II. PART stantly reported for a truth, that God wrought in her, and that a miracle was shewed upon her; I durst not, nor would not, be bold in judging the matter. And the king's grace, as me thought, esteemed the matter as light as it after proved lewd. From that time, till about Christmass was twelve-month, albeit that continually there was much talking of her, and of her holiness, yet never heard I any talk rehearsed, either of revelation of hers, or miracle, saving that I heard say divers times, in my lord cardinal's days, that she had been both with his lordship, and with the king's grace, but what she said, either to the one or to the other, upon my faith, I had never heard any one word. Now, as I was about to tell you, about Christmass was twelve-month, father Risby, friar Observant, then of Canterbury, lodged one night at mine house; where, after supper, a little before he went to his chamber, he fell in communication with me of the Nun, giving her high commendation of holiness, and that it was wonderful to see and understand the works that God wrought in her which thing, I answered, That I was very glad to hear it, and thanked God thereof. Then he told me, that she had been with my lord legat in his life, and with the king's grace too; and that she had told my lord legat a revelation of hers, of three swords that God hath put in my lord legat's hand, which if he ordered not well, God would lay it sore to his charge. The first, he said, was the ordering the spirituality under the pope, as legat. The second, the rule that he bore in order of the temporality under the king, as his chancellor. as his chancellor. And the third, she said, was the medling he was put in trust with by the king, concerning the great matter of his marriage. And therewithal I said unto him, That any revelation of the king's matters I would not hear of, I doubt not but the goodness of God should direct his highness with his grace and wisdom, that the thing should take such end as God should be pleased with, to the king's honour, and surety of the realm. When he heard me say these words, or the like, he said unto me, That God had specially commanded II. her to pray for the king; and forthwith he brake again BOOK into her revelations concerning the cardinal, that his soul was saved by her mediation; and without any other communication went unto his chamber. And he and I never talked any more of any such manner of matter, nor since his departing on the morrow, I never saw him afterwards, to my remembrance, till I saw him at Paul's Cross. After this, about Shrovetide, there came unto me, a little before supper, father Rich, friar Observant of Richmond; and as we fell in talking, I asked him of father Risby, how he did? and upon that occasion, he asked me, Whether father Risby had any thing shewed me of the holy Nun of Kent? and I said, Yea, and that I was very glad to hear of her vertue. I would not, quoth he, tell you again that you have heard of him already; but I have heard, and known, many great graces that God hath wrought in her, and in other folk, by her, which I would gladly tell you, if I thought you had not heard them already. And therewith he asked me, Whether father Risby had told me any thing of her being with my lord cardinal? and I said, Yea: then he told you, quoth he, of the three swords: Yea verily, quoth I. Did he tell you, quoth he, of the revelations that she had concerning the king's grace? Nay forsooth, quoth I, nor if he would have done, I would not have given him the hearing; nor verily no more I would indeed, for sith she hath been with the king's grace her self, and told him, methought it a thing needless to tell me, or to any man else. And when father Rich perceived that I would not hear her revelations concerning the king's grace, he talked on a little of her vertue, and let her revelations alone; and therewith my supper was set upon the board, where I required him to sit with me; but he would in no wise tarry, but departed to London. After that night I talked with him twice, once in mine own house, another time in his own garden at the Friars, at every time a great space, but not of any revelations touching the king's grace, but only of other mean folk, I knew not whom of, which things, some were very strange, and some were very childish. But albeit, II. PART that he said, he had seen her lie in her trance in great pains, and that he had at other times taken great spiritual comfort in her communication; yet did he never tell me that she had told him those tales her self; for if he had, I would, for the tale of Mary Magdalene which he told me, and for the tale of the hostie, with which, as I have heard she said she was houseled at the king's mass at Calice: if I had heard it of him, as told unto himself by her mouth for a revelation, I would have both liked him and her the worse. But whether ever I heard the same tale of Rich or of Risby, or of neither of them both, but of some other man since she was in hold, in good faith I cannot tell; but I wot well when or wheresoever I heard it, me thought it a tale too marvellous to be true, and very likely that she had told some man her dream, which told it out for a revelation. And in effect, I little doubted but that some of these tales that were told of her were untrue; but yet sith I never heard them reported as spoken by her own mouth, I thought nevertheless that many of them might be true, and she a very vertuous woman too; as some lyes be peradventure written of some that be saints in heaven, and yet many miracles indeed done by them for all that. After this, I being upon a day at Sion, and talking with divers of the fathers together at the grate, they shewed me that she had been with them, and shewed me divers things that some of them misliked in her; and in this talking, they wished that I had spoken with her, and said, they would fain see how I should like her. Whereupon, afterward, when I heard that she was there again, I came thither to see her, and to speak with her my self. At which communication had, in a little chappel, there were none present but we two: in the beginning whereof, I shewed that my coming to her was not of any curious mind, any thing to know of such things as folk talked, that it pleased God to reveal and shew unto her, but for the great vertue that I had heard so many years, every day more and more spoken and reported of her; I therefore had a great mind to see her, and be acquainted with her, that she might have II. somewhat the more occasion to remember me to God in her BOOK devotion and prayers: whereunto she gave me a very good vertuous answer, That as God did of his goodness far better by her than she, a poor wretch, was worthy, so she feared that many folk yet beside that spoke of their own favourable minds many things for her, far above the truth, and that of me she had many such things heard, that already she prayed for me, and ever would; whereof I heartily thanked her. I said unto her, Madam, one Hellen, a maiden dwelling about Totnam, of whose trances and revelations there hath been much talking, she hath been with me of late, and shewed me, that she was with you, and that after the rehearsal of such visions as she had seen you shewed her, that they were no revelations, but plain illusions of the Devil, and advised her to cast them out of her mind and verily she gave therein good credence unto you, and thereupon hath left to lean any longer unto such visions of her own: whereupon she saith, she findeth your words true, for ever since, she hath been the less visited with such things as she was wont to be before. To this she answered me, Forsooth sir, there is in this point no praise unto me, but the goodness of God, as it appeareth, hath wrought much meekness in her soul, which hath taken my rude warning so well, and not grudged to hear her spirit and her visions reproved. I liked her, in good faith, better for this answer, than for many of these things that I heard reported by her. Afterward she told me, upon that occasion, how great need folk have, that are visited with such visions, to take heed, and prove well of what spirit they come of; and in that communication she told me, That of late the Devil, in likeness of a bird, was flying and fluttering about her in a chamber, and suffered himself to be taken; and being in hands, suddenly changed, in their sight that were present, into such a strange ugly-fashioned bird, that they were all afraid, and threw him out at a window. For conclusion; we talked no word of the king's grace, or any great personage else, nor in effect, of any man or woman, but of her self and my self; but after no long com PART munication had, for or ever we met, my time came to go II. home, I gave her a double ducate, and prayed her to pray for me and mine, and so departed from her, and never spake with her after. Howbeit, of a truth, I had a great good opinion of her, and had her in great estimation, as you shall perceive by the letter that I wrote unto her. For afterwards, because I had often heard that many right worshipful folks, as well men as women, used to have much communication with her; and many folk are of nature inquisitive and curious, whereby they fall sometimes into such talking, and better were to forbear, of which thing I nothing thought while I talked with her of charity, therefore I wrote her a letter thereof; which sith it may be peradventure, that she brake or lost, I shall insert the very copy thereof in this present letter. These were the very words. GOOD madam, and my right dearly-beloved sister in our Lord God, after most hearty commendation, I shall beseech you to take my good mind in good worth, and pardon me, that I am so homely as of my self unrequired, and also without necessity, to give counsel to you, of whom for the good inspirations, and great revelations that it liketh Almighty God of his goodness to give and shew, as many wise, well-learned, and very vertuous folk testify, I my self have need, for the comfort of my soul, to require and ask advice. For surely, good madam, sith it pleased God sometime to suffer, such as are far under and of little estimation, to give yet fruitful advertisement to such other as are in the light of the Spirit so far above them, that there were betweeen them no comparison; as he suffered his high prophet Moses to be in some things advised and counselled by Jethro, I cannot, for the love that in our Lord I bear you, refrain to put you in remembrance of one thing, which in my poor mind I think highly necessary to be by your wisdom considered, referring the end, and the order thereof, to God and his holy Spirit, to direct you. Good madam, I doubt not, but that you remember that in the beginning of my communication with you, I shewed you, that I neither |