The Book of Margery Kempe, ed. Lynn Staley, TEAMS
Prologue
Here begynnyth a schort tretys and a comfortabyl for synful wrecchys, wherin thei
may have gret solas and comfort to hem and undyrstondyn the hy and unspecabyl
mercy of ower sovereyn Savyowr Cryst Jhesu, whos name be worschepd and magnyfyed
wythowten ende, that now in ower days to us unworthy deyneth to exercysen hys nobeley
and hys goodnesse. Alle the werkys of ower Saviowr ben for ower exampyl and
instruccyon, and what grace that he werkyth in any creatur is ower profyth yf lak of
charyté be not ower hynderawnce. And therfor, be the leve of ower mercyful Lord
Cryst Jhesu, to the magnyfying of hys holy name, Jhesu, this lytyl tretys schal tretyn
sumdeel in parcel of hys wonderful werkys, how mercyfully, how benyngly, and how
charytefully he meved and stered a synful caytyf unto hys love, whech synful caytyf
many yerys was in wyl and in purpose thorw steryng of the Holy Gost to folwyn oure
Savyour, makyng gret behestys of fastyngys wyth many other dedys of penawns. And
evyr sche was turned agen abak in tym of temptacyon, lech unto the reedspyr whech
boweth wyth every wynd and nevyr is stable les than no wynd bloweth, unto the tyme
that ower mercyfulle Lord Cryst Jhesu havyng pety and compassyon of hys handwerke
and hys creatur turnyd helth into sekenesse, prosperyté into adversyté, worshep into
repref, and love into hatered. Thus alle this thyngys turnyng up so down, this creatur
whych many yerys had gon wyl and evyr ben unstable was parfythly drawen and steryd
to entren the wey of hy perfeccyon, whech parfyth wey Cryst ower Savyowr in hys
propyr persoone examplyd. Sadly he trad it and dewly he went it beforn. Than this
creatur, of whom thys tretys thorw the mercy of Jhesu schal schewen in party the levyng,
towched be the hand of owyr Lord wyth grett bodyly sekenesse, wher thorw sche lost
reson and her wyttes a long tym tyl ower Lord be grace restoryd her ageyn, as it schal
mor openly be schewed aftyrward. Her werdly goodys, whech wer plentyuows and
abundawnt at that day, in lytyl whyle after wer ful bareyn and bare. Than was pompe
and pryde cast down and leyd on syde. Thei that beforn had worshepd her sythen ful
scharply reprevyd her; her kynred and thei that had ben frendys wer now hyr most
enmys. Than sche, consyderyng this wondyrful chawngyng, sekyng socowr undyr the
wengys of hyr gostly modyr, Holy Cherch, went and obeyd hyr to hyr gostly fadyr,
accusyng hyrself of her mysdeds, and sythen ded gret bodyly penawns. And in schort
tyme ower mercyful Lord vysytyd this creatur wyth plentyuows teerys of contricyon
day be day, in so mech that sum men seyden sche mygth wepen whan sche wold and
slawndered the werk of God. Sche was so usyd to be slawndred and repreved, to be
cheden and rebuked of the world for grace and vertu wyth whech sche was indued
thorw the strength of the Holy Gost that it was to her in a maner of solas and comfort
whan sche sufferyd any dysese for the lofe of God and for the grace that God wrowht
in hyr. For evyr the mor slawnder and repref that sche sufferyd, the mor sche incresyd
in grace and in devocyon of holy medytacyon of hy contemplacyon and of wonderful
spechys and dalyawns whech owr Lord spak and dalyid to hyr sowle, techyng hyr
how sche schuld be despysed for hys lofe, how sche schuld han pacyens, settyng all
hyr trost, alle hyr lofe, and alle hyr affeccyon in hym only. Sche knew and undyrstod
many secret and prevy thyngys whech schuld beffallen aftyrward be inspiracyon of
the Holy Gost. And often tymes, whel sche was kept wyth swech holy spechys and
dalyawns, sche schuld so wepyn and sobbyn that many men wer gretly awondyr, for
thei wysten ful lytyl how homly ower Lord was in hyr sowle. Ne hyrself cowd nevyr
telle the grace that sche felt, it was so hevenly, so hy aboven hyr reson and hyr bodyly
wyttys, and hyr body so febyl in tym of the presens of grace that sche myth nevyr
expressyn it wyth her word lych as sche felt it in hyr sowle. Than had this creatur
mech drede for illusyons and deceytys of hyr gostly enmys. Than went sche be the
byddyng of the Holy Gost to many worshepful clerkys, bothe archebysshopys and
bysshoppys, doctowrs of dyvynyté and bachelers also. Sche spak also wyth many
ankrys and schewed hem hyr maner of levyng and swech grace as the Holy Gost of
hys goodnesse wrowt in hyr mende and in hyr sowle as her wytt wold serven hyr to
expressyn it. And thei alle that sche schewed hyr secretys unto seyd sche was mech
bownde to loven ower Lord for the grace that he schewyd unto hyr and cownseld hyr
to folwyn hyr mevynggys and hyr steringgys and trustly belevyn it weren of the Holy
Gost and of noon evyl spyryt. Summe of these worthy and worshepful clerkys tokyn it
in perel of her sowle and as thei wold answer to God that this creatur was inspyred
wyth the Holy Gost and bodyn hyr that sche schuld don hem wryten and makyn a
booke of hyr felyngys and hir revelacyons. Sum proferyd hir to wrytyn hyr felyngys
wyth her owen handys, and sche wold not consentyn in no wey, for sche was comawndyd
in hir sowle that sche schuld not wrytyn so soone. And so it was twenty yer and mor fro
that tym this creatur had fyrst felyngys and revelacyons er than sche dede any wryten.
Aftyrward whan it plesyd ower Lord, he comawnded hyr and chargyd hir that sche
schuld don wryten hyr felyngys and revelacyons and the forme of her levyngs that hys
goodnesse myth be knowyn to alle the world. Than had the creatur no wryter that wold
fulfyllyn hyr desyr ne geve credens to hir felingys unto the tym that a man dwellyng in
Dewchlond whech was an Englyschman in hys byrth and sythen weddyd in Dewchland
and had ther bothe a wyf and a chyld, havyng good knowlach of this creatur and of hir
desyr, meved I trost thorw the Holy Gost, cam into Yngland wyth hys wyfe and hys
goodys and dwellyd wyth the forseyd creatur tyl he had wretyn as mech as sche wold
tellyn hym for the tym that thei wer togydder. And sythen he deyd. Than was ther a
prest whech this creatur had gret affeccyon to, and so sche comownd wyth hym of this
mater and browt hym the boke to redyn. The booke was so evel wretyn that he cowd
lytyl skyll theron, for it was neithyr good Englysch ne Dewch, ne the lettyr was not
schapyn ne formyd as other letters ben. Therfor the prest leved fully ther schuld nevyr
man redyn it, but it wer special grace. Nevyrthelesse, he behyte hir that if he cowd
redyn it he wolde copyn it owt and wrytyn it betyr wyth good wylle. Than was ther so
evel spekyng of this creatur and of hir wepyng that the prest durst not for cowardyse
speke wyth her but seldom, ne not wold wryten as he had behestyd unto the forseyd
creatur. And so he voyded and deferryd the wrytyng of this boke wel onto a fourth yer
or ellys mor, notwythstandyng the creatur cryed often on hym therfor. At the last he
seyd onto hir that he cowd not redyn it, wherfor he wold not do it. He wold not, he
seyd, put hym in perel therof. Than he cownseld hir to gon to a good man whech had
ben mech conversawnt wyth hym that wrot fyrst the booke, supposyng that he schuld
cun best rede the booke, for he had sum tym red letters of the other mannys wrytyng
sent fro beyonden the see whyl he was in Dewchland. And so sche went to that man,
preyng hym to wrytyn this booke and nevyr to bewreyn it as long as sche leved,
grawntyng hym a grett summe of good for hys labowr. And this good man wrot abowt
a leef, and yet it was lytyl to the purpose, for he cowd not wel fare therwyth the boke
was so evel sett and so unresonably wretyn. Than the prest was vexyd in his consciens,
for he had behestyd hyr to wrytyn this boke, yyf he mygth com to the redyng therof,
and dede not hys part as wel as he mygth a do, and preyd this creatur to getyn ageyn
the booke yf sche myth goodly. Than sche gat ageyn the book and browt it to the
preste wyth rygth glad cher, preyng hym to do hys good wyl, and sche schuld prey to
God for hym and purchasyn hym grace to reden it and wrytyn it also. The preste,
trustyng in hire prayers, began to redyn this booke, and it was mych mor esy, as hym
thowt, than it was beforntym. And so he red it ovyr beforn this creatur every word,
sche sumtym helpyng where ony difficulté was. Thys boke is not wretyn in ordyr,
every thyng aftyr other as it wer don, but lych as the mater cam to the creatur in mend
whan it schuld be wretyn, for it was so long er it was wretyn that sche had forgetyn the
tyme and the ordyr whan thyngys befellyn. And therfor sche dede no thing wryten but
that sche knew rygth wel for very trewth. Whan the prest began fyrst to wryten on this
booke, hys eyn myssyd so that he mygth not se to make hys lettyr ne mygth not se to
mend hys penne. Alle other thyng he mygth se wel anow. He sett a peyr of spectacles
on hys nose, and than wast wel wers than it was befor. He compleyned to the creatur
of hys dysese. Sche seyd hys enmy had envye at hys good dede and wold lett hym yf
he mygth and bad hym do as wel as God wold geve hym grace and not levyn. Whan
he cam ageyn to hys booke, he myth se as wel, hym thowt, as evyr he dede befor be
day lyth and be candel lygth bothe. And for this cause, whan he had wretyn a qwayr,
he addyd a leef therto, and than wrot he this proym to expressyn mor openly than doth
the next folwyng, whech was wretyn er than this. Anno domini 1436.
A schort tretys of a creature sett in grett pompe and pride of the world, whech sythen
was drawyn to ower Lord be gret poverté, sekenes, schamis, and gret reprevys in
many divers contres and places, of whech tribulacyons sum schal ben schewed aftyr,
not in ordyr as it fellyn but as the creatur cowd han mend of hem whan it wer wretyn,
for it was twenty yer and mor fro tym this creatur had forsake the world and besyly
clef onto ower Lord or this boke was wretyn, notwythstondyng this creatur had greet
cownsel for to don wryten hir tribulacyons and hir felingys, and a Whyte Frer proferyd
hir to wryten frely yf sche wold. And sche was warnyd in hyr spyrit that sche schuld
not wryte so sone. And many yerys aftyr sche was bodyn in hyr spyrit for to wrytyn.
And than yet it was wretyn fyrst be a man whech cowd neithyr wel wryten Englysch
ne Duch. So it was unable for to be red but only be specyal grace, for ther was so mech
obloquie and slawndyr of this creatur that ther wold fewe men beleve this creatur.
And so at the last a preste was sor mevyd for to wrytin this tretys, and he cowd not wel
redyn it of a four yere togedyr. And sythen be the request of this creatur and compellyng
of hys owyn consciens he asayd agayn for to rede it, and it was mech mor esy than it
was afortyme. And so he gan to wryten in the yer of owr Lord a 1436, on the day next
aftyr Mary Maudelyn aftyr the informacyon of this creatur.
1
Whan this creatur was twenty yer of age or sumdele mor, sche was maryed to a
worschepful burgeys and was wyth chylde wythin schort tyme, as kynde wolde. And,
aftyr that sche had conceyved, sche was labowrd wyth grett accessys tyl the chyld
was born, and than, what for labowr sche had in chyldyng and for sekenesse goyng
beforn, sche dyspered of hyr lyfe, wenyng sche mygth not levyn. And than sche sent
for hyr gostly fadyr, for sche had a thyng in conscyens whech sche had nevyr schewyd
beforn that tyme in alle hyr lyfe. For sche was evyr lettyd be hyr enmy, the devel,
evyrmor seyng to hyr whyl sche was in good heele hir nedyd no confessyon but don
penawns be hirself aloone, and all schuld be forgovyn, for God is mercyful inow. And
therfor this creatur oftyn tymes dede greet penawns in fastyng bred and watyr and
other dedys of almes wyth devowt preyers, saf sche wold not schewyn it in confessyon.
And, whan sche was any tym seke or dysesyd, the devyl seyd in her mende that sche
schuld be dampnyd, for sche was not schrevyn of that defawt. Wherfor, aftyr that hir
chyld was born, sche, not trostyng hir lyfe, sent for hir gostly fadyr, as iseyd beforn, in
ful wyl to be schrevyn of alle hir lyfetym as ner as sche cowde. And, whan sche cam
to the poynt for to seyn that thing whech sche had so long conselyd, hir confessowr
was a lytyl to hastye and gan scharply to undyrnemyn hir er than sche had fully seyd hir
entent, and so sche wold no mor seyn for nowt he mygth do. And anoon, for dreed
sche had of dampnacyon on the to syde and hys scharp reprevyng on that other syde,
this creatur went owt of hir mende and was wondyrlye vexid and labowryd wyth
spyritys half yer eight wekys and odde days. And in this tyme sche sey, as hir thowt,
develys opyn her mowthys al inflaumyd wyth brennyng lowys of fyr as thei schuld a
swalwyd hyr in, sumtyme rampyng at hyr, sumtyme thretyng her, sumtym pullyng hyr
and halyng hir bothe nygth and day duryng the forseyd tyme. And also the develys
cryed upon hir wyth greet thretyngys and bodyn hir sche schuld forsake hir Crystendam,
hir feyth, and denyin hir God, hys modyr, and alle the seyntys in hevyn, hyr goode
werkys and alle good vertues, hir fadyr, hyr modyr, and alle hire frendys. And so sche
dede. Sche slawndred hir husbond, hir frendys and her owyn self; sche spak many a
reprevows worde and many a schrewyd worde; sche knew no vertu ne goodnesse;
sche desyryd all wykkydnesse; lych as the spyrytys temptyd hir to sey and do so sche
seyd and dede. Sche wold a fordon hirself many a tym at her steryngys and a ben
damnyd wyth hem in helle. And into wytnesse therof sche bot hir owen hand so
vyolently that it was seen al hir lyfe aftyr. And also sche roof hir skyn on hir body
agen hir hert wyth hir nayles spetowsly, for sche had noon other instrumentys, and