The Booke of Thenseygnementes and Techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his Doughters/Chapter 6
HOW GOOD DOUGHTERS OUGHT TO FASTE.
HERE was a knyght that badde two doughters, one that was by his first wyf, and that other by his second. And she that he had by his first wyf was meruaylously deuoute, ne neuer wold ete till that she had said all her houres and herd all the masses that she myght here. And that other dougter was holden so tendyrly and so moche louyd, that she was suffred to have alle her wylle. For as soone as she had herd a lytill masse and hadde saide twoo or thre pater nostres, she wente in to the garderobe and there ete a soupe or some lycorous thyng, & sayd that her hede oke for fastyng, but all this was but an euylle customme. And also when her fader and moder were a bedde, thenne muste she goo ete somme good morsell or somme good mete. And this lyf ledde she tyl she was maryed vnto a knyst whiche was wyse and subtyle. Thenne it happed that her lord knewe her manere, which was euyll bothe for the body & the soule, and told and shewed this to her moche honestly and swetely many tymes, and said she dyd euyll to vse suche a lyf, but neuer she wold leue it, for faire spekyng ne for thyng that he couthe say or doo. Thenne it happed that on a nyght he had slepte his firste slepe, and tasted beside hym and found her not, wherof he was moch angry, and aroos from his bed and cast aboute hym a furryd mantell, and entred in to his garderobe, where as his wyf was with his clerk and two of his seruantes, and ete and played so that there was a grete noyse and the men and wymmen iaped to geder eche with other. And the lord that sawe all this arraye was moche wrothe and felle, and helde a staf in his honde for to smyte one of his seruautes whiche had embracid one of the wymmen of the chambre, and smote so sore that seruaut that a splynt sprange out of the staf in to the one eye of his wyf, whiche was by hym, in suche manere that by mysauenture her eye was smeton oute and lost her eye. And thus her husbond had her in suche hate that he tooke his herte fro her and set it in another, in suche wyse that her houshold and menage wente all to nought and to perdicion. This happed by the euyl gouernaunce of his wyf, whiche was acustommed to lyue dyssolutely and disordynately bothe on mornynges and on euenynges, whereof the grete part of the harme was heres by cause she lost her eye, and the loue of her husbond. Thenne was she in an euyll astate & moche lassed and lesse sette by of al men that knewe her. And therfor it is goode to saye their houres and here al the masses fastyng, and accustomme them to lyue sobyrly and honnestly, for al cometh by accustommaunce and vsage, as it happed to her suster. She vsyd fro her youthe to serue god and to goo to the chirche as for to save her matyns and houres deuoutely and here alle the masses fastyng, and therfore it happed that god rewarded and gafe to her a knyght ryche and puyssaunt, and she lyued with hym well and honestly, and in good and grete pees. And thenne it happed that theyr fader, whiche was a wyse man, wente for to see his two doughters, and fonde with tholder grete honours and grete rychesse, and was receyued there moche honourably. And of that other whiche had her eye oute, he fond her all oute of arraye, & howe she had gouerned her nycely and wantonly. Thenne it happed that when he was comen home ageyne he recounted to his wyf, and moche cruelly repreued her, by cause she had lost her doughter by cause she had kokered and norysshed tendyrly, and that she had gyuen her the reyne ouerlong in suffryng her to do all her wylle, wherfore she was in an hard caas. And by this ensample it is good to serue god & here all the masses that maye be herd fastyng, and to take on her honeste, and sobrenes of mete and drynke in due tyme, as aboute the houre of tyerce, at myd day, at souper, at houre couenable after the tyme. For suche lyfe as ye haue vsed & mayntened in your youthe, ye wold mayntene and vse in your old age.