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 LXIV.

[Of Vastys queen of Assyria.]

NOw wiƚƚ y teƚƚ you another ensaumple of a quene that [fol/col 28/2] was called Vastys, and she was wiff to the king of Assur. Hit befeƚƚ that the said king helde a fest to his barones, and there were aƚƚ the gret barones of his londe; and the king and his barones dyned in one haƚƚ, and the quene in another. And whanne it was after dinere, the said barones desired of the kinge that hym lyked that thei might see the quene, that was merueilously faire. The king sent vnto her onis, tuyes, thries, and she denied not to come. So that the kinge had gret shame therof, and axsed of his barones what he shulde do. And the counsaile gaue hym that he shulde putte her from hym, and that she shulde not come in his presence of aƚƚ a yere, to geue other ensaumple to obeye beter to her husbonde; and so dede the king, and made therof a lawe, that from thennes forwarde euery woman that disobeyed or esconduyed [MS. "estondnyed"] her husbonde of ani thinge that he comaunded her, so that it were thing resonable, she shulde be mued aƚƚ a yere, with liteƚƚ mete and drinke, and kept from the communicacion of aƚƚ peple, for to shew her her defauute; and yet holele they the same custume in that Roialme. And thanne the quene was gretly ashamed whanne she saye she most be in mue, and wepte, and made gret sorw, but it

was to late, for bi her pride she was in mue from sight of the pepiƚƚ aƚƚ a yeere. So ye shulde [fol/col 28b/1] take here good ensaumple. For in speciaƚƚ tofore the pepiƚƚ ye owe to do the comaundement of youre husbondes, and obeye hym, and do hym worshippe, and shewe her semblaunce of loue, yef ye wiƚƚ haue the louyng of the worlde. But y saie you not but, whanne ye are secretly togedre allone, ye may the more largely saye or do more youre wiƚƚ, after ye know his manere and condicion. I wiƚƚ teƚƚ you the ensaumple of a lyon and of his properte: whanne the lyonesse hathe done hym ani displesere or despite, he wiƚƚ not turne no more to her of aƚƚ that day, ne that night, for no thinge that may befaƚƚ; he shewes in suche wise his lordshippe. And it is a good ensaumple to eueri woman, whanne a wilde beste, that canne no reson but auent that meues hym, makes hemselff dradde and douted of his felaw. Now take hede thanne! a good woman aught not to displese ne disobeye her husbonde that God hathe geuen her by his holy sacrement.