[Here begynneth the booke which the knyght of the toure made and speketh of many fayre ensamples and thensygnementys and techyng of his doughters]

How a good woman ought not to stryue with her husbond / Capitulo / xvij /

aFter this a woman in no maner wyse ought stryue a∣geynst her husbond / ne answere hym so that he take ther∣by displaysyre / lyke as dyde the wyf of a burgeys whi∣che answerd to her husbond so noiously. and shamefully to fore the peple / that he bicam angry and felle to see hym self so rewlyd to fore the peple / that he had therof shame / And he said to her / and bad her ones or twyes / that she shold be stylle and leue / but she wold not / & her husbond whiche was wrothe smote her with his fyste to the erthe· And smote her with his foote on the vysage so that he brake her nose / by whiche she was euer after al disfygu¦red· And soo by her ryotte and ennoye she gate her a croked nose

moche euyll / It had ben moche better for her· that she had holden her stylle and hadde suffred / yet it is reson and ryght that the hus∣bonde haue the hyhe wordes / and it is but honoure to a good wo¦man to suffre and holde her in pees / and leue the haultayn lan∣gage to her husbond and lord / And it is in the contrarye to a woman grete shame and vylonye to stryue ageynst her hus∣bond be it wrong or right / And in especial to fore the peple / I say not / but when she shall fynd hym alone and tyme / but that she may wel reprehende hym and aduyse hym in shewyng curto¦ysly that he had wrong and vnright with hym / And yf he be a man resonable / he shal conne her thanke / And yf he be other 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hath not she done but her parte / For right so shold a wyse 〈◊〉〈◊〉 do / by th ensample of the wyse quene hester / wyf of the kyng As¦suere / whiche was moche melancolyque and hasty / But the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lady answerd not to his yre / But after when she sa••••e hym 〈◊〉〈◊〉 attempryd / place / and tyme / thenne dyde she what she 〈…〉〈…〉 And it was grete wysedom of a woman / And thus ought 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wymmen to do / By this ensample / the wymmen that ben 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and rampynge ben not of suche obeysaunce / as was a 〈…〉〈…〉 marchaunt / of whome I shall saye and telle to yow·