The Book of Margery Kempe (30 page)

Also, while the said creature was occupied with the writing of this treatise, she had many holy tears and much weeping, and often there came a flame of fire about her breast, very hot and delectable; and also, he that was writing for her could sometimes not keep himself from weeping.

And often in the meantime, when this creature was in church, our Lord Jesus Christ with his glorious mother, and many saints as well, came into her soul and thanked her, saying that they were well pleased with the writing of this book. And she also heard many times a voice of a sweet bird singing in her ear, and often she heard sweet sounds and melodies that surpassed her wit to tell of them. And she was many times ill while this treatise was being written, and, as soon as she would set about the writing of this treatise, then in a sudden way she was hale and healthy. And often she was commanded to make herself ready in all haste.

On one occasion, as she lay at her prayers in the church during the time of Advent before Christmas, she thought in her heart that she wished that God, of his goodness, would make Master Aleyn to preach a sermon as well as he could. And as soon as she had thought in this way, she heard our Sovereign Lord Christ Jesus saying in her soul, ‘Daughter, I know very well what you are thinking now about Master Aleyn, and I tell you truly that he shall preach a very holy sermon. And see that you believe steadfastly the words that he shall preach, as though I preached them myself, for they shall be words of great solace and comfort to you, for I shall speak in him.'

When she had heard this answer, she went and told it to her confessor and two other priests whom she greatly trusted. And when she had told them her feeling, she was sorry, for fear as to whether he would speak as well as she had felt or not – for revelations are hard sometimes to understand.

And sometimes those that people think were revelations are deceits and illusions, and therefore it is not appropriate to give credence too readily to every stirring, but wait steadfastly and prove if they be sent from God. Nevertheless, as for this feeling of this creature, it was very truth, shown in experience, and her fear and her heaviness of heart turned into great spiritual comfort and gladness.

Sometimes she was greatly depressed about her feelings – when she did not know how they should be understood for many days together, because of the dread that she had of deceptions and delusions – so that she thought she wished her head had been struck from her body until God, of his goodness, explained them to her mind.

For sometimes, what she understood physically was to be understood spiritually, and the fear that she had of her feelings was the greatest scourge that she had on earth; and especially when she had her first feelings; and that fear made her most meek, for she had no joy in the feeling until she knew by experience whether it was true or not.

But ever blessed may God be, for he made her always more mighty and more strong in his love and in his fear, and gave her increase of virtue, with perseverance.

Here ends this treatise, for God took him to his mercy who wrote the first copy of this book. And though he did not write clearly or openly to our manner of speaking, he in his own way of writing and spelling made true sense, which – through the help of God, and of herself who experienced all this treatise in feeling and acting – is now truly drawn out of that copy into this little book.

After our Sovereign Saviour had taken to his manifold mercy the person who first wrote the said treatise, and the priest, of whom is written before, had copied the same treatise according to his simple knowledge, he held it appropriate to the honour of the blissful Trinity
¹
that God's holy works should be notified and declared to the people, when it pleased him, to the worship of his holy name.

And then he began to write in the year of our Lord 1438, on the feast of St Vitalis, Martyr,
²
of such grace as our Lord worked in his simple creature during the years that she lived afterwards; not all, but some of it, as she told him with her own tongue.

And first, here is a notable matter which is not written in the preceding treatise. It happened soon after the creature previously written about had forsaken the occupations of the world and was joined in her mind to God, as much as frailty would allow.

The said creature had a son, a tall young man, living with a worthy burgess in Lynn, involved in business as a merchant and sailing overseas, whom she desired to draw away from the perils of this wretched and unstable world, if her power could attain to it. She did as much as was in her, and whenever she could meet with him at leisure she many times counselled him to leave the world and follow Christ – so much so, that he fled her company, and would not gladly meet her.

So, on one occasion, it happened that the mother met with her son, although it was against his will and his intention at that time. And as she had done before, so now she spoke to him again, that he should flee the perils of this world, and not set all his study and business so much upon it as he did. He not agreeing, but answering back sharply, and she, somewhat moved herself with sharpness of spirit, said, ‘Now, since you will not leave the world at my advice, I charge you – at my blessing – at least to keep your body clean from women's company until you take a wife according to the law of the Church. And if you do not, I pray God chastise you and punish you for it.'

They parted, and soon afterwards the same young man went overseas on business, and then, what with the evil enticing of other people, and what with his own folly, he fell into the sin of lechery. Soon after, his colour changed, and his face grew full of pimples and pustules, like a leper's.

Then he came home again to Lynn to his master, with whom he had been living previously. His master put him out of his service, not for any fault he found with him, but perhaps supposing he had been a leper, as it seemed by his face.

The young man told where he pleased how his mother had cursed him, because of which, as he supposed, God so grievously punished him. Some people, knowing of his lament and pitying his distress, came to see his mother, saying she had acted very badly, for through her prayer God had taken vengeance on her own child. Taking little notice of their words, she let it pass as if she didn't care, until he would come and pray for grace himself. So at last, when he saw no other remedy, he came to his mother, telling her of his misconduct, promising he would be obedient to God and to her, and amend his fault through the help of God, avoiding all misbehaviour from that time forwards, according to his power.

He prayed his mother for her blessing, and he especially prayed her to pray for him that our Lord, of his high mercy, would forgive him that he had trespassed, and take away that great sickness because of which people fled from his company as if he were a leper. For he supposed by her prayers our Lord sent him that punishment, and therefore he trusted by her prayers to be delivered of it, if she would, of her charity, pray for him. Then she, trusting in his amending and having compassion for his infirmity, with sharp words of correction, promised to fulfil his intent, if God would grant it.

When she came to her meditation, not forgetting the fruit of her womb, she asked forgiveness for his sins and release from the illness that our Lord had given him, if it were his pleasure, and profit to his soul. She prayed so long, that he was completely freed from the illness and lived many years after, and had a wife and a
child, blessed may God be, for he wedded his wife in Prussia, in Germany.

When news came to his mother from overseas that her son had married, she was very pleased, and thanked God with all her heart, supposing and trusting that he would live clean and chaste, as the law of matrimony requires. Later, when God willed, his wife had a child, a beautiful girl. Then he sent news to his mother in England how graciously God had treated him and his wife. His mother being in a chapel of our Lady, thanking God for the grace and goodness that he showed to her son, and desiring to see him if she might, it was answered to her mind that she should see them all before she died.

She marvelled at this feeling, how it could be as she felt, inasmuch as they were beyond the sea, and she on this side of the sea, never intending to cross the sea while she lived. Nevertheless, she well knew that to God nothing was impossible. Therefore she trusted it should be as she had feeling, when God willed.

A few years after this young man had married, he came home to England to his father and his mother, all changed in his clothes and his disposition. For before his clothes were all fashionably slashed, and his conversation all vanity; now he wore no slashes, and his talk was full of virtue.

His mother, amazed at this sudden change, said to him, ‘Blessings on us, son, how is it that you are so changed?'

‘Mother,' he said, ‘I believe that through your prayers our Lord has drawn me to him, and I intend by the grace of God to follow your advice more than I have done before.'

Then his mother, seeing this marvellous power in our Lord to draw souls to him, thanked God as she could, paying close
attention to her son's behaviour for fear of dissimulation. The longer she watched his behaviour, the steadier she thought he was, and the more reverent towards our Lord. When she knew it was the pull of our Lord's mercy, then she was very joyful, thanking God very many times for his grace and his goodness.

Later, so that he should be the more diligent and the more busy to follow as our Lord would draw him, she opened her heart to him, showing and informing him how our Lord had drawn her through his mercy and by what means, and also how much grace he had shown for her, which he said he was unworthy to hear.

Then he went on many pilgrimages to Rome and to many other holy places to gain pardon, returning again to his wife and child as he was bound to do. He told his wife all about his mother, so much so that she wanted to leave her father and mother, and her own country, to come to England to see his mother. He was very glad of this, and sent word to his mother in England to let her know of his wife's desire, and to find out whether his mother would advise him to come by land or water, for he trusted a great deal in his mother's advice, believing it was of the Holy Ghost.

His mother, when she had had a letter from him, and knew his desire, went to pray to know our Lord's counsel and our Lord's will. And as she prayed about the said matter, she was answered in her soul, that whether her son came by land or water, he should come in safety. Then she wrote letters to him, saying that whether he came by land or by water, he should come in safety, by the grace of God.

When he was informed of his mother's advice, he inquired when ships would come to England, and hired a ship, or else part of a ship, in which he put his goods, his wife, his child, and himself, all proposing to come to England together.

When they were in the ship, such storms arose that they did not dare put to sea, and so they came on land again, both he and his wife, and their child. They left their child in Prussia with their friends, and he and his wife came to his father and mother in England by the overland route. When they had come, his mother greatly rejoiced in our Lord that her feeling was true, for she had
a feeling in her soul, as is written before, that whether they came by land or by water they should come in safety. And so it was indeed – blessed may God be.

They came home on the Saturday in good health, and on the next day, that was the Sunday, while they were having a meal at noon with other good friends, he fell very ill, so that he rose from the table and laid himself down on a bed – which sickness and infirmity occupied him for about a month, and then, in good life and right belief, he passed to the mercy of our Lord. So, spiritually and bodily, it might well be verified – ‘he shall come home in safety' – not only into this mortal land, but also into the land of living men, where death shall never appear.

A short time after, the father of the said person followed the son the way which every man must go.

Then there lived still the mother of the said person – of whom this treatise specially makes mention – and she who was his wife, a German woman, living with his mother for eighteen months, until her friends in Germany, desiring to have her home, wrote letters and urged her to return to her own country. And so she, desiring the kindness of her friends, told her idea to her mother-in-law, telling her of the desire of her friends, asking her for her love and her leave, that she might return to her own country.

And so, with her mother-in-law's consent, she prepared to go as soon as any ships went to that country. They inquired for a ship from that same country, in which her own countrymen should sail there, for they thought it was best for her to sail with them in their ship rather than with other people.

Then she went to her confessor to be shriven, and while she was being confessed, the said creature, her mother-in-law, went up and down in the choir, thinking in her mind, ‘Lord, if it were your will, I would take leave of my confessor and go with her over the sea.'

Our Lord answered to her thought, saying, ‘Daughter, I well know, if I bade you go, you would go very readily. Therefore I do not wish you to speak a word to him about this matter.'

Then she was very glad and happy, believing she should not go
over the sea, for she had been in great peril on the sea in the past, and intended never to go on it any more by her own will.

When her daughter-in-law was shriven, the good man who was confessor to them both at that time came to her and said, ‘Who will go with your daughter-in-law to the coast until she come to her ship? It is not proper that she should go so far alone with a young man in a strange country where neither of them is known,' for a foreigner had come to fetch her, and both of them were only little known in this area, for which reason her confessor had the more compassion for her.

Then the said creature replied, ‘Sir, if you will bid me go, I will go with her myself until she gets to Ipswich, where lies the ship and her own countrymen that will take her over the sea.'

Her confessor said, ‘How should you go? You only recently hurt your foot, and you are not yet completely better – and also you are an old woman. You can't go.'

‘Sir,' she said, ‘God, as I trust, shall help me very well.'

Then he asked who should go with her and bring her home again.

And she said, ‘Sir, there is a hermit belonging to this church, a young man. I hope that he will for our Lord's love go and come back with me, if you will give me leave.'

So she had permission to take her daughter-in-law to Ipswich, and then come back to Lynn. Thus they set off on their journey in time of Lent, and, when they were five or six miles from Lynn, they passed a church, and so they turned in to hear mass. And while they were in the church, the said creature, desiring tears of devotion, could gain none at that time, but was continually commanded in her soul to go over the sea with her daughter-in-law. She would have put it out of her mind, and it always came back again so fast that she could have no rest or quiet in her mind, but was continually tormented and commanded to go over the sea. She thought it was hard on her to take such trouble upon herself, and excused herself to our Lord in her mind, saying, ‘Lord, you know I have no leave from my confessor, and I am bound to obedience. Therefore I may not do so without his will and his consent'.

She was answered in her thought, ‘I bid you go in my name, Jesus, for I am above your confessor, and I shall excuse you, and lead you, and bring you home again in safety.'

She would still have excused herself if she could in any way, and therefore she said, ‘I am not sufficiently provided with gold or silver to go with, as I ought to be, and even though I were, and wanted to go, I know my daughter-in-law would rather I were at home, and perhaps the ship's master would not allow me on the ship to go with them.'

Our Lord replied, ‘If I be with you, who shall be against you? I shall provide for you, and get you friends to help you. Do as I bid you, and no man on the ship shall say no to you.'

This creature saw there was no other help for it, but that she must set forth at the commanding of God. She thought that she would first go to Walsingham
¹
and offer in worship of our Lady, and as she was on the way there, she heard tell that a friar would preach a sermon in a little village a little out of her way. She turned in to the church where the friar preached the sermon, a famous man, who had a great audience at his sermon. And many times he said these words, ‘If God be with us, who shall be against us?'
²
– through which words she was the more stirred to obey the will of God and perform her intention.

So she went on to Walsingham, and then to Norwich, with her daughter-in-law, and the hermit with them. When they came to Norwich, she met a Grey Friar, a worthy clerk, a doctor of divinity, who had heard of her life and her feelings before. The doctor welcomed her warmly and chatted with her as he had done before. She, sighing many times, was gloomy in face and manner. The doctor asked her what was the matter.

‘Sir,' she said, ‘when I came away from Lynn with the permission of my confessor, I intended to escort my daughter-in-law to Ipswich, where there is a ship in which she, by the grace of God, shall sail to Germany; and I was then to return home again to Lynn as soon as I properly could, with a hermit who came with me with that same intent to escort me home again. And he fully expected that I should do so. And, sir, when I was about six miles
out of Lynn, in a church to say my prayers, I was commanded in my soul that I should go over the sea with my daughter-in-law, and I well know she would rather I were at home, and so would I, if I dared. Thus was I moved in my soul, and could have no rest in my spirit, or devotion, until I consented to do as I was moved in my spirit, and this is for me a great fear and grief.'

The worthy clerk said to her, ‘You shall obey the will of God, for I believe it is the Holy Ghost that is speaking in you, and therefore follow the moving of your spirit in the name of Jesus.'

She was much comforted by his words and took her leave, going on to the coast with her companions. When they arrived there, the ship was ready to sail. Then she asked the master that she might sail with them to Germany, and he kindly received her, and those who were in the ship did not once say no. There was no one so much against her as was her daughter-in-law, who ought to have been most on her side.

Then she took her leave of the hermit who had come there with her, rewarding him somewhat for his labour, and praying him to excuse her to her confessor and her other friends when he got home to Lynn, for it was not her intention when she parted from them to have ever crossed the sea again in her life, ‘But,' she said, ‘I must obey the will of God.'

The hermit parted from her with a sorrowful face and came home again to Lynn, excusing her to her confessor and to other friends, telling them of her sudden and astonishing departure, and how he was not to know that they should be so suddenly separated.

People that heard of it were much amazed, and said what they wanted to. Some said it was a woman's wit, and great folly for the love of her daughter-in-law, to put herself, a woman of great age, to all the perils of the sea, and to go into a strange country where she had not been before, nor knew how she should come back. Some held it to be a very charitable deed, inasmuch as her daughter-in-law had previously left her friends and her country, and came with her husband to visit her in this country, and she would now help her daughter-in-law return to the country she came from. Others, who knew more of this creature's life, supposed
and trusted that it was the will and the working of Almighty God, to the magnifying of his own name.