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 CXXXIV.

How the holy lady approuued̛ the heremyte. Ca. C xxx[i]v. m iij.

[page sign. m., p. iii. b]

[F]Ayr dougℏters, I wylle telle yow one of the last eusamples of this book. It is of a full good lady whiche is moche to be preysed. And this ensample is reherced in the booke of Vitas Patrum, how the wyf of the prouost of Acquylee approued an holy Heremyte by his bounte.

Ther was thenne an holy Heremyte in an heremytage, the whiche had̛ ben there by the space of xxv yere, where as he ete but breed̛ and̛ herhes and̛ Rotes, And̛ ofte he fasted̛ and̛ was of good̛ and̛ holy lyuynge. This good̛ and̛ holy Heremyte beganne ones vpon a tyme to saye, "A, good lord̛, my creatour and̛ my maker! yf ageynst the I haue ony thyng mysprysed̛ I demaunde and̛ crye to the, mercy; and̛ yf I haue this xxv yere done ony good̛ dwellyng stylle in this Heremytage, what meryte shalle I haue therfore ?" A vysyon came sone to hym, by the whiche hym thought that he sawe oure Lord̛, whiche sayd̛ to hym, "Thow shalt haue the meryte of the prouost of

Acquylee and̛ of his wyf." And̛ thenne, whanne he hed seene this vysyon, he sayd̛ that he shold̛ neuer reste tylle he come into Acquyllee for to enquere of the lyf and̛ condycions of the prouost and̛ of his wyf. He wente thyder, And, as God wold̛ thurgh the grace of the holy ghoost, the prouost and̛ his wyf knewe wel the comynge of this Heremyte, and̛ the cause also why he came thyder. It befelle thenne, as the Heremyte was nyghe by the Towne, he sawe the prouost, whiche yssued̛ oute of hit with a grete companye of men, and̛ wente to make Iustyse of a Squyer, whiche had slayne another Squyer; And̛ was the prouost rydynge vpon a fayr courser, And had on hym a fayre gowne of sylke rychely furred̛ And̛ all his men that were aboute hym wel clothed̛ & arayed̛. And̛ as sone as the prouoste sawe the Heremyte, he knewe hym, as the wylle of God̛ was, and̛ callyd̛ hym, and̛ sayd̛ "Good̛ and̛ trewe man, goo ye home to my wyf, and̛ take her this rynge, And̛ telle her that sℏe doo to yow as she wold̛ doo to me." The Heremyte demaunded̛ of ℏym what he was. And̛ he answerd̛ to hym that he was the prouost of Acquyllee. The Heremyte thenne, that sawe hym in suche estate and̛ soo Rychely clothed̛ was abasshed̛ and̛ ryght sore merueylled̛ that he [page sign. m., p. iiii.] was so coyntely arayed̛ and̛ that he wente for to make a man to be hanged̛. He wyst not what he shold̛ thynke or saye, and̛ was al troubled̛ and̛ abassℏed̛ And̛ hym thought that he had̛ nothynge deserued of God̛. But neuertheles he wente to the prouostes place, and founde there the lady his wyf, to whome he toke the rynge, and said vnto her that her lord sent hym thyder, And̛ that sℏe shold̛ doo to hym as sℏe wold̛ doo to hym self. The good lady receyued hym, and̛ made the table o be couerd, & prayd hym to sytte before her. She made hym to be serued of grete plente of good and̛ delycate metes, and̛ of good wynes. And̛ the Heremyte, whiche was not wont to haue before hym suche metes, Neuertheles he ete and dranke there, And sawe how the good lady toke the good̛ metes that were put before her, and how sℏe brake and̛ dressed the good capons and other metes, And̛ thenne she dyd̛ put it al togyder in a

grete dysshe, and sente it to the poure folke, And toke only for her refection brede and̛ water And̛ thus she dyd euery day, bothe at souper and at dyner. And as the euen came, sℏe had the Heremyte into her chambre, whiche was rychely hanged with cloth of sylke, and nobly dressed and arayed, and sayd to hym, "Good̛ and trewe man, ye shall lye in the bedde of my lord and in his chambre." The Heremyte wold haue reffused it; but the lady sayd that she wold do the comaundement of her lord, And that for certayne he sℏold lye there. There she made to be brought to hym good spyces, and stronge and good wynes, wherto the good Heremyte tooke soo good a sauoure that he ete and̛ dranke soo moche, that he was dronke, and̛ ful Ioyous in his spekynge; For the good̛ wyn had soone ouercomen hym, by cause he was not wonte to drynke of hit. He wente to bedde, and the lady vndyd̛ her clothes, and leyde her self by ℏym, and̛ beganne to embrace and̛ taste hym. And̛ the Heremyte, that moche hadde taken of metes and drynkes, awaked, and his flesshe beganne sore to be meuyd̛, And wold haue accomplysshed the faytte or dede of fornycacion with the lady. Thenne sayd sℏe to hym, " Swete Frende, whanne my lord̛ wyl haue to doo with me of suche thyng, he goeth fyrste to bathe, and wassℏeth hym selfe in that Tubbe, whiche ye see yonder full of water, for to be the more [page sign. m., p. iiii. b] clene and fayre." And̛ theremyte, wℏiche thoughte to nothyng̛ than to fulfylle and̛: accomplysshe his wyll, sterte in the tubbe full of water, and̛ bathed̛ and̛ wasshed̛ hym in the water, whiche was cold̛ as ony yse; and anone he was as half dede of cold̛. Thenne the lady called̛ hym to her; And̛ he came alle shakynge, For his hete was gone, and̛ also his euylle wylle. And̛ the lady embraced̛ hym ageyne so moche that he gate hete, and was so chauffed̛ that he wold̛ haue done his folysshe delyte. And̛ as sℏe sawe hym soo chauffed̛ and so brennyng in that fowle delyte of lecherye, sℏe prayd hym that he wold̛, for the loue of her, goo and wasshe hym ageyne in the tubbe, for to be the clener; And̛ he, that yet had̛ not slepte and̛ was full of myghty and̛ stronge wynes, as a man oute of his wytte, rose vp oute of the bedde,

and̛ wente and̛ bathed̛ hym ageyn into the tubbe; and̛ anone the cold̛ water made hym feble & hard̛ for cold̛. Thenne the lady called̛ hym to her ageyne; And̛ shakynge he came to her, as he dyd̛ before; ℏis teeth sℏoke and̛ bete eche other for cold̛, And̛ alle his grete hete was passed̛ and̛ gone. The lady roose vp, and̛ couered̛ hym well with warme cl othes, and̛ lefte hym alone, to thende he sℏold take his reste. And̛ soone after, as he was a lytyll warme, he fylle into a slepe, for his hede was ryght pesaunt and̛ heuy, And̛ he awoke not tylle the morowe was come. To his rysynge cam an old̛ preest or chappellayne, whiche demaunded̛ hym how he dede. And̛ whanne he perceyued̛ that he laye in so fayr a bedde, and that he was so taken and surprysed̛, he was full of shame, and̛ moche merueylled̛ how in that dronkesℏip and̛ folysshe wylle he was falle. He thenne sawe wel, that they were of gretter meryte than he was, And̛ demaunded̛ of the Chappellayne, of the lyf and̛ gouernaunce of the Prouost and̛ of his wyf; And̛ he told hym that the most parte of the dayes of the yere they wered̛ the hayre, And̛ that the good metes whiche were brought at the table before them they sente to poure folke, and̛ ete black brede and metes of lytyll sauoure, and̛ dranke but water; And how they fasted̛ the most parte of the weke. He after demaunded̛ of hym why that tubbe full of cold water was sette by theyr bedde; And̛ he answerd that it was put there for to kepe them fro the brennynge wylle of [page sign. m., p. v.] lecherye, for as soone as she or he is chauffed, and̛ their flesshe mouyng to that fowle delyte, they ryse out of the bed, & wasshe and̛ bathe them self in this tubbe, whiche is ful of water, excepte one daye of the weke. Thenne as theremyte had̛ this examyned the old̛ Chappellayne vpon the faytte of the prouost and̛ of the lady his wyf, and̛ that he was well certayne how they ledde theyr lyf he thougℏt that the prouost, how be it that he were nobly and Rychely arayed̛ withoute, and̛ to the sight of the folke, wℏiche sccretely, vnknowynge to no man, bare and had on his flesshe the hayre, and̛ made good Iustyce and the execucion of the mysdoers to be done and executed̛ bifore hym,

was worthy to haue, and̛ also his wyf, seuen tymes more meryte. For he remembryd̛ hym of the fowle dede whiche he wold haue commysed̛ or done with the good̛ lady, And̛ how sℏe essayed̛, wherof he was moche vergoynous and̛ shamefull, and within his herte he cursed̛ hym self that euer he departed̛ oute of his heremytage, and̛ that in trouthe he was not worthy to pulle of theyr sℏone and̛ hosen fro theyr legges, wherfore fro thens he departed shameful and̛ wepynge, sayenge with a hyghe voys, "Fayre God̛ and̛ good̛ lord̛, I knowe no gretter tresour more noble ne more precious than is the good̛ lady whiche hath essayed̛ me, sene my foly, and̛ approuued̛ my fallace and̛ decepcion; And̛ veryly she is wel worthy to be called̛ and named̛ the precious Margaryte, as ye sayd̛ in the Euangely." Thus spake the holy Heremyte in hym self allone, and repented̛ hym of his mysdede, and̛ humbly cryed to God mercy, praysynge the good̛ lady of her good̛ lyf. Therfore a woman is to be preysed̛ whanne she essayeth her self, and̛ that she can resiste ageynst the temptacions of the deuyl, and̛ ageynst the feblenes of her mortal flesshe, the folysshe wylle of her fowle delyte. And̛ thenne, as that fowle and̛ dampnable delyte is by them accomplysshed̛ and̛ done, they repente them of it; but it is to late, For the deuyl, as he hath purchaced and brought them therto, he holdeth them in his subiection, and for his seruauntes, and̛ assembled̛ and̛ bynde them togyder, in suche wyse that with grete payne they may be vnbound̛.