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

Of them that wylle not were theyr good clothes on hyghe ••e¦stes and holy dayes / capitulo / xxv

aN other ensample I shalle telle you of them· that wylle not were theyr gounes ne clothes on hyhe fest••s and on sondayes for the honoure of oure lord / Thenne I w••••l•• that ye sholde take ensample how a damoyselle repreuyd her l••dy There was a lady / whiche had good gounes & ryche / but she wol¦de not were them on sondayes / ne on fe••tful dayes / but yf she sup∣posed to fynde there noble men of estate / So it happed at a fe••te of oure lady. whiche was on a sonday / that her damoysell said to her Madame why clothe ye not with youre good gowne this day for the loue of oure lady / and of the sonday / I sayd she / for I se no men of estate here / a ha said the damoysell / god and his moder ben more grete than ony other / And they ought to be honoured more than ony worldly thyng / For he may gyue and take awey alle thynges at his plaisire / For all good and all honoure cometh of hym and of his blessid dere moder / and on theyr hooly da••es we ought to arraye vs the better / holde youre pees said the lady / God and the preest and the peple see me al day / but folke of es¦tate see me not al wey / & therfor it is gretter honour to me to ara•• & make me fresshe for them / Madame said the damoisel that is eu••l

sayd / It is not sayd the lady / late come al that may come therof Anone with that worde there cam a wynde all hoote. and smote her in suche wyse that she myght not stxre ne remeue / more than a stone / And thenne she confessid her and repentyd / and auowed to many pylgremages / And was caryed in a lytyer / And she told to al men of worship that she fonde the cause of this maladye that had so taken her / And that it was the vengeaunce of god / And she said that she had more grete ioye and gretter playsyre for to ma¦ke her queynt and gaye for peple of estate that cam from without forth in to suche a place where as she was for to playse them· and to haue parte of their beholdynges / than she dyde for ony deuocion at the hyhe festes of oure lord. ne of his sayntes / And sithe she sayd to gentyll wymmen. where as she arayed her / My loues / loo see here the vengeaunce of god / And tolde to them alle the fayt And saide to them / I was woned to haue a faire body and gen¦te / And so sayd euery man of me / And for the preysyng the bo∣baunce and the glorye that I took / I clad me with ryche clothes and fyn wel pourfyld and furryd· And shewed them att festes and Iustes / For somtyme the fruyte that was in me· was nouʒt & folye / & alle that I dyde was for the glorye and loos of the world / And whan I herde saye of the companye / that sayde for to please me / loo there is a wel bodyed woman •• which is wel worthy to be bilouyd of somme knyght / Thenne al my herte re∣ioysed in me / Now maye ye see what I am / For I am now gret¦ter than a pype. And am not like as I was / ne the gownes ne ro¦bes that I loued / & had so dere. that I wold not were them on sō¦dayes ne on the feestes for thonoure of god shall now neuer ser∣ue me / And therfor my fair loues & frendes / god hath shewed to me my folye / that spared myn araye on holy dayes for to shewe me fresshe & Ioly to fore men of astate for to haue preysyng & be∣holdyng of them / wherfore I pray yow my frendes / that ye take ensample here at me / Thus cōplayned this good lady al seke and swollen / vij / yere / And after when god had sene her contricion & her repentaunce / he sente to her helthe / & was hoole after her lyf / & was euer after moche humble· towarde god / And gafe the moste parte of her goodes for goddes sake / & helde her afterward symply and had not her herte set toward the world / as she was woned / & therfor my fair doughters this is a goode ensample hou ye ought to apparayle yow· & were youre good clothes on the sondayes / & the good feestes for thonoure and the loue of god which gyueth

all / And for thonoure of his swete moder & of the hooly sayntes more than for worldly people / whiche ben no thyng but fylthe / & erthe / And for theyr regard and preysyng / For they that soo do∣ne for their plaisaunce displese god / And he shal take vengeaunce on them in this world / or in that other / like as he dyd of the la¦dy of whiche ye haue herd / And therfore this is a good Ensam∣ple to all good ladyes and to alle good wymmen