OF THEM WHICHE OUGHT TO COME TOWARD THEYRE CARNALL FRENDES, IN WHAT SOMEUER ESTATE THEY BE.
OF them that ought to come in thestate wherin they be as theyre carnal Frendes come to see them, wherof I shalle telle yow an Ensample. There was somtyme a knyght, a good and trewe man, whiche wente in vyage beyond the see. He had two nyeces, the whiche he had nourysshed and broughte vp of theyr yongthe, and had maryed them, and ouermoche he loued them. In tournynge home ageyne fro his vyage, he bought for eche of them a good gowne, wel fourred, to be coynted and arayed therwith. He came and arryued late at the nyght in to the hows of one of them. He called and demaunded after his nyece and made her to wete how he was come thyther for to see her.
wente anone in
to her
She
that herd of
his
chambre, and did shette her
and make clene her gowne fresshe, and sente worde vnto her vncle come to hym. The knyght abode there and sayd, "My nyece shalle not come." for to brusshe
comynge
self
within
make
her gay and that soone she shold to
stylle a grete
whyle,
And her seruauntes come. The knyght had
ansuerd to hym that she shold soone desdayne and was angry of her long taryenge, seyng that long before she had not sene hym, wherfor he lepe vpon his hors and tooke his way toward the hows of his other nyece, where he entred in, but as soone as he dyd calle, she that anone knewe that it was her vncle which long tyme had be oute of the land, lefte forthwith the tournyng makynge of her breed, and with her handes yet full of paste came and embraced hym and sayd, " dere lord and vncle, in suche poynt and estate as I was whanne I herd yow, I am come to see yow, therfore please it
&
My
yow 150
to
pardonne me, for the grete loye whiche I haue of youre