The gospelles of dystaues

this artycle I byleue well / for god may neuer vpon the ry∣ghte of another / and after he pardonneth the ryght of the partye safe.

¶The .vii. chapytre

¶Yf a man maryed enhabyte with the wyfe of his neygh¦boure he closeth the gate of paradyse hym selfe / and shal ne¦uer entre knocke he neuer so harde. Glose. Margot clap••te sayth that it shall neuer be opened to hym tyll he haue ob∣teyned pardon of hym that he dyde the offence to.

¶The .viii. chapytre.

¶Whan the preest hathe songen masse and that some fol∣ke go and kysse the auter / they ough••e not of all that weke kysse no woman yf they be maryed. Glose. Certaynly and for a trouthe quod an olde spynner they that doo agaynste this artycle shall not fayle to haue the tothe ache or the he∣de ache.

¶The .ix. chapytre.

¶Whan a woman with chylde bereth her childe moost on the ryght syde / and that she ete gladly venyson and wylde foule / and that she here gladly speke of torneymentes and Iustynge / knowe ye that she bereth a sone. Glose. Mabyl∣le fayre face sayth that whan a woman bereth vppon her lefte syde and that she appetyteth daunses & sowne of In∣strumentes / it is a doughter.

¶The .x. chapytre.

¶Yf a woman with chylde desyre to knowe what she bere the here her speke & by herselfe ye shall knowe it / for whan she demaundeth what fruyte she bereth / yf ye saye a fayre sone & that she blusshe not rede knowe for a trouthe that it is a doughter. Glose. Sayth Laurette the serye that yf a woman with chylde trede soner vpon the ryght fote than vpon the lefte fote / she bereth a sone withouten fayle / and

yf she do the contrary it is a doughter.

¶The .vi. chapytre.

¶Whan a man engendreth naturelly a chylde / yf he my∣ghte thynke than on the tyme to come / & that he thoughte how after the dede he fyndeth hym dysposed / other Iuge than hymselfe there neded not / for whan the man engen∣dreth a sone he chaungeth but a lytell / bycause that he en∣gendreth his semblable / but for to engendre a doughter y^t is oute of his compleccyon he fyndeth hymselfe strongly al¦tred for two or thre dayes.. Glose. Parette Galoys sayeth y^t incontynent as a woman hathe conceyued a chylde ma∣le the fyrste thre monethes she is metely wel ynoughe at e∣se / but the other syxe monethes she hathe moche grete do∣loure more than with a doughter / neuerthelesse the fyrste thre monethes the doughter gyueth her moche to suffre.

¶The .xii. chapytre.

¶Whan ye se the hennes gader vnder a pentous knowe that the weder shall chaunge and torne to rayne shortelye Glose. Syth that we be entred to speke of hennes sayd em¦melyne trumely••re I shall tell you grete meruaylles / for whan ye wyll haue your hennes copped vpon theyr hedes for also true as we be here ye must take a copped sacke and set the henne therin with her egges and let her syt on brode in the sacke and her chekyns shall be all copped on theyr he¦des.

¶The .xiii. chapytre.

¶And whan ye se the fyre brenne in your chymney make a mowe at it and for also true as the gospell it shall quen∣che and go out.

¶The .xiiii. chapytre.

¶My frendes and neyghboures whan ye goo to the we∣draght beware that ye wype not your ars with leues / and for also true as the gospell ye shall neuer haue the sekenesse of saynt wulfe of feuylloye. Glose. Callette shorte hele said that she dyde it ones / but she myght not endure no where for ytchynge of the ynne syde of her thyes / wherfore I by∣leue that the deuyll is is the herbes.

¶The .xv. chapytre.

¶Whan a chylde is borne before that he be baptysed be∣ware that ye bere hym not vpon your lefte arme / for than shall he be lefte handed all his lyfe. Glose. Martyne soone redy sayth to this purpose that yf ye make your husbande torne his face towarde the oryent whyles that he dothe the dede of loue and yf there be ony generacyon it is a sone.

¶The .xvi. chapytre.

¶Who that loketh in a glasse vpon the nyght for also true as the gospell they shall se the cursed thefe / and yet ye shal not waxe more fayrer but more fouler. Glose. Belette Ca∣muse sayeth that there ben glasses at Bruges the whiche ben naturall / and rendreth the folke that loketh therin all browne / but they haue an euyll brethe.

¶The .xvii. chapytre.

¶Who that wyll be vyctoryous in warre and batayll / or happy and fortunate in marchaundyse / let hym put on his sherte in the mornynge the contrary wyse / and for certay¦ne and for a trouthe he shall be ryght happy and fortunate Glose. Quod dame wrynchefyste this rule is true withou∣ten ony faute / so that the warre be not agaynste his wyfe or his loue / for there he may no whyle resyste / but lese all incontynente.

¶The .xviii. chapytre.

¶Whan a woman hathe her cocke feble & nyce / she muste gyue hym garlyke to ete / and anoynt his crest to the ende that he become more stronger and more vygorous / and al¦so he shall kepe the better his ryghtes towarde the hennes Glose. Who that may fynde sayd Marote wydred y^e herbe that awakeneth the nyce husbandes I wolde gyue al that I haue to my smocke / and yf I sholde goo and begge my brede.

¶The .xix. chapytre.

¶Who that wyll nourysshe and brynge vp lytell dogges without grete growynge / he ought to wasshe his handes in the mornynge in a grete quantyte of water / and in that same wete the brede that is gyuen to the dogges / and gyue them the water to drynke / and for a trouthe they shall ne∣uer waxe more. Glose. I byleue well that it is so / but ales gracyous dyde nourysshe them in a pot / and they myghte not growe greter than the pot was.

¶The .xx. chapytre.

¶Whan a wyfe dothe ryse on the nyght for to pysse / and that she stryde ouer her husbande knowe that and he haue ony of his membres styffe that it shall waxe softe yf she re¦torne not theder as she had striden. Glose. Maroye ployar de sayth that and it be after the fyrst cocke crowe she maye retorne where someuer it shall please her without ony pre¦iudyse.

¶The .xxi. chapytre.

¶For certayne my neyghboures and frendes whan ye he¦re the wynde blowe strongly / knowe for trouthe that it is sygne of treason / or at the leest of euyl tydynges. Glose. It is a thynge that is oftentymes proued / wherfore all the ex¦amples were to longe to reherse.

¶The .xxii. chapytre.

¶Whan a man rydeth vpon his Iourney and yf he mete a woman spynnynge it is a ryght euyll sygne / wherfore he ought to retorne and ryde by another waye. Glose. Iaket Iokesus sayth that and yf the wyfe wyll hyde her rocke in her lappe or behynde her / it can not empesshe hym / but yf by aduenture he fall of his hors he may hurte some of hys membres.

¶The .xxiii. chapytre.

¶I saye to you for conclusyon / and for also true as we be here that yf ony woman wyll that her husbande / or her pa¦ramoure loue her well / she ought to put in his shoo a lefe of brekens that had ben gadred on saynt Iohās euen why¦les that they rynge none / so that it be in the lefte shoo / and without faute he shall loue her meruaylously.

¶The conclusyon of the thursday.

AT that conclusyon began all the olde wyues & the yonge that were there present to deuyse to∣gyder and make a grete murmure as all abas∣shed of the noble actorytees and true gospelles that dame Sebylle had exposed to them & pro∣mysed well amonge them that they sholde reteyne theym and imprynte them in theyr memoryes / for they dyde hol∣de them for good and holy. It dyspleased me moche that I myght not haue the company of ony man for to laughe & passe the tyme / for certaynly the countenaūce and manere of them was ryght sauage and straunge / and to my thyn∣kynge it semed them that all the worlde sholde be gouer∣ned by theyr constytycyons and wordes. Nowe herken to me sayd one of the croked matrones that was named ma¦bylle of y^e chyfte / my frendes & neyghbours it is thursdaye to daye / and the grettest daye of rost in the weke: wherfore

it semeth me that it sholde be good that we made amonge vs all togyder a lytel Ioyous banquet for to refresshe our vnderstandynges with and our spyrytes. And especyally for to feest & reioyse our wyse doctouresses that vnto this tyme hathe instructed and admonested vs of the noble doc¦tryne the whiche here after withouten ony doubte shall be perpetually praysed and honoured / and parauenture we shal come to haue domynacyon ouer the men / what say ye Certes sayd one of her neyghboures that was a ryght go¦de gossep / and knewe well for to flee by nyght named Me¦halte ployarde I shall tell you / there was neuer woman that sayd better to my thynkynge. I wyll goo to my house secretely whyles that my husbande ployarde slepeth / and shall brynge a dosen egges with me. Another sayd and I shal go and fetche floure and butter for to make pancakes with / and I take vpon my conscyence that y^e vyllayne Io¦kesus my husbande shall not ete one morsell. Then answe¦red an olde matrone named florette of y^e felde. And I shal go and fetche a grete quarte of swete wyne / for yet haue I spared foure or fyue pence wherof my husbande euyl redy knoweth nothynge. Now vp let euery body do theyr dyly∣gence and put payne to do theyr deuoyre / then there was one the whiche sayd that she wolde dresse the mete. The whyles that they were thus empesshed & besy / & thoughte vpon none other thynge but for to accomplysshe theyr de∣syre I departed the moost secretely that I myght / and w^t out ony leue I wente vnto my reste. Of the good chere y^t they made for to tell you trouthe w^tout ony lesynge I can not tel you / saue that whiche was tolde me / but there is no thynge worthy to be put in memorye / form in that banquet was soo many reasons without effecte that it is not possy∣ble to wryte them.