Page:The booke of thenseygnementes and techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his doughters - 1902.pdf/61

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OF THEM THAT TAKE FIRST NEWE GYSES.

FAYRE doughters, I praye yow that. ye ben not the fyrste for to take on yow newe arraye ne gyses, and that ye in this caas be the last and tarye lengest, and in especialle the newe gyses of wymmen of straunge Countre. For I shalle saye , yow of a.debate whiche was [o]f a baronnesse, that duellyd, in guyenne, and of the lord of beaumont, fader of hym that is now lord, whiche was a subtyle and a wyse knyght. This lady aresonned hym of his wyf and said, “Fayre Cosyn, I am come fro brytayne and haue sene my fayre Cosyn your wyf, whiche is not arayed ne aourned as ben the ladyes of guyenne, ne of many other places. For her pourfyls of her garnementes ne of her hodes ben not grete ynough, after the gyse that now is vsed.” Thenne the knyght answerd to her, “Madame, syth she is not arayed after your gyse, and that her pourfyls seme lytell, wherfore ye blame me, be ye certeyn that ye shal blame me nomore therfore. For I shall doo araye her as queyntely and as nobly as yeony other ben, and yet more. For ye haue not but the half of your garnementes and of your hoode torned outward with grys and ermynes, but I shalle doo to her better, for I shalle make her kirtels and hoodes alle the furre outward, & so she shalle be, better pourfylled than ye ne the other.” And after this he said, “Madame, thynke ye, that I ne wylle wel that she be arayed after the good ladyes of the Countre? Yes, veryly, but.I wylle not that she chaunge the guyse of good wymmen, ne of the ladyes of worship of Fraunce & of this Countre, whiche vse not the gyse of the loues ne of the lemmans of thenglysshe men, ne of the peple of companies, for these ben they that first knewe this gyse in brytayne and in Guvenne of these grete pourfyls and of the Coursettys torned by the sides, for I was of that tyme and sawe it. And for to take the guyse of suche wymen that