ness of an ape, sitting upon the treasure, and said: 'What have ye done? and what money have ye brought to me? Forsooth, there shall not one penny be spent to my use, but I charge you for to deliver to each man his money again.' But thereto they were much loth, and said that they might spend it in deeds of charity. Then the king said: 'God forbid that I should spend the goods of other men; for what alms should I make with the goods of poor commons and labourers? See ye not how the devil sitteth upon the heap of money, and maketh great joy that he hath taken us in his snare? Wherefore I charge you on pain of death that ye deliver this money again there as ye had it, every penny.' Then they obeyed the king, and repaid it unto them of whom they had received it, and durst never after move the king to such matters, ne in none other like, so that all the days of S. Edward was neither task ne taillage levied among his commons, which was a great joy to the realm.
In a time the king was sick, lying in his bed, and there stood in his chamber a chest open, full of gold and silver, and a clerk came in, supposing the king had slept, and took out of it a certain sum of money, and went his way. And soon after he came again and would have taken more; then the king said: 'Forsooth, now thou art unwise to come again, for thou hadst sufficiently enough tofore; therefore beware, for if the treasurer come and find thee thou art like to die therefor; wherefore if thou love thy life flee fast away with that thou hast.' And anon after came the treasurer and found how of the treasure
