Page:The booke of thenseygnementes and techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his doughters - 1902.pdf/84



SHALLE telle to yow an Ensample of a yong lady whiche had sette her hert on the world. And vnto her repayred a squyer, whiche was joly and amourous on her. And she ne hated hym not. And more fore to haue ease and delyte for to speke and bourde to geder, she made her lord and husbond to bileue that she had auowed to go a fylgremage. And her husbond, whiche was a good man, suffred her by cause he wold not displease her. And so it happed on a tyine that she and this squyer went a pylegremage vnto a monastery of oure lady, and they were in grete plaisire on the way for to speke to geder. For they entended wel other thynges than to saye theyr matyns. And they had grete playsyre and delyte on the wey; whereof it happed that when they were comen in to the chirche and were in the myddel of the masse, the fowle fende, whiche is alwey in a wayte tenflamme & tempte man and woman, helde them so subget in this temptacion and fowle plaisire, that they had theyr eyen and plesaunces more to beholde eche other, and to make smale signes and tokenes of loue, than they had in the dyuyne seruyse, or for to saye deuoutely theyr prayers. And soo it happed by open myracle, that soo grete a maladye tooke the said lady, that sodenly she swouned, and they knewe not whether she was dede or a lyue. And so she was born thennes in mennes armes in to the towne as a dede body. And her hus. bonde and frendes were sente fore, whiche were moche sorowfull of this aduenture. And they beheld hyr, and wist not whether she wold dye or lyue. Thenne it happed that the lady, whiche was in grete payne, sawe a merueylous aduysyon. For her semed that she sawe her fader and moder, whiche had ben dede long to fore. Her moder shewed to her her brest, sayeng, "Fayre doughter, loo, here thy noreture. Loue and honour thy husbond and lord, 74