The Booke of Thenseygnementes and Techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his Doughters/Chapter 78
HOW GOD COMPARED THE GOOD WOMAN TO THE PRECIOUS MARGARYTE.
OD preyseth the good woman whiche is clene and pure, and sayth how it is a noble thynge of a hooly and good woman. And syth god of his owne mouthe preyseth her so, by good reason the world and al the folk ought to loue and preyse her well. It is conteyned in the Euangely of the vyrgyns, how the swete Ihesu Cryst preched and taught the peple and spake vpon the matere of the good and clene wymmen where as he sayth, "Vna Margarita preciosa comparauit eam." "I telle yow," sayd our lord, "that a woman whiche is pure and clene oust to be com pared to the preciouse Margaryte." This was merueyllously spoken, for a Margaryte is a grete perle and round, bryght and whyte and clene, without ony spotte or tatche. This perle is named Margaryte preciouse. And dyd god shewe the valour and worthe of the woman, for she that is clene and withoute tatche, that is to saye, she that is not wedded, that kepeth her vyrgynyte & chastyte; and also she that is wedded whiche kepeth and holdeth her self clenely in the holy sacramente of maryage, and not suffreth her self to be shamed of her spouse, the whiche god hath destyned and gyuen to her; also she that kepeth wel and clenely her wydowhede; these be tho, as the glose seyth, of whome god spake in his holy euuangely. These be lykened and compared, as sayd our lord, to the precious margaryte, whiche is euer bryght and clene, withoute ony macule or tatche. For as sayth the holy scrypture, nothynge is so agreable to god and to his Angels as a good woman, and in a parte god preyseth more her than the man. And by reason she ought to haue more meryte, by cause she is of lyghter courage than the man is, that is to saye, that the woman was fourmed and made out of the man's body, and in so moche that she is more feble than the man is, and yf she resisteth ageynste the temptacions of the deuylle, of the world, and of thej flessh, the more she is worthy to haue gretter meryte than the man. And therfor god compareth her to the precious margaryte, whiche is bryght and clene. Also saith the glose, in another place, that as it is a foul thynge to spylle droppes of ynke in to a dysshe ful of mylke, ryght so is of her that ought to be a good mayd, whanne she spylleth and gyueth her maydenhede to another than to her spouse and also is of her whiche is wedded that of her falshede & fowle lecherye breketh and spylleth her holy sacrament of maryage, and forswereth her feythe and her lawe toward God & the chirche, and toward her lord also; also she whiche oughte to bere her self clenely in her wydowhede & that doth the contrarye. This maner of wymmen be lyke the black tatches that ben vpon the whyte mylke and vpon the whyte couerchyef; they be lyke in no thyng to the precious Margaryte, for in the precious margaryte is no maner of tatche. Allas! a woman ought wel to hate her self and to curse her euyll lyf whanne she is put oute of the nombre of the good and trewe women. Thenne yf they remembred wel them self of thre thynges: the fyrste is, how they that be not yet wedded lese theyre maryage and theyr honour, and acquere the shame and hate of theyr parentes and frendes, and of the world, and how euery one shewe them with the fynger. Secondly, how they that ben wedded lese al worship, and the loue of god and of theyr lordes, of theyr frendes, and of al other, for god letteth them to haue ony welthe or cheuaunce, and to long were the fowle and euylle talkynge, whiche is sayd of them, to be reherced. For somme shalle do to them good chere before them, but behynd them they shalle hold theyr talkynge, scornyng & mockyng them. And neuer after they shalle loue theyr lord. For the deuyll shalle make them as brennynge, and to haue more delyte in that dampnable synne of fornycacion than in the dede of maryage, for in the dede of maryage is no mortall synne, for it is an operacion commaunded of god, and therfore the deuylle hath nothynge to doo of hit, but in puterye and in synne mortalle or dedely he hath grete power, and is there in his persone to chauffe and meue the synnar to the fals delyte, as the smyth whiche putteth the cole in the fornays and thenne he bloweth and kyndeleth hit. And soo moche wayteth the deuylle to serue them wel in that fowle delyte, and to kepe them stylle therin, that at the last be caryeth and bereth wyth hym theyr soules in to the depe pytte of helle, wherof he taketh as grete Ioye, and holdeth hym therof as wel apayed, as doth he that al the day hath chaced, and atte euen he taketh the best and hath it with hym. And in lyke wyse dothe the deuyll of al suche men and wymmen, as rayson is. For the holy wrytynge sayth they that ben chauffed and brennynge in the fyre of lecherye, shalle be brente in the fyre of helle, and it is well reson, as a good heremyte sayth in vitas patrum, that one hete be put with the other. For as god sayth, there is no good dede done, but that it shalle be guerdonned, ne none euylle done, but that it shal be punysshed.