OF APOMENA QUENE OF SURYE.
OW shalle I telle yow of somme wymmen, the whiche ben ouermoche proude of theyr grete worship and goodes whiche god hath gyuen them, as reherced is in the byble. Ther was a woman whiche was named Apomena, doughter of a symple knyght named Bernard. This Apomena was fayre and yonge, in so moche that the kynge of Surye, whiche was a myghty kynge, was enamoured of her, and so moche that he loued her that by his grete folye he toke her in maryage and made her quene. And whanne she sawe her self soo hyghe and so myghty, and in so grete honour and worship brought, she sette nought syn of her frendes and parentes, and had shame and desdayne to see or mete with hem, and became ouer proude and so moche grete of courage that also to the kynge her lord she bare not so grete reuerence as she ought to haue doo, by cause she sawe hym symple and debonayr. And also she by her grete pryde dayned not bere reverence ne worship to none of the kynges parents. And soo moche she dyd that of euery one she was hated, and that the kynge was wrothe with her and chaced and sente her in exyle. And so by grete pryde she lost the grete honour and worship where in of lowe degree she had fortunatly be broust, for many wymmen be y may not suffre ease & worship to gyder, & can not reste tyl by their pryde & enuy they falle in grete pouerte & fro hyhe to lowe, as dyd the folysshe quene whiche was come fro lowe degree vnto so hyghe and myghty estate and myght not suffre it. And every woman whan she seeth and knoweth her ford symple and debonayr to her, she ought the more to bere hym honoure and worship, for soo doynge she worshippeth and bereth honour to her self, and hath the loue of them that seeth her soo doo. And also therfore she ought to hold her the more cloos and symply, and to force her
