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 CIV.]

[Of charity and forgiveness.]

MI faire doughtres, be ware and kepe you weƚƚ euermore that ye be not ouercome with the synne of yre or wrathe; for God saithe in the Gospeƚƚ that we shulde foryeue aƚƚ oure mysdedes, and to be fuƚƚ of pacience and humylite; for who- so desirithe vengeaunce, desirithe contrarie vnto the lyff of the soule. For who-so takithe vengeaunce upon his malefactoures, he lesithe the merite of humble sufferaunee & pacience, whereupon oure Lorde saitℏ that "rather make pees with thi neygℏboure, and be in charite togedre, thanne thou come with discorde to make thine oblacion before myn auuter." For, furst be in charite with aƚƚ creatoures, and thanne suerly make thine offeringe and praier; for God receyuithe not the praier nor oblacion of man nor woman that is in the synne of yre and wrethe. For God, that made the pater-noster, saithe in the praysing the fader of heuene, in ensaumple to aƚƚ creatoures how they shulde foryeue, Et dimitte nobis debita nostra, that is to saye, God foryeue vs as we foryeue; and as we desire to haue mercy and foryeuenesse of God, right so we must foryeue aƚƚ oure mysdoers, euermore to be in charite. And who-so saithe or praieth his pater-noster in other wise, he is not in parfite charitee, [fol/col 45/1] and

thanne his praiers are liteƚƚ or not acceptable. Whereup[on] y shaƚƚ teƚƚ you an ensaumple of a burioyse, a riche woman, as y haue herde it preched, whiche as by seming was a charitable woman, and fuƚƚ of ensaumples of good leuynge; Tiƚƚ it befeƚƚ that she toke siknesse and shuld̛e deye; and the person of the chirche, that was a perfit holy man and a good preest, and come forto shriue her, and herde her confession. And whanne she shulde shriue her of the synne of yre, the preest laide vnto her that she shulde be in uerray charitee, and foryeue aƚƚ tho that had trespaced or offended her, in the same wise forto axe foryeuenesse of aƚƚ them that she had do vnto ani offence. And as unto that article, she ansuered her confessour, that a woman that was her neighboure had do vnto her so gret offence that she might neuer foryeue her with good herte. But this good man, hi faire ensaumples, and with faire speche, saide vnto her in that wise, oure lorde Ihesu Crist forgaue paciently his dethe, and also he saide vnto her another ensaumple of a knightis sone, in what wise, bi the counsaile of an holi heremyte, vnto whom he was shriue, he foryaue hem that had murdred and slayne his fader, bi the counsaile of the holy hermite, whanne he shewed hym in what wise that almighti Ihesu oure saueoure forgaue and perdoned hem þat crucified hym vpon the crosse, with mani other devoute and good ensaumples that he had saide vnto the knightis sone, wherfor he forgaue the detℏ of his fader at the reuerence of God, in so moche that upon a tyme as he [fol/col 45/2] kneled before the crosse, saieng hys praiers and deuocions the crosse with the ymage bowed vnto hym, and [he] herde a voys that saide to hym in this wyse, "For as moche as thou haste foryeue the dethe of thi fader vnto hem that axed the mercy and grace, in the reuerence of me and of my passion right so y foryeue the aƚƚ thine offences and synnes; and̛ thou shalt haue my grace euermore; and in the ende of thi lyff thou shalt dueƚƚ with me in the ioye of heuene euerlastinge." & in this manere this good holy preest counsailed this woman to foryeue the woman her neygheboure; but for no amonestement nor counsaile that her gostely fader coude do nor say, she

wolde not pardone, she was so fuƚƚ of yre, by encomberaunce of the deueƚƚ, but she deyde in this foule dedly synne of wrathe and yre. So that in the same night this holy man dremed that hym semed by auision how the deueƚƚ bare awey the soule of this burioys, and that he sawe a gret foule tode sittyng vpon her herte; and upon the morw, whanne the day is come, it was tolde vnto hym that she was dede; wherfor that her kyn and frendes were aƚƚ sembled forto bery her, and sent for this preest to do her seruice forto bringe her body vnto the chirche, as it is the vsaunce; but he ansuered hem that she shulde not be beried, nother in the chirche, nother in none other holy place where as the cristin bodyes were beried, for she deyde in dedly synne of wrethe and yre, and wolde not foryeue another woman that was her neygℏboure, of certaine [fol/col 45b/1] displesaunce that she had vnto her; for the whiche cause, that she deied in dedly synne, she was dampned; & more ouer he saide vnto hem that there shulde be founde within her body, upon her herte, a foule tode. And for this cause her frendes were displesed with the person, and saide it was not so, it was but a fa[n]tesi ; but her frendes atte the laste opened her dede body, and fonde it trewe that the preest had saide vnto hem, where they founde a foule orible tode within her body, that grapped her herte with her pawes, wherof they were hougely ameruailed. And thanne this holy man, this persone, coniured this foule tode, wherfor that he was there in that place, and what he dede. And this tode ansuered and saide, that he was a deueƚƚ of heƚƚ, that by the space of twenty wynter he had tempted that woman vnto mani synnes, but in special vnto that whereinne he fonde most auauntage, and that was in the synne of yre, or of wrathe, "for syn that tyme she had so gret wratℏ vnto her neygheboure that she wolde neuer foryeue it; for y putte so grete hate, that she might neuer beholde her with her sight but she were oute of charite. And that other day whan thou herdest her confession, y was vpon her herte, and grapped it so sore with my iiij pawes, and helde it so streite and enpoysoned, that she might haue no wiƚƚ to yeue foryeuenesse. And yet atte one tyme y had gret fere

that thow hast not take her away from me, and conuerted her with thine longe prechinge and [fol/col 45b/2] good ensaumples; but as now y haue the uictorie in suche wise as she is myne, and shal be dampned in heƚƚ for euermore." And aƚƚ the peple that were aboute, and herde this [MS. "and herde this & herde this."] thinge, thei were aferde and hougely ameruailed, and durst no more speke to burye her within no holy place; but the body was ordeyned for, as longithe therto. So this is good ensaumple how euery creatoure owithe to be in loue and charitee, and to be mercifuƚƚ vnto hem that axe mercy, and to foryeue with good herte; and who that wiƚƚ not foryeue, may not be foryeue of God, and thanne might faƚƚ in sucℏ periƚƚ as ye haue herde of this woman the burgoise.