Page:The booke of thenseygnementes and techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his doughters - 1902.pdf/110



ND for to afferme this Ensample, that it may for very certeyne haue be, I shalle telle yow of suche one that byfelle but of late. I sawe a baronnesse, ryght a hyghe and noble lady of lygnage, the whiche, as men saide, blanked and popped or peynted her self. I sawe also hym that gaf to her every yere suche thynges wherwith she popped her, wherfore he tooke yerely grete pension of her, as he hym self said as he was aparte at his seurte. This lady was somtyme right moche honoured and worshiped, and also right myghty. Her lord deyde, wherfore euer syn her stat day by day dymynuysshed. One tyme was that she had more than .lx. payre of gownes, as men said, but at the last she had lesse and scant ynough. And of her I herd saye, that after she was dede her visage and all the body of her took suche forme and coutrefaiture that men ne couthe saye what it was. But well I wene that the peyntynge of her face wherof ofte she vsed as she lyued, also the grete pryde of her and the grete wast and superfluyte of her gownes, was cause and occasion of suche horryble countrefeture. Wherfore, my faire doughters, I pray you that here ye wylle take good Ensample and wel withold it and kepe hit in remembraunce withynne youre hertes, and that ye put no thynge to youre faces but leue them as god & nature hath made and ordeyned them. For ye may fynde and see atte oure lady of Rukemadoure many tresses of ladyes and damoyselles that had wasshed them in wyn and other thynges, and therfor they myght not entre in to the Chirche tyll they had doo kyt of their tresses and brought them in to the Chappell of oure lady, where as yet they be hangynnge. This fayt or dede is approued. And I telle you that oure lady dyde shewe to them grete loue in doynge this myracle, for the gloryous vyrgyn wold not that they shold