Page:The booke of thenseygnementes and techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his doughters - 1902.pdf/21

 theyr vertues and bountees they ben honoured, and that after theyr dethe ben renommed and preysed, and shal be vnto the ende of the worlde, for to take of them good ensample and contenaunce. And also by the contrarye I shall doo wryte and set in a book the myshappe and vyces of euyile wymmen whiche have vsyed theyr lyf and now have blame, to the ende that the euylle maye bee eschewed, by whiche they myght erre whiche yet ben blamed, shamed, and dyffamed. And for this cause that I have here sayd, I haue thought on my wel bylouyd doughters, whome I see so lytel, to make to them a lítil book for to lerne to rede, to thende that they maye lerne and studye and vnderstonde the good and euylle that is passyd, for to kepe them fro hym whiche is yet to come. For suche ther be that lawgheth to fore yow, whiche after youre back goo mockyng and lyeng, wherfor it is an hard thyng to knowe the world that is now present. And for these resons as I haue fayd, I went oute of the gardyn and fond in my weye two preestes and two clerkes that I hadde, and tolde to them that I wolde make a book and an examplayre for my doughters to lerne to rede and vnderstonde how they ought to gouerne them self, and to kepe them from euylle. And thenne I made them to come and rede before me the book of the byble, the gestes of the kynges, the cronycles of fraunce and of Englond, and many other straunge historyes, and made them to rede every book, and dyde doo make of them this book, whiche I wold not fet in ryme, but al along in prose for to abredge and also for the better to be vnderstonden, and also for the grete loue that I haue to my doughters, whom I loue as a fader ought to loue them. And thenne myn herte shal have parfyte íoye, yf they torne to good and to honoure, that is, to serue and loue god, and to haue the loue and the grace of their neyghbours and of the world. And by cause every fader and moder after god and nature ought to teche and enforme their children and to distourne them fro the euyll waye, and to shewe to them the right weye and true pathe, as