Page:The booke of thenseygnementes and techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his doughters - 1902.pdf/46

 but she had not the mooste sure manere in her beholdyng, but ofte loked here and there, and torned ofte her heede on her sholders, & had her sight ventillous, lyke a vane. The second doughter had moche talkyng, and spacke ofte tofore she vnderstood that whiche was said to her. The third was not the fayrest of them, but she was moost agreable, & mayntened her manere more sure and sadly, & spak but litil, & that was wel demeurly, & her regard & sight was more ferme & huble than of that other two. And thembassatours took their aduys & couceil that they wold retorne vnto the kyng their lord, & saye to hym suche thyng as they had fouden, & thene he myst take her that plesid hym. Thenne they cam to the kyng & quene for to take their leue, & thanked them moche of their good cōpanye & of thonour that they had done to them, & that they wold wel reporte to their lorde suche thynges as they had sene of their dousters, vpon whiche he myght do his plaisir. The kyng thêne lycencyd them & gaf to them fair gyftes, & so they departed & cam in to englond, and recouted to their lord thonoure that the kyng & quene had done to them. & after they reported the beaultes of the doughters, their maners & mayntenes, & thus ther was ynough spoken of eche of them, & there were ynough that susteyned to take tholdest or the seconde for thonour, & that hit were best to take tholdest. & when all this mater had ben wel beten & discussed, the kyng, whiche was wyse of naturell wytte, spak of the yongest & said thus: "Myn auncetours maryed them but for worship, without couetyse, & for bounte of the woman, & not for plaisaunce. But I have herd ofter myshappe for to take a wyf for beaulte or for plaisauce, than to take her whiche is of stedfast manere, & that fair mayntene. And there is not in the world so grete ease as to haue a wyfe sure & stedfast, ne none so grete & fair noblesse. And therfor I chose the thyrd doughter, for I wylle haue none of the other." And thene he sent for to fetche her, wherof the two older doughters