The Booke of Thenseygnementes and Techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his Doughters/Chapter 76
HOW HIT WAS WONTE TO DEPARTE THE BLAMED AND DYFFAMED WOMEN FRO THE FELAUSHIP & COMPANYE OF THE GOOD AND TREWE.
N tho dayes was the tyme of pees, and were holden grete festes and reueyls, and al maner of knyghtes and ladyes and damoysels gadred and assembled to gyder where as they wyst that ony feste was kepte and holden. And there they cam with grete worship, and wyth them came the good knyghtes of that tyme, but yf hit happed by somme aduêture that ony lady or damoysell y had euyl name or were blamed of her honour put her self and wente byfore another of good renome, how be it that she were more gentyl and more noble and more Ryche, yet, notwithstondynge, the good and auncyent knyghtes had no shame to come to them before euery one, ne to telle thus to them: "Lady or damoysel, be not yow displesyd yf this lady go before yow, for how it be so that she be not so noble ne so ryche as ye be, neuertheles she is not blamed, and hath good Renommee, and is put among the nombre of the good wymmen, and thus it is not sayd of yow. Wherfore me displeaseth moche, but worship and honour shalle be borne to them that be worthy, and haue deserved it. And therfore be not yow meruaylled." Thus and in lyke wyse spake that tyme the good and auncyent knyghtes, and put them of good Renommee the fyrst and formest, wherof they thanked god that had gyue them grace to kepe & hold them clenely, wherby they were sette bifore the other and worshipped ouer al. And the other tooke them self by the nose, castynge theyr faces dounward, and receyued moch shame & vergoyne. And therfore was this a good ensample to al wymmen, for by the grete repreef and shame that they herd saye & talke of the other, they doubted & drad ony thynge to do that was amys, of whiche they myght be blamed as the other were. But certaynly now uppon this daye men bere as grete worship to them that ben blamed as to the good and trewe, wherof many one taketh euylle ensample, and saye, "I see that men bere as grete honoure to them whiche shold be blamed and dyffamed, as they do to the honest and trewe. It is no force to do euylle; al thynge passeth forth awey." But neuertheles it is euylle sayd, for in good feythe, how be it that they wene to receyue honour and worship of them that be wyth them, whanne they be departed they mocke and scorne with them, sayenge one to other, "Suche one is full curtoys of her body; suche a man taketh his disporte with her. And thus somme maken good chere and beren honour before them, and behynd theyr backes they pulle oute theyr tongues in scornynge of them. But the folysshe wymmen perceyue them not, but joyen them self in theyr folye, and wene that none knowe theyr fawte & shame. Thus is the tyme chaunged otherwyse than hit was wonte to be, wherfore hit is damage and grete pyte. For hit were best that of theyr fawte and blame they were reproued before al, as they were at that tyme. Yet more I shalle telle yow, as I haue herd reherced of many knyghtes whiche saw and knewe the sayd Syre Geffroy de lyege, how that as he rode thorugh the Countrey, and as he aspyed and sawe some place or manoyr, he demaunded and asked the place, and yf he understode by ony maner that the lady of the manoyr or place were blamed of her honour and worship, he shold haue gone oute of his ryght way, rather than he had not gone to the yate of the same place and make there a faytte and put and sette his signes ageynste the yate, and thenne rode ageyne in to his ryght way. And contrary to this dede, yf hit happed to hym to passe before the place of a good and Renommed lady or damoyselle, al had he neuer so grete haste, he wente to see her, and sayd to her, "My good Frende, other my lady, or els damoysell, I praye to god that in this welthe and honoure he wylle euer hold and mayntene yow in to the nombre of the good wymmen. For wel ye oughte to be preysed and worshipped." And thus by this maner and way the good wymmen drad and held them more sure fro doynge ony thynge wherby they myght lese theyr worship and honoure, wherfore I wold that tyme were come ageyne, for as I wene, many one shold not be blamed and diffamed as they be now.