The Booke of Thenseygnementes and Techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his Doughters/Chapter 65
HOW IT IS GOOD TO HERBEROWE AND RECEYUE IN HIS HOWS THE SERUAUNTS AND MYNYSTRES OF GOD.
HE other Ensample is of mary Marthe the suster of Mary Magdalene. This good lady was euer customed to lodge and herberowe the prophetes and the seruaunts of god, whiche preched and taught the lawe, and ful charytable she was toward the folke. And by cause of the hooly lyf of her came the swete Ihesu Cryst to be herberowed in her hows. This was she whiche complayned her to Ihesu Cryste that her suster Mary wold not helpe her to dresse the mete, but oure lord ansuerd to her moche humbly how that Magdaleyne had chosen the best seruyse. It was that she wepte for her synnes, and within her herte moche humbly cryed to god mercy. The good Ihesu told her trouthe, for there is no seruyce that god loueth soo moche as to repente hym self of his synne and to crye god mercy. This good and holy lady dyd seruyse to Ihesu Cryste whanne she herberowed hym self and his apostles with moche grete deuocion & wyth a good herte, wherfor god dyd for her sake many myracles, and came to gyue her comforte as she shold passe oute of this world, and bare hir sowle vato heuen, whiche dede was to her a fayr guerdone. Euery good woman ought to take here good ensample how it is good to lodge and herberowe the seruauntes of god, that is to say, the predicatours and them that prechen the feythe, and to discerne the good from euylle, also the pylgryms and the poure peple of god, as god withnessyth in the holy euangely, that sayth how that god shalle demaunde and aske at the grete and dredefull daye, that is to say, the daye of his grete lugement, yf men shal haue vysyted and receyued and herberowed his poure peple in his name. And every one shalle must gyue acompte and rekenyng of the superfluytees and habundaunces, and of the erthely good whiche he gaf to euery man and woman, and how they haue be employed and dispended. And therfore hit is a fayre vertue to herberowe & lodge the poure, & the seruautes of god, for al good may therof come. God payeth ý grete scot, for he rendred to c double, wherof he sayth in theuägely, "Who that receyueth the prophetes, the predycatours, and the poures, he receyueth myn oune self," for they be his messagers, the whiche bere and announce the trouthe. The other ensample is of the good ladyes whiche wepte after our lord as he bare the crosse vpon his sholders. These good ladyes were of good and holy lyf, and were of herte swete and pyteous, God thenne torned hym toward them, and comforted them, sayenge, "My fayr doughters, wepe no more on me, but wepe ye vpon the dolours and sorowes whiche ben comynge to yow." And thenne he shewed to them the euylle that aftirward came to them, as ye shall fynde in the book whiche I haue made for your bretheren. These good ladyes, thenne, whiche had pyte and grete compassion of the dolour and sorowe that Ihesu Cryst suffred, lost not their teres ne theyr wepynges, wherof aftirward they were hyghely guerdonned of god. Therfor here is good ensample how euery good woman ought to haue pyte as she seeth that somme body dothe ony euylle to the poure people of god, whiche ben his seruaunts, as he sayth in the euangely, "That whiche is done to my seruaunts in myn name, is done to me." And yet he sayth more, that they whiche ben pyteous shalle haue mercy, that is to wete, he shalle haue mercy of them. Wherof the sage sayth that a woman of her nature ought to be more swete and pyteous than the man, for the man oughte to be more hard and of more hyghe courage. And therfore they that haue the herte nother meke nor pyteous maye be called mannysshe, that is to saye, that in them is to moche of the nature of men. And yet sayth the sage in the book of sapyence, that a woman by her nature ought not to be scars of hit wherof she hath good chepe, that is to wete, of teres and of huble herte that hath pyte of her poure parentes whome she seeth suffre grete nede, and of her poure neyghbours, as had a good lady whiche was Coutesse of Auinyon, and founded the Abbeye of Bourgueyl, where as she lyeth buryed. And as men saye, she is yet there with her blood and flesshe. This good lady, where as she sawe her poure parentes, that myght not honnestly kepe theyr estate, she gaf to them largely of her goodes. The poure Maydens, gentylle wymmen that were of good renommee, she enhaunced and maryed them. She maade to seche and enquere the poure housholders, and somme of her good she gaf to them. She had grete pyte of wymmen whiche were at theyre childbedde, and vysyted and foustred them. She had of her owne phisiciens and Cyrurgyens to helpe and hele for goddes loue al maner of folke, and in especialle the poure whiche had nought to paye. And as men saye, god shewed and made oftyme myracle for her sake, for whanne men took her her booke and her paternoster, they stode before her allone by them self in the ayer. And also many other tokens and signes were sene, whiche for her loue god dyd shewe. And therfore here ought euery good woman to take good ensample, and haue pyte one of other, and thynke how god gyueth the goodes to be therof thaked and knowen, and to helpe and haue pyte on the poure. Here I leue the tale of these good ladyes and of thys matere. But soone I shalle come to hit ageyne, and shalle speke of another ensample.