Page:The booke of thenseygnementes and techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his doughters - 1902.pdf/80

 no masse, than for to take fro the good peple ne fro the preest their deuocion, for when he abode ouer long, he was angry, & synned in the synne of wrathe, and the good peple also, of whome somme wente to tauerne, and other lost their deuocion and alle good charyte. And all the synnes and euyls comen of yow, & by youre slouthe, wherof ye shall gyue a rekenyng perauenter hastlyer than ye wene, for ye shalle be hunted and put to deth lyke as ye haue sene in youre aduyson; that is to say, that ye ben in the wey to be dampned, yf ye put not therto remedye." Thenne the knyght was moche abasshed, and demaunded of hym coūceil how he myght doo. Thenne the hooly man said that he shold thre sondayes knele to fore his parisshens and crye them mercy, and praye them to pardone hym, and that they wold praye to god for hym and his wyf also, and from thenne forthon they wold be the first to fore other at the Chirche. And there he confessid hym to the heremyte, and he gafe to hym that penaunce and other. And fro than forthon he chastysed hym self, and he and his wyf thanked oure lord that he vouchesauf to shewe to them this demonstraūce. And I saye yow, that fro than forthon they were the first that cam to the chirche. And also the hooly heremyte said to the preest and declared to hym his vision, and tolde hym that god ought to be more drad and serued than the world. And therefore, my faire doughters, take herby a good ensample, that for your plaisire ye cause none to lese their masse ne theyr deuocion for your slouthe and neclygence. For it were better that ye herd none. And I wolde wel that ye shold knowe and lerne thensample of a lady that spended the fourthe parte of the daye for to araye her. 70