Bon essample et mesure en aournement
A Life of Holy Example
The king encourages his daughter to live as a virtuous witness to others through both her conduct and her moderation in worldly adornment.
Dear daughter, put so much care into becoming so complete in every good thing that those who see you, and those who hear people speak of you, can take a good example from you. It seems to me it would be good if you didn't keep too large a surplus of dresses and jewels at once, given the station you're in; rather, I think it would be better to give them in alms—at least what would be too much. And it seems to me it would be good if you didn't spend too much time or too much care dressing and adorning yourself; and take care not to go to excess in your adornment—rather, lean more toward less than toward more.1
Read the original Latin
Chiere fille, metez si grant entente que vos soiez si parfete en tout bien, que cil qui vos verront et orront parler de vos, i puissent prendre bon essample. Il me semble que ce soit bon que vos naiez pas trop grant seurcrois de robes ensemble et de joiax, selon lestat ou vos estes; ainçois mest avis que meilleur chose est que vos en faciez voz aumosnes, au moins de ce qui seroit trop; et mest avis que ce soit bon que vos ne metez pas trop grant tens ne trop grant estuide a vos parer et atorner; et gardez bien que vos ne faciez excès en vostre aournement, ainçois soiez plus encline au moins que au plus.
Notes
- 1 ↩OF seurcrois = surplus/superfluity of stock on hand, not mere 'pride' or 'ostentation'; rendered as 'surplus' to keep the material sense (too many robes and jewels kept together).
Teachings to His Daughter Isabelle companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit