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[The Tale of St. Macaire and the Two Good Married Women.]
Þere was an abbot of great renoun,
An holy man yn relygyoun,
he preydë god vpp-on a day,
And seydë “lorde, as þou weyl may,
Ȝeue me gracë for to wete
who shal with me yn heuene sytte;
Þat wulde y wyte on al manere,
who yn heuene shal be my pere.”
A voys spakë to hym ful fayre,
“wete þou wele, for soþe, Makayre,
Þere beþ twey wymmen yn a cyte,
Of so moche boneryte
þat alle þe penaunce þat þou mayst do
Ne may nat reche here godenes to.”
he toldë hym þe cyte ryȝt,
And the wommen what þey hyght.
Makayrë wulde no lenger byde,
But to þat cyte gan he ryde;
As sonë as he comë þere
he askede where swyche wymmen were.
Men taghte hym sonë to hem weyl;
he come and toke þere hys osteyl.
“wymmen,” he seyde, “y wyl me reste
yn ȝoure Ine as a nyȝtys geste.”
“Syr,” þey seyde, “we graunte hyt þe
Ȝyf þou hyt aske pur charyte.”
To a chambre þey hym broghte;
þan hys erende forȝate he noughte.
he madë boþë by hym sytte,
And seyde, “y am come, at ȝow to wytte
yn what manere ȝe lede ȝoure lyuys
yn holynes, and byþ here wyuys:
Forheleþ hyt nat, y ȝow forbede,
how þat ȝe ȝoure lyuys lede;
Þarfore, y am come to þys cyte,
And haue trauayled many a iurne.”
An holy man yn relygyoun,
he preydë god vpp-on a day,
And seydë “lorde, as þou weyl may,
Ȝeue me gracë for to wete
who shal with me yn heuene sytte;
Þat wulde y wyte on al manere,
who yn heuene shal be my pere.”
A voys spakë to hym ful fayre,
“wete þou wele, for soþe, Makayre,
Þere beþ twey wymmen yn a cyte,
Of so moche boneryte
þat alle þe penaunce þat þou mayst do
Ne may nat reche here godenes to.”
he toldë hym þe cyte ryȝt,
And the wommen what þey hyght.
Makayrë wulde no lenger byde,
But to þat cyte gan he ryde;
As sonë as he comë þere
he askede where swyche wymmen were.
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he come and toke þere hys osteyl.
“wymmen,” he seyde, “y wyl me reste
yn ȝoure Ine as a nyȝtys geste.”
“Syr,” þey seyde, “we graunte hyt þe
Ȝyf þou hyt aske pur charyte.”
To a chambre þey hym broghte;
þan hys erende forȝate he noughte.
he madë boþë by hym sytte,
And seyde, “y am come, at ȝow to wytte
yn what manere ȝe lede ȝoure lyuys
yn holynes, and byþ here wyuys:
Forheleþ hyt nat, y ȝow forbede,
how þat ȝe ȝoure lyuys lede;
Þarfore, y am come to þys cyte,
And haue trauayled many a iurne.”
Þes wymmen answered al at gesse
“Syr, we knowe no holynesse,
But whan oure husbandys byþ vs by
Þan beþ we yn loue ryȝtly,
And yn parfyte charyte
whan oure husbandys with vs be;
Þys ys moste of ourë lyuys,
And euer haþ be, syþ we were wyuys.”
“y beseche ȝow, on my blessyng,
Þat ȝe forhele fro me no þyng.”
Þe toon answered to seynt Makayre
“To twey breþryn we weddyd are
A-passyd be twenty ȝere
Þat we to-gedyr haue lyuyd here,
Þat neuer with hem were we onys wroth
Ne þey with vs þat wedded vs both,
Ne for no þyng þat euer may betyde
To-gedyr shul we neuer chyde.
Yn relygyun we wulde vs do;
Oure husbondys graunte nat þar-to;
Ȝyt haue we leuer leue oure wylle
Þan oure hosbundys greue with ylle.
So moche loue ys vs among
Þat none to oþer wyl do wrong.”
“Syr, we knowe no holynesse,
But whan oure husbandys byþ vs by
Þan beþ we yn loue ryȝtly,
And yn parfyte charyte
whan oure husbandys with vs be;
Þys ys moste of ourë lyuys,
And euer haþ be, syþ we were wyuys.”
“y beseche ȝow, on my blessyng,
Þat ȝe forhele fro me no þyng.”
Þe toon answered to seynt Makayre
“To twey breþryn we weddyd are
A-passyd be twenty ȝere
Þat we to-gedyr haue lyuyd here,
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Ne þey with vs þat wedded vs both,
Ne for no þyng þat euer may betyde
To-gedyr shul we neuer chyde.
Yn relygyun we wulde vs do;
Oure husbondys graunte nat þar-to;
Ȝyt haue we leuer leue oure wylle
Þan oure hosbundys greue with ylle.
So moche loue ys vs among
Þat none to oþer wyl do wrong.”
Among oþer þynges to hym þey spake,
“We þenke so moche on oure wedlake,
For hyt ys yn þe olde testament,
And yn þe newe hyt ys sacrament;
And God haþ ordeyned hyt for þe pes,
And þeryn, be bore he ches,
Þat we ne shul, by oure lyue,
Neuermore to-gedyr stryue,
Ne foly wrdys be betwyxe vs seyd—
As ouþer wymmen makyn vpbreyd,—
For noun enuye ne coueytyse,
Ne for noun ouþer maner wyse;
But seruë god and oure husbondys
yn alle þyng þat he sendeþ hys sondys.”
“We þenke so moche on oure wedlake,
For hyt ys yn þe olde testament,
And yn þe newe hyt ys sacrament;
And God haþ ordeyned hyt for þe pes,
And þeryn, be bore he ches,
Þat we ne shul, by oure lyue,
Neuermore to-gedyr stryue,
Ne foly wrdys be betwyxe vs seyd—
As ouþer wymmen makyn vpbreyd,—
For noun enuye ne coueytyse,
Ne for noun ouþer maner wyse;
But seruë god and oure husbondys
yn alle þyng þat he sendeþ hys sondys.”
Makayre ioyed þat þey were so stable,
And so long whylë so tretable;
he þankeþ God þat he haþ founde
So mylde wymmen yn wedlak bounde;
he toke hys leue and went hys weye,
As an abbot shulde, to hys abbeye.
And so long whylë so tretable;
he þankeþ God þat he haþ founde
So mylde wymmen yn wedlak bounde;
he toke hys leue and went hys weye,
As an abbot shulde, to hys abbeye.
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God wuld hyt werë now so here,
So meke wymmen of so fayre manere;
But of ouþer, men mowe fynde
wymmen yn wedlak ryȝt on-kynde,
Þat for a gamë wurde yn veyn
Þey wyl ȝyuë forty aȝeyn.
Se how þese wymmen a-cordaunce
Plesyd god with lytyl penaunce,
And preysed hem to seynt Makayre
For þey bare hem yn wedlak fayre;
As mochë þan shal he hem blame,
Þat chydyn to-gydyr, & reysyn shame.
So meke wymmen of so fayre manere;
But of ouþer, men mowe fynde
wymmen yn wedlak ryȝt on-kynde,
Þat for a gamë wurde yn veyn
Þey wyl ȝyuë forty aȝeyn.
Se how þese wymmen a-cordaunce
Plesyd god with lytyl penaunce,
And preysed hem to seynt Makayre
For þey bare hem yn wedlak fayre;
As mochë þan shal he hem blame,
Þat chydyn to-gydyr, & reysyn shame.
Ȝyf þou euer þy wyfe lay by
Yn tyme of penaunce, to seye flesshly,—
ȝyf þou be custumable þar-to,
Þou synnest gretly, my boke seyþ so.
yn holy tyme and halyday
Forbere þy wyfe, ȝyf þat þou may.
Yn tyme of penaunce, to seye flesshly,—
ȝyf þou be custumable þar-to,
Þou synnest gretly, my boke seyþ so.
yn holy tyme and halyday
Forbere þy wyfe, ȝyf þat þou may.
Ne þou shalt nat know þy wyfe
yn holy placë, by þy lyfe;
Ȝyf þou do hyt custumably,
Þou synnest, y sey, dedly;
Cherche or cherchëȝerd, y sey,
yn holy stede hyt ys grete eye.
yn holy placë, by þy lyfe;
Ȝyf þou do hyt custumably,
Þou synnest, y sey, dedly;
Cherche or cherchëȝerd, y sey,
yn holy stede hyt ys grete eye.
yn lentyn tymë of fastyng
Shalt þou leue to do swyche þyng.
yn estyr tyme also, y forbede
Þat þou haunte any swyche dede.
Shalt þou leue to do swyche þyng.
yn estyr tyme also, y forbede
Þat þou haunte any swyche dede.
Ȝyf a womman yn hordam do swyche outrage
Þat a wrong eyre bere herytage;
But she wul seye hyt, y dar wel telle
Þat she þarfore may go to helle;
For she ys cursed, yn stedys sere,
Fourë tymës yn þe ȝere.
And swyche an eyre, y vndyrstande,
Shal neuer wel reioshe hys lande.
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But she wul seye hyt, y dar wel telle
Þat she þarfore may go to helle;
For she ys cursed, yn stedys sere,
Fourë tymës yn þe ȝere.
And swyche an eyre, y vndyrstande,
Shal neuer wel reioshe hys lande.
Many synnës to hordam longe;
Sum byþ lyȝt, and sum beþ stronge,
Þat beþ aȝens ryȝt spousale,
Þat y nel rekene, ne telle of tale,
But opunly þat seyd may be;
For many longe to pryuyte.
For pryuytees, ȝyf y hem named
Lyȝt[e]ly myȝt y be blamed.
But þogh a man sey neuer so weyl
Vnto hys sawys men fyden teyl.
Sum byþ lyȝt, and sum beþ stronge,
Þat beþ aȝens ryȝt spousale,
Þat y nel rekene, ne telle of tale,
But opunly þat seyd may be;
For many longe to pryuyte.
For pryuytees, ȝyf y hem named
Lyȝt[e]ly myȝt y be blamed.
But þogh a man sey neuer so weyl
Vnto hys sawys men fyden teyl.
Þat weddyd beþ, God ȝyue hem myȝt,
here wedlak to holdë weyl and ryȝt,
And ȝyue hem grace, hordam to fle,
Þat yn clenesse wuld leue and be.
here wedlak to holdë weyl and ryȝt,
And ȝyue hem grace, hordam to fle,
Þat yn clenesse wuld leue and be.
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