The Booke of Thenseygnementes and Techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his Doughters/Chapter 79
HOW THE DOUGHTER OF A KNYGHT LOST HER MARYAGE.
SHALLE telle yow another Ensample, of the doughter of a noble knyght that loste her maryage by her coynted Raymentes & clothynges. A knyzt was, which had many doughters, of the whiche theldest was wedded. It happed that a knyght demaunded the second doughter to be his wyf, & the fader graunted her to hym. He that neuer before had sene her came to be fyaunced with her, and she whiche knewe wel of his comynge arayed & coynted her self in the best manere that she coude, to thende that she myght seme the fayrer, smaller, & of body wel shapen. She had vpon her but a streyght cote furred. It was at that season moche cold, and grete wynde rose vp and blewe. And she whiche was symply clothed had grete cold, in so moche that for cold she wexed black. Thenne arryued the knyght whiche cam for to see her, and sawe her colour deed and pale, also he beheld hir other suster, whiche had the colour rede and fresshe, for she was clothed wyth gownes good and warme as she that thought not soone to be maryed. The knyght beheld wel the one and the other, and after dyner he callyd to hym two of his parentes whiche were come with hym, and sayd to them, "Fayr lordes, we be come hyder to see the doughters of the lord of this place. And by cause I knowe well that to my wyf I may haue the whiche I wylle chese of them, therfor I shalle haue the thyrd doughter." Thenne sayd his parentes vnto hym, "Ye saye not wel; for gretter worship shal be to yow to take the oldest." "Fayre frendes," ansuerd the knyght, "I see in the choys but lytill auauntage. Ye wote and knowe well how they haue a suster wedded, whiche is older than they be and fyrst born. I see the thyrd more fair and fresshe, and of to better colour than the second, of the whiche men haue spoken me. In the thyrd is my plesaunce & my loue sette, therfore before ony other I wylle haue her." His parentes thenne ansuerd to hym that he shold doo after his playsyre. And thenne he made to demaunde and aske the third doughter for to be his wyf, and the fader dyd graunte her to hym, wherof many one were merueylled, and she specially whiche wend to be maryed was sore a basshed & sorowful. It befelle a lytell whyle after that this second douster, which had loste the knyght by cause of the grete cold, whiche caused her vysage to be of euylle colour, whanne she was wel clothed and that she had on her suche a gowne as she was wonte to couere hir as it was cold wether, her colour cam to her ageyn, & fressher by a grete dele than her suster dyd, whiche the knyghte had wedded, in soo moche that the knyght merueylled hym moche therof and sayd vnto her, "Fayre suster, whanne I cam for to see yow, and that I tookz your suster, ye were not soo fayre; by moche as ye now be. For ye be now of colour fresshe whyte and rede, and that tyme ye were black and pale, and your suster was fayrer, but nowe ye passe her of beaute, wherfore I haue grete merueylle." Thenne sayd his wyf, whiche was there present, "Syre, I shalle telle all the maner how hit was. My suster, that ye see here, thought and wende, and also dede we al, that ye shold come for to haue fyaunced her, wherfor she coynted and arayed her self in the most praty maner that she couthe, for to shewe her body praty and small and well shapen, but the cold was at that tyme grete, the whiche made her black & palysshed her colour; and I, whiche thought ne wend not to receyue soo grete worship as to be your wyf, coynted not my self, but I was wel clothed with furred gounes that kepte my body warme, wherfore I had better colour than she had, wherof j thanke god. For therfore I gate your loue, and blessyd be the houre that my suster clothed her self so lyght, for yf it had not be so, ye had not take me for to haue lefte her." Thus loste, as ye haue herd, theldest doughter her maryage by cause she coynted her self. Now haue ye herd good Ensample how one ought not to coynte her body for to shewe it small and better shapen, & specially in the wynter, in so moche that she lost her manere and colour, as ones it befell to Syre Foucques delaual, as he told me vpon the fayt of this Ensample, of whome I shal speke and telle vnto yow what that happed to hym.