Page:The booke of thenseygnementes and techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his doughters - 1902.pdf/149



SHALLE telle yow another ensample, of the quene Hester, whiche was wyf to the grete kynge of Surye. She was a good lady and a wyse, and loued and drad her lord. And before alle other ladyes the hooly wrytynge preyseth her moche by cause of her her holy lyf and of her good condycions. The kyng her ford was a felon man & dyuers, and said to her many outragyous wordest but for ony thynge that he sayd she ansuerd hym nothinge, before the folke wherby he myght be wrothe. But after, whanne she had hym alone, and sawe the tyme and the place be conuenyente, she blamed hym, and curtoysly shewed hym his fawte. And therfore the kynge loued her moche, and sayd att his secrete that he myght not be wrothe with his wyf by cause she repreued hym by soo fayre and swete wordes. Certaynly it is one of the best tatches or condycions that a woman may haue, to kepe her self fro ansuerynge in the yre of her lord. For a dredefull herte is euer in drede to doo or saye ony thynge that may displease to hym whom she ought to loue and beie hym honour: wherof is reherced in the booke of the kynges of the wyf of one grete ford whiche was euylle and felon, and his wyf was ryght swete and peasyble, to whome her damoysels sayd, "Madame, why take yow not your disportes as a yong lady, as ye shold do?” And she ansuerd that she must be in doubte, knowynge her lord of suche condycions as he was of, and that she wold kepe the loue of hym and pees in her hows. And also she sayd that the fere that she had of the prysons kepte her from yrthe and gladnesse. The one pryson was loue, the other was drede, and the thyrd shame. These thre vertues mastryed her, for the loue that she had to her lord kepte her fro doynge of ony thynge that myght come to the dysplaysyre of her lord; drede made her ferynge the losse of