Chapter 11
- As they leave York, Kempe's husband puts a bizarre question to her: if someone threatened to behead him if he didn't have sex with her again, would she allow him to be killed?
- Kempe is pretty clear: of course she'd let him die. John is not amused.
- But it does re-open the conversation that Kempe began with her husband three years earlier about staying chaste in marriage.
- In fact, John and Kempe have not had sex in eight weeks. Kempe asks him why he hasn't been trying to put the moves on her.
- John tells Kempe that he's been afraid to touch her. Perhaps he's expecting a divine lightning bolt if he does.
- Kempe is satisfied: she told him that his sexual desire would be killed off, and it has.
- But John isn't giving up so easily. He won't let Kempe take a vow of chastity before a bishop unless she agrees to his terms: 1) they will sleep still in one bed; 2) she will pay off his remaining debts before she goes to Jerusalem; 3) she will give up her fasting on Fridays.
- Kempe really, really wants to remain chaste, but she doesn't like the idea of giving up her Friday fasts, since Christ himself ordered them. She goes off to pray about it.
- And Christ speaks on cue. He tells Kempe it's okay to give up the Friday fasts—he had ordered them so that she would have just such a bargaining chip later on. Turns out Christ is really into interpersonal strategizing. Kempe is thrilled.
- Kempe makes the bargain with her husband, and they are friends again. They continue their journey to visit holy people, to make sure her visions and chats with God are on the up and up.
Chapter 12
- In her travels, Kempe comes to a monastery. For the most part, she gets a warm welcome, but there's this one monk who hates on her. Her reputation as a holy woman with a direct line to God has preceded her.
- The monk decides to challenge Kempe in order to see if she's the real thing. He wants her to tell him what his sins are and if he'll be saved from damnation.
- So Kempe tells him to go to mass, and she'll weep for his sins. Which she does, but she also has a little chat with God, who reveals just what naughtiness the monk has done.
- The monk apparently likes married women, falls into despair a lot, and hordes up "worldly goods." All this embarrasses Kempe.
- When Kempe meets up with the monk, she reports her findings and tells him that he will be saved if he follows her advice (i.e., repent, change his wicked ways, and go to confession).
- The monk is pretty impressed and does all that she tells him. Pretty soon, he's a good guy again. When Kempe returns some time later, she finds the monk totally reformed and with a promotion in his station at the monastery. Win.
Chapter 13
- Kempe now has a series of harrowing encounters with both clergy and laypeople at Canterbury. And it's all because of her excessive weeping.
- Kempe's really stirring up the visitors to Canterbury Cathedral with her commotion. Even her husband is ashamed, and he leaves her by herself.
- Kempe is confronted by John Kynton, an important monk of Christ Church. He tells her she ought to be shut away from the world.
- A young monk recognizes that something is definitely going on with Kempe, since she is speaking about Scripture—and she clearly can't have read that herself.
- Kempe then tells a story about a man who is told by God to pay people to mock him for his sins.
- The man one day goes out among great men, who openly hate on him and verbally abuse him. But the man is pretty happy about the whole situation.
- The men mocking the man ask why he's smiling, and the man tells them how pleased he is to get abused for free for once.
- Kempe makes the parallel with her own situation, saying that she hadn't been getting mocked nearly enough for her liking back home. She thanks these dudes for humbling her and leaves.
- But outside the church, people begin to accuse of being a Lollard—a burnable offense in the Catholic world.
- Now, standing outside the gates of the city of Canterbury with no one to defend her, Kempe realizes she's in a pickle. But two men come to her rescue and bring her back to her lodgings. She's pretty steamed at her husband for leaving her alone.
- Although many people back home mock her in her absence, Kempe says that she is at rest in her soul for a long time. Jesus tells her he's got her back, and she's okay with that.
Chapter 14
- Kempe really likes getting abused for her love of God. She feels it will bring her to heaven in the end.
- Kempe fantasizes about becoming a martyr for God, and she thinks about how she would like best to die. She decides that beheading is where it's at. (This is a common choice for mystics—check out the autobiography of Teresa of Avila, for example).
- But Christ tells Kempe there's no need to go so far. Her general suffering will be her martyrdom.
- Then Christ makes the best love speech to Kempe, ever: he says he would gladly suffer all his pains again, even if it were just to save her soul alone. Whoa, this is getting intense, J. C.!
- Christ tells Kempe not to worry if her tears should dry up for a while. It doesn't mean she's not his girl any more. She will always have God hidden inside her.
- Christ also confirms for Kempe what Julian of Norwich will tell her later: tears of "compunction" are a great gift.
- Then Christ promises that he should be like a meek child to a father to her. Yes, you heard right: he will be the child, and she will be the daddy.
- The point here is to say that Christ will do everything he can to help Kempe's soul to happiness. Now, there's a lot of role reversal and gender bending in spiritual works, so hang in there.
- Christ also uses the simile of the sun: sometimes it's hidden, but it's always there, and it's always the sun. He's kind of like that, too.
- Christ explains how Kempe is mother, sister, daughter, and spouse to him—all at the same time.
Chapter 15
- Kempe tells us the Christ wishes her to visit some major holy places: Santiago de Compostela, Rome, and Jerusalem.
- But Kempe doesn't really have the moolah to fund these road trips. Christ tells her not to worry—he'll send her good friends and will make sure he's with her on her travels. She'll have enough.
- There's one more hitch: Christ wants her to wear all white clothing. Kempe is displeased with this, since people already make fun of her.
- Christ tells Kempe that her misery pleases him. She's going to have to suck it up.
- And Kempe does have a hard time. Though her husband is a good standby for her, pretty much all her other companions abandon her when people start to bully her.
- Kempe goes with her husband to see Philip Repyngdon, Bishop of Lincoln. She wants to speak with him about her spiritual life, of course.
- Repyngdon treats Kempe handsomely—until she asks him to let her take a vow of chastity. He gently refuses her, telling her to go ask permission from the Archbishop of Canterbury first. (He's resident in London—131 miles away.)
- Kempe is annoyed, but Christ gives her words to rebuke him.
- Repyngdon is impressed with Kempe and gives her 26 pence to buy her white clothes—but he probably still remembers being excommunicated the last time he stood against the Church. He won't budge.