The boke of wisdome otherwise called the flower of vertue. Folowing the auctorities of auncient doctours [and] philosophers, deuiding and speaking of vices [and] vertues, wyth many goodly examples wherby a man may be praysed or dyspraysed, wyth the maner to speake well and wyselie to al folkes, of what estate so euer they bee. Translated first out of Italion into French, [and] out of french into English, by Iohn Larke. 1565.

¶Example of the Vertue of Chastytye, ¶The .xxiiii. Chapter. (Book 24)

IN the lyfe of Holye Fa∣thers it is redde, tou, chynge the Vertue of Chastytye, that there was a certayne Nunne, whyche was yong and very fayre, of whom a Noble man dwellynge therby, was meruaylous sore Enamoured of. Aud desyred her manye diuerse tymes, that she wolde consent that he might haue hys pleasure of her, but thys sayde Nunne wold neuer consente vnto hym. And refused hym wyth greate abhomynacyon, then thys Noble man seinge that by no maner of fayre meanes be cold obtaine his purpose, by reason whereof he was full hf Heauynesse, and Mellanchollye, dyd purpose in hys mynde, to take her by force.* 1.1 And therupon he came to the Ab∣bey

where this Nunne was. And there dyd take her by Force and Vyolence, intendynge to leade her home wyth hym vnto hys Place. And when this Nūne dyd se that she coulde not obtayne mercye and grace of hym. And that there was no remedye nor no help, and resist∣enge to be had, she demaunded of hym, what was the cause that he had such fauoure and loue vnto her more then to other? For there is (sayde she,) manye better and fay∣rer in thys Abbey then I am. And thys Noble man aunswered her sayeng, I am so enamoured of you, that it semeth me, that there is ne∣uer a Woman in thys world, that hath so fayre Eyes as ye haue. And that is the cause, that I haue such Loue vnto you. Wherfore purpose youre selfe to come wyth me. And then she seinge, that there was no

remedye but that she shoulde goo wyth hym, she desyred hym that it wolde please hym to lette her go in to her Chambre to fetch certayne stuffe that she had there.* 1.2 And that she wolde come to hym agayne in∣contynente, thys noble man sayde go youre wayes and tarye not, for here I wyl tarye for you. And then she wente into her Chambre and wyth a knyfe dyd take bothe her eyes oute of her heade. And thys done, she came out of her Chambre all bloudye, and dyd presente her selfe as well as she could afore this Lorde, as she had promysed hym. And when thys Lorde dyd see her thus dyffygured, and that the eyes were oute of her heade. He depar∣ted from her, as a man out of hys wytte. And the sayde Nunne dyd cōtinue stil in the Abbey, and was better contente that she had loste

her Eyes, then to haue had loste her Vergynytye.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Exam∣ple,
• * 1.2

  Exam∣ple,