The Booke of Thenseygnementes and Techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his Doughters/Chapter 26
OF A KNYGHT THAT CAUSID ALL A TOWNE TO LESE THEYR MASSE WHEREAS HE DWELLYD.
NOTHER Ensample I shalle telle yow of them that lose their masse and also to make other to lese it. I haue herd told of a knyght and of a lady that fro theyr youth took grete plaisire to slepe to fore none. And this they vsed in such manere that oftymes they lost theyr masse, and causid alle the parysshe to lose it also in whiche they dwellyd, for he was lord and patron of the parysshe, and the parson durst not withsaye hym. So it happed on a sonday that they sente to the parson that he shold tarye for them. And whan they cam, it was passed mydday. And they of the parysshe told the preest that it was past none, and therfor he durst not synge mass. And so they hadde no masse that daye, wherfore the peple of the parysshe were moche angry, but they must nedes suffre. And it happed in the same nyght that the preest had a vysyon, that hym semed that he kept a grete flock of sheep in a felde where as was no grasse. And he wold haue brought them in a pasture for to haue fedde them, where to was but one path, and in that path was a black swyn and a sowe, whiche lay ouerthwert the way; and these hogges were horned. And he had soo grete drede and fere, bothe he and his shepe, that he durst not entre in to his pasture, and anon they torned back to their feld withoute pasture. And soo they had no mete. And thenne hym thought one saide to hym, "Leuest thou to gyue pasture to thy sheep for fere of these horned beestes?" And there with al he awoke. And in lyke wyse this vysion happed the same nyght to the knyght and to the lady his wyfe, for them semed that they become a bore and a sowe, and were also horned, and that they wold not suffre the sheep to passe and goo to their pasture. And sith them semed ther cam a grete chace of black hunters, syttyng vpon grete black horses, which had with them grete quātyte of grehoundes and black dogges, whome them semed they vncoupled and dide set them on hem, and made them all to drawe hem and byte them by the eres, armes, and thyes, and blewe their homes, halowed and cryed. And this chace or hūtyng endured on them so longe, that them semed that they were taken & slayn, & ther with all they awoke, beyng sore agast & effrayed, & this aduysion happed and cam to them two tymes. Now it happed that the preest cam vnto the place where this knyght & lady were, and they tolde to hym their vysyon. And in lyke wyse the preest told to them his, whereof they were sore admerueyled and abasshed by cause they were lyke. Thenne the preest aduysed hym, and sayde to the knyght, "Syre, there is an hooly hermyte here by in suche a foreste, whiche shalle make vs wyse and vnderstonde of this thynge." Thenne they wente to this hooly man, and recounted to hym theyr aduysyon fro poynt to poynt. And thys hooly man, which was wyse and of a blessid lyf, declared to them all their fait, and said to the knyght & his wyf, "Ye be the black swyne, whiche kepe the pathe and the entre of the pasture, that the sheepe may not fede them, ne may not ete of the good pasture, that is to saye, that ye be lord of the parysshe in whiche ye dwelle, and ye haue distourbled and lette the good peple and parisshens for to here the seruyse of god, which is good pasture & refresshyng of the spyrituel lyf of the sowle, by cause of youre latchesse and youre long reste. And the homes that ye haue ben the braunches of youre synnes, whiche ben moche grete, and in especiall of the grete synnes that ye haue done in lettyng other fro the benefete and the seruyce of god, whiche ye may not amende but by greete penaūce and tormente. And therfore the vengeaūce of the wrong that ye haue done is shewed to yow that ye shall be tormentyd and hunted of the fendes of helle, and at the last ye shall be taken and slayn by the very huntyng of deuyls, lyke as it was shewed to you by youre aduysyon. And I say you certaynly, that it hadde ben lasse synne an honderd ageynst one, that ye had herde no masse, than for to take fro the good peple ne fro the preest their deuocion, for when he abode ouer long, he was angry, & synned in the synne of wrathe, and the good peple also, of whome somme wente to tauerne, and other lost their deuocion and alle good charyte. And all the synnes and euyls comen of yow, & by youre slouthe, wherof ye shall gyue a rekenyng perauenter hastlyer than ye wene, for ye shalle be hunted and put to deth lyke as ye haue sene in youre aduyson; that is to say, that ye ben in the wey to be dampned, yf ye put not therto remedye." Thenne the knyght was moche abasshed, and demaunded of hym coūceil how he myght doo. Thenne the hooly man said that he shold thre sondayes knele to fore his parisshens and crye them mercy, and praye them to pardone hym, and that they wold praye to god for hym and his wyf also, and from thenne forthon they wold be the first to fore other at the Chirche. And there he confessid hym to the heremyte, and he gafe to hym that penaunce and other. And fro than forthon he chastysed hym self, and he and his wyf thanked oure lord that he vouchesauf to shewe to them this demonstraūce. And I saye yow, that fro than forthon they were the first that cam to the chirche. And also the hooly heremyte said to the preest and declared to hym his vision, and tolde hym that god ought to be more drad and serued than the world. And therefore, my faire doughters, take herby a good ensample, that for your plaisire ye cause none to lese their masse ne theyr deuocion for your slouthe and neclygence. For it were better that ye herd none. And I wolde wel that ye shold knowe and lerne thensample of a lady that spended the fourthe parte of the daye for to araye her.