The Booke of Thenseygnementes and Techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his Doughters/Chapter 44
OF A MAN AND OF HIS WYF.
ND yet I shalle telle yow another ensample vpon this matere. There was one Amon, whiche was the kynges Seneschal and came of nought and lowe degree. He bicame thorugh his seruyse moche ryche, and bought londes and possessions and gouerned, and had as vnder hym almost the half of the reame. And whanne he sawe hym so ryche, and that he was bicome so grete a lord, he wexyd & bicame ouer proude and felon and presumptuous, and wold that men sholde knele bifore hym, and that euery one shold bere vnto hym honour and reuerence. It befelle that one Mardocheus, that was a noble man which had nourysshed the noble quene Hester, whiche was a good lady and trewe, was aboue al other displeasyd of the pryde and presumpcion of the sayd Amon, whiche come of nought, therfor he daygned not to bere hym ony reuerence, ne knele bifore hym as other dyd, wherfor he bicame as a fole, and almost out of his wytte for angre, and therof dyd complayne hym self to his wyf. And his wyf that of so hyhe courage was, and as proude was as he, counceylled hym that he shold make a gallowes to be sette & dressyd bifore his place, and that he shold make hym and his wyf to be taken and honged theron to grete meschyef, and that he shold accuse them of some grete treason and falshede. And whanne he was take, and the gallowes dressyd, the frendes of mardocheus wente anone rennynge to the quene Hester, and tolde her how Aaman wold make hym to be hanged that had nourysshed her. And anone the quene made to be sent for Aaman. He came, and she had hym tofore the kynge, where as trouthe of the fayte or dede was dylygently jnquyred and knowen, in so moche that it was foude that Mardocheus was accused by the accusacion of Aaman, & was nothynge gylty, and that suche treason he had putte on hym was by enuy. & thêne the good and noble quene Hester kneled bifore her lord the kynge, and requyred and prayd hym that suche Justyce shold be made of Aaman the Seneschalle as he wolde it had be done of Mardocheus and of his wyf, and that he shold be hanged at the yate of his place, to shewe that falsly & by enuy he had accused Mardocheus of treson. And as the goode quene dyde requyre her lord, so was hit done. Thus was hanged Aaman by his grete pryde and surquedrye, and by the counceylle of his wyf. Wherfore grete folye is to a man come fro lowe degree to worship and grete estate to become and wexe prowde and surquydous for erthely good that he hath gadred & amassed, and to myspryse ony other; but yf he be wyse he ought hym self shewe to euery one meke and humble, to thende he may falle in the grace and welwyllynge of alle folke, and that none may have enuye ouer hym. For comynly men haue more enuye ouer them that ben come of nought to grete worship, than of them that ben come of ryche and noble folke and of Auncestrye. The wyf of Aaman was not wyse, whanne she sawe the yre & wrathe of her lorde, to susteyne hym in his folye, for euery good woman & wyse ought by fayr and curtoys spekynge put aweye, yf she may, the yre and wrathe of her lorde, & specially whan she seeth hym meued and be wyllynge to do somme euylle or somme shameful dede, wherof dommage & dishonour may to them come, as dyd Aaman's wyf, whiche repreuyd not her lord of his folye, but gaf hym folysshe and euylle counceyll wherby he dyd vylaynously. Men ought not to susteyne his lord in his wrathe and yre, but curtoysly and by fayr wordes men ought to repreue hym of his euylle thought, and shewe vnto hym lytyl and lytyl the reasons and cause why he shold not do as he had purposed to do. For which thyng, my fayr doughters, I requyre and praye yow that ye here take good ensample, and take hede what meschyef befelle to Aaman by the folysshe counceylle of his wyf.