Page:The booke of thenseygnementes and techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his doughters - 1902.pdf/164



WOLD ye wyst thexample of a knyght whiche fought for a mayde. There was at the Courte of a grete lord a fals knyght, whiche requyred and prayd a mayde of folyssh loue, but she wold nought doo for hym for yefte ne for promesse, but wold kepe her body clenely. And whan the knyght sawe this, he sayd that she shold repente her. He tooke an Appel, and poysonned it, and fewe dayes after that he toke the appel to her for to gyue it to the yonge sone of her lord. She toke the appel, and gaf it to the child. And soone after that he had eten it, he deyde, wherfor this mayde was take and, shortly to say, redy for to be brente. She wepte and complayned her self to god, sayenge that she had no culpe of this dede, but that the fals knyght whiche took her thapple was therof gylty, and none other. And he deffended it ageynst her, & sayd he was redy to preue the contrary ageynst ony knyght in champ of batayll. But she couthe fynde none that for her wolde fyght ageynst hym, by cause he was so strong and so moche doubted in armes, wherfor it befelle that oure lord god, whiche forgeteth not the clamour and prayer of the trewe and juste, had pyte of her, and as it pleased hym a good knyght, whiche had to name patrydes, that was free and pyteous, as men were aboute for to have cast the mayd in to the fyre [came], and beheld the mayde, whiche wepte sore and made grete sorowe. He had pyte of her, and demaunded of her the trouthe of the fayt. And fro the begynyynge vnto the ende she told hym how hit was, and also the most parte of them that were there presente wytnessyd as she sayd. Thenne the good knyght, meued of pyte, casted his gage ageynst this fals knyght. The bataylle was bytwene them hard and cruel to see,