Manuscripts and Special Collections
WLC/LM/37: Fragment of an English ‘Life of St Zita’ (c. 1450-1475, English)
Transcript
did take to go a greate Journey by wey
of vicitacion of goyng to the Churche
of Seint James / of Poyde . nigh vnto
Pysas þe Cite with a woman famylier
to hyr / Whan forsothe she had to do come
to the same Churche and mekely did
offer to oure Lorde hyr prayer of the de //
liueraunce beforesaid . and the Journey
done to thende . She did go by pro //
myse to the Churche of thappostill
Petyr . att the gresys // Whiche is
towardes the see beyonde Pysas the
Citee . V . myles / The famyliar woman
goyng abak therfore did leve Cithe
gone into the Citee Pysan // and for
why whosoeuer purposith to do the
more goode dothe make vnlefull
the lasse goode þat he hathe lusted. Cithe
not leving the stablisshed purpose
did go to the forsaid Churche of the
of vicitacion of goyng to the Churche
of Seint James / of Poyde . nigh vnto
Pysas þe Cite with a woman famylier
to hyr / Whan forsothe she had to do come
to the same Churche and mekely did
offer to oure Lorde hyr prayer of the de //
liueraunce beforesaid . and the Journey
done to thende . She did go by pro //
myse to the Churche of thappostill
Petyr . att the gresys // Whiche is
towardes the see beyonde Pysas the
Citee . V . myles / The famyliar woman
goyng abak therfore did leve Cithe
gone into the Citee Pysan // and for
why whosoeuer purposith to do the
more goode dothe make vnlefull
the lasse goode þat he hathe lusted. Cithe
not leving the stablisshed purpose
did go to the forsaid Churche of the
Translation
…did undertake a great journey by way of pilgrimage, going to the Church of St James of Poyde [S. Jacobi de Podio], close by the city of Pisa, with a woman familiar to her. When indeed she had come to that church and meekly offered to our Lord her prayer of the deliverance aforesaid and of the completion of the journey, she went according to a promise to the Church of the Apostle Peter at the Steps [Piero a Grado] which is 5 miles towards the sea beyond the city of Pisa. The woman friend returning, thus left Cithe going into the city of Pisa. And because whoever purposes to do the greater good makes illicit the lesser good that he has wished for, Cithe, not leaving her fixed purpose, went to the aforesaid Church of the
