Page:The booke of thenseygnementes and techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his doughters - 1902.pdf/157

erthely good whiche he gaf to euery man and woman, and how they haue be employed and dispended. And therfore hit is a fayre vertue to herberowe & lodge the poure, & the seruautes of god, for al good may therof come. God payeth ý grete scot, for he rendred to c double, wherof he sayth in theuägely, "Who that receyueth the prophetes, the predycatours, and the poures, he receyueth myn oune self," for they be his messagers, the whiche bere and announce the trouthe. The other ensample is of the good ladyes whiche wepte after our lord as he bare the crosse vpon his sholders. These good ladyes were of good and holy lyf, and were of herte swete and pyteous, God thenne torned hym toward them, and comforted them, sayenge, "My fayr doughters, wepe no more on me, but wepe ye vpon the dolours and sorowes whiche ben comynge to yow." And thenne he shewed to them the euylle that aftirward came to them, as ye shall fynde in the book whiche I haue made for your bretheren. These good ladyes, thenne, whiche had pyte and grete compassion of the dolour and sorowe that Ihesu Cryst suffred, lost not their teres ne theyr wepynges, wherof aftirward they were hyghely guerdonned of god. Therfor here is good ensample how euery good woman ought to haue pyte as she seeth that somme body dothe ony euylle to the poure people of god, whiche ben his seruaunts, as he sayth in the euangely, "That whiche is done to my seruaunts in myn name, is done to me." And yet he sayth more, that they whiche ben pyteous shalle haue mercy, that is to wete, he shalle haue mercy of them. Wherof the sage sayth that a woman of her nature ought to be more swete and pyteous than the man, for the man oughte to be more hard and of more hyghe courage. And therfore they that haue the herte nother meke nor pyteous maye be called mannysshe, that is to saye, that in them is to moche of the nature of men. And yet sayth the sage in the book of sapyence, that a woman by her nature ought not to be scars of hit wherof she hath good chepe,