The Booke of Thenseygnementes and Techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his Doughters/Chapter 22
OF THEM THAT WYLLE NOT WERE THEYR GOOD CLOTHES ON HYGHE FESTES AND HOLY DAYES.
N other ensample I shalle telle you, of them that wylle not were theyr gounes ne clothes on hyhe festes and on sondayes for the honoure of oure lord. Thenne I wold that ye sholde take ensample how a damoyselle repreuyd her lady. There was a lady whiche had good gounes & ryche, but she wolde not were them on sondayes ne on festful dayes, but yf she supposed to fynde there noble men of estate. So it happed at a feste 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," said 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 dayes 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 estate see me not alwey, and therfor it is gretter honour to me to aray & make me fresshe for them." "Madame," said the damoisel, "that is euil 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 styre 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 make 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 have a faire body and gente, and so sayd euery man of me. And for the preysyng, the bobaunce, and the glorye that I took, I clad me with ryche clothes and fyn, wel pourfyld and furryd, and shewed them att festes and justes. For somtyme the fruyte that was in me was noust & 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 reioysed in me. Now maye ye see what I am, for I am now gretter than a pype, and am not like as I was, ne the gownes ne robes that I loued, & had so dere that I wold not were them on'sõdayes ne on the feestes for thonoure of god, shall now neuer serue 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 & joly to fore men of astate, for to haue preysyng & beholdyng of them. Wherfore I pray yow, my frendes, that ye take ensample here at me."
Thus cōplayned this good lady, al seke and swollen vii 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 thynge but fylthe & erthe, and for theyr regard and preysyng. For they that soo done for their plaisaunce displese god, and he shal take vengeaunce on them in this world, or in that other, like he dyd of the lady of which ye haue herd. And therfore this is a good Ensample to all good ladyes and to alle good wymmen.