HOW CATHON, AFTER HE HAD DONE AGEYNST THE TWO COMMAUNDEMENTS, ESSAYED THE THYRD ON HIS WYF.
S the nyght was come, and that Cathon had slept. his fyrst slepe, he had many vysyons vpon this matere, in so moche that he remembryd how he had broken and done ageynst two of the commaundementes of his fader. And seynge this, he thought that he wold not breke ne do ageynst the thyrd, wherfore he wente to his wyf and sayd thus to her: "My good frende and my wyf, I wold telle yow a grete counceylle whiche touched my persone, and myghte be the cause of my dethe, yf I wyst that ye shold kepe it secretely." "Ha a, my lord!" sayd she, "on my feythe I hadde leuer be dede than to discouere to ony body youre counceylle." "Ha a, my frend! thenne shalle ye knowe hit,** sayd he. "Trouth it is that themperour toke to me his sone, as ye wel knowe, for to lerne and teche hym, but certaynly hit is not longe tyme gone, for somme wordes whiche he sayd to me, that I as a dronken man, and as he that was wrothe of other thynge, hastely take the Child and slewe hym; and more I dyd, for I tooke and arrached oute of his bely his herte, the whiche I made to be confyte in sugre and other spyces, and sente it to themperour his fader, and to his moder, and they ete hit. And thus I auenged me of hym, but I knowe wel now that it is an euyll and abhomynable dede done, wherof I me repente, but it is to late. Therfore, my good Frend and my wyf, I praye yow as affectually as I can, that ye kepe this counceyll secrete withyn your herte as I trust me to yow." But the morowe after she beganne to wepe and maake grete sorowe, and a woman whiche was with her demaunded of her, "Madame, what haue ye that ye make suche sorowe? Haue ye ony heuynesse wythin your herte?" "Veryly," sayd she thenne, "ye, my Frend, and that
