OF THEM THAT WYLLE NOT WERE THEYR GOOD CLOTHES ON HYGHE FESTES AND HOLY DAYES.
N other ensample I shalle telle you, of them that wylle not were theyr gounes ne clothes on hyhe festes and on sondayes for the honoure of oure lord. Thenne I wold that ye sholde take ensample how a damoyselle repreuyd her lady. There was a lady whiche had good gounes & ryche, but she wolde not were them on sondayes ne on festful dayes, but yf she supposed to fynde there noble men of estate. So it happed at a feste of oure lady, whiche was on a sonday, that her damoysell said to her, "Madame, why clothe ye not with youre good gowne this day for the loue of oure lady and of the sonday?" "I," said she, "for I se no men of estate here." "A ha!" said the damoysell, "god and his moder ben more grete than ony other, and they ought to be honoured more than ony worldly thyng, for he may gyue and take awey alle thynges at his plaisire. For all good and all honoure cometh of hym and of his blessid dere moder, and on theyr hooly dayes we ought to arraye vs the better." "Holde youre pees," said the lady, "god and the preest and the peple see me al day, but folke of estate see me not alwey, and therfor it is gretter honour to me to aray & make me fresshe for them." "Madame," said the damoisel, "that is euil sayd." "It is not," sayd the lady, "late come al that may come therof." Anone with that worde there cam a wynde all hoote, and smote her in suche wyse that she myght not styre ne remeue, more than a stone. And thenne she confessid her and repentyd, and auowed to many pylgremages, and was caryed in a lytyer. And she told to al men of worship that she fonde the cause of this maladye that had so taken her, and that it was the vengeaunce of god. And she said that she had more grete ioye and gretter playsyre
