Page:The booke of thenseygnementes and techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his doughters - 1902.pdf/25



T is conteyned in thystorye of Constantynople that an Emperour hadde two doughters, of whome the yongest was of good maners and loued god, and honoured & prayd to hym alwey when she awoke, and moche deuoutely praid for the sowles of them that were dede. And these two yong ladyes lay bothe in one bedde, and whan the oldest awoke and herd her suster saye her prayers, she mocked and scorned her, and said to her that she letted her to slepe. Thenne it happed that youthe and the grete ease that they hadde ben norysshed in caused them to loue two knyghtes, bretheren, whiche were twoo goodly men and moche gentyll. And so long endured theyr playsyre and loue that they discouered eche to her loue the secrete of their amerous desyre, in soo moche that they sett a certeyne houre to these knyghtes for to come to them pryuely by nyght. And when he that shold come to the yonger supposyd to have entryd within the Courteyns, hym semed that he sawe moo than a thousand men in sudaryes, lyke dede men, whiche were aboute the damoysell. He hadde so grete fere and hydoure that he was al affrayed, wherof he tooke the feures, and was seke in his bedde. But to that other knyght it happed no thyng so, for he gate the oldest doughter of the emperoure with child. And whan the Emperoure knewe that she was grete with child, he made her to be drowned in a nyȝt, & dyd do the knyȝt to be flayn al quyck. Thus for this false delyte they deyde both tweyn. But that other doughter was saued lyke as I haue said & shall saye. When it cam on the morn it was said oueral that the knyght was seke in his bedde. Thēne she for whome he tooke his maladye wente for to see hym, and he told to her all the trouthe; how when he supposid to have entrid within the 19