How that Mercy Taryed the Court whyle
She Wente to Heuen and Purchasyd
a Chartre of Pardon

Capitulo xxxiiii

But thenne herde I how humbely Dame Misericord gan to prayen for me, and sayd in this wyse.`Now dere Mychael', quod she, `wylle ye vouchesaufe a whyle for to tarye in youre iugement.I haue a lytel thyng to doo aboue in Heuen. I thynke ther to purchace a Grace, that no thyng shal be to your preiudyce.' Thenne sayd the Prouost `it lyketh me ryght wel at your request for to abyde tyl that ye be retorned. I pray yow, tarye nought.'

Soo thenne was the iugement suspendyd in to the tyme that Mercy had ben in Heuene. And smartely withoute taryeng she had done hyr deuoyre and was descended doune vpon the skaffold. And sothely, so sawe I wel that she was that selue fayre swete that bare hir brest²⁹ alwey redy oute of hyr bosome, whiche had me byfore hand in my flesshely lyf ful often tyme comfortid. And now she dyde me moche more comfort, what tydynges she brought. In here hond she brought a skypet, and neyeng to ward the balaunce with the hede enclyned she sayd to the balauncer^a `how is it', quod she, `in oure partye?' `Sothely', quod Iustice, `had ye nought taryed this Court, ful long tyme passyd this pylgrym had be foriuged, witnesse vpon Trouthe and Reason.

`Now thenne' quod Mysericord, `shall I telle wherfore I haue trauayled.' And she took forth the Charter, and sayd `I haue ben in presence of oure Lord Ihesu Cryst and his Blessyd Moder, and byfore al the Companye of Seyntes assembled to geders, for helpe of this pylgrym. And so haue I here of oure Lordes graunt a Chartre of Pardon whiche I shal rede to fore yow, wherof who that wylle shal haue the copy.'

Thenne tooke she forth a fayre Chartre, asselyd with gold, and redde it openly, word for word, wherof this is the sentence: