HOW HIT WAS WONTE TO DEPARTE THE BLAMED AND DYFFAMED WOMEN FRO THE FELAUSHIP & COMPANYE OF THE GOOD AND TREWE.
N tho dayes was the tyme of pees, and were holden grete festes and reueyls, and al maner of knyghtes and ladyes and damoysels gadred and assembled to gyder where as they wyst that ony feste was kepte and holden. And there they cam with grete worship, and wyth them came the good knyghtes of that tyme, but yf hit happed by somme aduêture that ony lady or damoysell y had euyl name or were blamed of her honour put her self and wente byfore another of good renome, how be it that she were more gentyl and more noble and more Ryche, yet, notwithstondynge, the good and auncyent knyghtes had no shame to come to them before euery one, ne to telle thus to them: "Lady or damoysel, be not yow displesyd yf this lady go before yow, for how it be so that she be not so noble ne so ryche as ye be, neuertheles she is not blamed, and hath good Renommee, and is put among the nombre of the good wymmen, and thus it is not sayd of yow. Wherfore me displeaseth moche, but worship and honour shalle be borne to them that be worthy, and haue deserved it. And therfore be not yow meruaylled." Thus and in lyke wyse spake that tyme the good and auncyent knyghtes, and put them of good Renommee the fyrst and formest, wherof they thanked god that had gyue them grace to kepe & hold them clenely, wherby they were sette bifore the other and worshipped ouer al. And the other tooke them self by the nose, castynge theyr faces dounward, and receyued moch shame & vergoyne. And therfore was this a good ensample to al wymmen, for by the grete repreef and shame that they herd saye & talke of the other, they doubted & drad ony thynge to do that was amys, of
