Here Is Yeuen the Iugement of Saluacyon of the Sowle, Sendyng Hym to Purgatory

Capitulo xxxviii

Thenne beganne the Prouost speke to me & sayd in this maner: `Pylgrym', quod<sup>a</sup> he, `take hede what I shal sey to the. Thou hast here in this Courte many grete frendys, whose names I telle the nought at this tyme; thou shalt wel knowen whiche they ben here after. But how moche this worthy Lady Mysericord hath laboured for thy saluacion in parte thou knowest. And sothely, had nought ben that Grace whiche that she purchacyd for the and for other of oure Lord Ihesu, whiche she wanne and gat with ful grete labour, that now she had leyd in the balaunce, thou haddest be dampned to endeles deth euer withoute ende.

`Soo now shal I telle the what thou mote nedes do. Thou shalt take ageyne thy scrippe and thy burdon, whiche thou haddest byfore. And here to Dame Iustyce I yeue in ful charge that she trusse thy fardel of al thy wretchyd synnes whiche Sathanas hath putt in the balaunce. This fardel shalt thou bere in to purgatorye. And there shalt thou brenne it, and soo longe must thou there abyde tyl it be al wasted, and thou clene purged of al thy fowle synnes.

`Thus shalt thou make thy gree with Iustyce, that Mercy & she shal be fynally acorded, whiche acord may neuer be broht to an ende but yf thy mysdedes be punysshed at the lest for a certeyne tyme. And to this she hath goodly agreed hyr selue, slakyng her ryghtwys rygour at the instaunce of Mysericord. And elles she was auysed that thou sholdest haue had eternal punysshement, of whiche thou arte relecyd specyally by vertue of thy Chartre of Pardon and the lytel forset of tresour which mercy brought fro Heuene. And thynke not thy seluen lytel holden to Iustyce be cause she hath so besyly pursewed ageyn the, for sothly the good Lord grauntyd neuer Grace in preiudyce of hir balaunce^b , ne none may be saued withoute hyr assent. So is she at this tyme assentyd to thy saluacion in this maner wyse as I haue told the here. This is thy sentence and thy iugement. Spede the fast hennes, that this were perfourmed ryght as I haue the seyde.'