The Booke of Thenseygnementes and Techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his Doughters/Chapter 52
HOW THE FADERS AND MODERS OUGHT TO PRAYE FOR THEYR CHILDREN.
SHALLE telle yow thexample of lya, the wyf of Iacob. The byble preyseth her moche, and sayth how she loued parfyghtely her lord & the worship that she bare vnto hym, and how as god sente to her ony child she thanked hym therof deuoutely, & therfore god gaf her VIII of the XII prynces of whome the twelue lygnees yssued, that soo moche were good men and dradde and loued god aboue al thyng. And their fader and moder praid euer god for them syn they were but yonge, that he wold purueye them of his loue and of his grace. And he wel herd theyr prayer, for they were holy men & worshipped aboue al folk. Here is thenne good ensample hou the faders and moders ought euery day to pray god for theyr children, as Iacob and Lia dyd. And yet I saye that for no faute ne ryotte they neuer cursyd them, but blamed and repreued them by other maner and dede, and bete them as they deserued hit. For better hit were to bete an honderd tyme his children than to curse them ones, wherof I shall telle yow an Ensample of a woman whiche was yrous and euylle, and lyghtly she was angry, and also was her husbond. And by theyr grete yre they were euer chydyng & brawlyng to gyder. They had a sone, the whiche had done to them somme faulte, wherfor the fader and moder, beganne sore to curse hym. And the child, whiche was wrothe, answerd to them folysshly. And thenne the fader and the moder that for his answere were ful of yre and wrathe, wente and gaf hym to the deuyl. And the fende cam that seased and toke hym by the one hand and lyfte hym vp fro the ground, and where as he touched hym the fyre sprang oute and leste his hand, for whiche cause he was al his lyf in daunger and parylle. And therfor there is grete daunger in cursynge of his owne children, and wysshyng to them ony euylle, and yet gretter perylle is to gyue them by ony yre or wrathe to the deuyll. And therfor haue ye this ensample in your memorye, and see how ye ought to wysshe euer alle good for your children, & pray god for them, as dyd Iacob and his wyf for theyr children, whiche god enhaunced ouer all the lygnees and generacions. And doo not lyke as dyd the man and his wyf, the whiche thurgh theyr yre cursed theyr child, and after gaf hym to the deuyll, wherfor the child was in perylle alle his lyf durynge.