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 XXV.

[Of ladies who go to justs and pilgrimages.]

I wiƚƚ teƚƚ you of a lady that caught a gret blame and sclaundre atte iusting with-oute cause. She was a faire yonge lady, and made there good chere, and daunsed and sange with knightes and squieres, & aƚƚ her herte was sette on the worldes plesaunce, notwithstonding her husbonde was not best apaied with her for her outegoinge; but she was glad aƚƚway whanne she was praied to go oute, And she fonde menes to her husbonde that she was aƚƚ waye praied that she might go to. Her husbonde werned her not, for ferde lasse thei that praied hym wolde be wrothe, and leste men wolde deme that he were ieleus of his wiff; and he dede gret coste to make her fresshe and gay at the saide festis, for the worshipp of her frendes, but she might haue perceiued mani tymes that it was ayenst her husbondes wiƚƚ that she yede to suche festis. And so it happed onis atte a fest that she was atte be night, thei quenched the torches sodenly, and made gret noyse and crye, [fol/col 12b/1] and whanne the light was light agein, the ladies husbondes brother was there, and sawe his suster-in-lawe a liteƚƚ asyde with a knight in a corner; and in good trouthe y trow there was no thing done but good, but neuer the latter the brother tolde her husbonde, the whiche aƚƚ his lyff after mistrusted that his wiff had done [MS. "done done amys."] amys, and loued his wiff neuer after so weƚƚ as he dede before. And so there was neuer pees betwene hem, but euer glomyng, louring, and chiding, and aƚƚ her housholde yede to not for this cause.

Y knew another lady that gladly yede and was ledde to festis, and she caute an eueƚƚ name bi a lorde, that she was so fuƚƚ of sorugℏ that she was nigℏ dede, and in so moche thought that she dwyned awey that there laft no thinge on her saue the bones. And whanne she shulde he dede, she sent after her Saueoure, and called aƚƚ her frendes about

her, and saide, "Lokithe on me; am y lyk her that ye were wont to see atte festis and playes, so faire, fresshe, and goodly ? but that tyme is passed, for y must to the erthe thennes that y come fro." And she saide to the lordes, knightes, squiers, and ladies, and gentilwomen that were about her, " There is moche speche betwene suche a lorde and me, but that Lorde y receiue here be my dampnacion yef euer he had to do more with my body thanne hadd̛ my fader, notwithstondinge he and y hadd̛ gret communicacion diuerse tymes, but it was neuer in no ueleni, nor in no eueƚƚ thought nor in dede." And so aƚƚ thei that stode about her were abasshed, for thei wende in her the contrary; not for aƚƚ that her [fol/col 12b/2] worship was blemisshed and blamyd with hym, and, yef she had not use to goo to festis and other sportes in her husbondes absence, hit had not happed her. And therfor it is gret perile a woman to acustume her or to desire to goo to suche festis ther she might abide atte home with her worshippe saued, vndefamed of her good name; for atte suche places mani women takitℏ moche blame withoute cause. But y saie not but atte sum tyme that the[i] must nedis goo to obeie lordes and her frendes wiƚƚ, with her husbondes leue. And therfor, faire doughtres, yef it happe that ye mast nedis goo to suche festis, and that ye may not forsake it whan it is night that thei begynne to syng and daunce, loke that ye haue euer a frende or sum cosin or seruaunt of youres by you, for ferde and periƚƚ and eueƚƚ speche, that yef it happed the torches to be queint, as thei were atte the feste, that thei might be nigℏ you, not for no ferde of none eueƚƚ that ye wolde do, but for ferde of eueƚƚ tonges that gladlyer woƚƚ saie harme than good, and more thanne thei knew. And it is good that ye do so for the suerte of youre good name, that thei that stondithe bi you may saie, yef that thei here a false iangeler or a lyer saie aught on you that is not true, that thei may be sure to saye that it ys false.