HOW THE WYMMEN OUGHT TO BE CHARYTABLE AFTER THEXEMPLARY OF OUR LADY.
ALSO good ladyes and euery good woman ought to be charytable as the holy lady was that gaf for the loue of god and ful charyte the moste parte that she had. And at thexample of her dyd saynt Elyzabeth, saynte Lucye, saynt Cecylle, and many other holy ladyes, whiche were so charitable that they gaf to the poure and jndygent the most parte of theyr reuenues, as reherced is playnly in theyr legendes, wherfor I wold ye wyst thexample of a good lady of Rome, whiche was atte masse, and sawe besyde her, a poure woma, the whiche was shakyng for cold, for the froste was grete. The good lady had pyte of her and pryuely called her to her, and wente and had her in to her hows, whiche was not ferre thens, and gaf to her a good furred gowne. And whyles she was aboute this charytable dede, the preest that sayd the masse couthe speke neuer a word, vnto the tyme that she was come to the Chirche ageyne, and as soone as she was come ageyne he spake as he dyd to fore, and sawe afterward in a vysion the cause why he had lost his speche, & hou god preyseth before his agels y gyft gyue of the good lady to hym. Here is good ensample for euery good woman to be charytable, and not to suffre her poure neyghbours to be shakynge for cold and hongre, ne to haue ony mysease, but to helpe them as ferre as theyr power may retche. Now haue I told yow of the blessyd and holy vyrgyne Marye, to the whiche none may be lykened ne compared. And lytell ynough I haue spoken of her, but to longe were the matere yf I shold speke of all her dedes & fayttes. Therfor as now I shalle leue of her and shall speke of the good wydowes, ladyes of Rome, the whiche whan as they held them clenly in theyr wydowhede, they were worshipfully crowned in signe and token of chastyte, but long thynge were to reherce the 158
