The gospelles of dystaues

¶The contynuacyon of the Iourney of frydaye made by dame Gonbarde the face.

[illustration]

WHan it came vpon the frydaye at the houre ac¦customed / and that y^e olde matrones & neygh∣boures of all sortes were there arryued and co¦men / before that dame Gonbarde y^e face was comen for to procede in her syege / they began for to deuyse amongest them of the good chere y^t they ma∣de y^e nyght before after my departynge / wherby I knewe somwhat how they hadde done / thenne sayd Mabylle of

the clyfte to florette of the grene / Ihesu neyghboure how ye dronke yester nyght / I byleue that ye dyde it bycause y^t ye wolde slepe the better ye touched well the thyrde pynte I thynke wel sayd Florette / for it was longe ago syth that I had so good a nyght for the dremer Iokesus my husbā¦de dothe me no good but slepeth alwaye / for it is .ix. dayes syth that he touched me / wherfore I byleue that he hathe made some vowe to some saynt / euyll myght he thryue for his sparynge of me but syth that we haue tyme for to de∣uyse how dyde Mehaulte ployarde make herselfe dronke it semed that all was hers and for to make it shorte there was but for her aloone / it were good for to knowe yf y^t she dyde not waken her husbande ployarde whan she wente to bedde. Aha answered mehaulte for the loue of god lette hym slepe in peas / for he is nought from hens forthe that colde Ioye maye ye haue of hym. And howe sayd a yonge mayden that was there. Dame mehaulte you that is soo olde and so aūcyent wolde ye yet wynche / and is there ony styffe vayne in you yet. At those wordes dame Mehaulte set her handes in her syde and in grete anger and felonye answered her that it was true that she hadde yet a grene vayne / and that she was not soo olde but that she myghte lye vpon her backe / and that one ought for to take hede to the good wyll of a body / and yet thanked be god the butter melteth in my mouthe / notwithstandynge that I maye cracke no nuttes / for she had but one tothe. Then came da¦me Gonbarde the face for to begynne her gospell / at who∣se comynge was made scylence / but that was with grete payne / for dame mehaulte was so euyll contente bycause y^t she hadde ben called olde / and yet she had but .lxxvii. yeres that she coude not be appesyd in no maner. Neuerthelesse they prayed her so moche that she helde her pease thanked

be god. Soo I toke my penne and paper for to wryte that whiche she sayd / but or that I prosede to her chapytres I wyll tell you what was this doctouresse dame Gonbarde. She was by her moder syde of Querne / and by her fader syde of Pymont / she was of a symple countenaunce befo∣re the people / for she named her a gentylwoman / but and ony body hadde loste ony thynge she medled her for to en∣sygne them to it / and yf some had had ony nede of a wen∣che / she wolde haue done hym pleasure for gracyous wyne and this was the pratyke that she deled moost with. Whan she was sytten downe and that scylence was made she began her gospell in this maner.

¶The fyrst chapytre.

¶Now sayd dame Gonbarde let be all ryot and debate / & let vs begynne for the honoure of the fryday that is to day for to speke of the holy sacrament of maryage / for I haue ben seuen tymes wedded / but this notwithstandynge yf y^e eyght came to me and that he be to my paye / yet he sholde be receyued gladly / and for to be welbeloued of him I wol¦de make hym ete a salade of herbes that sholde be gadered on saynt Iohans euen at none / and for trouthe it shal not be possyble to hym for to leue me for another that is more yonger than I am. Glose. Said Belotte the browne vnto this purpose that yf a wyfe put in her husbandes ere the fe¦ders of a capon that had brought vp yonge chekyns / and of the heere of the ryght fote of her dogge / and of the heer of her cattes tayle / he may neuer forgete the loue of her.

¶The seconde chapytre.

¶Yf that a woman wyll be mayster ouer her husbande / and that he shall not bete her / she must take all his shertes and whan the parysshe preest redeth the passyon on good frydaye put them vnder the auter / and make hym put one

on the sondaye ensewynge / knowe that also longe as it is on his backe he shall be gracyous and meke to his wyfe.

¶The thyrde chapytre.

¶yf a woman wyll haue her husbande to loue one of her chyldren better than another / let her make hym ete a pece of the eres of her dogge: and the chylde the other halfe: and they shall loue soo feruently togyder that with payne they maye be one from another.

¶The fourth chapytre.

¶yf a woman wyll that her husbande loue all her chyldrē out of mesure / let her take of the bryne of all her chyldren / with fayre and clere water / & make hym wasshe his han∣des and his face therin or euer he yssue oute of the house / & withouten faute he shall loue them out of mesure.

¶The .v. chapytre.

¶Who that wyll preserue his dogge from beynge wo••de. gyue hym to ete euery daye in the mornynge a morsell / or twayne of the propre brede that ye take at the chirche vpō sondaye / and yf that he refuse it for trouth he is euyl dyspo¦sed. Glose. Marotte pylle sayth that who wyll not that the dogges barke at hym nyght nor daye / let him haue alway a good pece of rosted chese with hym and gyue them to ete of it in saynge vnto them. In chamo et freno all a longe / & for certaynte they shall lette you alone / ye and yf they we∣re sterke madde.

¶The .vi. chapytre.

¶The woman that desyreth that her kyen maye gyue as moche mylke as them of her neyghbours / she ought for to rubbe her vessell well in the whiche she receyueth the myl∣ke with good herbes that hathe ben gadered vppon saynt Iohannes euen whyles that they rynge none. Glose. I by leue sayd Ienettte with the grete lyppes that who wolde

put the forsayd herbes that had ben gadered vppon saynt Iohannes euen vnderneth the dore of the stable where as the kyen dothe lye / in saynge vnto them god saue you and saynt bryde that they sholde gyue alwaye from well vnto better.

¶The .vii. chapytre.

¶Who th••t wyll haue bothe wynter & somer fresshe but∣ter of theyr kyen / they ought whan that they be in shalour to lede them before the bulle / and let hym smell at them w^t out ony touchynge / and then lede the cowe thryes aboute the bulle / and after let hym lepe her / and ye shal haue fres∣she butter all the yere longe.

¶The .viii. chapytre.

¶Whan that a woman grete with chylde strydeth ouer a snale / yf that it be a sone he shall haue grete membres and harde / and yf it be a doughter she shall haue grete lyppes / and rede / as well beneth as aboue.

¶The .ix. chapytre.

¶The woman that wyll not lese her good catte ought for to anoynt her foure fete with butter by thre nyghtes / and she shall neuer departe from that hous for a trouthe and a certaynte.

¶The .x. chapytre.

¶I tell to you for also true as the gospel that yf a persone ete of the beest that the wulfe hathe strangled / and of the whiche parauenture he hathe eten / with grete payne may that same persone gyue vp the ghoost but yf that the wul∣fe were fyrste deed. Glose. At the leest he maye not speke of a longe tyme sayd Belette the horned yf that he make not his offrynge to saynt wulfe.

¶The .xi. chapytre.

¶Whan one seeth a whyte relygyous goo or ryde by the waye none ought for to go that waye bycause of the foule weder that happeneth often to them. Glose. Some wyse women sayeth that it is an euyll sygne for to encountre a whyte monke in a mornynge / but for to encountre a black monke it is a good sygne so that he haue no whyte.

¶The .xii. chapytre.

¶Whan that a bryde gothe from her house to the chirche for to be wedded / the best prayer that is gyuen to her aby∣deth to her profyte / so that she thanke incontynente the gy¦uer therof / or elles the prayer auaylleth nothynge. Glose. Then sayd Perrette blewe that whan she wente to y^e chir∣che for to be wedded to Ianot blewe myne aunt salued me and prayed god for to sende me good and harde encountre wherfore I thanked her / but it happened to me all other∣wyse / for I founde it so softe that one haue bounde myght it at y^e ryght knotte / that colde Ioye haue it.

¶The .xiii. chapytre.

¶One ought neuer to sette the hennes on broude vpon a fryday / for lyghtly the chekens that cometh of them is de∣uoured by wylde beestes and foules. Glose. Certaynly said marroye of the clyfte I haue often herde saye y^t one must kepe hym that he set not the henne on broude whan y^e mo∣ne chaungeth nor a daye after / for y^e chekyns that cometh of them hathe neuer good ende.

¶The .xiiii. chapytre.

¶Whan that a womans throte dothe ytche it is sygne of good tydynges y^t she shall go to some weddynge / or some chirchynge to make grete che••e but whan her heed dothe ytche it is all the contrary / for she maye happen to be bette of her husbande. Glose. Perrette longe hede sayth y^t whan a mannes throte dothe ytche that he hathe asore tymes be

ten his wyfe it is sygne to hange.

¶The .xv. chapytre.

¶Whan one seeth plente of backes flee aboute a house it is good for to dyslodge be tymes. for it is a grete sygne that fyre shall be put in it shortly.

¶The .xvi. chapytre.

¶Who th••t leueth theyr table clothe spredde all the night on the table / and that the myse come and ete the crommes of brede by nyght / who someuer eteth on that on y^e morow his tethe shall become blacke and soone after rotte. Glose. Marroye with the gylted mouthe sayth to this purpose y^t who someuereteth hote potage and especyally fourmente shall haue theyr tethe blacke.

¶The .xvii. chapytre.

¶Whan a chylde is newely borne yf it be a sone / he muste be borne in to the felde / and put his fete agaynste his brest and for a trouthe he shall neuer make an euyll ende. Glose. Then Emenye fauuele sayd to this purpose that whan a woman is delyuered of a doughter / she must be set vppon her moders brest in saynge / god make the a good woman and she shall neuer haue shame of her body.

¶The .xviii. chapytre.

¶Whan a woman lyeth with her husbande and that she wolde sooner haue a sone than a doughter / it behoueth her for to holde her handes close whyle y^t her husbande dothe the werke of nature / & for a trouthe she shall haue a sone Glose. Some auncient matrones maynteyneth that who that wyll make a sone it behoueth to make hym in the mor¦nynge by daye / and a doughter at euen by nyght.

¶The .xix. chapytre.

¶A woman that wyll haue small chyldren / whyles y^t she bereth hym she ought to breke her fast in the mornynge w^t a tost of whyte brede in wyne / and withoute ony faute the chylde that she bereth shall be lytell. Glose. Sayd a matro∣ne that was there I byleue better that the lytell chyldren ben sooner engendred in the defaute of y^e mone than other wyse / for customably the men ben than in defante.

¶The .xx. chapytre.

¶My good frendes & neyghbours yf that ye wyll knowe yf a woman be with chylde / cause her to make water in a basyn / and then lette her put a locke or a keye in to it / but a locke is better / and let the locke abyde therin thre or foure houres / and then empte y^e basyn and take out the locke / & yf that ye se that the prynte of the locke abyde in the basyn knowe for a certaynte that the sayd woman is with chylde ryght grete.

¶The conclusyon of the Iourneye of Frydaye.

FOr this last glose sourded grete tumulte amō¦ge the wyues that were there assembled / also well of laughynge as of spekynge all togyder and it semed none other thynge but a market where as is but he ha without ony ordenaun∣ce / and without ony herkenynge the one of the other / nor abydynge the ende of theyr reasons. Wherfore whan I sa¦we that murmuracyon I rolled vp my paper / & stopped myn ynkehorne and put vp my penne / and arose vp thyn kynge for to stele awaye secretely from them / but anone I

was apperceyued of some of them the whiche retayned me and made me abyde by force / for the whiche cause they ma¦de a lytell scylence / that endured but a whyle. In the whi∣che they prayed me all togyder that I wolde retorne vpon the morowe with them at the houre accustomed / to the en¦de for to encheue and make an ende of theyr entencyon / & the thynge the whiche was so wel begonne / and for to put in wrytynge the resydue of theyr gospelles y^e dame Berthe the horned that was the last assembled sholde make / whe∣re as they ought for to conclude and make an ende of theyr artycles. I consyderynge the comon prouerbe that sayth / Who serueth and maketh not an ende leseth his mede / dy∣de vttre vnto them theyr request lyberally. And after that I had taken my leue gracyously of them I went vnto my chambre for to take my rest. For my heed was gretely em∣ty bycause of the folysshe reasons that they babeled vnto me in suche wyse that myn vnderstandyng coude not com¦prehende them. So I lefte them there trussynge theyr ba¦gages and wente me to my bedde.