Page:The booke of thenseygnementes and techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his doughters - 1902.pdf/95



SHALLE telle yow how a hooly man late dide preche, and was a bisshop, a right good clerke. At his prechynge & sermon were many ladyes and damoisellys, of which som were dressid and clothed after the newe manere. The remenaunt of their heedes was lyke two hornes and their gownes made after the newe gyse, wherof the good hoofy man had merueyle and began to repreue them, gyuynge and rehercynge to fore them many a fair ensample, and told them how the deluge or gaderyng of waters in the dayes of Noe was bycause of the pryde and desguysynge of men, and specially of wymmen that counterfeted them self of newe and dishonest rayments. And thenne when thenemye sawe their grete pryde and their desguysynge, he made them to falle in the fylthe of the stynkyng synne of lecherye, whiche thynge was so moche displesynge to god that he dyde made to rayne fourty dayes and fourty nyghtes withoute cessynge, in so moche that the waters were aboue the erthe and surmounted by heyght of ten Cubites vpon the hyhest montayn. Thenne was all the world drowned and perysshed, and none abode on lyue sauf only Noe, his wyf, his thre sones, and his thre doughters. And alle this grete meschyef cam bycause of that synne. And thenne as the bisshop had shewed to them this fayte & many other, he said that the wymmen that were so horned were like the snayle that ben horned. He said more: "I doute," said he, "that betwyxt their hornes thenemye hath made his mancion & dwellynge. For as they take hooly water, they cast dounward theyr faces, and that maketh the deuylle syttynge vpon their heede by nature and strengthe of the hooly water." He tolde and reherced to them many merueyles, in so moche that at the ende of his predicacion he made hem to be mowrnynge and full of thought. For he