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 XCVII.

[Of Queen Esther.]

I Shaƚƚ teƚƚ you another ensaumple, of quene Ester, that was a good woman, and a noble lady, and right wise, and she loued & dredde the kinge her husbonde aboue aƚƚ thinge; and holy scripture holditℏ her in gret recomendacion for her goodnesse; but the kinge her husbonde was daungerous, and of diuerse condicion with her, and fuƚƚ of vngoodly speche; but for no thinge she wolde neuer ansuere hym that might be to his displesaunce. But mani tymes whanne she sawe hym bi hym selff, and that he was oute of his yre, witℏ her faire and humble speche she coude so wel behaue her selff vnto hym in goodly wise, that she shewed hym aƚƚ his faute; and therfor the king loued her merueilously, and saide within

hym selff that he might neuer be wrothe with his wiff, she was euermore so plesaunt and so weƚƚ auised in her speche, and in aƚƚ thing, for it is one [of] the [Fr. " une des bonnes taches," p. 190, ed. 1854.] good thinge that may be in a woman, to be in a liteƚƚ speche, and not to ansuere vnto her husbonde in wrathe; for a gentiƚƚ hert is euermore dredfuƚƚ other to do or to saye ani thinge that might displese vnto hym whanne she owithe to loue, worshippe and drede. Wherof the tale is reported in the boke of Kinges, of this good ladi that had so merueilous a kinge and lorde vnto her husbonde [fol/col 41b/2] , but she her selff was euer humble and good. And upon a tyme her gentiƚƚ woman saide vnto her, "By asmoche as ye be faire and yonge, whi wiƚƚ ye not plaie and disporte you otherwhiles?" And she ansuered hym ayen, "For y must meintayne and gouerne my selff in suche wise as y [MS. ye.] know best that it plesithe vnto my lorde, myn husbonde, and as his wiƚƚ that y gouerne, forto haue his loue in pees with hym euermore. And in this manere the good ladi saide vnto her damoyseƚƚ and gentiƚƚ woman. Wherfor, my faire doughtres, y praie you to haue these ensaumples in youre herte, and in youre rememberaunce; and ansuerithe not with none anoyeus wordes of ungoodly speche vnto youre husbondes, nor striue not with youre langage with no creatoure; but euermore be gracious, humble, and curteys, as was this good lady the quene Hester, as ye haue herde. And, as she that saide vnto her damoyseƚƚ, her herte was in the loue of her lorde and husbonde, wherby that she dede hym euermore plesaunce, and lyued with hym in ioye and pees. And after that, she saide vnto her woman, that thre thinges distrained her for to eschewe diuerse plesaunceȝ, disportes, and other Ioyeuseie, and tho were, loue, drede, and shame; and these iij thinges maistred her [Fr. " Ces iij. vertus la maistrioient," p. 190.] : the loue that she had vnto her lorde her husbonde kepte her, that neuer she wolde do thinge that was his displesaunce; drede, that kepte her from synne and disworshipe; shame, to be auised and saued from velanie reproche. [Fr. " villain reproche."]