tion with me at all. I pray thee, therefore, instruct me further, if
thou wih, concerning the resourcefulness of women." The master
replied :
X.[1] The Procuress and Her Weeping Bitch.
"It is saide that suche oon had a wif of a noble kynred, inly faire,
beautevous, and chast. So haply it fil that [he] with busynes of
Reason wold go to Rome. But he wold nat make non other depute
keper of his wif but hirsilf, he trusted so moche in hir chast maners
and of worshipful proef. Forsoth this man redy went furth with
felawship. The wif forsoth lived chastly and in al thynges prudently
doyng remayned. So it fil that of necessite compulsed out of hir
owne house [she] went out to hir neyghburgh in felawship. That
neede and busynes don [she] went hir hom to hir owne house. That
suche a yong man bihielde and with brennyng love bigan to love hir
and many messangiers (f. 124) sent vnto hir coveityng of hir whom
he so brennyngly loved; Eft[2] to whom with contemptis [she] hym
vttirly dispised. The yongman whan he felt hymsilf so dispised,
was made so moche sorowyng and over moche kynde of sikenes
hevied and greved. Oftentymes here and ther wher he sigh that
faire womman goyng out desiryng with hir to meete and felawship,
but in no wise it myght availe. To whom for sorowe weepyng
he mette with an old wif clenly clad in Religious habite askyng
of hym what was the cause that compelled hym so to sorowe. But .
the yongman so avexed and troubled in his conscience wold nat
discovere. To whom thold wif saide: 'How moche that a sike man
hidith and takith awey the knowlache of his infirmyte from his
leche, so moche more grevous and sharp shal his grevaunce and sikenes
be.' Whiche so heryng [he] told hir bi order and shewid hir
al his secrete counsail of this that hym bifil. To whom thold
wif: 'Of this whiche now thow hast saide with goddis help I shal
fynde a Remedie.' And so left hym and went hir hom to hir
house. And a litel whelp that she had at hom [she] made it to fast
two daies without mete; and the thrid day to the fastyng hound
yaf brede jnowogh with an oynoun[3] froted. Whiche whan the
hound had tasted and eten for the bitternes the eyen bigan to teare.
After this that old wif went hir to the house of the shamefast
womman whom the yongman loved so moche; whiche worshipfully
