The Booke of Thenseygnementes and Techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his Doughters/Chapter 21
OF THRE LADYES THAT ARESONNED BOUSSYCAULT.
ET shalle I saye to yow of this matere how it happed that thre ladyes supposed to haue shamed Boussycault, and what fylle therof. Boussycault was a wyse man, and wel bespoken amonge alle other knyghtes, and hadde the world and rule at the wylle among grete lordes and ladyes. So it happed at a feste that thre grete ladyes satte in a Closette and spaken of theyr good auentures so long that that one said to the other, "Foull falle to her of vs that wil not say for good copanye yf she were this yere praid & requyred of loue." "Veryly," seid one of them," haue ben desired within this yere." "By my feyth," seid y other, "so haue j." " & j also," said the thyrd. "Now," saide one that was most peert, "Foule be she that wylle not discouere his name that laste desyred vs." "By my feyth," said one, "yf ye wylle ensure vs to saye the same also, we shall saye truly the treuthe." And she agreed & said that it was boussycault. "Ye," said that other, "certeynly it was he that desyred me." "Certaynly, so dyd he me," said the thirdde. "Ha, ha!" said they, "is hit soo?" "Certeynly he is not so loyal ne trewe as we had supposed. He is not but a bourdour and a deceyuer of ladyes. Late vs sende for hym." And anone he was fette and cam and said to them, "My ladyes, what pleseth yow?" They saide, "We haue for to speke with yow. Sytte here doune by vs," and wolde haue made hym sytte at theyr feete. But he answerd them and said, "Sith I am comen at youre sendyng fore, late me haue a chayer or a stoole to sytte on. For yf i shold sytte lowe I myght breke my poyntes or layners, and ye myght bere me on hond that it were another thyng." And so he must have a syege to sytt on. And when he was set, the ladyes, that were wel born, began to saye to hym, "How is hit, Boussycault, that we haue ben deceyued by yow in tyme passed? For we had supposed that ye had ben feithfull and trewe, and ye are not but a trompeur and a mockar of ladyes. It is al youre condicion." "How," said boussicault," my ladyes, knowe ye that I have done ony deceyte or tromperye?" "Yes," said that one, "for ye haue desired my faire Cosyns that ben here, & also so haue ye me. And ye haue sworen to eche of vs that ye louyd eche best aboue al creatures. This is a grete lesyng, and it is not trouthe, for ye be not worthy ne of valewe to haue thre. And therfore ye ben fals and deceyuable, and ye ought not to be putt in the nombre ne in thacounte of good and trewe knyghtes." "Now, my ladyes, haue ye al said ye haue grete vnright, and I shall tell yow wherfore. For at the tyme that I said so to eche of yow, I had thenne my plesaunce, and thought so at that tyme. And therfore ye doo wronge to holde me for a deceyuer, but me behoueth to suffre of yow, for ye haue youre parlementes vpon me." And when they sawe that he was not abasshed, they bygan to saye, "What shall we doo? Late vs drawe lotte for hym, & she that hath the shortest shall haue hym. For yf í lose, I shall quyte my part truly." "And I myn," said the other. Thenne answerd he and said to them, "Nay, my ladyes, by the sacrament of god, I am not soo to be departed ne to be left, for there is here no woman that I wyll abyde with." And therwith he aroos and wente his way, and they aboden in the shame more abasshed than he was. And therfore it is grete perylle to begynne strif or debate wyth men that knowe the world and that can mayntene their manere. And therfore this is a good Ensample not for to stryue ne to haue wordes with suche maner men, for in all thyng is manere. For other whyle they that wene to knowe moost ben somtyme deceyued, and therfore I wold that ye shold remembre an Ensample semblable to this matere.