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 CXXIII.]

[page sign. l., p. iiii. b]

The answere whiche the lady of the towre maad̛ vnto her lord. Capitulo C xxi[i]j

[T]Henne ansuerd̛ to me your moder, "Syre, I merueyll me not, yf amonge yow men susteyne and̛ holde this reason, that al women oughte to loue peramours; But sith this debate and̛ stryf is come before our owne dougℏters, I wylle answere after myn aduys and̛ Intencion, For, vnto our children we must hyde nothynge. Ye say, and̛ so done all other men, that a lady or damoysell is the better worth whan she loueth peramours, And̛ that she shalle be the more gay, & of fayr maner and̛ countenaunce, And̛ how she shalle do grete almesse to make a good knyght. These wordes are but sport and̛ esbatement of lordes and̛ of felawes, in a langage moche comyn. For they that saye that alle the honour and̛ worshyppe whiche they gete and̛ haue, is comynge to them by theyre peramours, And̛ that theyr loue encourageth them to goo in vyages, And̛ for to plese to them by state of armes; but these wordes coste to them but lytyll to say, for to gete the better and̛ sooner the grace and good̛ wylle of theyr peramours. For of suche wordes, and̛ other moche merueyllous, many one vseth full ofte; but how be hit that they saye that 'for them and̛ for theyr loue they done hit,' In good̛ feyth they done it only for to enhaunce them self, and̛ for to drawe vnto them the grace and̛ vayne glory of the world̛. Therfore I charge yo w, my fayre doughters, that in this mater ye byleue not your fader. But I pray yow that ye hold your self clenly

and̛ without blame, and̛ that ye be not amerous, for many reasons whiche I shalle reherce vnto yow. Fyrste, I saye not but that euery good̛ woman of age maye loue well and̛ better the one than the other, that is to wete, folke of worsℏip and̛ honour, And̛ them also that shalle counceylle her for her owne helthe & worship. And̛ thus men oughte to loue, by this manere, the one more than the other. But as for to be so ferforth enamoured̛ in soo moche that this loue be mayster of her, and̛ maketh them to falle in somme fowle and̛ shamefull delyte, somtyme with ryght, and̛ somtyme with wronge, for the watche whiche men [page sign. l., p. v.] haue vpon this shameful dede or feate, and̛ also suche dishonour and̛ escry, whiche soone is not put oute, And by the false watches & bacbyters whiche ben neuer cessyng to talke of som cuylle rather than of somme good̛ wherby they take away & dyffamen the good̛ Renomme of the good̛ wymmen, and̛ of many a good̛ lady. And̛ therfore alle wymmen whiche ben not wedded may kepe and̛ hold̛ them self fro hit; And̛ that for many Reasons. The fyrste Reason is, by cause that a woman whiche is enamoured̛ of a man maye not serue God̛ of no good̛ herte ne trewe, as she dyd̛ before. For many one I haue herd̛ saye, the wℏiche haue ben amerous in theyr yongthe, that when they were in the chirche theyre thought and̛ melancolye made them ofte to thynke vnto theyr delytes and̛ to theyr peramours more than they dyd̛ to the seruyse of God̛. And̛ also the arte of loue is of suche kynde, that whanne one is in the Chirche to here masse and̛ the dyuyne seruyse, and̛ as the preest holdeth the body of oure Lord̛ bytwene his handes, than cometh most to his mynde euylle and̛ fowle thoughtes. This is the arte or crafte of the goddesse that men calle Venus, the whiche had̛ the name of a planete, as I herd̛ saye of a good̛ and̛ trewe man, whiche preched and̛ sayd̛ how ones the deuylle entred̛ into the body of a dampned̛ woman, whiche was Ioly and̛ gaye, and̛ moche amerous. The deuylle that was within her body made her to doo many fals myracles; wherfor the paynyms helde her for a goddesse, and worshipped̛ her as a

god. And̛ this Venus was she that gaf counceylle to the Troians that they shold̛ sende Parys, the sone of kyng Priamus, into Grece, and̛ that she shold̛ make hym rauysshe and̛ haue with hym the fayrest lady of al Grece, wherof she sayd̛ trouthe. For Parys dyd̛ rauysshe the fayr Helayne, the wyf of the kynge Mene1aus, for the wℏiche faytte or dede were slayne afterward more than xl kynges and̛ .xii. C M other persones and̛ mo. Wherof this Venus was of al thys grete meschyef pryncipall cause. She was an euylle goddesse, fulle of euylle temptacion. She is the goddesse of loue, whiche kyndeleth and chauffeth the amerous hertes, and maketh them to thynke bothe day and̛ nyght to the Ioye and̛ foule delytes of lechery; And̛ specially whan they be at the masse or heryng̛ [page sign. l., p. v. b] the dyuyn seruyse, the deuyl causeth this for to trouble their feythe and̛ theyr deuocion whiche they haue toward̛ oure Lord̛. And̛ knowe ye for certayne, my fayr doughters, that a woman whiche is amerous shalle neuer sette her herte to God̛, ne she shall not saye deuoutely her houres or matyns, ne the hert open for to here the dyuyne seruyse of God. Wherof I shall telle yow an Ensample. Two quenes were at this syde of the see, which in Lent, vpon the Holy Thursday, in the Passion weke, took theyr fowle delytes and̛ playsaunce within the Chirche duryng the seruyse dyuyne, And̛ rested̛ not of theyr foly tylle hit was alle done. Wherfore God̛, whiche was displeased̛ wyth them for theyr enorme and̛ fowle synne, made theyr fowle dede and̛ faytte to be openly knowen amonge the folke, In suche wyse that they were take and̛ putte vnder a grete and̛ heuy coope of lede; And̛ there they deyd̛ of an euylle dethe. And̛ the two knyghtes, theyre putyers, deyd̛ also, as they that were flayne, they beynge yet on lyue. Now maye ye see how theyr fals loue was euylle and̛ dampnable, And̛ how the temptacion of Venus, the goddesse of loue and lady of lechery, tempted them so moche, that sℏe made them to take theyr fowle plesaunce In suche holy tyme as vpon the Thursday and̛ Holy Frydaye in the Passyon weke. By this Ensample is wel sene and̛ knowen

how that euery woman amerous is more tempted̛ wythin the Chyrche than in eny other place. And̛ the same is the fyrst reason how a yonge woman must kepe herself fro suche folysshe loue, and̛ not be in no wyse amerous. The other rayson is by cause of many gentylle men, whiche ben so fals and̛ deceyuable, that they requyre euery gentylle woman that they may fynde; And̛ to them they swere that they shalle kepe to them their feythe, and̛ be trewe to them, and̛ shalle loue them without falshed̛ or deceyuaunce, and̛ that rather they shold̛ deye than to thynke ony vylonye or dysℏonoure, And̛ that they shalle be the better preysed̛ for the loue of them, And̛ that, yf they haue ony good̛ and̛ worship, it shalle come by them. And̛ thus they shalle shewe and̛ saye to them so many reasons and̛ abusions, that a grete meruaylle is to here hem speke. And̛ yet more they gyue oute of theyr brestes grete and̛ fayned̛ syghes, And̛ make as they were thynkynge and̛ Melancolyous, [page sign. l., p. vi.] And̛ after they cast a fals loke. And̛ thenne the good̛ and̛ debonayr wymmen that sene them, supposen that they be esprysed̛ of trewe and̛ feythfull loue. But al suche maner of folke whiche vsen to make suche semblaunt, ben but deceyuours or begylers of the ladyes and̛ damoysels. For there is no lady ne damoysell that wold̛ here them, but that they shold̛ be deceyued̛ of them by theyr fals reasons, whiche they sℏold̛ not here. These ben contrary to the feythfulle and̛ trewe louers. For he that loueth with god̛ and̛ trewe loue, as he cometh before his peramours, he is ferynge and̛ dredefull lest he doo ony thyng̛ that may displease her; For he is not so hardy to discouere ne say one onely word̛ And̛ yf he loue her wel, I wene that he shalle be thre or four yere er he dar saye his secrete vnto her. But thus do not the fals louers; For they praye al them that they fynd̛ as aboue is sayd, And are not in drede ne in fere to saye al that cometh vpon theyr fals tongues; And̛ no shame ne vergoyne they haue of hit; And̛ al that whiche they maye vnderstand̛ of them, they reherce and̛ telle it amonge theyr felawes. And̛ of them they hold̛ theyre talkynge, wherof they laugh and̛ scorne and̛

take theyr disporte of hit. And̛ thus by suche a waye they mocke and̛ scorne the ladyes and̛ damoysels, and̛ make newe talkynges and̛ lesynges of them whiche before were neuer sayd̛ ne spoken of. For they to whom they tellen hit, put to it rather somme euyll than somme good̛. In so moche that, fro word̛ to word̛, and̛ by suche mockynge and̛ fryuolles, many ladyes and̛ damoysels ben ofte blamed̛.