 wetyn, know; dysseyt, deceit.

583 monkys, monks.

584 save, except; bar gret offyce, had great office (duties).

584-85 set hir at nowt, disparaged her.

585 at mete, at the midday meal; of, during.

588 dalyawns, daliance; gan gretly enclyne to hirward, began greatly to incline toward her.

589 savour, savour, delight.

592 levyn, believe.

597-98 in letthery . . . kepyng, in lechery, in despair, and in the keeping (hoarding) of worldly goods. (These are the three classic vices of lust, pride - of which despair is a type - and avarice.)

599 lesyng, lie.

600 leesyngys, lies.

603 schreve, shriven; wythowtynforth, without, outside.

610 Sorwyth, Sorrow (be sorry).

617 suppriowr, sub-prior.

623 as, as if.

624 aloon, alone; cheys hir as sche cowde, lit., choose her as she could, i.e., make her own way.

625 eld, old; an eld monk, whech had ben tresowrer wyth the Qwen, probably John Kynton, chancellor of Queen Joanna, wife of Henry V.

626 dred, feared by.

628 heryn, praise.

630 meynteyn, maintain.

637 in party, as part; that he schuld o yer hyer men, that he should for one year hire men.

640 lawhyng, laughing.

642 lawhyst thu, do you laugh; brothel, wretch.

649 brent, burnt.

650 lollare, Lollard, a follower of the beliefs of John Wyclif, the late fourteenth-century theologian, whose ideas were judged heretical. These included renunciation of the cult of images and saints, of the doctrine of transubstantiation, and of the church's involvement with temporal goods or offices. For the relevance of Wycliffite thought to the Book, see Staley (1994); tonne, tun, large barrel.

653 tremelyng and whakyng, trembling and quaking; erdly, earthly.

657 tweyn, two; eretyke, heretic.

658 loller, Lollard.

659 in, inn.

660 Dewchmannys, German man's.

661 ostel, hostel.

667 eyne, eyes; lestyn, last, survive.

671 peler, pillar.

673 ne were . . . grace, were not my grace alone.

675 chedyn and fletyn, chided and scolded.

676 comownyng in, talking about.

680 for dred of inpacyens, for fear of (her) lack of endurance.

681 stokke, piece of timber; ex, ax; lofe, love.

682-83 that thow woldyst for my lofe, what you would do for my love.

685 deryn, harm.

687 wroth, angry.

688 cun no skyl of the, will be able to have no knowledge of you.

692 funston, baptismal font.

695 hyd, hidden.

697 it arn, these are.

701 sekerest, most certain; les, unless.

705 mete, meal.

707 buxom, gentle; far, fare.

710 hete, heat.

711-12 at thi lyst, at your wish.

714-15 'He that doth . . . unto me,' Mark 3:35.

725 er than, before.

726 Seynt Jamys, the shrine of St. James at Compostella in Spain.

727 good, i.e., money.

731 deyn, die.

732-33 I wyl that thu were clothys of whyte, I will that you wear clothes of white (a sign of virginity).

733 arayd, arrayed.

735 wondryn, wonder.

739 veyn dred, vain dread.

743 proferyd, proferred.

746 commensowr in dyvinyté, doctor of divinity.

747 steryng, stirring, guidance.

748 ferd, fared.

752 thretyd, threatened.

754 dysese, trouble; boystows, unmannerly.

759 Bysshop of Lynkoln . . . Philyp, Philip Repingdon, Bishop of Lincoln from 1405 to 1419, when he resigned his see.

761 abedyn, abided.

762 wetyn, know.

766 lymyt, limited, set.

767 hy, devout.

768 qwyk, quick, alive.

769 hir lysted, she liked.

771 sadly, soberly, wisely.

774-75 the mantyl . . . in whygth, the ceremony by which Margery would officially be granted the clothing of married chastity.

775 in erth, on earth.

784 us, us, we, These are the only times Kempe uses first person pronouns in the Book.

786 er, before; mete, the midday meal; powyr, poor.

787 lovys, loaves.

790 meny, household; hyr eyled, ailed her.

791 swyers, squires.

792 gentylly, graciously; mees, mess.

795 pregnawntly, pregnantly, significantly, insightfully.

800 abyden, abide, wait; prevyd, proved, tested.

804 sey the Bysshop, tell the Bishop.

810 Archbusshop of Cawntyrbery, Arundel, Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1397, 1399-1414.

812 dyocyse, diocese. As an East Anglian, Margery is technically under the rule of the Bishop of Norwich; Lincoln is north of King's Lynn; feyned, feigned, pretended.

816 schelyngys, shillings.

817 clothyg, clothing.

818 Lambhyth, Lambeth, in London, the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

820 rekles, reckless; swyers, squires; yemen, yeomen.

821 othis, oaths.

822 undyrname, rebuked; dampnyd, damned; sweryng, swearing.

823 pylche, pilch, an outer garment of skin trimmed with the fur.

824 forschod, reviled; bannyd, banned.

825 Smythfeld, Smithfield, in London where the first two Lollards were burnt, William Sawtre in 1401 and John Badby in 1410.

826 levyst, livest.

829 auctoryté, authority; chesyng, choosing.

830 howselyd, houseled, be given the Eucharist. This is more frequent than was ordinary in the late Middle Ages when most people received the Sacrament once a year.

831 provynce, province.

836 defawte, lack.

839 aprevyd, approved.

841 meny, household.

842 alderes Lord, Lord of us all; gon, given.

843 tretowrys, traitors; hem, those.

844 les than, unless.

845 benyngly, benignly.

852 Lenne, Lynn, Margery's town.

853 Frer Prechowrys, Dominican priory.

856 owt, out.

857 ther is behyte, there is promised.

858 frenschepys, friendships; wyth condycyon, upon condition.

861 reme, realm.

866 Norwych, Norwich, some twenty miles southeast of Lynn.

868 vykary of Seynt Stefenys, Richard Caister, vicar of St. Stephens in Norwich.

870 prevytés, secrets.

880 revelyd, revealed.

882 aport, deportment, bearing.

883 evyn cristen, fellow Christians.

887 hedows, hideous.

892 er, or.

893 qwyk, quick, alive.

895 veryly, truly.

896 Secunde Persone in Trinyté, i.e., Jesus.

899 Hyltons boke, Walter Hilton's Scale of Perfection; Bridis boke, Liber Revelationum Celestium S. Birgitte; Stimulus Amorys, a fourteenth-century mystical text falsely attributed to St. Bonaventure; Incendium Amoris, a fourteenth-century mystical work by the English hermit Richard Rolle.

902 mend, mind.

903 Seynt Kateryn, St. Katherine of Alexandria, legendary fourth-century virgin martyr.

910 grutchyng, grudging, complaining.

915 trustly, trustfully.

916 enspyr, inspire.

919 howsyld, houseled, administered the Eucharist to.

920 moneschyd, admonished; artyculys, articles.

923 malys, malice.

925 hens, hence.

927 Whyte Frer. . .Wyllyam Sowthfeld, Carmelite friar (d. 1414) known for his devotion; whech hyte, who was named.

928 levar, living person.

933 gremercy, gramercy (an exclamation).

933-34 dredyth ye not, dread ye not.

935 heyly, highly.

944 fawt, fault; soget, subject.

954 bodyn, bidden.

955 ankres . . . Dame Jelyan, Julian of Norwich, anchorite mystic and author of the Revelations of Divine Love.

966 contraryows, contrarious, at cross purposes.

967 levars, living people.

969 dubbyl, double.

970 dowtyng, doubting.

972 lyche, likely.

975 owyth to levyn, should (or ought) to believe.

976 mornynggys, mournings.

978 nowmeryd, numbered.

979 turmentyn, torment.

983 feryth, fear.

989 abyte, habit, clothing.

991 perseverawnt, perseverant.

995 owtforth, outwardly.

996 dom, judgment.

997 her, their.

1000 sekyr, true, spiritually safe.

1002 asayn, assay, try.

1004-05 Than is my bodily . . . wher to have, Then is my bodily comfort gone, and spiritual comfort from any confessor such as you I will not know where to find.

1006 hoose, whose.

1012-13 tryfelys and japys, trifles and jokes.

1013 fawyn, fain.

1016 homly, homely, familiar.

1022 norych, nurse.

1025 levyn, leave.

1027 levyn, believe.

1036 eftsonys, again.

1038 departyd, parted; war, aware.

1040 departyn, separate.

1043 encresyd, increased.

1046 eraend, errand.

1054 talys, tales.

1061 Thow, Though.

1062 sekyr, certain.

1064 owyn, ought.

1065 wete, learn.

1067 les than he had bettyr frendys in erthe, unless he had better friends on earth.

1069 esse, ease.

1070 hede, heed.

1079 schok and flekeryd, shook and flickered.

1080 dowe, dove.

1081 chalys, chalice.

1082 sacre, consecration of the sacrament.

1083 sacreys, consecrations.

1085 Bryde, St. Bridget of Sweden (ca. 1303-73), whose reknown in England was particularly high, owing to the influence of the Brigittine Order; say, saw.

1086 wyse, manner; betokenyth, means.

1087 venjawnce, vengeance.

1088 erdene, earthquake.

1097 derworthy, honored.

1098 pepyl, people.

1100 pyté, pity.

1101 deyn, die.

1103 pestylens, pestilence; bataylys, battles; famynyng, famine.

1113 frwte, fruit.

1114 longyth, belongs; holy maydens, i.e., to virgins.

1116 besynes, business.

1118 wedlake, wedlock.

1119 let me to, hinder me from.

1129 Mary Mawdelyn, Mary Magdalene.

1129-30 Mary Eypcyan, Mary the Egyptian.

1130 Seynt Powyl, Saint Paul.

1136 forberyn, forego.

1139 schuld a brostyn, should have burst; Aswythe, quickly.

1141 sekyr, sure, certain.

1142 hily, highly.

1143 maystres, mistress; wyse, manner.

1146 he cowde most skyl in, he was most learned in.

1150 dawnsyn, dance.

1152 funtston, baptismal font.

1154-55 and that sor rewyth me, and that I sorely regret.

1155 ronnyn, run.

1156 suffer me, allow me.

1157 onyd, united, joined.

1159 behest, promise.

1163 thart, need.

1168 behygth, promised; schuldyst, should.

1175 feryd, frightened.

1176 hevynes, sorrows.

1177 sekenes, sicknesses; anoynted, anointed, i.e., given last rites.

1178 skapyd, escaped.

1181 wonyng, dwelling.

1183 govyn hem drynkyn, given them drink.

1185 wrowte, made.

1186 the body that the hath bowte, the body that has bought (redeemed) you (Jesus through his Passion).

1188 Seynt Barbara, St. Barbara, virgin martyr; dom, doom, judgment.

1189 bone, boon, favor.

1190 and, if.

1191 joyn, rejoice.

1195 thu schalt mown askyn, you shall be able to ask.

1196 telde, told.

1200 clepyn, call; dere abowte, dearly bought, dearly redeemed.

1206 vykary, vicar.

1207 cure, curacy, care of souls; benefyce, benefice, ecclesiastical living.

1208 parysshonys, parishoners.

1213 massage, message.

1215 qwer, choir; cors, corpse.

1217 hele, health; messe peny, mass penny.

1218 cors, body.

1229 an helply to the powyr, helpful to the poor.

1230 mone, moan.

1231 joyntys, joints.

1234 lyster, dyer.

1235 languryn, languish, linger.

1242 hem alle for to . . . of mor profyte, to write them all should perhaps hinder that which is more profitable.

1244 commendacyon, commendation, praise.

1246 ponyschyng, punishment.

1247 levar a, rather have.

1249 trubbyl, trouble.

1249-50 it fel not . . . undyrstandyng, it did not seem credible to her understanding.

1251 turbele, trouble.

1253 prevyn, test, ascertain.

1255 komyn, come; unsekyr, uncertain.

1256 thei, though; loth, loath, hesitant; wylly, willing.

1260 ellys not a, otherwise not have.

1263 gevyn credens, give credence, believe; hyndryd, hindered.

1266 expleyntyng, explaining.

1268 smet, smote, struck.

1269 tweyn, two.

1273 credens, credence; amyabyl, amiable.

1274 faveryd, favored; cuntenawns, countenance; sad, wise.

1275 gestur, gesture; vestur, clothing; purposyng, intending.

1276 into hys relevyng and comfort, for his relief and comfort.

1277 meyrs pere, mayor's peer.

1278 myschef, misfortune.

1283 anow, enough; holpyn, helped; relevyd, relieved.

1284 it was mor almes, it was more charitable.

1289 lettyd, hindered.

1295 medyl, meddle.

1307 whethyr₂, whither, from whence.

1311 schrewe, scoundrel.

1312 proferyd, offered; portose, portable breviary.

1313 wetyn, know.

1314 by, buy; cheryd, cared for.

1321 profyr, offer.

1322 thryftyare, more prosperous; richare, richer.

1324 awt, owned.

1325 yef, if; sad, sober.

1327 mevyn, move.

1329 Penteney Abbey, Augustinian priory in Norfolk.

1330 sey, seen.

1331 lyvery, livery.

1332 lokyn, see; acordyn, agree.

1333 woke, week.

1337 matere, matter.

1338 her, here.

1340 o, one.

1342 purificacyons, purifications, the rite of "churching" women after childbirth; person, parson; Benetys, Benedict's, i.e., a Benedictine monk.

1346 fel gret ple, there fell (befell) great legal action; priowr, prior.

1347 paryschenys, parishioners; funtys, baptisms.

1348 on, one.

1349 fayrare, fairer; funte, baptismal font.

1350-51 The bulle was put in ple, The bull was appealed.

1352 derogacyon, detraction.

1355 spede, help; rewth, pity.

1356 er than, rather than; thei, though; powyr, poor.

1359 yrkyn, to irk, to annoy.

1360 my Lord of Norwych Alnewyk, William Alnwick, Bishop of Norwich, 1426-36; be trety, by negotiation.

1361 for to settyn, in order to establish; pes, peace.

1364 suyd, sued, petitioned; her, their.

1370 nobelys, nobles (gold coins).

1375 her intent, their intent; slakyn her bost, reduce their boasting.

1376 menys, means.

1381 sothfast and sekyr, truth and certainty.

1383 whyk, quick, alive.

1385 cleymyd, claimed; dette, debt.

1386 aseth, compensation.

1390 brokebakkyd, broken backed; safté, safety.

1392 Mayster Robert, Robert Spryngolde, parish priest of St. Margaret's church and Margery's chief confessor.

1393 Trinité, Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Norwich.

1394 Yermowth, Yarmouth.

1395 Seryce, Zierikzee, Zeeland, the Netherlands.

1402 Ynglond, England.

1406 mevyng, influence.

1408 lofe, love.

1409 tabyl, table; alto chedyn, severely chided.

1413 wrothar, angrier.

1414 wreth, wrath.

1417-18 develys deth mote . . . and rathe, devil's death might overcome you soon and quickly.

1421 han awey, take away.

1423 and tene to go wher sche wolde, and to direct herself wherever she would.

1424 hem, them.

1426 mekyn hir, humble herself.

1427 Constawns, Constance.

1431-32 dedyn hir don . . . not makyn of hir, made her to wear white canvas in the manner of a woman's sackcloth garment, for she would be taken for a fool and the people should not (then) make much of her.

1433 durst ful evyl, dared hardly.

1434 her, their.

1436 cheryn, take care of.

1438 to Constawnsward, toward Constance.

1446 Popys legat, papal legate.

1448 owyr, hour; ny, nearly.

1464 bordys ende, table's end; won, wont, used.

1466 myryar, merrier.

1470-71 I wyl not don hir etyn, I will not make her eat.

1472 avowe, a vow; barfote, barefoot.

1476 sesyn, cease; ther men wyl her hir, where men will hear her.

1481 maystres, mistress.

1482 behestyd, promised; sekyrd, assured.

1483 made hir chawnge, made her exchange.

1485 ordeyn hir a ledar, appoint her a leader or a guide.

1486 aswythe aftyr, quickly thereafter.

1487 Devynschir, Devonshire.

1488 gyde, guide.

1495 rewful, rueful, mournful.

1496 cowde no langage, lit., could no language (did not know the language).

1498-99 and I . . . forberyn my tabbarde, and I shall be beaten for you and made to give up my tabard (outer garment).

1500 mend, mind, memory.

1501 avowtré, adultery.

1503 defowlyd, defiled.

1504 avow, vow.

1509 Boleyn de Grace, Bologna.

1510 thedyr, thither.

1513 asayn, assay, try.

1514 comnawnt, covenant.

1518 nunnys, nuns.

1519 cher, comfort.

1521 amerveylyd, astonished.

1522 leryd, learned.

1524 hold yow comenawnt, keep covenant with you.

1525 forbodyn it me, forbidden it to me.

1526 toke hir chawmbre, took to her chamber.

1529 maystres, mistress; no dele, no deal, not at all.

1530 tabyl, table.

1531 seylyn, sail.

1533 her, their.

1534 ther, where.

1540 seldyn, sold.

1542-43 for thei . . . otherwyse don, for they dared not do otherwise.

1543 lokyd, locked; her, their.

1544 schete, sheet.

1557-58 in poynt to a fallyn of hir asse, at the point of falling off her ass.

1559 tweyn pylgrymys of Duchemen, two German pilgrims.

1560 spycys, spices.

1564 and thei wer . . . day at evynsong, and they were let in on the one day at evensong.

1571 veryly, verily.

1573 walwyd and wrestyd, wallowed and twisted.

1574 brostyn, burst; cité, city.

1576 mornyng, mourning.

1582 despyte, despite, scorn.

1583 astoynd, astonished.

1586-87 er yf sche sey . . . whethyr it wer, or if she saw a man or beast that had a wound.

1587 bett, beat; smet, smote.

1593 cotidianly, daily.

1599 noyng, annoying.

1601 bannyd, cursed; havyn, haven, harbor.

1602 gostly, spiritual.

1607 blo, leaden-colored.

1608 leed, lead.

1618 duffehows of holys, dovecot of holes.

1619 reverys, rivers.

1626-27 whan we may . . . men and women, when we may see each day with our eyes both men and women.

1628 thorw ovyr fele stody and erdly affeccyon, through over much devotion and earthly affection.

1631-32 to leevyn er seesyn, to leave off or cease.

1638 wrekyn hem, avenge them.

1641 offens, an offense; compassyfe, compassionate.

1643-44 ne not we wylle . . . indued wyth lofe, neither will we support our Lord's own secretaries (i.e., the holy men and women who "trace out" his life) which he has endued with love.

1644 hyndryn, hinder.

1653 ther owyr, where our.

1664 swownyd, swooned.

1668 mad hys Mawndé, made his Last Supper.

1670 sacryd, consecrated.

1672 plenyr remyssyon, plenary remission.

1675 ferd, fourth.

1679 the tyme of tweyn messys heryng, for the time it takes to hear two masses.

1684 asoyld, pardoned.

1684-86 and dispensyd wyth . . . thin owyn selfe, and absolved you so that you need not go (on pilgrimage) to Rome or to St. James (of Compostella) unless you yourself want to.

1697 partabyl in, capable of partaking.

1699 Bedlem, Bethlehem.

1703 Grey Frerys, Franciscans.

1710 Flod of Jurdon, River Jordan.

1713 askyd hem no leve, did not ask them permission.

1715 Mownt Qwarentyne, Mount Quarentyne (near Jericho).

1718 mekyl, much; happyd, came along.

1718-19 a Sarazyn, a welfaryng man, a Saracen, a comely man.

1719 grote, grote (silver coin).

1723 Grey Frerys, Franciscans.

1725 reprevys, reproofs.

1728 tho behestys, those promises.

1733 Betanye, Bethany; ther Lazer, where Lazarus.

1735 Estern Day, Easter Day.

1736-37 "Mary, why wepyst thu?", see John 20:15.

1739 Frerys of the Tempyl, Franciscans of the Convent of the Holy Sepulchre.

1744 Rafnys, Ramleh (town outside Jerusalem on the road to Jaffa).

1746 purchasyn hir mor pardon, lit., to "purchase" for herself more pardon.

1751 Venyce, Venice.

1752 deyin, die.

1759 velany, shame.

1761 diswer, doubt.

1767 deceyvabyl, deceiving.

1769 flowyn on the gret plenté of grace, pour out on you an abundance of grace.

1770 powyr, poor; cowche, hump.

1771 forclowtyd, patched.

1772 eyleth, aileth.

1774 Erlond, Ireland.

1781 bowys and arwys, bows and arrows.

1782 wepyn, weapon; cloke ful of clowtys, cloak full of patches.

1783 defowlyn, defile.

1784 ledyn the, lead you.

1787 too, two.

1788 chyst, chest.

1790 metyn, meet.

1791 gon on my purchase and beggyn my levyng, attend to my occupation and beg my living.

1794 herborwe, lodging; he . . . hemselfe, they . . . themselves; that, so that.

1798 worshepful wyfys lappys, the laps of honorable women.

1798-99 wold puttyn schirtys ther upon, would put shirts on the image.

1799 thei, though.

1806 nerhand, nearly.

1810 gravyn, engrave.

1810-11 "Jhesus est amor meus," Jesus is my love.

1811 thevys, thieves.

1814-15 purposyd befortyme er . . . a weryd ryng, previously intended, before she had it by revelation, never to wear a ring.

1816 cheryn, encourage.

1817 mett, measure.

1822 bone maryd, good marriage.

1823 as ho seyth, as one might say; awey, lost.

1825 sowt, sought.

1828 bordys, boards.

1830 pur, for; Assyse, Assisi.

1831 Frer Menowr, Franciscan.

1839 kerche, veil (The Lower Church of St. Francis holds the Veil of Our Lady.).

1841-42 Lammes Day, Lammas Day (August 1).

1842 plenyr, plenary.

1845-46 Knygtys of Roodys, Knights of Rhodes.

1846 mekyl good caryage, ample means of conveyance.

1855 hospital of Seynt Thomas of Cawntyrbery, hospice for English pilgrims to Rome.

1865 schrevyn, shriven.

1871 howselyd, administered the sacrament.

1876 confiteor, confession of sins.

1878 Seynt John the Evangelyst, St. John, the beloved disciple. He also appeared to Elizabeth of Hungary, whose Revelation was possibly important to Kempe. See McNamer, Staley (1994).

1879 "Benedicité," Bless you; "Dominus," Lord.

1881 swemful, sorrowful.

1882 enjoyned, commanded, directed.

1883 asoyled, absolved.

1887 wistly, certainly; wroth, angry.

1890 tresor, treasure.

1891 werdlys, worldly.

1895 far liche, fare (proceed) like.

1896 to, toward; arayn, array, dress.

1900 holdyn the ryth wel plesyd, hold yourself right well pleased.

1901 the the, you the.

1901-02 He is wel blyssed . . . hys wo stool, He is well blessed who can sit on his well stool and tell of his woe stool, i.e., He is lucky who can sit in good fortune and tell of his former misfortune.

1908 cowde, knew.

1909 be, by means of, through.

1912 sentys, saint; steryn, directing, urging; other that lovedyn, others who loved.

1920 therten, thirteen.

1924 les than, unless.

1928 swech mend, such memory.

1931 demyng, deeming, thinking.

1932 levyng, believing.

1933 symulacyon, simulation.

1944 chesyn, choose.

1946 seyng, seeing.

1950 wetyng, knowing; saf, except.

1956 defamyn, defame; detractyd of, disparaged by.

1957 nerhand, nearly.

1972 wyfys, women; malendrynes, highwaymen.

1979 ryth fawyn, right fain.

1980 schrewyd, sharp.

1986 deynté of, delight in, affection for.

1987 herby, hereby.

1992 party, part; hold, old; poure, poor.

1994 cured, covered.

1995 mentyl, mantle, cloak; vermyn, vermin.

1995-96 fet hom, fetched home.

1996 in her nekke, on her neck; mete, food.

1997 sowr, sour.

1998 gaf, gave.

2000 Postelys Cherch, Apostles' Church; Seynt Laterynes Day, St. John Lateran's Day, November 9.

2005 prevyteys, secrets.

2006 wonyn, dwell; sylens, silence.

2010 to, by.

2014 stede, place (i.e., instead of).

2015 semly, seemly, becoming.

2021 whoys, whose.

2031 fayrar, fairer; fowelar, fouler; powerar, poorer.

2032 buxom, gentle; bonyr, obedient.

2034 suyrté, surety.

2041-42 a levyd . . . a lestyd, could have lived thereby (i.e., on those sweet smells) had they lasted.

2044 nyhand, almost.

2048 sotyl, diaphanous; brygtare, brighter.

2057 der, harm.

2058-59 "Benedictus qui venit in nomine domini," "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord," the blessing used to welcome Christ's entrance into the elements of the Mass, thus a sentence underlining the sacramental nature of her visions.

2060 flawme of fyer, the sensation of inward burning was a fairly widespread experience among medieval mystics.

2062 lowe, flame.

2064 fyer, fire.

2071-72 heryn that thu nevyr herdist, hear what you never heard.

2073 sekyr, certain.

2075 onyd, joined.

2079 haburjon, habergeon, jacket of mail.

2080 hayr, hair shirt.

2084-85 byddyn many bedys, say many prayers.

2085 parfyte, perfect.

2086 fastarys, fasters.

2091 o yer, one year.

2094 whedir, whatever.

2095 erde, earth.

2098 homly, familiar.

2100 hed, heed.

2109 mede, reward.

2114 peyr of belwys, pair of bellows; ere, ear.

2115 fer, fear.

2116 voys of a dowe, voice of a dove.

2124 clevyst as sore, cleaves as sorely, tenderly.

2125 stokfysche, fish dried hard in the open air; sothyn, seethed, boiled.

2129 besynes, business.

2134 behestys, promises.

2135 behite, promised.

2136 dowt, doubt.

2140 durst not onys, dared not once.

2142 ostys, host's.

2145 mone, moan.

2148 bar, bare; lofe, love.

2151 gaf, gave.

2154 Brystowe, Bristol; Whitsunwoke, Whitsun week.

2158 Seynt Marcellys Chirche, the Church of Santa Marcello.

2160 cheys, sustain.

2164 theward, thee-ward, i.e., coming to you; hyte the, promised you.

2173 relevyd, relieved.

2179 Assyse, Assisi.

2180 syngnys, signs.

2182 grawnt, great.

2187 potage, soup, stew.

2188 botel, bottle.

2189 bolendinys, coins of Bologna; clepyd, called, named.

2190 bad hir to mete, invited her to dinner.

2193 purveyd, supplied, taken care of.

2197 sowkyng, sucking.

2199 brast, burst.

2201 halvendel, half.

2203 sesyn, cease.

2204 sey, saw.

2208 Seynt Brigypt, Bridget of Sweden.

2213 wolcomear, more welcome.

2217 and wyth ryght schulde a be so stylle, and by right should be so still.

2218 kepar, keeper.

2221 swem, sorrow.

2223 Brydys, Bridget's.

2228 lawhyng cher, laughing countenance; at hoste, boarding.

2229 wend, thought.

2234-35 on of Seynt Brigyptys days, There were three days sacred to St. Bridget, July 23, the feast of her death; May 28, the feast of her translation; and Oct 7, the medieval date for her canonization. See Meech, pp. 304-05, for reasons for linking this passage to the latter date.

2236-37 impressyons of eyrs, changes, disturbances.

2238 in socowryng . . . dyvers perellys, in relief of their bodies [and] to avoid diverse perils.

2239 wold, wanted.

2240 halwyd, hallowed.

2241 Stacyownys, Stations (of Rome), i.e., visiting and praying in a sequence of churches in Rome.

2242 fer, far; ostel, hostel.

2243 levenys, lightnings.

2245 wederyngys, stormy weather; elde, old.

2247 brent, burnt; contentys, contents.

2249-50 ben holpyn and socowryd, be helped and succoured.

2256 speryng, asking.

2266 discuryng the prevyté of hert, disclosing the secret of (her) heart.

2269 les than, unless.

2273 "Gold is to thewarde," lit., Gold is to thee-ward, or gold is coming to you.

2280 late, let.

2281 preyd, prayed, invited.

2286 in, on; hys unwetyng, he (the German priest's) unknowing.

2288 her, their.

2288-89 in party, in part.

2297 alyon, alien.

2306 mornyng, mourning.

2307 crumme, crumb.

2308 entyrlyest, "entireliest," most utterly; melydiows, melodious.

2309 savowrys, delights.

2313 unmythy, unable.

2315 eyled, ailed.

2316 sleth, slays.

2326 Seynt Jerom, The remains of Saint Jerome were held in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore.

2328 Seynt Lauerawnce, The remains of St. Lawrence lie in the church of San Lorenzo, some two miles from Santa Maria Maggiore.

2335 a boryn, have borne.

2338 Estern er ellys Paske, "Paske" was another word for Easter.

2339 natyf, native.

2340 peraventur, perhaps.

2342 behyte, promised.

2346 catel, chattels, goods.

2347-48 lych as we come hedyr, like (in the same condition) as we came hither.

2354 invyows, envious.

2355 pur, pure.

2356-57 so departyd . . . in oon, so parted asunder those whom charity had joined as one.

2358 kendly, natural.

2366 Medylborwgh, Middelburg (in Zeeland); jurné, journey.

2372 sportyn, disport.

2376 gret wederyng and perlyows, stormy and perilous weathers; hyed, hied, hastened.

2379 levenys, lightning; gresely and grevows, ghastly and grievous.

2382 the her, you here.

2388 defawte, default, lack.

2389 betymes, early.

2392 perseverawns, perseverance.

2394 algatys, anyway.

2395 hecke, small vessel.

2396 leve, permission.

2401 hyly, highly.

2408 Richard Castyr, Richard Caister, vicar of St. Stephen's church, Norwich.

2412 joyn, joyful.

2418 to mekyn hyrselfe, to meeken (humble) herself.

2419-20 wher sche had don . . . whil sche was owte, where she had disposed of her child, the one who was begotten and born while she was out (of the country).

2422-23 I dede nevyr . . . childe, I did nothing since I went out wherethrough I should have a child.

2427 I make no fors, I take no heed.

2428 hite, named.

2433 wostly, certainly.

2434 levyn, lightning.

2435 noy, annoy.

2452 Trinité Sunday, perhaps May 26, 1415 (see Meech, p. 308, n.104, for dating). Trinity Sunday was the Patron's Day of Norwich Cathedral.

2457 dowt, fear.

2458 Seynt Jamys, the shrine of St. James of Compostella in Spain.

2462 heyl, hale; hoyl, whole; drow, drew.

2463 powr, poor.

2474 wrestyd, twisted.

2475 blo, pale, leaden, grey.

2479 bodyn hir, bade hir.

2480 schrewyd, sharp.

2483 awt, owed.

2488 pylche, outer garment of skin.

2489 stody thow for no good, do not strive for goods.

2498 Brystowe, Bristol; Whitson, Whitsunday, the Feast of Pentecost comes seven Sundays and fifty days after Easter and celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit.

2507 lay stille, stayed.

2507-08 for to abyden schepyng, to await shipping.

2509 the kyng, Henry V, whose second expedition to France in 1417 placed great demands on English shipping.

2510 jurné, journey.

2516 schille schrykyngys, shrill shriekings.

2518 born hyr on . . . a seyd, accused her of saying.

2520-21 "Lord, as thu . . . thei don,' Luke 23:34.

2521 crucyfyerys, crucifiers, i.e., those who crucified Jesus.

2524-26 On Corpus Cristi . . . to be do, On Corpus Christi Day, as the priests carried the Sacrament about the town in a solemn procession, with many candles and great solemnity, as was proper to do.

2530 fawyn to takyn an hows, had to enter a house.

2542 rewyd, rued, grieved.

2547 Breteyn, Brittany.

2553 hath no deynté of, has no delight in.

2555 glosyng, glossing, deception.

2557 bischop of Worcetyr, Thomas Peverel, Bishop of Worcester, 1407-1418/19.

2558 moneschid, admonished.

2562-63 al to raggyd and al to daggyd in her clothys, wearing ragged and dagged clothing (clothes fashionably slashed and pointed).

2566 lykar, more like.

2570 abood, awaited.

2571 somownde, summoned.

2572 noye, annoyance.

2574 John of Burnamys, John Brunham's.

2575 far fayr, behave properly.

2579 meny, many, affinity group, household.

2580 deyn, die.

2585 mené, servants.

2588 venjawns, vengeance.

2590 for, because of; wers, worse.

2594 bone, boon, request.

2601 Blod of Hayles, blood of Christ preserved at the Abbey of Hailes in Gloucestershire.

2603 undyrname, rebuked.

2606 yed, went; Leycetyr, Leicester.

2608 petowsly poyntyd, piteously decorated.

2609-10 al to relentyn be, completely dissolve in.

2610 yern, quickly.

2619 osteler, inn-keeper; scryppe, bag.

2620 yerne, quickly.

2623 burwgh, borough, town.

2626 loller, Lollard, heretic.

2628 chedyn, chided.

2632 hows, house.

2637 safwarde, safe-keeping.

2640 awarde, custody.

2643 dede hir etyn, allowed her to eat.

2648 spak Latyn unto hir, spoke Latin to her. In the fifteenth century, laywomen who were latinate were suspect, since they thereby intruded upon a male and clerical preserve and might well have read heretical texts or been inclined to interpret scripture without the mediation of a member of the clergy.

2656 fowyl rebawdy wordys, foul ribald words.

2657 opressyn hir, violate her; forlyn hir, lie with her.

2663-64 strobelyd wyth hir, wrestled with her (?).

2664 schewyng unclene tokenys, showing or making unclean signs; frayd, frightened.

2666 cunyng, cunning; astoyned, astonished.

2667 besynes, business.

2669 gayler, jailor.

2671 Wisbeche, Wisbeach (Cambridgeshire).

2672 hevy, sad.

2675 wederyng, stormy weather; levenys, lightnings.

2691 Alle Halwyn, All Saints.

2692 abbot of Leycetyr, Richard Rothley, the abbot of the house of Augustinian canons in Leicester.

2693 chanownys, canons; den, dean.

2694 freyrs, friars.

2695 stolys, stools.

2700 assessowrys, assessors; dedyn hir, made her.

2701 artyculys of the feyth, Articles of the Faith; in, about.

2702 And fyrst . . . of the awter, The subject of the Eucharist, or of belief in transubstantiation, was a key subject when addressing a suspected heretic. In this scene Margery is asked questions designed to catch suspected Lollards.

2706 Mawndé, Last Supper.

2708 onys, once.

2710 menyth, means.

2713 concelyd, concealed.

2717 For I do yow to wetyn, For I want you to know.

2726 despite, vexation.

2739-40 than schal . . . the trewth, then shall you tell no lies nor shall he know the truth.

2743-44 my Lord of Lynkoln, Philip Repingdon, Bishop of Lincoln.

2752 fettyn, fetch.

2757-58 lenyd hir to a peler, leaned herself against a pillar.

2759 plenté, abundance.

2766 sayd sone, literally, "said son," referring to Thomas Marshall, who calls her "mother."

2768 Melton Mowmbray, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.

2770 feryd, feared; brent, burnt.

2775 a staf of a Moyses yerde, a relic from the Holy Land (?).

2777 scryppe, small bag.

2778 scapyd of hard, escaped with difficulty.

2779 abood, waited for.

2781 forby, past.

2784 scrippe, small bag.

2795 bewté, beauty.

2796 sonar, sooner.

2798 monyschyng, admonishing.

2798-99 ne lettyn hir . . . whan sche wolde, nor hinder her from going and coming as she wished.

2800 demyd, deemed, thought.

2803 lettyd, hindered.

2804 letyn, allow.

2805 hyryd, hired.

2807 ancres, anchoress.

2808 gostly, spiritual; encres, spiritual increase.

2810 owr Ladiis Evyn, possibly September 7, 1417, the Eve of the Nativity of the Virgin.

2811 fremd, strange.

2815 evyl payd, evil pleased, i.e., not pleased.

2830 coler, collar.

2832 Childer of the monastery, Children of the monastery (i.e., going to school in or given to the monastery by their parents).

2833 wulle, wool.

2839 jangelyd, talked idly.

2840 prevyly, secretly.

2842 "Crescite et multiplicamini," Be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:22).

2851 the spiritualté, the churchmen.

2852 sumdel mor, somewhat more.

2859 chapelhows, chapter-house.

2860 monycyon, monition, warning.

2861 party, part.

2863 drow on bakke, hesitated.

2864 chapetilhows, chapter-house; Mynstyr, minister, a church of a monastery.

2874 Seynt William, shrine in York Minster of William Fitzherbert, Archbishop of York (d. 1154).

2881 meynteyn, maintain.

2884 disesyn, trouble.

2885 apere, appear.

2885-86 Erchebischop of Yorke, Henry Bowet, Archbishop of York from 1407 to 1423, known for his antipathy to Lollards.

2886 Cowoode, Cawood, Yorkshire.

2888 undirtakyn, be surety.

2891-92 sotyn ageyn hir, opposed her.

2911 velany, shame.

2914 loller, Lollard.

2918 gedyn, went.

2919 so to be demenyd, so to conduct herself.

2921 evyn cristen, fellow Christians.

2924 fettyn, fetch.

2925 feterys, fetters.

2928 socowryn, succour.

2929 tremelyd and whakyd, trembled and quaked.

2935 see, seat.

2943 welyn, wish.

2947 can, knows.

2949 peraventur, perhaps; pervertyn, pervert.

2950 I her seyn, I have heard it said.

2953 boistowsly, rudely, roughly.

2960 teryin, tarry.

2961 Brydlyngton, Bridlington, site of the cult of the fervently devout St. John of Bridlington (d. 1379), prior of the house of Augustinian canons there.

2962-63 the good priowrys . . . is now canonysed, i.e., William Sleightholme (to whom Kempe refers as Sleytham, chapter 53), confessor to St. John Bridlington.

2964 chalengyn, reprove.

2965 undirnemyn hem, reprove them.

2970 the bar, bore you; tetys, teats; sowkyn, suck.

2973-74 for sche spekyth of the gospel, the Lollards were known as Gospel-quoting "Bible men and women."

2974-75 and leyd Seynt Powyl . . . no woman schulde prechyn, 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, verses that were commonly used against women taking active and vocal parts in religious instruction, for which they might be accused of Lollardy. See Blamires and Marx; Lochrie, pp. 105-13.

2976 comownycacyon, talk.

2977 whil I leve, while I live.

2978 the werst talys, the worst tales.

2980 wil, wayward; wode, wood.

2981 sufferawns, sufferance.

2982 herborwe, lodging; erber, garden.

2983 pertre, pear tree; myddys, midst; floreschyd, adorned; belschyd, embellished; blomys, blooms.

2984 hogely, ugly.

2987 hymyr party, hinder, shameful part.

2990 agydd, aged; palmyr, palmer.

2995 massanger, messenger; aresond, addressed.

2996 sumdel, somewhat.

2998 mateynes, matins, the service that with lauds forms the first of the canonical hours; blaberyd, blabbered.

2999 messe, mass.

3002 choppyng and chongyng, buying and selling.

3003 Thu sittyst at the ale, You sit at ale, i.e., at the table.

3005 bakbytyng, backbiting, malicious gossiping.

3015 far ye be me, fare you by me, i.e., so you treat me.

3019 ledyn, lead.

3023 proferyd, offered.

3024 waryn, spend.

3030 hir not lettryd, her unlettered intelligence.

3032 ledar, leader.

3033 whech hite Sleytham, who was called Sleytham (i.e., William Sleightholme).

3036 jurné, journey.

3038 yed, went; Hulle, Hull.

3044 morwyn, morning.

3045 Hesyl, Hessle, Yorkshire.

3046 Humbyr, Humber; too, two.

3047 yemen, yeomen; Duke of Bedforthys, John, Duke of Bedford, third son of Henry IV, and at this time Lieutenant of the kingdom during Henry V's absence abroad.

3048 boot, boat.

3049 restyd, arrested.

3054 rokkys, distaffs.

3055 to Beverleward, toward Beverly.

3060 schrewyd, sharp.

3065 Me ovyrthynkyth, I regret.

3071 yedyn, went.

3085 for sche was evyl for thryste, she was badly off for thirst.

3087 leddyr, ladder.

3088 pynte of wyn . . . hir a pece, a pint of wine in a pot and took her a wine cup.

3091 clepyng, calling.

3093 sone, soon.

3095 disesys, troubles.

3098 joyn, rejoice.

3099 chapetylhows, chapter-house.

3101 chanowns, canons.

3102 delyveryd, delivered.

3104 Cowode, Cawood, Yorkshire.

3112 dispravyd, disparaged.

3113-14 that sche schulde a be brent . . . ne be, that she should have been burnt at Lynn had his Order, that of the Dominicans, not been there.

3116 Combomis dowtyr, probably a corruption of Cobham's daughter, thus a reference to Sir John Oldcastle, the Lollard who had escaped from the Tower and remained in hiding from 1413 to 1417.

3122 lesyngys, lies.

3124 can, knows.

3137 ferd wyth, fared with, treated.

3142 ben aknowe, confess.

3143 suffragan, suffragen, assistant.

3147 my Lady Westmorlond, Joan de Beaufort, daughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and Catherine Swynford; wife of Ralph Neville, Earl of Westmorland.

3149-50 my Lady Greystokke, Elizabeth, daughter of Joan de Beaufort by her first husband; wife of John de Graystoke.

3158 qwite, free; ryth wel apayd, right well satisfied.

3163 baly, bailiff.

3167 hens, hence.

3171 seyl, seal.

3172 attyd, charged; herrowr, error.

3176 good, goods, money.

3186 watyr of Humbyr, i.e., Humber River.

3193 baly, bailiff; scapyd, escaped.

3196 noyful, annoying.

3197 lettyng, hindrance.

3206 It is don us to wetyn, It is given us to know.

3208 wetyngly, knowingly; levyn, leave.

3217 Erchebischop of Cawntyrbery, Henry Chichele, who succeeded Thomas Arundel as Archbishop of Canterbury (1414-43).

3219 credens, credence.

3225 unto Elywarde, unto Ely.

3235 kest a bolful . . . in the strete, cast a bowlful of water on her head as she came down the street.

3239 flyx, flux, dysentery.

3240 spon, spoon.

3241 dey, die; recuryd, recovered.

3247 voydyn, void.

3256 levyr, rather; shrewyd, sharp.

3262 discres, decrease; agens, towards.

3263 lesse, lessen.

3269 scapyd, went away.

3276 habundawns, abundance.

3282 at the tyme of remownyng, at the time of removing, day when clergy within a district moved to new locations.

3285 Thomas Hevyngham, Thomas Hevingham, prior of St. Margaret's.

3285-86 Robert Spryngolde, parish priest of St. Margaret's and Margery's principal confessor.

3299 awte, ought.

3304 Sepulcre, place sanctioned in church for the reserved sacrament.

3310 betyn, beaten.

3311 wowndyng, wounding; pité, pity.

3313 what hir eyled, what ailed her.

3316 bar, bore; priowrys cloistyr, prior's cloister.

3318 blew . . . leed, blue as if she were lead; swet, sweated.

3320 owrys, hours.

3322 febyl and weyke, feeble and weak; mytys, might.

3332 I aske . . . gevyn me, I ask nothing, Lord, but that which you may give me.

3340 constreyn, constrain, compel.

3341 to partyn, to separate.

3354 sese, cease.

3358 hewyn, hewn, chopped; flesch, meat.

3364 alych, equally.

3366 rewe on me, take pity on me.

3369 on fro fer, one from afar.

3371 sey, saw.

3372 speryd, inquired.

3380 redyn, read.

3388 to lokyn, to examine.

3390-92 the Bybyl wyth . . . Incendium Amoris, a vernacular Bible, probably the Wycliffite translation, which Archbishop Thomas Arundel had forbidden for private reading by lay people in the Constitutions of 1409. For other texts, see notes to p. 51.

3398-99 wex benefysyd . . . cur of sowle, received a benefice and had great spiritual charge of souls.

3409 heryn, hear.

3413 levyd, believed.

3414 frowardnes, boldness.

3415 mendys, thoughts.

3420 fowle, evil.

3421 schulde a be comown, should have been common.

3421-22 bar hyr on hande, accused her.

3426 mennys membrys, men's sexual organs.

3428 enchewyn, avoid.

3434 mendys, thoughts.

3435 er what so sche dede, or whatever she did.

3441 sothfastnes, truth.

3454 wrothar, angrier; thei, though.

3458-59 as he was wone to don, as he was wont to do.

3460 thu deynyst not, you do not scorn.

3465 lystere, reader.

3466-67 sche was steryd . . . nedful for hym, she was stirred in her soul to take care of him in God's service. And, when she lacked anything that was necessary for him.

3471 levyn, live.

3472 Seynt Stefenys Chirche wher is beriid the good vicary, i.e., Richard Caistyr (d. 1420), vicar of St. Stephens.

3474 recuryng, the recovery.

3482 divers, diverse.

3488 hym, i.e., Richard Caistyr. The people misunderstood the nature of Margery's tears.

3489 dede hir drynkyn, caused her to drink.

3491 ther, there (where).

3492 pyté, pity, depiction of Mary with the dead Jesus.

3495 thei, though.

3498 awt, ought.

3502 avoket, advocate.

3518 lestith, lasts.

3522 hir, herself; brast, burst.

3526 I trowe, and thu, I believe if you.

3528 sattelyn, settle; her, their.

3529 mict, might.

3534 noyith, annoys.

3539 her, hear; les, unless; levyn, stop.

3543 and assayn yyf he myth mekyn hys hert, and try to humble his heart.

3551 White Frer, White (Carmelite) Friar; aprevyd, approved.

3565 cardiakyl, heart disease.

3568 that, if; kendly, natural.

3575 ther, where.

3598 expleytyd hys conseytys, explained his thoughts.

3599 remowr, rumor.

3602 murmowr and grutchyng, murmur and complaining; geynseyd, gainsayed, contradicted.

3604-05 I schal so smytyn . . . mayntenowrys, I shall so smite the nail on the head (i.e., speak severely) that it shall shame all her supporters.

3607-08 of the whech . . . felyngys aftyr, among whom was the same priest who afterwards wrote this book and had purposed never to have believed her feelings thereafter.

3608 drow, drew.

3611 Maria de Oegines, Marie d'Oignies (c. 1177-1213), whose devotion to Christ and service for others made her one of the most important examplars of female piety. Jacques de Vitry, her contemporary, friend, and confessor, wrote her life.

3615 pyté, pity.

3617 capitulo, chapter; "Bonus es, domine, sperantibus in te," He is good, Lord, whose hope is in you.

3619 turbelyd, troubled; distrawt, distraught.

3621 beyng at messe, being at mass, i.e., when he was at Mass.

3623 mesuryn, restrain.

3633 drow ageyn, drew again; sadly, wisely.

3634 enchewyd, eschewed, avoided.

3635 "The Prykke of Lofe," the fourteenth-century devotional work, Stimulus Amoris, falsely attributed to St. Bonaventure.

3636-37 A, Lord . . . cryen?, A, Lord, of what shall I make the most noise or (of what shall I) cry?

3637 lettyst, tarry.

3638 for to maddyn, to go mad.

3639 thei that se me irkyn and rewyn, those who see me are irked by me and pity me.

3640-41 yen wood man . . . in the stretys, yon mad man cries in the streets.

3641 how meche, how great; parceyve, perceive.

3642 Stimulo Amoris, Stimulus Amoris; Richard Hampol, Richard Rolle of Hampole, the mid fourteenth-century mystic and writer.

3643 Incendio Amoris, the Latin mystical work by Richard Rolle which was translated into English as the Fire of Love by Richard Misyn in 1435.

3644 Elizabeth of Hungry, Elizabeth of Hungary (1207-31), the thirteenth-century saint, whose tears of devotion formed a key element of her legend, a legend that was current in England in the fifteenth century.

3648 demyn, think.

3650-51 slawnderyd, etyn, and knawyn, slandered, eaten, and gnawed.

3666 a chapel . . . the Jesyne, a chapel of our Lady called the Gesine, the chapel in St. Margaret's Church in which stood a picture of the birth of Jesus. See Gibson, p. 64.

3667 Anethe, Hardly.

3676 inqwietyng, disturbing.

3704 anow, enough.

3705 safe, save.

3706 prise, price.

3708 asayd, assayed, tested.

3715 faylyn, fail.

3728 faylyn and brestyn, fail and burst.

3734 leryn, learn, i.e., teach.

3738 deryn, harm.

3739 preyn, pray.

3740 to meward, toward me.

3743 clevyn as sor, cleave as closely.

3750 abyte, habit; curyd, covered.

3752 spar, spare (them).

3755 fayn, fain, eager.

3760 grutchyn, grudge, complain.

3776 her in erde, here on earth.

3780 lazerys, lepers.

3789 good to levyn wyth, "levyn" can mean either "live" or "believe"; hence, "good" might refer to either spiritual or material goods; leful, permissable, lawful.

3790 besyn hem, busy themselves.

3791 owt, out, away from.

3794 undyrnemyn, rebuke.

3805 pyment, sweetened and spiced wine.

3806 yrke, weary.

3812 hele, health.

3816-17 'Lord, . . . into thyn hert.' This couplet is repeated later, in chapter 88.

3821 bonowr, gentle, obedient.

3824 fastydyst, fasted.

3838 mythy, mighty, able.

3841 fode, food; discresyd, decreased.

3842 an, have.

3844 tho, those (weeping and crying); the mor thank, thank you more.

3846 gret fyer, the Guild Hall in Lynn was burned on January 23, 1420-21 (?).

3847 hydows, hideous.

3849 ne had grace ne myracle ne ben, had there not been grace nor miracle.

3865 wrowt, worked.

3869 qwer, choir; lantern, open structure upon a roof to give light to the interior.

3876 myrakyl, miracle.

3882 lettyd, hindered; hys kendly, its natural.

3883 sesyd, ceased.

3890 dur, endure.

3895 levyr, rather.

3898 dede hir drynkyn, caused her to drink.

3899 awter, altar.

3900 skylle, reason.

3902 wysys, manners, ways.

3904 for non, forenoon.

3911 demyng, deeming, thinking.

3912 awt, ought.

3919 chapetyl of the Frer Prechowrys, chapter (provincial assembly) of the Dominicans.

3920 it longyth on, one was obliged.

3928 conseyt, thought, (good) opinion.

3929 steryng, stirring.

3930 wistly, certainly.

3940-41 owr Ladiis Assumpsyon, the assumption of the body of the blessed Virgin into heaven.

3943 wol, well.

3946 supportacyon, support.

3950 maystyrschep, lordship, victory.

3954 compassyfly, compassionately.

3961 the priowr, Thomas Hevingham, see chapter 57.

3962 teme, theme.

3965-66 Bischop Wakeryng, John Wakering, Bishop of Norwich, 1416-25.

3978 the Provincyal of the White Frerys, Thomas Netter, elected provincial prior of the English Carmelites in 1414.

3989 sweme, sorrow.

3997 erde, earth.

4000 benefysed, have benefices, ecclesiastical livings or curacies; dar unethys, dare never.

4002 worthy, precious.

4004 oftynar, more often.

4007 Jesyn, see p. 151.

4014 hith, promised.

4025 levyn, live.

4026 be obediens, by obedience (to the will of figures of spiritual authority).

4029 heyl and hool, hale and whole; leve, leave, permission.

4031 dinyn, dine.

4032 mentyl and the ryng, mantle and ring of chastity, i.e., while continuing to live in the world.

4039-40 sawcyd and sawryd, sauced and savored (flavored).

4040 peyr of knyvys, pair of knives.

4045 remownyd, removed.

4047 clepyd, called.

4049 he that was sent to Lynne, John Derham, who briefly succeeded Thomas Hevingham.

4061 as loth as thu art to levyn my steryngys, as loath as you are to believe my stirrings.

4062 er this day sevenyth, within the week.

4063 rehersyd hir, repeated to her.

4070 wetyn in this mater, learn in this matter.

4073-74 for he was . . . of complexion, for he was a weak man with a feeble complexion (constitution).

4074 the kyng deyid, Henry V died on August 31, 1422.

4075 bood, abode.

4076 Bischop of Wynchestyr, Henry Beaufort, half-brother to Henry IV.

4083 lownes, lowness.

4084 frelté, frailty.

4091 deedly, mortal.

4093 wyth lyte, with candles.

4095 abrostyn, have burst.

4102 as sche, as if she.

4104 whech wolde a levyd ful fawyn, who would fain have lived.

4105 and aftyr me . . . yernyng, and after me you have no yearning.

4107 for cawse of comownyng, in order to talk with her.

4112-13 "To hem that . . . into goodnes," Romans 8:28.

4117 mené, supporters, followers, flock.

4124 telde hir in parcel of the cawse, told her part of the reason.

4126 sche myth not acordyn wyth, might not feel easy with; aray, array, clothing.

4127 say, saw.

4128 Holy Thursday, Thursday of Holy Week, the beginning of the intense period of prayer and ritual that ended in Easter; went processyon, went in procession.

4129 Mary Mawdelyn, Mary Magdalene.

4132 swemful, sorrowful.

4134 schulde a brostyn, should have burst.

4134-35 Sche myth . . . rewlyn hirselfe, She might not measure herself nor rule (control) herself.

4138 ententyd, attended.

4139 steyn up, rise up.

4139-40 for sche . . . in erde, in spite of the fact she could not relinquish him on earth.

4149 be teriid, be held back.

4155 dowt, doubt.

4158 to the, for you.

4159-60 Seynt Nicholas Day, there are no accounts in the Book of St. Nicholas' Day.

4160 plenowr remissyon, full forgiveness.

4166 Rafnys, i.e., Margery's stay at Rafnys when she went to Jerusalem and there received plenary remission for her sins.

4174 to ben sekyr, to be sure.

4179 duryn, endure.

4180 lazer, leper.

4185 that, those.

4186 lothful, loathful, hateful.

4188 halsyn, embrace.

4189-90 how gret desyre . . . lazerys, how great a desire she had to kiss lepers.

4191 algatys, anyhow.

4194 her, their.

4199 oo, one.

4202 horibyl thowtys, horrible thoughts. Kempe draws here upon the ancient and false link between leprosy and lechery.

4211 evyl afeerd, terribly afraid.

4212 manykyld, manacled.

4215 alienyd, aliened, out.

4220 gapyd, gaped.

4223 tediows, irritating.

4227 meke, meek.

4230 faryn, fare.

4231 recuryng, recovering.

4233 purifiid as other women be, The reference is to the ceremony of "churching" or purification which occurred some weeks after childbirth and signified a woman's re-entry into parish life.

4235 sey, seen.

4236 sey, saw.

4240 thre scor yer, sixty years.

4241 slederyd, slipped; fotyng, footing; gresys, steps.

4242 bresyd, bruised.

4243 teyntys, rolls of soft material for distending wounds; holyng, healing.

4245 dene, din, noise; luschyng, rushing.

4246 rowyd, streaked.

4254 enchewyn, avoid; perellys, perils; sojowryd, sojourned.

4255 incontinens, incontinence (to their vow of chastity).

4258-59 many evyl folke . . . Jhesu Crist, many evil folks whose tongues were their own, lacking the dread of and love for our Lord Jesus Christ.

4259 demtyn, thought.

4260 to usyn . . . her bodiis, to use, in the sense of sexual use, their physical desires.

4261 aspyin, spy; wetyn, know.

4263 be her . . . consentyng, by their good will and mutual consent.

4264 boord, meals.

4265 lettyd, hindered.

4270 bone, boon, request.

4275 fawyn, fain, gladly.

4282-83 don hys owyn . . . to a sege, could not relieve himself by going to a stool.

4286 costage in fyryng, expenditure in making fires.

4287 an yrked, have begrudged him; saf, except.

4297 fadom, fathoms.

4299 to synnyn on me wilfully, to sin willfully on account of me.

4306 algate, rather, prefer.

4310 buxom, obedient.

4312 planetys, planets.

4313 thundirkrakkys, thunder claps.

4314 levenys, lightning bolts.

4315 stepelys, steeples.

4318 yyt, yet.

4322 erdedenys, earthquakes.

4329 prys, price.

4340-41 he thar nevyr fallyn in dispeyr, he will never fall into despair because of it (his past).

4351 thei, though.

4352 sithys, times.

4356 hey, high.

4359 lest, least.

4363 hyrdil, hurdle.

4363-64 to wonderyn on, to wonder on, to marvel at.

4364 so it wer no perel to her sowlys, as long as it was no peril to their souls, i.e., as long as the sight did not imperil their souls; slory, slurry, thin mud.

4365 slugge, sludge, slime.

4368 Palme Sonday, Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter and the beginning of Holy Week. On this Sunday worshippers carrying palms would process out of the church, and then around it, from east to south to west and enter into the church again through the west door behind the priest and the sacrament (Duffy, pp. 23-27).

4384 langurith, languishes.

4387 fir, fire.

4390 a brostyn, have burst.

4391 al on a watyr, all wet.

4397 languryng, languishing.

4398 mornyng, mourning.

4409 merowr, mirror.

4410 for to, in order to.

4412 dever, duty.

4416 terys, tears.

4421-22 welyn good, will good.

4424 crossestaf, staff of the cross; smet on the chirche dor, smote on the church door, i.e., the point when the Palm Sunday procession entered the church, an entry that at once evoked Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and his entry into hell's gates on Holy Saturday.

4427 oste, host.

4428 mawgre, in spite of.

4433 drow up a cloth, All during Lent, the Crucifix was hidden from view by a painted veil suspended on the rood screen. At the climax of the Palm Sunday ceremony the people gathered in front of the rood screen and knelt as the veil was drawn up on the pulleys, the anthem "Ave Rex Noster'' was sung, and the priests venerated the Crucifix (Duffy, p. 27).

4449 rewth, pity. Much of Kempe's account of Christ's Passion is indebted to Nicholas Love's influential Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ.

4479 wel levar, far rather.

4481 her, here.

4486-87 how may yowr . . . sone se al this wo?, how may your heart endure and see your blissful son see all this woe?

4487 dur, endure.

4488 yyt, yet.

4491 Mownt of Olyvete, Mount of Olives. On the night of the Last Supper, Jesus took the disciples to the Mount of Olives, where he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. There, he asked that the cup of suffering be taken from his lips but only if it was God's will. Shortly thereafter he was betrayed by Judas. See, for example, Mark 14:26-50.

4494 stavys, staves; swerdys, swords.

4495 polexis, pole-axes.

4497 "Ego sum," I am (he).

4498 sowtyn, sought.

4503 be haldyn and drawyn wyth, be held and drawn by.

4505 betyng, beating; bofetyng, buffeting; bobyng, striking.

4506-07 how smet the, who smot you.

4507 wise, way.

4508 syhyd, sighed.

4509 ferd, fared; venymowslych, venomously.

4510 luggen, pull; erys, ears; drawyn, draw, pull.

4513 peler, pillar.

4516 baleys, scourges.

4525 bowt, bought.

4527 peler, pillar.

4528 babelys, metal tip of a lash; leed, lead.

4529 prekelys, prickles; rowelys, rowels, wheels on spurs having several rotating sharp points; tho, those.

4530 comenawnt, covenant.

4531 petows, piteous.

4533 losyd, loosed.

4535 metyn, meet.

4536 boystows, rough; unethe, scarcely.

4547 rendyn of, rend from.

4548 sylke, silk; the which was . . . owr Lordys body, which had stuck and hardened completely and tightly to our Lord's body.

4549 drow, drew.

4552 flayn, flayed.

4555 a row and a boistews, rough and huge.

4557 schrynkyd, shrank; senwys, sinews.

4561 morkyn, marked.

4564 ye cruel Jewys, The anti-Judaism here is similar to but not as intensely expressed as that found in the N-Town cycle, another work of East Anglian provenance. For remarks about anti-Judaism as it pertains to the Book, see Staley (1994), pp. 68-71.

4572 morteys, hole.

4574 reverys, rivers.

4580 Alas, Lord . . . careful modyr, Alas, Lord, you leave here a careful (care-filled) mother.

4581 too, two.

4592-93 Joseph ab Armathy, Joseph of Arimethea, who claimed Jesus' body and helped to bury it.

4599 kissyn hys feet, Margery here asks to venerate the most humble aspect of the body -the physical person - of Christ that unites him with us. Traditionally Mary Magdalene is pictured at the feet of Jesus, so later (p. 196) Margery assumes the position of the Magdalene in venerating Christ's toes.

4610 beriin, bury.

4623 merveyl, marvel.

4624 thens, thence.

4627 ageyn, towards.

4631 mad for owr Lady a good cawdel, made for our Lady a good hot drink. On this detail, see Gibson, p. 51.

4640 careful reed, care-filled counsel, advice.

4643-44 I, synful Petyr . . . Crist, I, sinful Peter, who has forsaken my Lord Jesus Christ.

4648 yerne, quickly.

4664 "Salve, sancta parens," Greetings, blessed parent.

4667 tastyn, examine.

4668 sorhed, soreness.

4680 and herd and . . . of a gardener, See John 20:1-18.

4682 hast awey, have (taken) away.

4690 up reson, up risen.

4697 Purificacyon Day, Feb. 2, the Feast of the Purification, marked by an elaborate procession in which each parishoner carried a candle. See Duffy, pp. 15ff.

4718 fervowr, fervor.

4725 welyn, will.

4733 prevy, secret.

4735 bareyn, barren.

4737 er a suffyrd . . . hem wyth, or would have suffered great bodily pain in order to get tears.

4746-49 whedyr it wer . . . heryn hir er not, whether it (her weeping) was deceptive or not. Since she cried and wept in the sight of the people, they (the two priests) had a secret plan, without her knowledge, by which they would prove whether she cried in order for the people to hear her or not.

4753 in fere, together.

4770 tho, those.

4774 peraventur, perhaps.

4777 lakkyd, lacked.

4781 a don hir left of hir good purpos, have caused her to leave off her good purpose.

4797 ny everydeel, nearly everything.

4798 Abbas of Denney, Abbess of Denny (Cambridgeshire).

4804 pestylens, pestilence.

4812 bodyn, bidden.

4813-14 bodyn ben at hom, bidden stay at home.

4815 yede, went.

4819 botys, boats.

4822 ordeynd, ordained, taken care of.

4838 yyf thu haddist had good anow, if you had had goods enough.

4849 preyst, prays.

4861 hakkyd, hacked; flesche, meat.

4866 nevyr a deel, never at all.

4870 hyd, hidden.

4873 forbere, do without.

4879 wreth, wrath.

4887 bedys byddyng, prayers bidding (saying).

4897 to demyn thin hert, to judge your heart.

4905-06 to the that hast ben synful, to you who have been sinful.

4910 oryson, prayer; hir eyne wer evyr togedirward, her eyes were closed.

4913 howge, huge.

4916 wist, knew.

4920 for none, before noon.

4932 qwer, choir, i.e., in that part of the church which, during services, is appropriated to the singers.

4935 have mynde of, have memory of.

4937 wistly, certainly.

4943 on, one; baselard knyfe, dagger.

4944 kytt, cut.

4952 toos, toes.

4954 sytys, sights.

4960 instawns, urgency.

4965 sotyl, subtle.

4972 ey ledys, eye lids.

4974 kerche, kerchief.

4976 swathyd, swaddled.

4991 clepist, call.

4998 mene, mean, medium.

5004 confessowrys, confessors, those who have given heroic evidence of their faith in Christ.

5005 arayn, array.

5007 cuschyn, cushion.

5008-09 is apropyrd, is given as a property.

5010-11 I bowt the so der, I bought you so dear, i.e., paid your debts on the cross.

5011 aqwityn, acquit, pay back.

5014 rememorawns, remembrance.

5016 gevar, giver.

5022 proparteys, properties.

5027 very, true.

5033 aforn, before.

5034 wistly, certainly.

5037 wostly, certainly.

5039 mekyl, much.

5044 on lyve, alive; hele, health.

5047 as frely fro, as freely from.

5055 sattelyn as sor, settle as sorely.

5081 lownes, lowness.

5083 hily, highly; alle men that thu hast kept seke in my name, all men you have cared for [who have been] sick in my name.

5089 herberwyd, lodged, harbored.

5096 on frende, one friend.

5110 stabelyd, made stable.

5125-26 Sche supposyd sumtyme . . . of an owr, She supposed sometime that five or six hours had not been the space of an hour.

5127 irke, weary.

5128 levar, rather.

5138 hom, home.

5139 bedys, prayers.

5149 wher is . . . owyn reson, where is a better prayer by your own reason.

5157 yowr on knew yowr other, you knew one another.

5160 ronne, ran.

5162 'Lord for thi . . . into thyn hert', This is a variation of the couplet in chapter 65 (p. 156).

5168 prise, value.

5171 dolful, doleful.

5193 levyst, believe.

5204-05 And I schal gevyn the ther ageyn al myn hert, And I shall give you there in return all my heart.

5207 tretys, treatise.

5229 tho that men wenyn . . . illusyons, those that men thought were revelations were deceits and illusions.

5230 sadly abydyn, wisely abide.

6 fest of Seynt Vital Martyr, April 28.

12 usyng marchawndyse, using merchandise, in the sense of being employed in trading goods.

13 a teynyd, have attained.

24 ponysch, punish.

27-28 hys face wex . . . a lepyr, his face grew full of pimples and pustules as if it had been a leper's.

31 lazer, leper.

32 bannyd, cursed.

36 as sche had mad no fors, since she would make no concession.

37 whan he sey non other bote, when he saw no other remedy.

38 promittyng, promising.

39 enchewyng, avoiding.

46 correpcyon, correction.

52 Pruce in Dewchelonde, Prussia in Germany.

61 nevyr purposyng to passyn the see whil sche levyd, never intending to cross the sea while she lived.

65 aray, clothing.

66 vanyté, vanity; daggys, long pointed ends along the hems of tunics or gowns; see chapter 2.

72 for dred of symulacyon, for fear of (his) simulation (of the appearance of virtue).

73 sadde, wise, sober.

74 the drawt, the draw.

84 to certifyin hir, to notify her.

86 levyng, believing.

89 safwarde, safe-keeping.

92 speryd, asked.

95 resyn, arose.

96 Pruce, Prussia.

110 Dewche, German.

111 Duchelond, Germany.

112 resortyn, resort, repair.

113 conseyte, plan; eldmodyr, stepmother.

116 speryd, inquired (about).

119 schrevyn, shriven, confessed.

127 Ho, Who; see, sea.

132 Yepiswech, Ipswich.

134 hirtyd, hurt.

137 ermyte, hermit.

140 jurné, journey; Lenton, Lent.

156 purveyin, provide.

159 Walsyngham, Walsingham, one of the most important pilgrim sites in England.

174 wenyn, knows.

177 durst, dared.

180 leve, believe.

186 that awt . . . wyth hir, who ought most to have been with her.

189 wetyng, knowing.

190 a, have; abeyn, obey.

201 levyng, way of life.

203-04 Passyon Weke, Passion Week, the week beginning with Palm Sunday and ending with Easter.

205 prevyng, proving.

208 cowde, knew; chefsyawns, protection, relief.

215 bannyd, reproached; wariid, cursed.

219 lesse than thu the sonar, unless you soon.

220 enjoyin, rejoice.

228 feerdnes, fearfulness.

247 drow, drew.

254 curyd, covered.

255 purveyd, provided for.

262 kende, natural.

264 monischyd, admonished.

265 diswer, doubt.

274 Wilsnak, Wilsnack in Brandenberg, Germany.

275 oostys, hosts.

280 al qwite, repay.

281 costys, coasts.

282 heeke, a small boat containing hatches.

283 myth sche han . . . of that lond, she could not get leave to go out of that land. In 1433 there were uneasy trade relations between England and Prussia that had an impact on shipping and, inevitably, upon English travellers in Prussia.

285 heerys of Pruce, Teutonic knights.

288 prevyly, secretly; apertly, openly.

291 wawe, wave.

293 resyn sor, arose greatly.

297 Strawissownd, Stralsund in Pomerania, Germany.

298 ryth wretyn, written correctly.

305-06 for ther was . . . tho cuntreys, for there was open war between the English and those countries. Kempe refers here to the hostilities over trade during the 1430s.

316 the yrkar, the more irked.

323 arayd, dressed; fyten, fight.

329 dysewsyd of, unused to; three scor yer of age, i.e., sixty years old.

330 cotidianly, quotidianly, daily; pase, pace; fryke, vigorous; lusty, eager.

331 it lukkyd hem, they happened; ostage, hostel.

333 leevyn, lightning.

338 wayne, wain, wagon.

346 beed, bode, stayed.

347 Akunward, Aachen in Prussia; waynys, carts.

349 rekles, reckless.

352 chapmen, merchants.

353-54 Frer Menowrys, Franciscans.

354 thrist, thirst; bodyn, bade.

357 potel, two quart vessel.

359 utas, octave; Corpus Cristi, the Feast of Corpus Christi, which occurs on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday.

365 waynys, wagons.

367 Sawter, Psalter, the Psalms.

367-68 "Qui seminant . . . and flebant", allusion to verses from Psalm 126:5-6: "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."

369 wrothar, more angry.

373 instawns, urgency.

374 utas of, octave of (festive week after).

377 proferyd, offered; wolde, wished.

388 ther sche was at oste, where she was at hostel.

389 sterte, tail (?), probably a reference to continental jokes about the English having tails; perhaps a derogatory and salacious word for an Englishwoman.

396 Akun, Aachen.

397 betymys, early.

398 speryng at, asking of.

405 bowte, bought.

406 dedyn of her, took off their.

407 pykyd hem, picked them (for lice); abydyn hem, abide with them.

408 jurné, journey.

409 was abavyd, was afraid, embarrassed.

410 betyn, bitten.

416 owr Ladys smokke, the smock Mary wore at Christ's birth, one of Aachen's four important relics.

417 Seynt Margaretys Day, July 20; it lukkyd, it happened.

418 meny, household.

424 mené, household.

429-30 yf sche myth . . . yerne as thei, if she could endure going as quickly as they.

431 lettyng, loitering, hindering.

436 scharpar, more painful.

437 yern, swiftly.

438 socowr, help.

446 alle in fer, all in company.

447 agyd, aged; weyke, weak.

449 costys, costs.

453 softly, easily; beyng evyl for thryst, craving drink.

464 sped, speed.

467 latyn hir payn, let her pay.

469-70 sche had mad forward, she had made an agreement.

472 wenyng, thinking.

478 diswer, doubt.

489 hast, haste; drowyn ther, drew where.

491-92 an hep of brakys, a heap of ferns.

492 instawns, urgency.

493 berne, barn.

494 thei made aseth, they made compensation.

497 ful febyl herberwe, not many hostels.

501-02 Therfor sche . . . no nyth les, Therefore she went to bed gladly (easily) no night unless.

508 as sche myth ateyn, as she was able.

514 abydyng schepyng, awaiting shipping.

518 speryd and spyid, inquired and espied.

520 boryn, borne.

528-29 preservyn hir fro . . . in her presens, save her from sea-sickness in their presence.

531 her alderys mervelyng, all marvelling at her.

539 hogelyd, hastily dressed.

540 unsperd and unbotenyd, unfastened and unbuttoned.

546 yen, yonder.

548 clad in a . . . sekkyn gelle, clad in a cloth of canvas like a garment made of sack.

551 chefsyawns, financial transaction, borrowing.

552 bar a kerche befor hir face, bore a handkerchief before her face, i.e., to disguise herself until she had proper clothing.

553 Mar. Kempe of Lynne, only here does Kempe sign her book.

558 lesyngys, lies.

559 powyr, power.

560 tungys, tongues.

561 autorys, authors.

565 mete, meal.

566 divers of fyschys, different varieties of fish.

567-68 "A, thu fals flesch . . . han thi wille", A, you false flesh, you would now eat red herring (eat the lesser fish as a sign of false humility), but you shall not have your will.

573 kyd, known.

583 jangelyd, gossiped, talked idly.

587 leevyng of gret metys, leaving coarse meats.

591 arectyd, imputed.

595 aseeth makyng, making satisfaction; ageyn, against.

596 swerars, swearers; bannars, cursers.

605 ledyn, lead.

611 Lammes Day, Lammas Day, August 1, the feast of Saint Peter in Chains, a day on which rents were traditionally collected, a day associated with the agricultural harvest, and a day that commemorated Peter's freedom from his prison chains and thus our liberation from sin. In addition, the pope had set aside the day for special pardon for pilgrims who honored St. Bridget by visiting the abbey.

612 Schene, the Carthusian monastery at Shene, founded by Henry V in 1415; Kempe's reference, however, is to Mount Syon, the Brigettine abbey at Isleworth, where the Lammas Day pardon was a special indulgence.

614 rememorawns, remembrance.

625 abite, habit.

633 eyr, heir.

638-39 to the seward, seaward.

645 wetyn, let you know.

652 aqwityn, acquit, pay back.

654 her botherys, both of their.

656 obediencer, a person who vows obedience to some person, office, or rule.

664 ympne, hymn; "Veni creator spiritus," "Come Holy Spirit," the pentecostal hymn.

666 Pentecost Day, the festival that occurs on the seventh Sunday after Easter and celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit; induyn, endue, endow.

668 enchewyn, eschew, avoid.

675 wistly, certainly.

681 inseare, one who sees into.

685 moryn, increase.

686 lyvys er dedys, alive or dead; her, here; eyne, eyes.

690 wistly, certainly.

698 as anemst, as regards.

706 statys, states, estates.

712 partabyl of, able to share in.

717 weldyng, control.

728 titharys, tithers; vowtererys, adulterers.

729 levarys, people.

730 sonar, sooner.

739 bedred, bedridden.

750 spitys, spites.

753 moryng, increasing.

756 fres and salt, fresh and salt; cheselys, pebbles.

757 gresys, grasses; kyrnellys, kernels.

758 fedir, feather; er her, or hair.

761 kynnes, kind.

767 schenschep, disgrace.

769 lawdacyon, laudation.

773 leef, dear; der, precious.

782 Mary Egipcyan, St. Mary of Egypt, the third-century prostitute who, in grieving for her sins, lived forty years as a desert saint; Seynt Awstyn, Saint Augustine of Hippo.

784 beqwothyn, bequeathed.

785 lovars, lovers.

786 vowtré, adultery.

790 Lazer, Lazarus, brother of Martha and Mary, whom Jesus raised from the dead.

791 holy stede, holy place.

795 Gramercy, lit., Grant mercy.

798 feithyn, believe.

801 Salthows, the name of the man who copied the manuscript, probably in the mid-fifteenth century.

 

THE BOOK OF MAGERY KEMPE: NOTES

An early sixteenth-century reader/editor has gone through the manuscript emending it in red ink. In the notes I have dealt with these markings as if they came from Margery's first editor, noting some of those emendations particularly those that typify that reader's reconstruction of her text. Sometimes, as in lines 146 and 206, this effort simply modernizes Margery's idiom. Elsewhere the concern seems to be with streamlining the syntax (i.e., lines 714, 2035). In some instances the emendations seem necessary (e.g., lines 11 and 103), and I have adopted them for my text. We have no way of knowing whether the red hand has any authority for the alterations other than his/her own reading of the text. For a systematic annotation of the red hand see the notes to Meech's edition. In the MS, chapter numbers are written in the outer margins at the beginning of each chapter. Each chapter begins with a rubric capital.

Primus liber

11 oure. MS: added above Savyour in red.

32 sum men. MS: summen.

92 yyf. MS: 3yf. With this construction, I have converted all yoghs to y.

105 of. MS: added in red above peyr.

126 be the. MS: bethe.

129 Mary Maudelyn. As a penitent, lover of Christ, mourner, chief witness of the Resurrection, missionary, and mystic seer, the Magdalene was a key figure in the literature of affective devotion. The numerous references to the saint throughout the Book of Margery Kempe seem designed to indicate a particular identity for Margery who, like the Magdalene, would see herself as one of Jesus' intimate friends or lovers. For a discussion of the role of the Magdalene in the late medieval literature of devotion, including further bibliographical references, see Johnson (1979) and (1984, pp.146-68). For a study of the Magdalene in relation to the late medieval and probably East-Anglian play, the Digby Mary Magdalene, see Davidson. By noting that the text of Margery's life began to take a written form on July 23, the day after the saint's feast day, Kempe suggests that Margery, like Mary, was a potent witness to the new life, that her visions inspired others to"see."

146 gan. MS: be in superscript correction above gan in red.

151 brennyng. MS: brennyg.

160 steryngys. Stirrings, from the verb stirren, is a term frequently used by Richard Rolle, the enormously popular and influential mid-fourteenth-century devotional writer, to describe the physical symptoms of his passionate spiritual ecstasy. It became a "key word" for those writing about or talking about devotion and/or subjectivity. The word itself could indicate either spiritual or physical arousal. Stirren could also mean to set in motion, to turn aside, to rouse, to trouble, to exhort or coax, to inspire or prompt, and to incite. Kempe's uses of it should be seen as one more instance of her self-conscious use of language. For a consideration of Hilton's proscriptive use of the term, see Staley, "Julian of Norwich and the Late Fourteenth-Century Crisis of Authority," in Aers and Staley, Powers of the Holy, pp. 107-78.

183 sche. Not in MS. Meech's emendation.

205 gan. MS: be in superscript above gan in red.

228 he2. MS: het.

233 seyd on. Meech mistranscribes as seyden and emends by adding [o thyng], which is unnecessary since on supplies the "one thing" sense.

250 cowd not. MS: cowdnot.

253 ye know. MS: yeknow.

289 entryng. MS: entryg.

306 wownd of. MS: vy crossed out after of.

309 temptacyon. MS: tamptacyon, with e in superscript above the first a.

332 suasyons. MS: suasynons with the first n expuncted and crossed out.

332 gan. MS: be in superscript above gan in red.

341 and. MS: k crossed out after and.

374 grawnt. MS: grawt.

392 to. to in superscript between gefe and the.

398 ernest peny of hevyn. It is worth noting that Hugh of St. Victor wrote a treatise on the earnest penny as a metaphor of Christ's love of his bride. See his Soliloquy on the Earnest Money of the Soul, trans. Kevin Herbert (Milwaukee: Marquette Christianity Press, 1956).

402 schuld. MS: schul.

406 than. MS: than in superscript between And and anoon.

442 ob. of is occasionally written ob in anticipation of words beginning with b.

462 N. Meech reads this letter as an R (see the note to Meech, p. 20), but it looks more like an N. This usage is consistent with the widespread habit (including that of the scribe of this manuscript) of using the letter N as a "wildcard character." See, for example, the beginning of Chapter 2, where Kempe identifies her father as mayor of the town of N.

462 mor. MS: thow in superscript above mor in red.

486 hir. k crossed out after hir and before bakke.

503 rathyr. Meech transcribes as rathar.

507 grawntyn. MS: grawtyn.

522 comown. Comown, from the verb comowmyn, has come down to us as "commune," but our word seems to me far less allusive than the medieval term. "Common," though it is now used only as an adjective, more closely captures the complicated association encoded in the medieval verb. Comown could be used to describe the act of sharing or entering into a partnership, of acting jointly, of having sexual intercourse, of communicating, or of receiving or administering Holy Communion. Like her equally elastic use of medelyn, Kempe's word-play hints at the many types of communities she considers in her Book.

571 to. Though the word is almost illegible, it looks like to.

622 a. Marked with a caret, in superscript between al and day.

626 mech. the expuncted after of; mech marked with a caret and in superscript between the and pepyl.

626 toke. ke in superscript above to.

629 thow. tho expuncted after wold; thow in superscript above.

671 begynnyng. MS: begynnyg.

678 thowt. MS: thow.

682 woldyst. The words suffer deth are added in very dark ink in large letters in the outer margin. The caret after the phrase corresponds to the caret after woldyst in the text.

692 watyr. fro, which is expuncted in red, follows watyr.

wasch it. MS: waschit.

697 hem. MS: to in superscript above hem in red.

700 compunccyon. MS: compuccyon.

711 Thowgh. MS: th, with a caret afterwards, owgh in dark letters above.

714 owyr Lord. MS: crossed out in red.

714 hys. MS: crossed out in red.

722 hir. as crossed through and expuncted after hir.

731 I. l crossed through after I.

735 slawndyr. MS: slawdyr.

804 mend. MS: soull in superscript above mend in red.

810 the. archsh crossed out after the.

813 to. MS: ty. o written in red on top of original y.

823 cam forth. MS: camforth.

829 hir. to crossed out after hir.

838 dalyawns. Lower right corner of the folio has been destroyed.

843 maynten. MS: mayten.

857 behyte. hyte partially destroyed.

863 The chapter break is followed in the MS by a directive note in red. It runs from the chapter into the margin. It reads: it begynnes thus in the tyme the vj lefe efter.The reference directs a reader to chapter 21, which recounts events (the beginning of Margery's special relationship with her confessor) prior to those in chapter 16. See also Introduction, p. 5, for a discussion of these lines.

880 sowle. owl partially destroyed, e completely destroyed.

899 Bridis. MS: Pridis.

899 The Latin titles refer to key works of affective piety that link Margery to the concerns of late medieval lay devotion. See Introduction, pp. 5-6.

902 sumtyme. sumty completely destroyed.

925 had. h and d partially destroyed. There was probably one more word at the end of the line. of is written in the lower margin under she.

949 helde. The word itself is obliterated, but there appears to be space for a four-letter word. Only the upper part of d, about two letter spaces from the left-hand margin, remains. Helde is Meech's suggestion.

972 muste. uste completely destroyed. At the end of the line, there is further space for either a two- or a three-letter word.

979 For a discussion of this attribution to Jerome (which seems not to belong to him but reflects pious popular tradition), see Meech, p. 279, n. 43/7.

982 sete. seet, perhaps in the original hand, is written above sete.

996 and causyd. Only syd is legible; the rest is completely destroyed. Meech's emendation.

1012 levyn. MS: be in red followed by a red hyphen in the margin.

1019 bryte. MS: yte partially destroyed.

1020 dyrke. One, or perhaps two, words may have been destroyed here at the end of the line.

the mor. This is Meech's emendation. The lower right-hand corner of the manuscript has been destroyed, and on this final line there is space for perhaps seven to nine more letters.

1023 a tyme. MS: atyme.

1046 eraend. Altered from erden. d changed to a, and d fitted in at the end of the word.

1055 wyth. many expuncted after wyth.

1068 Yyf ye. MS: 3yf ye completely destroyed.

messys. The tops of two letters (perhaps ss) are visible. See also Meech. There is space on the line for another word.

1078 a day. MS: aday.

1092 grace. gr completely destroyed.

1093 I prevyd. Only the d survives. Meech suggests I lovyd here, but the sense seems to indicate God's intent to test those he loves. There are about seven generous letter spaces here in the lower right-hand corner of the folio.

1093-94 that evyr men. Meech's suggestion; the words are completely destroyed.

1118 of. Only the top of a letter, probably f, remains.

1147 creatur. MS: mater.

1157 togedyr. MS: in love in superscript above togedyr in red.

1158 synguler. j crossed out after synguler.

1159 schal. Not in manuscript. In the far right margin, in very large dark letters, are the words that I xal.

1171 And therfor. And therfor is written twice; the first instance is expuncted and crossed through.

1177 anoynted. MS: a noyted.

1189 have. is crossed through after have.

1190 and. and preceding thei has been crossed out in red.

1199 dawnsyn. MS: gostly in superscript above dawnsyn in red.

1213 massage as. & expuncted after massage; as written in superscript above sche.

1217 messe peny. A "mass penny" was given to enter the name of the dead on the parish bede-roll. See Duffy, pp. 334-37.

1260 ellys not a. not in very dark letters above a, with a caret after ellys.

1266 had. The loop of the h is still visible, along with the top of what may be a d.

1270 irregularité. Defined by MED as "violation of the rules of holy orders or provisions of canon law."

1290 a. Only the top of the letter is visible.

1294 latyth. MS: lathyth, with the first h expuncted.

1317 hym. m is destroyed.

1321 than. MS: to in superscript above than in red.

1342 Benetys. Be completely destroyed; n partially destroyed. Meech's reconstruction.

1357 wythstod hem. MS: wythstodhem.

1361 He. Not in MS. Meech's emendation.

1369 geve. e destroyed. There is space at the end of the line for another short word, perhaps hem.

1391 befel in. Completely destroyed. Meech's reconstruction.

1415 gretly. The loop of the e and the tops of two letters are still visible.

1416 of God. Completely destroyed. Meech's reconstruction.

1417-18 The great fear that accompanied the final hours was that of the devil worrying or threatening the soul in extremis. Margery's fellows thus wish upon her not simply death, but a spiritually painful death.

1427 Constance, in Germany, was at once a city on the common route from Lynn to Venice and the site of the important Council of Constance from 1414 to 1418. For remarks about the significance of Constance for Margery's itinerary, see Staley (1994), pp. 157-58.

1429 wentyn. MS: wenty.

1438 to Constanwnsward. to completely destroyed.

1439 harmyd. Only the d is still visible. harmyd is Meech's emendation, but other words such as grevyd or robbyd are possible.

1442 owyr. MS: owryr.

1447 schewyd. hir crossed out after schewyd.

1464 syttyng. g is partially destroyed. After syttyng there is space for a short word, such as stylle.

1468 seyd. Not in MS. Meech's emendation.

1471 don. MS: byd in superscript above don in red.

1488 gyde. gy completely destroyed; de partially destroyed.

1515 speke. Only the top of the letter s is visible.

1535 whech. s crossed out after whech.

1538 to. Added in red in the margin.

1539 so than. Only the an is visible. Meech conjectures & than.

1541 thow it. MS: thowit.

1555 of. MS: written in superscript in black.

1564 to. to is underlined and crossed out in very dark ink. Above to is written on in very dark ink.

1566 on. MS blank at this point.

peynys. Only the top of what looks like a p remains; peynys is Meech's suggestion.

1581 for. th crossed through after for.

1583 ellys. MS: elly.

1589 best. Lower part of b destroyed.

1590 alone. a completely destroyed; lone partially destroyed.

1613 beforn. n partially destroyed.

1614 sowle. ow partially destroyed; le completely destroyed.

1637 suffyr yt. fyr completely destroyed; y partially destroyed.

1645 we. thei has been changed to we in red.

1651 so. owyr lady crossed out after so.

1658 was. Not in MS; then in superscript in red.

1663 to the. Conjectural; the words are destroyed in the MS.

1687 as. Only the top part of the s remains.

1688 wyth the. Completely destroyed; the suggestion is Meech's.

1711 hir gon. Letters ir and on are partially destroyed.

Lord. ord completely destroyed. Meech conjectures that Jhesu might have followed, since there is room at the end of the line.

1733 ther Lazer. ther and a are partially destroyed; zer is completely destroyed.

1734 went also. Meech's conjecture. Only what looks like the top part of the final o remains.

1748 holy. A caret is after tho; holy is written in very small letters above.

1757 servawnt that. nt that completely destroyed. There is space for, at most, five letters after w. Meech feels, and I concur, that þat is therefore a more likely choice than whech.

1758 Drede. Only the D remains.

1759 bryng the. Only br remains.

1760 be. k crossed out after be.

1774 of₂. Added in superscript in red between sche and hir.

1780 For thy. For completely destroyed; th partially destroyed.

1781 whech. whec completely destroyed; h partially destroyed.

1781-82 I have no. I have completely destroyed; no partially destroyed. Meech's reconstruction.

1806 and. Ampersand partially destroyed.

1824 sche. con crossed out after sche.

1828 good wyfe. MS: wyfe good, with signs for inversion.

1829 hir. h partially destroyed.

1852 how. w partially destroyed.

1876 of. o completely destroyed; f partially destroyed.

1897 seyest. Second e in superscript, and second s written on top of a d.

1900 thu. Added in red in outer margin.

1901 blyssed. d partially destroyed.

1917 he. Not in MS. Meech's emendation.

1921 days. MS: dayd.

1932 spiryt, not levyng. er a sodeyn sekenes crossed through after spiryt and before not levyng.

2028 in. MS: gostle in superscript above in in red.

2035 in hir sowle. MS: crossed out in red.

2052 sche. sy crossed through after sche.

2096 many other. MS: other many with signs for inversion.

2106 wife. wife added in red above good, with a caret after good.

2180 undirstand. b crossed out after undirstand.

2227 Brigypt. MS: B.

2231 Brigypt. MS: Bri.

2241 our Lord. owyr lord expuncted after our lord.

2248 the. MS: þo

2266 in. MS: in in.

2270 she. MS: he; s added in red.

2290 lernyd. r in superscript between e and n.

2320 hir. r written on top of m.

2327-28 whech was . . . beriid. The section in parentheses is written at the end of the chapter and marked by an a that corresponds to another a in the left margin where the phrase should be inserted.

2340 goodys. MS: godys, with an o in superscript between g and o.

2460 not. not written in red above dey.

2467 cryen. MS: cryed. Meech's emendation.

2477 had. Not in MS. Meech's emendation.

2498 the brokebakkyd. the added in red in the inner margin.

2524 Corpus Cristi. MS: xpi.

2550 riche man. MS: richeman.

2552 ryche man. MS: rycheman.

2561 dalyin. MS: dalyid. Meech's emendation.

2609 gan meltyn. MS: be in superscript before gan in red; to in superscript before meltyn in red.

2633 mevyd. MS: was in superscript before mevyd in red.

the. Added in red in superscript between of and man.

2643 dede. MS: lete in superscript before dede in red.

2663 strobelyd. Meech emends to strogelyd, following the rubrications of the MS editor who placed g in red above a red caret between o and b. MED cites numerous instances of strobelin as a past participle form of striven. Perhaps the sense is that the inquisitor "roughed her up," or "verbally abused her," or "fondled her," or "threw her into confusion."

2718-19 "ther is no man in this worlde that I lofe so meche as God, for I lofe hym abovyn al thynge, and . . . I lofe al men in God and for God." Margery adheres here to a common-place Augustinian definition of love, that charity is the love of God for the sake of God and love of man and things for the sake of God. See On Christian Doctrine, Bk. I, ch. xxvi-xxvii and Bk. III, ch. x.16.

2757 not. Added in red above stondyn.

2775 sche. MS: sche sche; second sche crossed through in red.

2807 into. MS: in designated by a caret and written in superscript before to.

2812 thei. d crossed out after thei.

2854 a worschepful. MS: aworschepful.

2870 in. MS: Yok crossed through after in.

2885 a. a, designated by a caret, in superscript between as and juge.

2891 sotyn.Meech emended this word tofotyn; however, sotyn conveys the sense of the persecution of the innocent that is central to Kempe's presentation of Margery's difficulties with figures of authority. She also uses the verb in her account of the Passion (chapter 79).

2908 chawmbyr. MS: chawbyr.

2909 good man. MS: goodman.

2959 it. MS: is. Meech's emendation.

2964 schalt ne. ne not in MS.

2974 swythe. e in superscript.

2987 hymyr party. Meech glosses as "rear." MED glosses himmere in Ancrene Wise as "?inglorious," though this does not seem to be the same word. Hymyr might conceivably be a corruption of hamer (see MED himer), used here as a euphemism for genitalia.

2988 hevynes. d crossed through after hevynes.

3022 Erchebischopys. MS: Ercheb with a horizontal line through the stem of the b. This abbreviation is used often after this first mention.

3045 he. MS: sche, with sc crossed through in red.

3066 ryth good. Caret before good and ryth is written above.

3117 nowt. nowt not in MS. Meech's emendation.

3155 it. ky expuncted after it.

3166 we. MS: wey, with y expuncted and crossed through.

3172 prevyd. MS: neithyr l crossed through after prevyd.

3189 alle. cm L.vv. is written after alle to indicate the chapter that begins on the following page.

3191 happyd. The first p of happyd is written on top of a d.

3213 West Lynne. MS: Westlynne.

3276 was. MS: s crossed through after was.

3297 the awter. l crossed through after the.

3351 man. MS: or woman in superscript above man in red.

3392 that. that is written above what, which is expuncted.

3407 savyd. al expuncted and crossed through after savyd.

3409 belevyn. it expuncted after belevyn.

3434 mendys. abedyn with hir crossed through after mendys.

3441 the. thy has been crossed through, and an e written above the y, which has been changed into a þ.

3511 convent. MS: conent.

3525 and. he crossed out after and.

3639 se me. MS: seme

3736 charité. Though Meech retains the phrase "token of love," it is enclosed by parallel slash marks that indicate the scribe deleted the phrase and substituted charité, which he wrote above token of love.

3758 arn. passyd owt of the worlde crossed through after arn.

3788 thynkyst. al the world expuncted after thynkyst.

3789 unto. There is a caret before to; un is written above.

3883 whan. w expuncted after whan.

3895 divinité. MS: and sade in superscript after divinite in red.

3952 a gret. MS: agret.

3957 frer. as crossed out after frer.

3969 reguler and seculer. Refers to the distinction between a member of the clergy living under a monastic rule and one living within the world, such as a clerk or a canon.

3975 Holy Scriptur. MS: Scriptur Holy, with signs for inversion.

4012 God. w crossed through after God.

4024 that. l expuncted after that.

4098 desiryd. A dark stain obliterates si.

4101 owr. MS: Lord in superscript above owr in red.

4103 beheldyn. MS: ben heldeyn.

4108 a. Flourished m crossed through after a.

4109 sche. s crossed through after sche.

4116 meny. Literally "household," a term more often used to describe the households, or entourages, of the worldly. That Kempe often uses it to describe those persons surrounding or in the employ of ecclesiastical figures carries its own delicately charged irony.

4120 not. MS: to, with no in red above.

4130 Lady. Lady not in MS; designated by a red caret and added in dark ink in the right margin.

4150 sonys. MS: sonyd, with second s altering original d.

4168 and. MS: & &.

4183 seke man. MS: sekeman.

4249 hys. d crossed out after hys.

4259 owyn. hurt, indicated by a caret after owyn, is written in red above fayling.

4260 the. f expuncted after the.

4351 to me. MS: tome.

4452 teld. MS: tel.

4460 comfort. MS: comfor.

4470 ye. j has been changed to 3e, indicated by a caret, added above.

4478 ful. w crossed through after ful.

4509 venymowslych. MS: venowslych. Meech's emendation.

4512 had. Added in red above.

4513 he. Added in red above.

4531 ryth. wo crossed through after ryth.

4533 beryn. MS: to the mount expuncted after beryn.

4590 to. MS: to to.

4592 sorwe. wyth crossed through after sorwe; for is written between wyth and yow in superscript.

4631-33 mad for owr Lady . . . The creatur. These lines are crossed through in dark ink, which could be the same color as the original. The deletion is especially interesting, since it does not damage the sense of the narrative and perhaps suggests that the scribe himself exercised certain editorial liberties over the text he copied.

4634 er. er, indicated by a caret between gon and wher, is written in superscript.

4657 thynke. þ crossed through after thynke.

4663 wyth. wyth has been added in red in superscript.

ther. ther is written above of, which has been expuncted.

4670 schal. 3e crossed out and expuncted after schal.

4740 wythdrow. hir crossed through after wythdrow.

4825-26 and holpyn . . . his deth. These words have been crossed through in red.

4884 chosyn. specyal is expuncted here; chosyn is written above it.

4925 was. g crossed through after was.

4926 she. Added in red in the near right margin.

4943-44 And than . . . the brest. These words have been crossed through in red.

4950 to. to, indicated by a caret, is written in superscript.

4956 inundirstondabyl. in has been prefixed in red.

4980 as. meche has been expuncted after as.

5004 virginys. to wolcomyn me in thi sowle has been expuncted after virginys.

5051 that. the crossed through after that.

5137 so. MS: so so.

5148 be. be, indicated by a caret, is written in superscript between dowtyr and this.

5188 plesyd. MS: displesyd, with dis expuncted and crossed out.

5221 herd. herd has been added in red above the line.


Secundus liber

26 evyl. MS: evyl evyl.

46 correpcyon. p has been written over an original c.

185 in. MS: in in, with the first in expuncted.

226 we. we is written in red on top of the original me.

sorw. sorw is written above perel, which is expuncted.

258 therfor. for is written on the line below ther.

276 ther. up expuncted and crossed through after ther.

379 han. j crossed out after han.

387 whom sche myth. MS: whom sche sche myth with second sche crossed out in red.

rest on. MS: reston.

412 Akun. Written on the line below comyn to.

424 of. MS: of of, with the second of crossed out in red.

519 o wey. MS: owey.

528 and. MS: &&, with the first & crossed through in red.

569 And swech . . . a seyd. These words are crossed through in red.

588 sche. t crossed through after sche.

594 thei. Not in MS. Meech's emendation.

628 the. e is written in superscript; th is added in red.

629 unkendnes. MS: unkednes.

642 Lynne. so crossed through after Lynne.

644 ful. ful is written in superscript between answeryng and schortly.

658-59 The second part of the Book ends nine lines into the first leaf of folio 120. The final words, "worschepyd be God," are closed by a period and followed by "Amen." On the same line in red ink is another "Amen." The remainder of the page has been left blank. The scribe began the prayers on the verso side of folio 120, using a large capital T ("Thys" . . .), suggesting that the prayers are a separate section of the manuscript.

676 spechys. c written over an original h.

677 ne myn. MS: nemyn.

689 fro. MS: fro fro, with first fro crossed out in red.

709 mercy. s crossed through after mercy.

715 the. MS: hym crossed through in red; the is written above in red.

719-20 And as thu hast spred thi mercy to hem that arn in erthe. The syntax is faulty here. Meech suggests that the sentence may originally have been something like this: And as thu hast spred thi mercy [to hem that arn in Heuyn, so spred thi mercy] to hem that arn in erthe (p. 250).

754 many. he and more letters are destroyed at the end of the line following many.

755 wythowtyn. ow is partially destroyed; tyn is completely destroyed; in the second wythowtyn, tyn is completely destroyed.

756 cheselys. y is partially destroyed; s is competely destroyed.

758 of₁. man is expuncted after of.

778 fadrys. dr partially destroyed.

779 and. and completely destroyed.

780 in yow alle. alle is completely destroyed.

781 hast. h is completely destroyed; a is partially destroyed.

801 Jhesu mercy quod Salthows. This scribal thanksgiving is centered and written on the bottom of the last leaf.