Candidates for the Role of Priest-Scribe:

Textual Representations

English Priest

A priest Margery meets in Rome, who she accepts “as her son.”

v What we know of the English Priest is that he heard tell of Margery while he was in England and traveled to Rome in search of her, presumably in 1413. He provides Margery with gold (fulfilling Christ’s promise that he would provide Margery with gold during her journey) and prays for her to receive him as her son. He is present when Margery proves that her German confessor understands her despite the fact that he doesn’t speak English; he travels with Margery from Rome to Middleborough.

Is the English Priest Margery Kempe’s Scribe?

It is HIGHLY UNLIKELY that the English priest is Margery’s Scribe.

Positive:

v Like the scribe, this Englishman’s primary descriptor is “priest” and only priest.

v Like the scribe, the English priest refers to Margery as “Mother:”

Ø “Than be inqwyryng he cam into the place wher that sche was, and ful humbely and mekely he clepyd hir modyr, preying hir for charité to receyven hym as hir sone. Sche seyd that he was wolcom to God and to hir as to hys owyn modyr.” (Ch. 40).

Ø And whan thei wer a lityl wey owte of Rome, and the good preste, whech as is beforn wretyn this creatur had receyved as for hir owyn sone, had mekyl drede of enmyis. Wherfor he seyd onto hir, "Modyr, I drede me to be deed and slayn wyth enmyis." (Ch. 42).

Ø Than the good preyste cam to hir, seying, "Modyr, wyl ye gon wyth yowr felaschep er not on this good day?" (Ch. 42).

Ø On the next day betymes come to this creatur the good preste, whech was as hir sone, and seyd, "Modyr, good tydyngys.” (Ch. 43).

Negative:

v After Margery travels to Middleborough with the English Priest, we hear nothing more of him.

v While the English priest is obviously a native of Britain, the priest-scribe who writes Margery’s Book is obviously a citizen of Lynn, if only during the period of time that he is transcribing the Book. Once Margery is back in Lynn, we hear no tell of the English priest and have no evidence that Margery kept up her acquaintance with him.

PASSAGES

Involving the English Priest

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