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 CVIII.

[Of the example of the five wise virgins.]

THereupon it is also saide, now a dayes, or these faire yonge ladies mow arise, or they haue kemed her hede and iurred or avised hem selff in a mirrour, and atyred hem selff with thaire riche & fresshe atyre, the procession is past, and aƚƚ the masses and seruice is songe & doo; wherof as by ensaumple God spekithe in the Gospeƚƚ of suche women, of .v. maydenes that were purueyed by thaire good prudence of oyle, light, and lompes, and were diligent to wasshe, and, whanne the spouse was ycome by night, they entreted [Read "entred," Fr. entrèrent: see line 26 .] witℏ hym into the ioye and gladnesse of his duellyng place, and saide the yatis be redy opin vnto hem. But there were other .v. þat were inprudent, that slepte and were not purueyed, nother of lyght, oyle, nor lampe; and whanne they come and wolde haue entred into the place, they fonde the gatis shette and closed ayenst hem, and the lorde the espouse saide vnto hem, whanne thei wolde haue entred , that he knew hem not, for they were come to late. So that, like vnto this ensaumple, y doute there be mani suche women as be slouthfuƚƚ and slepe whanne thei shulde wake in the seruice of God, and shulde be purueyed of aƚƚ suche thingges as longithe vnto the saluacion of thaire soules, that is, in good werkis and holy praiers, and forto haue grace of God. And y doute me that they tarie and haste hem not of thaire amendement, in truste of longe lyff unto her ende, of [fol/col 47b/2] the whiche ende

of thaire lyff they haue no suertee, nor know the day nor the houre. Y suppose thei shaƚƚ finde the gate shette of thaire sauacion, & shaƚƚ be saide vnto hem as was saide vnto the .v. maidenes that were folys, that slepte and were vnpurueyed, the espouse knowithe hem not; and than it shal be to late, the repentinge, for there is none recoueraunce of tyme. And they shal be shamfuƚƚ whanne they see hem selff departed from God and his holi seintes, and forto be ledde vnto the waye of heƚƚ, with the horrible companye of the fendes, where as is cruel payne and sorw continuel, that neuer shal haue ende. Alas! how dere it shaƚƚ be solde the queintise, the plesaunt folyes, and the foule delytis, that haue be used for flesshely delectacion and worldely plesaunce; right so and by that waye shuƚƚ passe the women that haue leued sinfully; and the good women vnto the blisse euerlastinge, for thei shaƚƚ goo with thaire espowse, þat is to saie, with God her creature. And they shaƚƚ fynde the gret gate wyde opin vnto hem, forto entre into the gret ioye, bi as moche as they were diligent and wakinge with the light of her lampes, of the espowse, that is to saye, that they had do holy werkes, and were redi purueyed, by clennesse of good, abyding the houre of the dethe, to departe oute of this worlde ioyefuƚƚ, and were not encombered nor heui to slepe in synne; but euermore they helde hem selff clene and oute of synne, and they were ofte tymes shriue, and kepte hem self oute of dedely synne, and loued and dredde God aboue [fol/col 48/1] aƚƚ thinge. For who that louithe God, he kepithe hym selff clene, and hatitℏ synne. For synne is displesaunce vnto God, and departithe the creatoures from the lyff euerlastinge, as ye haue herde here by ensaumple, bi the worde of God in the Gospeƚƚ.