OF THE THIRD WYF OF THE KNYGHT.
ONE after toke the said knyght his thyrdde wyf, and were long-tyme to geder, but at the last she deyde, wherfore the knyght was nyghe deed for sorowe. And when she was dede, the knyght cam to his Eme and praid hym for the same as he hadde done for his two firste wyues. And as the hooly man was in his prayers and oryson, it cam to hym in aduysyon that an angel was before hym, whiche shewed hym the torment & peyne that the poure sowle suffred, for he sawe appertely and clerely how one deuylle helde her faste with his hondes or clowes by her heres and tressis, as a lyon holdeth his proye, in suche manere that she couthe nought meue her hede here ne there, & dyde put brennyng nedels thorugh her browes, whiche entred in to her heede as ferre as he myghte thruste them in. And the poure sowle at euery tyme cryed horrybly. And after he had made her to suffre suche grete martyre that ouerlonge lasted, another deuylle horryble and ouer hydous cam there with grete brondes of fyre and thrested them vnto her face. And in suche maner he tormented her and brente and entflammed her ouer alle sydes, that the Heremyte was therof sore effrayed and trembled for fere. But the Aungel assured hym and saide that she had wel deserued it, and theremyte demaunded of hym why, and the Angel saide that she had popped and polysshed her face for to seme more faire and plaisaunt to the world, and that it was one of the synnes that was moost displesynge to god. For she dyde hit by pryde, by whiche men falle to the synne of lecherye, and fynally in to all other. For aboue alle thynge it displesith to the Creatour, as one wylle haue by crafte more beaute than nature hath gyuen to hym, and that hit suffyseth hym not to be made and compassid after the hooly ymage, of whome alle the Aungels in heuen take alle theyr ioye and delyte. For yf god had wolde of his hooly purueauce, they
