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Back Margery Kempe Save as PDF
Chapters (69)
  1. Cover
  2. Biographical Notes
  3. Title Page
  4. INTRODUCTION
  5. MARGERY KEMPE
  6. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  7. Dedication
  8. Front
  9. PART ONE
  10. 1
  11. 2
  12. 3
  13. 4
  14. 5
  15. 6
  16. 7
  17. 8
  18. 9
  19. 10
  20. 11
  21. 12
  22. 13
  23. 14
  24. 15
  25. 16
  26. PART TWO
  27. 17
  28. 18
  29. 19
  30. 20
  31. 21
  32. 22
  33. 23
  34. 24
  35. 25
  36. 26
  37. 27
  38. 28
  39. 29
  40. 30
  41. 31
  42. PART THREE
  43. 32
  44. 33
  45. 34
  46. 35
  47. 36
  48. 37
  49. 38
  50. 39
  51. 40
  52. 41
  53. 42
  54. 43
  55. 44
  56. 45
  57. 46
  58. PART FOUR
  59. 47
  60. 48
  61. 49
  62. 50
  63. 51
  64. 52
  65. 53
  66. 54
  67. 55
  68. 56
  69. MY MARGERY, MARGERY’S BOB

Margery sailed to Zealand. In Zealand they had a good wind to cross the channel, but they couldn’t find a ship—only a little smack that had a well for live fish. The sailor at the helm became notes as he sang them. Margery wished she could sing as well; she was a little drunk on motion and spray. The wet brunt of the wind erased her problems. Drops struck her skin like beads of light. They lost sight of shore, the sky was gray, black; green waves pitched the tiny boat.

PART THREE

Her Being Was Hurtling

Sende down sum reyn er sum wedyr that may throw thi mercy qwenchyn this fyre and esyn myn hert.

32

Margery landed in Yarmouth without a single penny. She did not want to be recognized because she was wearing a filthy canvas sheet. She held a handkerchief in front of her face until she could arrange a loan and buy some clothes. Then she walked quickly on the road to Norwich as though trying to keep up with Jesus. It was April; a woodpecker’s drumming and its yelping cry. Pilgrims gave her a few coins for these stories:

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A man drowns his pregnant wife in a pond, drags her out, and then has the cruelty to watch the motion of the infant still warm in her womb. The devil puts him up to it, appearing in a flash of lightning, and showing him where to find a hay spade to bury her with in a shallow grave by the pond. Easter Tuesday following, a man watering a quickset hedge not far from his home, as he is going for a second pailful, an apparition before him sits on the grave: she seems to dandle something in her lap that looks like a white bag; she is pale, with her teeth visible but no gums. The man runs away so fast he yanks at the air.

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