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 CXXXIII.]

How one must be wyly and̛ subtyll for to discouere his loue. Capitulo C xxxiij

"[S]Ire, hit semeth me that there he many maners of loue, And̛, as men saye, the one is better than the other. For yf hit

be so that a knyght or squyer loueth somme lady or damoyselle by worsℏyp and̛ honoure only, And̛ for to kepe her worsℏip and the curtosye of her, and̛ for the good that she shalle do to hym, suche loue is good̛ whicℏe is wythout prayer or request." "What, lady, yf he requyreth her to kysse or embrace hym, it is no force, the wyndes blowen it awey !" " Ha, a ! Syre, I answere vnto yow, that as wel to my doughters as to other that me semeth; And̛ therto I consente, that they maye make to them good̛ chere, and̛ that they kysse them before all, to thende that they lose not theyr valour. But, as for my dougℏters whiche ben here present, I defende and̛ withsaye to them the kyssyng, and̛ alle suche maners of disportes. For the wyse lady Rebecca, whiche was ryght gentylle and̛ noble, sayth, the kyssynge is nyghe parente and Cosyn vnto the fowle faytte or dede. And̛ Sybylle sayth, that the fyrst signe or token of loue is the loke or beholdyng; and̛ after the amerous loke they come to the kyssynge, and̛ thenne the dede or faytte; The whiche dede taketh awey the loue & worsℏip of God & of the world; & thus they come from one dede to another. & I lete you know that me semeth that, assone as they suffre them to be kyssed, they [page sign. m., p. iii.] put them self in the subiection of the deuyll, whiche is to subtyll. For suche one weneth wel at the begynnyng to kepe hym fermely and̛ be stronge, the whiche he deceyueth by his subtyll arte and̛ crafte, and̛ by suche kyssynges. And̛ thus, as one kyssynge draweth to hym another, And as the fyre kyndeleth a strawe, and̛ fro that strawe it cometh and̛ kyndeleth another, & thus atte last the bedde is a fyre, & the hows also; in lyke wyse is it of suche loue. And̛ yet I charge yow, my fayre doughters, that ye be no players. For suche playeng causeth oftyme many a folysshe loke and̛ beholdynge, by the whiche may perauentur come blame and̛ euylle renomme. I herd̛ ones reherce and̛ saye a tale of the Duchesse of Bauyere, how that she had̛ wel twenty subgettes, as men sayd̛ the whiche loued her, and̛ to eche of them sℏe gaf signe and̛ token of loue. She playd with them at the tables, and wan of them coursers, and̛ hakneys, and̛ dere

and̛ ryche furrynges, and̛ also rynges and̛ precious stones, and̛ many other Iewels; and̛ grete prouffyte she had by them. But, for certayne, she coude neuer kepe her self so wel, but that at the last sℏe was blamed̛ and̛ dyffamed̛. And̛ better it had̛ be for her worsℏyp, that sℏe had bought and payed̛ alle that she had̛ of them half derer more than it was worthe. Therfore grete perylle is to euery lady or damoysell, and̛ to all other good̛ and̛ worsℏipfull wymmen, to vse suche playenge and̛ be of suche lyf. For the most appertyse and̛ wyse fynd̛ them self at the last, by suche delynge mocked̛ and̛ blamed̛, and̛ fowle dyffamed̛. And̛ therfore, my fayre doughters, take ye here good̛ ensample, and̛ be ye not to curyous to ony playe for to wynne suche ouches or fermaylles; For, by the couetousnes to gete and̛ haue suche Iewels for nought, many a woman put her self in subiection; and̛ oftyme it befalleth therfor that they be deceyued. And̛ thus is it good to aduyse and̛ beware hym self before the comynge of the stroke."