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 XCII.

[Of women who honour their husbands.]

NO[w] y wol teƚƚ you another ensaumple of a good lady þat owithe gretly forto be praysid, and she was ynamed Abygal, & she had an husbonde that was of meruailous conuersacion vnto her, and unto his neigheboures, and eueƚƚ spekinge of hem. So it befeƚƚ he had do a forfeit vnto the kinge Dauid, wherfor that the kinge wolde destroie hym and putte hym to dethe; but the good woman his wiff, that was wise, she went vnto the kinge, and clothed her selff in louly wise, and with the faire speche that she made, she made pees betwene the kinge and her husbonde, so that she kepte hym atte that tyme, and at mani other tymes, in gret and diuerse daungeres and periles, that he had deserued bi his folyes and hys wicked speche. And atte aƚƚ tymes this good ladi amended his defauutes by her prudence and goodnesse, wherfor that she owithe to be gretly preised, And also for as meche as she suffered paciently the payne and sorw that he made her forto endure. And therfor here is a good ensaumple vnto euery good woman how she is beholde to suffre her husbonde; and þat she owithe to supporte hym ouer aƚƚ and to saue and kepe hym, how he it that he be fole or diuerse, synne God hathe knette hym togedre by bonde of mariage; for, in as moche as she hathe gretly to suffre, and she deport her selff humbly, and gouerne her goodly vnto her husbonde, and ayenst [fol/col 39/2] his folye, so moche the more she shaƚƚ be beloued of God, and worshipped in the worlde; as y wiƚƚ shewe by an ensaumple of a good lady and wife [MS. "wise."] vnto a Senatour of Rome. This Senatour was Ieloys of his wiff, and withoute cause, and he was diuerse, angry, and dispitous vnto her. So it befeƚƚ that he had waged bataile ayenst another knight, but he was a cowarde, and failed the day of his bataile, and his champion that shulde haue fought for hym was syke, so that for the day he coude fynde no man that wolde fight for hym. And in this wise he stode upon the point to be disworshipped;

but the good lady hys wiff considered the gret shame that shulde haue befeƚƚ unto her lorde; she went her into a chambre, and made her to be armed, and mounted vpon a good cursere, and rode into the felde, and hadde her uisage deffait in suche wise that she was vnknowe vnto eueri creatoure. And for as mocℏ as God sawe the bounte and trouthe of her, and that she dede it in the saluacion and the worship of her lord and husbonde, and for the loue that she had vnto hym, God sent the victorie and the honoure be vnto her husbonde bi her handes, for she conquered his enemy. And whanne the bataile was ydo, the emperesse wold̛ se who was the champion for the senatour, and she was brought ferthe and dysarmed before the Emperesse, and the Emperesse knewe her weƚƚ the wyff of the Senatour; and from that day ferwarde she & aƚƚ the ladies of Rome worshipped [fol/col 39b/1] and helde her in Reuerence mocℏ more thanne euer thei hadde ydo before. And she was meruailously worshipped and beloued, as weƚƚ for that she hadde bore her stille simpely and debonairly atte aƚƚ tymes vnto her husbonde, notwithstonding the displesaunce that he hadde ydo vnto her in worde and dede, for this Ielosye, and withoute cause. And therfor this is a good ensaumple how euery woman shulde lowly suffre of her husbonde; for she that most sufferithe, and makithe no countenaunce of her di[s]ese, she is worthi to be higℏly preised, as Salamon saithe, where he spekithe of women, in praisinge some [MS. "sore."] and in dispraisinge of other.