Book of the Knight of La Tour-Landry : compiled for the instruction of his daughters : translated from the original French into English in the reign of Henry VI / [by Geoffroy de La Tour Landry] ; edited ... with an introduction and notes by Thomas Wright

CHAPTER XVIII.

And therfor here is a good ensaumple to amesure in this matere bothe herte and thought. Also, a woman aught not to striue with her husbonde, nor yeue hym no displesaunce [MS. "displesaunte."] [nor] ansuere her husbonde afore straungers, as dede onis a woman that dede ansuere her husbonde afore straungeres like a rampe, with gret uelonis wordes, dispraising hym and setting hym atte not; of the whiche he was ofte ashamed, and bade her holde her pees for shame, but [fol/col 9/2] the more faire he spake, the worse [s]he dede. And he, that was angri of her gouernaunce, smote her with his fiste downe to the erthe; And thanne with hys fote he stroke her in the uisage and brake her nose arrow_forward , and aƚƚ her lyff after she had her arrow_back nose croked, the whiche shent and dysfigured her uisage after, that she might not for shame shewe her uisage, it was so foule blemisshed. And this she had for her eueƚƚ and gret langage, that she was wont to saie to her husbonde. And therfor the wiff aught to suffre and lete the husbonde haue the wordes, and to be maister, for that is her worshippe; for it is shame to here

striff betwene hem, and in especial before folke. But y saie not but whanne thei be allone, but she may teƚƚ hym with goodly wordes, and counsaile hym to amende yef he do amys. And yef he canne ani good thanne he wiƚƚ cunne her moche thanke, and saie she dothe as she aught to do. And thus shulde a good woman do; as dede Hester the quene of Sury, the whiche had a king to her husbonde, that was hote and hasti, but whanne he was angri she wolde saie no wordes tiƚƚ he was appesed. And whanne the hete was passed, she might rule hym as her lust. And this was gret witte of that ladi, and so shulde aƚƚ women do. And aƚƚ women that ben gret herted and misansueringe her husbondes, that wolde not do her husbondes comaundement, be not of the obeisaunce that a merchauntez wiff was of, of the whiche y wiƚƚ teƚƚ you an exaumple and a tale.