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 LXXX.]

How none ought to repreue other of his meschyef. Capitulo lxxx.

I shall telle you another ensample, how Anna, the wyf of Thobye, spake folysshly to her lord̛, whiche was a good̛ and̛ a hooly man, and buryed̛ the dede bodyes whiche a paynym made to be slayn in the despyte of God̛ and of his lawe, the whiche was callyd Senacherib.]... [fol/col 33/1] holy name. It befeƚƚ that upon a tyme the dunge of swalues feƚƚ into the eyen of this good man Tobie, wherof that he was longe tyme blynde, and in despite hereof his wiff saide vnto hym that the God for whom he had beried so mani dede men shulde yelde hym ayen his sight. An d the good man ansuered her ayen in gret pacience, that alle was in the plesaunce of God; and wherupon it befeƚƚ that she thereafter was gretly punisshed with diuerse maladies; and whanne it plesed vnto God, he yalde ayen the sight vnto this good man. And bi this ensaumple no goode woman shulde not dispise nor speke vnkindely unto her husbonde, ne sette the lasse bi hym for ani sikenesse that God sendithe; for the honde of God is as weƚƚ vpon hem that be hole as upon hem that be sike, as ye haue herd bi Tobie, that was made hole of his sight, and his wiff that spake eueƚƚ was made sike. Wherof y wolde that ye knewe an other ensaumple of Ragueƚƚ, that had .vij. husbondes, whiche the deueƚƚ slow aƚƚ, for as moche as they vsed unkindely werke, whiche as be not for to be reherced. And this good woman undertoke and blamed atte a tyme her godsib, secretely betwene hem bothe, of an eueƚƚ dede that she had do; but she, that was ferce and proude, reproued her opinly of her vij husbondes. And the good woman ansuered no thinge ayen, but [toke] aƚƚ in pacience, and began to wepe, saieng she might not do therto, and that God dothe aƚƚ atte his plesaunce. And whanne God sawe her humilite, he gaue her the yonge Tobye to husbonde, and they had children and [fol/col 33/2] moche worshipe togedre. And she that had chidde with her before and reproued her, hadde moche shame and eueƚƚ ende. And the good woman had

worshippe and good in gret habundaunce; and therfor it is good ensaumple that none shulde reproche atte otheres blame nor harme, for the veniaunce, punissiones, and the iugementis of God be meruailous. And suche ofte putte gret blame in other, whiche as God punisshethe after with gret veniaunces.

And yet y woll tell you an other ensaumple upon the vertu of pacience.

YE haue weƚƚ herde as upon that, as tellithe the Bible, how God wolde, and sufferithe Iob, that was an holy man, to be tempted, and to faƚƚ from gret higℏ worshippe and richesse into lowe astate, and thereto pouerte, as he that was as mighti as riche as a kinge; Furst, how he lost is .vij. sones and iij doughtres; after, aƚƚ his bestailes and richesses, and aƚƚ his faire duellinge places ybrent, so that there belefte hym no thinge saue only hym selff and his wiff. And in so moche that for his gret pouerte he had no loginge nor duellinge place but upon a donghiƚƚ, wherewith he hadd also gret sikenesse, maladie, and lacke of sustenaunce. And but as his wiff, with the releef of that that pepiƚƚ gaue vnto her, she susteyned his lyff in moche tribulacion and anguisshe of pouerte, wherethorugℏ that upon a tyme she waxe Inpaciens and wrathe, by temptacion of the fende ["Of the fende" repeated in the MS.] , and saide vnto her husbonde, "Sire, deie here upon this donghiƚƚ, and blame God of [fol/col 33b/1] this dissese, sen ye mow haue no beter." And the good man ansuered her in this manere paciently, "As it plesithe vnto God, so mote it be; for God yeuith aƚƚ, and God may take aƚƚ, and euer more ythanked be God, and blessed be his name." Nor neuer, for sorw nor annoy that God sende hym, he saide neuer other wise, but euer thanked God in gret pacience; for there was neuer dissese that he suffered that made hym inpacient, but atte aƚƚ tymes he thanked God. And whanne almighti God had so assaied and proued hym, and his gret humilite and pacience, he redressed aƚƚ, and gaue hym as moche honoure, worship, richesse, and prosperite, as he had before in aƚƚ manere wise. And as

this befeƚƚ in the olde testament, right so it befeƚƚ in the nwe testament; as ye shaƚƚ finde in the legende of seint Eustace, that loste londes, goodes, wiff, and childe, wel nigℏ the space of xiij yere; and afterwarde God releuithe, and restored hym ayen his wiff, his children, and aƚƚ hys goodes, in more prosperite [and] wordely worshippe thanne euer he had before that tyme. And therfor here is a good ensaumple that no creatoure shulde disese other, for no aduersitee that God sendithe, for there is no man wotithe the fortunes nor anentures cominge, or what shaƚƚ befaƚƚ, for that is in the knowinge and sufferaunce of God. And for ani tribulacion that may befaƚƚ, euermore man is ybounde to thanke God, and to resseiue aƚƚ in pacience, with faithefuƚƚ hope in the mercy and grace of God, as ye may see the ensaumple here of Job and seint [fol/col 33b/2] Eustace, that suffered mani tribulaciones, pouertees, and aduersitees, and aƚƚway thei wost weƚƚ in thare thought and beleue that it was in the might of God to releue and forto store hem vnto the double, whanne it liked hym of his grace. Lo, thus may ye see and know the gret merite and rewarde that longithe vnto these vertues, pacience, humilite, and good hope, and euermore atte aƚƚ tymes Iob thanking and seruing God.