Selected quad for the lemma: woman_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A10798
|
Here beginneth the lyf of the moste myscheuoust Robert the deuyll whiche was afterwarde called ye seruaunt of god; Robert the Devil.
|
|
1500
(1500)
|
STC 21070; ESTC S106792
|
29,368
|
60
|
¶ Here beginneth the lyf of the moste myscheuoust Robert the deuyll whiche was afterwarde called the seruaunt of god IT befel in tyme past there was a duke in nor mandye whiche was called ouberte the whiche duke was passinge ryche of goodes also vertuous of lyuynge and loued and dred god aboue al thinge and dede greate almosse dedes and exceded all other in ryghtwysnesse and iustice / and mooste cheualrouse in dedes of armes and noble actes doinge this duke helde open hous vpon a cristmasse daye in a towne whiche was called Nauerne vpon the seyne To the whiche courte came al the lordes and noble blode of Normandye And bycause this noble duke was not maryed his lordes and nobles with one assente besought hym to marye and take a wyfe / to thentente that his lygnage myghte be multyplyed there by / and that they myghte haue a ryghte heyre to enheryte his londes after his dyscese To the whiche requeste this good duke answered and sayde My lordes what thynge that ye thinke best for me to do shal be done / vpon a condicion in that ye wyl that I be maryed that ye puruey me a wyf accordinge to myne estate for and yf I shold coueyte ony heyer or noblyer of blode thā I am my self that myght not stonde with ryght and yf I take one that is not of so noble an house as I am that sholde be to me grete shame al my lygnage wherfore me thynke it were better that I kepte me as I am than to do that thynge that sholde not be myne honeste and afterwarde repente me Whan thise wordes were spoken well consydered by the lordes that stode there present then there rose vp a wyse baron and sayde to the duke My lorde ye speke very wysely and lyke a noble prince / but yf it please your hyenesse to gyue audience and here me speke I shal shewe you of a certayne persone / of whome ye shall enioye your self to here of her and the whiche ye shal obteyne I knowe well Than answered the duke and sayde shewe me than who that persone is / gracious lorde sayd the baron vnto the duke the duke of bourgone hath a doughter whiche excedeth all other in beaulte curtesye and debonayre wysdome good maners the whiche ye may haue yf ye wyl desyre her for I know well there wyll noo man saye naye therto To the whiche the good duke answered and sayde that lady playsed hym ryght well that the baron had gyuen hym good and wyse coūsell And in shorte tyme after that this lady was demaunded of her fader the duke of bourgone Whiche gaue hym her wyllyngly And thenne theyr bridale was kept honourably whiche were to longe to wryte ¶ How the duke of Normandy with grete royalte brought his wyfe the doughter of the duke of bourgon in to roan in Normandy after he had maried her AFter that the forsayde Duke hadde maryed the sayde lady he broughte her with a grete company of barons knyghtes ladyes with greate triumphe and glorye in to the londe of normandye and in to the Cyte of Roan / in whiche Cyte she was honourably receyued and with grete melodye there was grete amyte betwene the bourgonyons the normans whiche I lete passe for to come the soner to my mater the forsayd duke and duchesse lyued to gyder the space of .xviii. yere withoute ony chylde whether it were goddes wyll it sholde be so or it were thorowe theyr owne defaulte I can not Iuge it for it were better other whyle that some people had no chylderne and also it were better for the fader moder to gete no chyldern then̄e for lacke of chastysynge / the chyldern and fader and moder sholde al go to the deuyll yet were these duke and duchesse deuoute people whiche loued and drede god and gaue grete almes what tyme this Duke wolde meddle with his lady he euer prayed to god to sende him a chylde to honoure and serue god and to multyplye and fortefye his lygnage / but nother with prayer nor with almes dedes this good duke and duchesse coude gete no chyldern ¶ How vpon a tyme this Duke and duchesse walked allone sore complaynynge the one to the other that they coude haue no chylde togyder VPon a tyme this duke duchesse walked and the duke began to shewe his mynde to his lady saynge thus madame we be not fortunate in so moche that we canne gete no chylderne and they that made the maryage betwene vs both they dyde grete synne for I beleue ye had ben gyuen to an other man ye sholde haue had chyldern and I also yf I hadde an other ladye / this Lady vnderstode hy◠sayenge she answered softly / sayenge thus good lorde we muste thanke god of that whyche he sendeth vs take it pacyently of what so euer it he ¶ How roberte the deuyll was conceyued and how hys moder gaue hym to the deuyll in his cōcepcyon THys duke vpon a tyme rode oute on hoūtynge in a grete angre and pensifnes for ough that he coude haue no chylde sore complaynage sayenge thus to hymselfe / I see many wymmen haue many fayre chyldren in whyche they enioye gretly them by whyche I see well that I am hated of god meruayle it is that I fall not in dispayre for it greue the me so sore at my herte that I can gete no chyldren hen the deuyll whiche is alwaye redy to deceyue mā kynde tempted the good duke troubled his mynde so that he wyst not what to do nor saye thus moued he left his huntynge and went home to his palays were he foūde his lady also vexed moued as he come home he toke her in his armes kyssed her and dyde his wyll with her sayenge his prayers to our lorde in this wyse O lorde iesu I beseche the that I maye gete a chylde at this houre by the whiche thou mayste be honoured serued but the lady beinge sore moued spake thus folysshly sayd in the deuyls name be it in soo moche as god hath not the power that I conceyue and yf I be conceyued with chylde in this houre I gyue it to the deuyl body and soule and this same houre that this duke duches were thus moued the sayde lady was conceyued with a man chylde whiche in his lyf wrought moche mischefe as ye shall here after here / but afterwarde he was conuerted and dyde grete penaunce and dyed a holy man as is shewed here after ¶ How robert the deuyll was borne and what grete payne his moder suffred in his byrth THis duchesse as ye haue herd before was cōceyued with the forsayde chylde whiche she bare .ix. monethes as comunly women go with childe / and ye may well perceyue that this lady coude not be delyuered without grete payne for she traueylled more thā a moneth yf good prayers had not ben and almes dedes good werkes
her hede and than she tolde hym how she had gyuen hym to the deuyll in his concepcyon THe Duchesse had gretly maruaylinge whaÌ„ she herde her sone speke thyse wordes pyteuously wepynge With a sorowfull herte saynge thus to hym My dere sone I require you hertely that ye wyll smyte of my hede this sayde the lady for very grete pyte that she had vpon hym for bycause she had gyueÌ„ hyÌ„ to the deuyll in his concepcyon robert answered his moder with an heuy and a pyteuous there saynge thus O dere moder why sholde I do so that so moche myschefe haue done and this sholde be the worste dede that euer I dyde But I praye you to shewe me that I desyre to wete of you / then the Duchesse herynge his hertely desyre tolde vnto hym the cause why he was soo vicious and full of myschefe and how she gaue hyÌ„ to the deuyll in his concepcion herself myspraysynge / sayde thus vnto robert O sone I am the mooste vnfortunate woman lyuynge and I knowlege that it is all my faute that ye be so cursed and wycked a lyeuer ¶ How robert the deuyll toke leue of his moder ROberte herynge his moders saynge he fell downe to the erthe in a swoune for very greate sorowe and laye styll a longe whyle than he remeued ayene and came to hymself and began bytterly to wepe and complayne saynge thus The fendes of hell be with grete diligeÌ„ce to applye them to gete and haue me body and soule but now frome this tyme forth I forsake them all theyr werkes and wyl neuer doo more harme but good amende my lyf leue my synnes and do penaunce therfore thaÌ„ after this Roberte spake to his moder / the whiche was in greate sorowe heuynesse saynge thus O mooste reuerente lady moder I hertly beseche requyre you that it wyll plese you to haue me recommauÌ„ded vnto my fader for I wyll take the waye to Rome to be assoyled of my synnes / whiche be innumerable to abhomynable to recounte Therfore I wyll neuer slepe one nyght there I slepe an other tyll I come at Rome and god wyll ¶ How robert departed frome his moder rode in to the wyldernesse where he founde his coÌ„panye RObert in grete haste lyghte vpon his horse rode to the wode where he had lefte his coÌ„panye the whiche he founde The Duchesse made greate lamentacion for her sone robert whiche had taken his leue of her And sayd many tymes to her self Alas what shal I do for it is all my faute that robert my sone hath done so moche myschefe in the meane whyle that the Duchesse made this sorowe bewayllynge for her sone roberte in came the duke in to the chambre as sone as she sawe hym she began to tell hyÌ„ of his sone robert piteuously wepynge / shewynge hym what he had sayd done than the good Duke axed her / whether robert were dysposed to leue his vicioê° lyfe yf he were sory for his greate offences / ye my lorde sayde she he is sore repeÌ„taunte thenne began the duke sore to sygh sayde Alas it is all in vayne that roberte thynketh to do for I fere he shall neuer haue power to make restytucyon / of the hurtes harmes the whyche he hath done in his lyfe but I beseche almyghty god to prolonge his lyf and sende him tyme respyte that he maye amende his lyfe do penaunce for his synnes ¶ How robert tolde his companye he wolde goo to Rome for to be assoyled of his synnes NOw is robert come ayene to his companye whiche he founde syttinge at dyner whan they sawe hym they rose vp dyde hyÌ„ reuereÌ„ce thaÌ„ roberte began to rebuke them for theyr vycyous lyuynge saynge thus my welbeloued felawes I require you in the reuerence of god / that ye wyll herken and take hede to this that I shall shewe you / ye knowe well howe that we haue ledde hetherto an vngraciouse and mooste viciouse lyfe robbed pylled chyrches / forced women / rauysshed maydens / robbed and kylled marchauntes We haue robbed and kylled nonnes holy aunkers preestes clerkes / and many other people withoute nombre haue we murdred and robbed Wherfore we be in the waye of endles dampnacion except that god haue mercy vpon vs. Wherfore I require you euerychone for goddes sake that ye wyll chauÌ„ge youre opinion leue your abhomynable synnes do penaunce therfore for I wyll go to rome to be shryuen and to haue penauÌ„ce for my synnes Whan Robert thus sayd one of the theues rose and sayd to his companye in mockage nowe syrs take hede the foxe wyll be an aunker for he begynneth to preche Robert mocketh fast with vs for he is our capiteyn doth more harme allone than al we do how thinke ye wyll he be longe thus holy yet sayd Robert gentyl felawes I praye you for goddes sake leue your coÌ„dicions thyÌ„ke on your soule do penauÌ„ce for your moste fellest styÌ„kyÌ„ge synÌ„es crye vpon our lorde for mercy foryeuenesse he wyll foryeue you whaÌ„ Robert hadde sayd thus than spake to hyÌ„ one of the theues sayde I praye you mayster be in pease / for it auayleth not what ye saye do but spende your tyme in waste / for I nor my coÌ„pany wyl not ameÌ„de our lyf for no maÌ„ lyuynge / And all his coÌ„pany coÌ„maunded his saynge and sayden all with one voyce he saythe trewe for and we sholde dye / we wyll not leue our olde condy cyons and cursed lyfe but and yf we haue done moche hurte hether to we wyll do moche more here after ¶ How Robert the deuyll kylled all his coÌ„panye RObert herynge the faste wycked opynion myscheuous purpose of his coÌ„panye wexed angry and thoughte yf they remayne and abyde stylle here they wyl do greate myschef and murdre but he wente preuely vnto the dore and shet it faste and gatte a greate staffe and layde one on the theues on the hede / that he fell downe dede to the erth And so he serued one after an other tyll he had kylled them euerychone thenne sayde he thus to them / syrs I haue rewarded you after your desert by cause ye haue done me good seruyce I haue gyuen you good wages for who soo euer serueth a good mayster he is lyke to haue good wages whan Roberte had thus done he wolde haue brente the hous but he consydered the grete good that was there in wherfore he let it stonde and shette faste the dores aboute and locked them and broughte a waye the key with hym to his fader ¶ How Robert the deuyll sente the key of his chefe hous or theuysshe lodginge to his fader the Duke of normandye and how he wente to Rome THenne whan Robert had done all that sayd is he toke vp his honde blessed hyÌ„ rode thorowe the forest the nexte waye to Rome Roberte rode