The Booke of Thenseygnementes and Techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his Doughters/Chapter 19
OF THEM THAT TAKE FIRST NEWE GYSES.
AYRE 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 brought it firste hyther, I holde them euyl counceyled, and also them euyll aduysed that arraye them so, and also them that take and vse hit, how wel that the pryncesse and other ladyes of Englond, whiche after theyr longe comyng maye wel do it. But I herd of the sages that euery good lady & woman ought to kepe the gyse & state of the good ladyes and wymmen of Countre & comyn gyse, of the Royamme of whiche they ben of, and that they ben moost wyse that ben the laste that take suche noueltees and newe gyses. And thus by renomme the ladyes of Fraunce and of these lowe marches ben holden the best ladyes that ben, and lest blamed." These wordes were said to fore moche peple, wherof the lady held her self nyce and wyst not what to answere. And thenne many of them bigan to murmure and said among them that she had done better for to haue holden her stylle and said nought. And therfore, my fair doughters, this is a faire Ensample for to take and holde astate moyen and the gyse of the good ladyes of the Countre and.of the commune of the royamme that they ben of, that is to saye, of that whiche the good ladyes vse comunely, & that is a noble thyng. For to take a newe gyse comen by strauge wymmen and fro other Countrees, they ben more mocqued and scorned than for to kepe the gyse of their Countre, as ye haue herd of the good knyght that was wyse and of grete gouernement in repreuyng of the lady. And knowe ye for certayne, that they that first done and take the newe gyses, ben scorned & mocked. But god haue mercy on vs at this day, after that som haue herd that ony newe facion or nouelte of goune or arraye shall neuer reste till they haue therof a Copye, and shullen save to their lord or husbond dayly, "Suche thyng and suche shold become me wel, and it is right faire. I praye yow that I may haue it." Yf their lord or husbond saye to her, "My loue, yf suche one haue it, other that ben holden as wyse as she haue it not." And she thenne wylle saye, "What though they can not araye them, what haue I doo with all? Sith that suche one hath it, I may wel haue it, and were it as wel as she." And I say you that they shal fynd so many resons, that they must nedes haue theyr parte, but these maner of wymmen ben not founde the moost wyse ne moost connyng, but they haue their herte moost sette to the plesaunce of the world. I speke not vpon the ladyes ne the damoysels that maye wel do at their lust and gyse, for ageynst. their estate I thynk not to speke ony thyng that may displese them yf I may knowe it, for it apperteyneth not, ne is fyttyng to me, but to honoure and obeye them to my powere. Ne I entende not to speke ageynst them by this book, but to my owne doughters, wymmen, and seruauntes, to whome I may say that as it shal plese me, and after my wylle.