Page:The booke of thenseygnementes and techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his doughters - 1902.pdf/109

 had not be wymmen, but they had be domme beestes or serpentes. And why thenne take they no heede to the grete beaute whiche their creatoure hath gyuen hym, and why doo they put to their faces other thynge than god hath gyuen hem? It is therfore no merueyle yf they endure and suffre suche penaunce. And thenne said the Aungel, "She hath wel deserued it. Go ye there as the body of her lyeth and ye shall see the vysage ryght hydous and effrayed. And by cause he was eueer besy aboute her browes and aboute her temples and forheede to dresse and paynte them that she myghte be faire and playsaunt to the worlde, it is conuenient and ryght that in euery place wheroute she plukked ony here of her face, that there be put every day a brennynge bronde. Syre," said the Heremyte, "shalle she be longe in this torment?" "Ye," said the angell, "a thousande yere," and more he wold not discouere ne telle to hym of hit. But as the deuylle dide putte the brounde in her face the powre sowle cryed sore and cursed the houre that she euer was borne or engendryd. And of the fere that thenne the hooly heremyte hadde he awoke alle affraid, and cam to the Kayght and told hym his vysyon. The knyght was sore a basshed and right sore meued of this auysyon, and went to see the body that men wold haue supposed had be fair, but they founde the vysage soo black and soo hydous and so horrible to see that it was grete confusion. Then bileued wel the knyght for certeyne al that theremyte his vncle had told hym, wherof he had grete horroure and grete abhomynacion and pyte, in so moche that he lefte the world and dyde were the hayre euery fryday and euery wednesday, and gaf for goddes sake the third parte of all his reame and good. And fro thennes forth he vsed an hooly lyf and had no cure more of the worldly bobaunces ne plaisire, so moche he was ferful and agaste of that he had sene his last wyf, and of that vncle had told hym.