A marvelous history of Mary of Nimmegen Who for more than seven year lived and had ado with the devil

The listening journey begins with a striking medieval miracle play from the Dutch tradition, where a young woman from a convent finds herself torn between sacred vows and a seductive, otherworldly presence. The narrative compresses fourteen years of yearning, exile, and prayer into a single, powerful scene that captures the tension between divine mercy and human frailty. As the heroine confronts a one‑eyed stranger who openly declares himself a devil, her desperate cry of “God or the Devil, ’tis all one to me” sets the stage for a stark moral showdown.

The playwright treats the conflict with a blunt, allegorical clarity, letting listeners imagine the inner turmoil that lies between temptation and repentance. Rich, earthy language evokes the tavern of Antwerp and the austere convent walls, while the devil’s charismatic, ill‑favoured charm underscores medieval ideas about wanhope and sin. This concise but vivid dramatization offers a window into early Dutch spirituality, inviting modern ears to reflect on the timeless struggle between hope and despair.