<County: Leicestershire>
<Code: L0068>
<MS reference: London, BL Add. 34193>
<Text: Narration of a vision>



<Tranche 1>

<fol. 127ra>but hit semyd þe dawnyng of a morninge
in his springing first . And as sone as
J was browght wt-in þt valay my good
angell þe foreseyd why3t thyng be-gan
to vanysch fro me sed sowle so þt hit was
left þer alon . And my sowle remembring
hit þer left alone havyng no sokur ne
wyste whedur to goo callyng~ to hys
remembrawns howe þt he whas
departyd & passyd from þo bode Turned
& lokid A-3en to the streyt b place by þe
whych he entryd first in-to þe seyd wa
ley . to þe entent if hit myght haue sen
any oþer sawlis of whom he myght .
haue had any feleschype or comforth . þen
my sowle seing no socour carfully & mor
nyngly as A thing wt-out ony comforthe
turnyd in-to þe seyd valey a-3en . And sodenly
out of þe north syd of þe seid valey com
deuelis out of nowmbir renneng A-3enst
my seyd saule crying roring & 3elling as
all þe world þer shuld haue fallid saying
in this wyse behold 3ondir commyth on
of vs & he se has done vs seruice . wher-for
he shall Abyd & dwell wt vs . rennyng
on my saule in euer syd . And as A . fowle
is glad of spryngyng of the day or any
beest or fowle of his prahe so wer~ þey
glad of my saule . & þey toke my sowle
sume by the leggis sum by þe armes sum
by þe hed sum drawing my sawle on way
and sum An-oþer & glad was þt deuell þt onys
myght towche hit to doo hit payn . And
my seid saule was so carefull þt hit wist
not what to doo . thinking hym-selfe in
grett feer~ and dred to be lost for-euer Amonge
þem . & þe seid orribill & innumerable compa
paney of deuelis wer nonerwise arayd
<fol. 127rb>to my apecing bur aftir þe aray þt þees ga
lantes þes proud people now-ondayes
vsune transposing þe shapus þt god fast mad
them of And taking þe pride and <exp>tak</exp> þe
shapus of þer maister þe deuell of hell þe whych
pride & in-ordinate a-ray . J þe seyd wrechid
& synfull creature Edmunde lyuersygge
þt vnder þis forme write on-to 3o vsid o
cupid & wer be-for my seid seknes & vi
citacion þe whych was so gret displea
sur~ to my lord god . þt had not þe prayer~
byn of þat most blessid modir~ & maydyn
our lady sent Marie . j had byn dampnyd
& shuld haue byn in hell for-euer & for
þe vsing of þe sayd Aray þe going of þe
seyd deuyllys & as hit has pleasid
my lord god þt þey shuld apere to me
in suche wise . was in schort gownes
& dowblettes closse hosyn longe heer~
vpon her~ browes pykes on þer shou
of a foot in lengh & more hygh bo
nettes as j my-selfe sume-tyme vsid
& þes prowid peple þt callid þem-selfe
galantes 3it vsid wher-by þe deueles 3it
claymyd apart in þem seyng & aleg
ging for them at þe tyme of mannes
dethe be-fore þe hyghinge þt suche cre
aturis byn þeres by very reson of prid
þe abominable & multitude of deuelis
was innumerable & so innumerable þt wen
J was drawen & puld wt þem my seyd
soule coude ne myght se ne perseyue wt
sy3t ony ende of þem in lengh ne in
brede as þey had byn a gret land ful
standing as thykke as on of þem my3t
stand by a-noþer pulling drawing tor
mentyng & tering my seid saule as þey
wold haue rent on hym of hit fro A-noþer
<fol. 127va>oþerwhylys kesting my saule A-bout þer heddes
& oþerwhyle draweing~ hit vpon þe ground
of þe seid valey A-monge þer seyd feet~ þey
seing~ þem of þis first torment temp
ting my saule wt synnys of pride saing to
hit if hit wold a-byd & dwell wt þem þer
& goo wt þem thydder as þey come fro þey
wold make hit a lord a-mong þam &
þey wold wyrschip & honour hym & be rew
lid & gouernde be my seyd saule & if my seid
saule wold not a-byd a-mong þem they
seyd þey wold haue hit in-to þe fier~ of hell
& þer-to bryn wt any ende my seid sayd saule
being sore a ferd & dred þe wordis & thre
tingis of þe seyd deuelis 3it at þat tyme
my seyd saule wold not trist them ne þer
wordis but by þe grace of god & his help
& through þe wtstanding of þer temptaci
on my saule was departid fro þem & þe seid
deuelis þt þus temptid my saule my saule
had no power~ to A-byd but by þe wt-stand
ding of þer temptacion þey wer~ so ouercom
escheuyd & fled a-way fro hit & thus larg
ly J spake þat if hit myght be possible
þt a dampnyd saule in hell had power~ þer
of god euer to call þis name ihesu . J wot wil
all þe deuelis þer shuld neuer haue power ouer
hym to doo hym desese . or payn . þis first
temptaconn os hit is a-boue rehersid by
þe helpe of almyghty god J ouercome .
Sodenly of þe seyd horrible company of
deuellis þt stood besyd þe deuelis þt temptyd
my saule first seing þt J had wtstande
þe first temptacyon & wold not agree
vn-to þem & howe my seyd said saule
was euer laburyng among þem & not
Abydyng & how hit wold not be rewlyd
ne Abyd for þe seyinges of þe first deuelis
þen in A gret violence & wrath toke my
seid saule & hit torment or trowblyd
<fol. 127vb>& drew hit more cruellar paynfullar &
byttirrar þen dyd þe first company of þe seid
deuylis whose temptacyon j had wt-stand
wt payn vpon payn & sorowe vpon so
rowe & glad was þat deuyl of all þe
innumerable & horryble company þt myght
þt onys fest on my saule to doo hit woo &
payn & þem wtyn A certen space þey secyd
þer tormentyng of my saule & temptid hit
wt þe synnes of couetyse & said if hit wold
A-byd & dwell A-mong þem þey wold ma
ke me þe richest þt euer was þey mad to my
said saule promese þt hit schuld haue gold
syluer~ & precyouse stones & þey to doo me
obedyence & be rewlyd by me & if<exp>t</exp> J wold
not concent to þem þey seid þey wold put
me in+euerlasting fyer~ wt-out any tari
yng . my seid saule standing in gret feer
of þe seid deuylis & of þer thretinges of þe fyer
þt þey seid þey wold cast hit in . remembring
þe paynes þt hit suffrid seyng þt hit had
no helpe ne socour ne wyst not wyþer to go
þought of þe fyer byhestys þt þe deuelys
promyst hym stod in a disper~ thinkinge
þat hit weer better to doo aftir þem þen to
bryn in euerlastyng fyer or to suffre suche
gret tribulacyon as hit had don . & as soon
as my saule pro purposid to a+spokyn & incly
nyd to þer intent & to haf gon wt þem or
hit myght speke & gyuue hys concent so
denly my good angell þe foreseyd wyght
thing wrappid in wyght þe whych toke
my saule fro my body & brought hym first
in-to þe foreseyd valey connide<?> in myddil
Among þis cursid & innumerable company
of deuelis ayen to my saule aftir thes
vexacyons and trowbles fro þe mydil of þem
deliuerd & toke my saule & as f [a] flokke of
scheepe if A lyon wolfe or A dog schuld
come among þem . wold depart seuer & flee
<fol. 128ra>for feer on lyke wyse þ deuylis þt þt tyme
had trowblid my saule departid & fled on euery
sid as creaturis vtturly ouer-com schamyd
confusid & rebukid by þe brightnes & feer þt
my good angel was comyn Amonge þem
& left þer noyse & criying on [&] my good angell
toke my soule fro þem putting hit on his
right hand halding me fast be þe lefte ar
me of my saule leding me thorogh þis
cursid & innumerable company of deuels þe why
che company fled for feer~ except . iiij or v . Ml .
þe whych iiij or v . Ml . folowing my seid saule
a-far fering to come nygh hit by-cause
of þe seyd angell ne+durst onys profre to com
nygh me & all þes iiij or . v . Ml deuels folow
id alway aftir~ my seid saule to tyme þat
þt my good angell had brow3t me A high
hill & browght me to þe top þer-of wt-in þe sey
ing of a pater noster how be hit þt þe seid hill was
to my goostly perseyvyng as hygh in-to a ly
till as fro þe erþe to þe skye & þe good angell
had browght my soule þe top of þe seid hill
my seid saule lookyd down & at þe foot of þe
seid hill be-nethe stod þe seid . iiij or . v . Ml deuels
still non of þem hauyng power to ascende
ne to negh þe hill and my seid saule lokyd by
syd hym <exp>be-sid</exp> & þer aperid from þe top of þe
seid hill streching in-to þe sky as a laddir
wt flatt stanes broder~ þen A+mannes hand
appering why3t as cristall vpon þe which
laddir sodenly by my seid good angell J
was put vp & when my saule was at þe
hyghest of þe laddir~ þe firmament opynd
& my saule was brow3t in-to a fair~ gret ly3t
& ioy wt-in was cristen people but from þt
place J was sodenly lad by my seid good
angell vp by certen greces in-to anoþer place
of more grettur brightnes þe whych was

<Tranche 2>

<fol. 129va>towchid þe ground wt his kne . & my saule seid þus to þt
blessid lady . J canott he seid lyf in þ<?> Erth but J haue
þt liberte of kissyng for he seid it was þe vse of his
cuntre & long hit was or she wold graunt me
to haue þt lyberte But þer was wt her a gret com
pany of þe whiche J had no power to see & þe seid
company þt was þer wt hir prayd for me & seid thes
wordes þorowgh þe grace of god & of 3ores
he may haue þt lyberte & keepe hym-self fro
synne . And at þe last by þe prayour of þe seid com
pany þt þer was wt þt blissid lady she grantid me
þe seid liberte condicionaly in þis wise . Jn þt sho seid
þt þu seyse þu cannot lyfe in þe erth wt þt lyberte of
kyssing For by-cause hit is þe vse of þi contre & þu
wer~ lykly to breeke my commaundment & be had
in derision a-monge þe people wher~-foor J charge
þe þt þu neuer kysse woman to þt entent to gif mene
or stir~ by any mene þi body vnto synn wher~-for~
to eschewe þe moor~ perell of synn J dar+not profir~
to kisse any woman & in such aray hit pleasid
hir to shew hir-self to me vnworthy & wrechid
kaytiff & in þis wise J sawe hir She is a woman
of longe statur~ þe fayrest in fayrnes bewte &
fauor in visage þt euer god mad . þe most mekest in
cowntenaunce & speche & as þe snowe excedith
þe bewate of all women in whittnes in lyke
wise excedith þt blissid woman & lady al oþer
women þe applis of hit eyn byn of blake colour
& not gray she hauyng on hir hed a fair~ why3t
kerchef of þe whych kerchif . ij . endis com don
a+lytil be-neþ[e] hir schuldris . þt is to sei com+don~
on owþer~ side an ende of þe seid kerchif . She al
so hauyng vpon þe seid kerchif & hir most blessid
hed a crown of gold þe moost oriyenst & richest
þt euer J sawghen in þe mydil of þe of þe seid croune
a+braunche was in þe toppe of þe wiche J cowde
neuer behold hir blessid body was cloþid in A+man
tell of blake wt a+standing ˆ <mrg>colar</mrg> closid strayt till
hir nek & þe seid mantell was reching down
ouer hir feet in lenght & so closse þt fro þe ouer part of hir
nek down to þe grownd þt she stod vpon all hir
body was so couerd wt þe seid mantell of blake
þt my saule my3t not perseyue nor see of hir fot
<fol. 129vb>ne hand . þe which mantell was myche+like vnto
þes mantelles of þes ladyes þt haue takyn þe
mantil & þe ring weren except þt þis mantel was
lengar & þe colour higher þer was no blasing of
kerchifes nor shewing of of hir brestis & many
of þis wanton women & vndiscreet women vsyn
& wer but al was closse as is aboue rehersid &
no part vncouerd but hir blessid visage she had no
tires to exalte vp hir hed but sche was & is con
tent wt on single kerchif . wher-of ij . endis wer
pynnyd or ellis knytt vp . & ij oþer endis come down
ouer hir shuldris as is aboue rehersid wt þe seid
crown vpon hir blessid hed & kerchif . This sight
by my seid saule of þt blissid lady sene during
þis on charg & commaundment of þe kissing as
hit is a-boue rehersid & no lengar soudenly þe
substaunce ˆ [of þe hed] of my said saule was folden & put
doun to his brest . as hit wat tyme she spake &
com to my said saule first as hit <exp>was</exp> is more
playnly be-fore rehersid . & aftir þt my said saule
had neuer power more to se þt blessid lady . howe
be hit þt aftir þis sight of hir she gaue to me
all þes commandmentes foloyng wt mo not wry
tyn . j charge þe she seid as sone as þu art res
torid to hilþe þt þu take þi way to þe vniuersite
of oxforth . & þer j charge þe to abyd by þe space
of viij 3ere & neuer com þu at home during þe
seid 3eeris but aftir þe seid 3eris þu schalt ride
home & how & in wat wise sho told me &
aftir þt j shold resort to suche a place
wter charges þe which at þis tyme j wil+not
reherse but þe wil of almyghty god be fulfil
lid in me most wrechid & synful creature & euer
honourd & blessid my3t he be & also sche þt
is modir & maid þe deliuerer~ of my saule fro
all perell sche seid j charge þe þt þu gif þe to stody
as in diuinite also j charge þe to offre A candill
to suche a figur~ of our~ lady in suche a chapell
& she shewid me þe chirche & þe chapell being
wt-in þe seid chirche & þe ymage of þe seyd figur~
in þe north syd of þe chirche . sho shewid my saule
also þe towne & wallis of Oxforth wt þe ryuers
& medeues pertenig þer-to . Also she seid J charg
<fol. 130ra>þe þt þu go neuer to þi lauender howse ne lett her com
in þi chambir as long as þu art in Oxforthe .
Moreouer J charge þe þt wat tyme þu felist þi flesch
rebell a3enst þi saule vse þu to fast bred & watur
& on+day in þe weeke J charg þe to fast watur þe
wyche to my conceyuig was assined þe friday
J charge þe she seyd þt þu call þe william wrech as
longe as art wt-in þe vniuersite of Oxforth . & when
þu comyst whome a3en lett call þi name Edmond
Lyuersigge as þu hast byn euer callid byfore þis ty
me Also J charge þe þt summe of xl s~ . þe which þt
þu wer in purpos to ride to london wt . þt þu take
þt wt þe & no more at þi departing . Also J charge þe
during þi seid 3eris þt þu neuer wed wif ne be man
of religion ne prest ne take 3ou no maner ordir
vpon þe þen þu hast byfore þis tyme but contenen
þi life as a clarke . Also J charge þe þt þu labur to
þe means þt þu an to geet þe mercy of god . J charg<?>
a certen thinge of myn awne she commaundid þt J
shuld gif hit to oon of my kyn or J schuld depart
fro home and truly sho told me of suche of my
kynne þt shuld die as my moþer . And also þt al+my
enmyes shuld be dedd or þt J come home in-to my
contrey þat þe þerd part of þe people þt J left þer~
shuld not be alyfe when J shall com whom .
All þes commaundmentes in þis wise giuyn vnto
my said saule all þt while hit neuer sawgh hir
& sho was sodenly vanyschid & departid fro me so
þat my seid saule neuer sawgh hir aftur . & sho be
yng no radder departid fro my seid saule but my
saule had as perfite syght & seyng as hit had
wans he was Among þe innumerable company of
deuils in þe seid valey & had power~ to lift vp
his his his hed & to looke & see al about hym
& how þt blyssid lady vanysshid fro me J can
not sey . Jn so myche þat J had not perfite sight
of hir at þat tyme of hir departing & she left
theer~ wt my saule my good angell stonding
bysyde me . to convey my saule to þe body a3en
& kepe me fro þe fendes . And as my saule went
wt my good angell in þe way goyng hit sawe
of þe seid deuelles summe rennyng on way &
<fol. 130rb>summe an-noþer way as þey had byn wod here
iiij here . x . þer~ ij by parcellis neuer sesyng & then
my good angell speke vn-to me & told me howe
þey wer~ spirites þat god had gifin power & com
maundment to persecute & smyt þe people for þe
synne þt dayly renyth a-mong þem wt þe infir
myte & plage of pestilence þe whych synne
& people gretly displesith god . Also my good
angell consaild my saule to labur all þe means þt
he cowth whill he was in þe world to geet
hym-self þe mercy of almyghty god . And bad
me þt J shuld aske consell of clarkis & wt þt my
saule spek & seid to my god angell My curat
þe vikar of þe towne wher~ J dwell & my body
lythe he can 3eue me sume consell . Nay seid
my good angell he haþe no kunnyng þer-to
ne is a clarke abill to kepe any cure . but
many a saule is departid out from þer bodis
þt stond in gret perell þorow his defaute for
þe whiche he shall answer~ afore god . And
god is gretly dispesid wt hym in þt þat his
cure has not dewe teching & Jnformacion
as þey aught in þt he abydith not and dwell
vpon þe same . Ther beth seid my saule to my
god angell iij oþer preestis þe parisch preest & ij .
er chapleyns . Nay seid my god angell þe lake
kunnyng wherfore þe be w vnable to be prestes
& god wt þen is gretly displesid in þt þt þey
haue not doen her diligence to haue kunnyng
byfore þey were mad prestes . Then seid my saule
to my good angell þer is a vicar her+by-sid at
westbirry he can+gyf me good concell howe
þt J shall lyue in þis world þan<?> seid my good
angell to me of hym aske þu concell for hˆ[e]+is
a kunnyng clarke & þus miche þu maist gif hym
for his labur & said me what summe . to pray
for me . þen my good ange browght my
saule in-to þe parishe kyrke of frome & smot
iij gret strokes in þe mydil of ye seid chirch in þe
rofe & seid loo þe vicary is at wellis hit wer~
bettur þt he wer~ here & kept his cure . Then
my god angell brow3t my saule to þe door~