[304] Perhaps _went_ is the true reading.
[305] "What must he (the king) do then? He must be a student. He must
write God's booke himselfe, not thinking because he is a king, but he
hath licence to do what he will, as these worldly flatterers are wont to
say."--_Latimer's Second Sermon before King Edward VI._ 1549.
+ _Of the fryer that praysed sainct Frauncis._ cxix.
+ A fryer, preachyng to the people, extolled saynct Frauncis aboue
confessors, doctours, vyrgins, martyrs, prophetes, yea, and aboue one
more than prophetes, John the Baptist, and finially aboue the
Seraphicall order of angels ; and stil he sayd: yet let vs goe higher.
So whan he could goe no further, exccpte he shoulde put Christe out of
hys place, whiche the good man was halfe afrayed to do, hee sayd aloude:
and yet we haue founde no fit place for hym. And staying a lyttell
whyle, hee cryed out at laste, sayinge: Where shall we place this holy
father? A frowarde felowe, standyng among the audeynce, saide: if thou
canst find none other, than set hym here in my place: for I am weary.
And so went his way.
+ _Of hym that warned his wife of wasshynge her face in foule puddell
water._ cxx.
+ A man dwellyng in the countrey, takynge his iourney, bad hys wife in
his absence playe the good husewyfe, that he at his home comyng[306]
might finde all thynges well. Swete husbande (quoth she), commaunde
what ye wyll, and you shall fynde me obedyense in al thynges. Dere heart
(sayd he), I wil you no more but this one thynge, whiche is easye ynough
to do. What is that (quoth she)? That you wasshe not your face wyth this
water, shewing hir a puddell in a donghill, foule blacke, and stinkynge.
As oft as she in his absence went by that puddell, hir mynde was
meruallously moued, for what cause hir husebande so diligently warned
hir of that thynge onely. Nor shee coulde not perswade hir selfe, but
that there was some great thynge in it. To be brefe, it tempted hir so,
that she wasshed, that is, she defiled hir face. She loked in the
glasse, and was greatly displeased with hir self. Yea, and it was foure
or fyue daies after, er shee coulde wasshe out the stynke and steinyng.
Whan the good manne came home, hee found his wyfe very pensife and
loking angerly. What is the matter (quoth he)? Shee at laste coulde not
forbeare, but blamed him for warnyng hir to wasshe in that water, and
shewed hym what had chaunced. Why wasshed you in it (quoth he)? I gaue
you warnynge, that you shoulde not wasshe therein, to the intente this
harme shoulde haue not happned.
By thys tale ye may perceyue, that the more yee forbydde some women a
thynge, the greater desyre they haue to do it.