The Booke of Thenseygnementes and Techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his Doughters/Chapter 35
HOW A HOOLY BISSHOP REPRYSED AND TAUGHT MANY LADYES.
SHALLE telle yow how a hooly man late dide preche, and was a bisshop, a right good clerke. At his prechynge & sermon were many ladyes and damoisellys, of which som were dressid and clothed after the newe manere. The remenaunt of their heedes was lyke two hornes and their gownes made after the newe gyse, wherof the good hoofy man had merueyle and began to repreue them, gyuynge and rehercynge to fore them many a fair ensample, and told them how the deluge or gaderyng of waters in the dayes of Noe was bycause of the pryde and desguysynge of men, and specially of wymmen that counterfeted them self of newe and dishonest rayments. And thenne when thenemye sawe their grete pryde and their desguysynge, he made them to falle in the fylthe of the stynkyng synne of lecherye, whiche thynge was so moche displesynge to god that he dyde made to rayne fourty dayes and fourty nyghtes withoute cessynge, in so moche that the waters were aboue the erthe and surmounted by heyght of ten Cubites vpon the hyhest montayn. Thenne was all the world drowned and perysshed, and none abode on lyue sauf only Noe, his wyf, his thre sones, and his thre doughters. And alle this grete meschyef cam bycause of that synne. And thenne as the bisshop had shewed to them this fayte & many other, he said that the wymmen that were so horned were like the snayle that ben horned. He said more: "I doute," said he, "that betwyxt their hornes thenemye hath made his mancion & dwellynge. For as they take hooly water, they cast dounward theyr faces, and that maketh the deuylle syttynge vpon their heede by nature and strengthe of the hooly water." He tolde and reherced to them many merueyles, in so moche that at the ende of his predicacion he made hem to be mowrnynge and full of thought. For he hadde repreued them so sore that they had so grete shame that they ne durst lyfte vp their hedes, and helde them mocked and diffamed of their vyce. And after, many of them caste awey their braunches and hornes, and held them lowe and went symply. For he saide that suche coyntyses, & such countrefaytyng, and suche wantonnesse, were to compare to the Copspyn, that maketh his nette to take the flyes. Ryght soo doth the deuylle by his temptacion the desguysyng in men and wymmen, to the ende they may be enamoured one of other, and for to take and brynge them to the delyte of lechery. He taketh them and byndeth them as the copspyn doth the flees in her nette, as a holy heremyte telleth in the booke of the faders of lyf, to whome was shewed by tonge, as ye may fynde playnly in the said book. And yet he saith that that the coulpe of the synne was in them that first tooke & brought vp suche desguysynge, and that euery good womman and wyse ought wel to drede the takynge and werynge of sucheraymentes vnto the tyme she seeth that euery one comynly took and went in hem. For after the word of god, the first shall be the most blamed, and the last shal syt on the hyhe syege. The bisshop, that a good man was, sayd an Ensample vpon the fait of them that hasted them to be the fyrst in takynge and bryngynge vp suche noueltees, and said thus: