Middle English Literature

How a hooly bisshop reprysed and taught many ladyes.
I shalle telle yow how a hooly man late dide preche, and was a bisshop, a
right good clerke. At his prechynge and sermon were many ladyes and
damoisellys, of which som were dressid and clothed after the newe manere.
The remenaunt of their heedes was lyke two hornes and their gownes made
after the newe gyse. Wherof, the good holy man had merveyle and began to
repreve them, gyvynge and rehercynge to fore them many a fair ensample,
and told them how the deluge or gaderyng of waters in the dayes of Noe
was bycause of the pryde and desguysynge of men and specially of wymmen
that counterfeted them self of newe and dishonest rayments. And thenne
when thenemye sawe their grete pryde and their desguysynge, he made
them to falle in the fylthe of the stynkyng synne of lecherye, whiche thynge
was so moche displesynge to God that he dyde made to rayne fourty dayes
and fourty nyghtes withoute cessynge in so moche that the waters were
above the erthe and surmounted by heyght of ten cubites upon the hyhest
montayn. Thenne was all the world drowned and perysshed, and none
abode on lyve sauf only Noe, his wyf, his thre sones, and his thre doughters.
And alle this grete meschyef cam bycause of that synne. And thenne as
the bisshop had shewed to them this fayte
5
and many other, he said that
the wymmen that were so horned were like the snayle[s] that ben horned.
He said more. “I doute,”
6
said he, “that betwyxt their hornes thenemye
hath made his mancion and dwellynge. For as they take hooly water, they
cast dounward theyr faces, and that maketh the devylle syttynge upon their
4
February 2.
5
action.
6
believe.
Sumptuary
219

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220
Style and Spectacle
heede by nature and strengthe of the hooly water.” He tolde and reherced
to them many merveyles in so moche that at the ende of his predicacion he
made to be mowrnynge and full of thought, for he hadde repreved them
so sore that they had so grete shame that they ne durst lyfte up their hedes
and helde them mocked and diffamed of their vyce. And after, many of them
caste awey their braunches and hornes, and held them lowe and went symply,
for he saide that suche coyntyses,
7
and suche countre-faytyng, and suche
wantonnesse were to compare to the copspyn
8
that maketh his nette to take
the flyes. Ryght soo dothe the devylle by his temptacion the desguysyng in
men and wymmen to the ende they may be enamoured one of other and for
to take and brynge them to the delyte of lechery. He taketh them and byndeth
them as the copspyn doth the flees in her nette, as a holy heremyte telleth
in the booke of the faders of lyf, to whome was shewed by tonge as ye may
fynde playnly in the said book.
9
And yet he saith that the coulpe
10
of the
synne was in them that first tooke and brought up suche desguysynge, and
that every good womman and wyse ought wel to drede the takynge and
werynge of suche raymentes unto the tyme she seeth that every one comynly
took and went in hem. For after the word of God, the first shall be the most
blamed and the last shal syt on the hyhe syege.
11
The bisshop, that a good
man, was sayd an ensample upon the fait of them that hasted them to be the
fyrst in takynge and bryngynge up suche novelteees, and said thus.
How the yong ladyes were scorned and mocked of the olde and auncyent.
It befelle that many ladyes and damoysels were come at the weddyng of a
maide. As they were goyng to ward the place where as the dyner sholde be,
they found a passynge fowle wey within a medowe. Thenne said the yong
ladye[s], “We shalle wel go thorugh this medowe and leve the hyhe waye.”
The auncyent and wyse said they shold go the hyhe way, for it was the best
and more sure goynge and moost drye. The yonge ladyes, that ful were of
their wylle, wolde not folowe them and thought they shold be bifore them
at the said place. And soo they tooke their weye thorugh the medowe
where were old cloodes
12
all roten. As they were upon them, they brake
under theyr feet, and soo they felle in the myere and dyrte unto the knees,
7
vanities, fineries.
8
spider.
9
The thirteenth-century poem, Vie des Peres or Vie des Anciens Peres, a compilation of devout
tales, some of which draw on the much earlier Vitae Patrum.
10
culpability.
11
seat.
12
clothes.

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and with grete peyne cam they oute ageyne and took the hyghe weye. They
made clene their hosen and gownes with theyr knyves the best they couthe.
So long they were in wasshyng of their hoses and gownes that they myght
not come to the begynnyng of the dyner. Every one demaunded and asked
after them, but no body couth tell of them. At the last they cam as the fyrst
mes or cours was eten, and after they had taken their refection and wel
dronken, they beganne to telle and recounte how they were falle in the
myre unto the knees to. “Ye,” said thenne a good auncyent and wyse lady
that was come by the hyghe weye. “Ye wend to take the shortest way to
thende ye myght be the sonner and fyrst at the place and wold not folowe
us. Hit is wel bestowed. For I telle yow for certayne that some wene to
avaunce them self that hyndreth them, and suche one is that weneth to be
the first and formest that ofte fyndeth her the last of all.” She gaf them
these two notables to thende they shold know their faute. For as saith the
said holy man, “Thus is hit of this worlde. They that first may have noveltees
of the world wene to doo wel and be therfore enhaunced and tofore other
ben holden and wysshed, but as for one that holdeth hit wel done, ther ben
ten that m[o]ken of hit. For suche one preyseth their doynge before them
that behynde their back putteth out his tonge, scorynynge and mockyn
them.”