The Booke of Thenseygnementes and Techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his Doughters/Chapter 53
HOW MEN OUGHT TO SETTE AND PUT THEYR CHILDREN IN THE WYLLE OF GOD.
NOTHER ensample I shalle telle yow of Rachel the second wyf of lacob, whiche was moder to Ioseph, whiche his bretheren sold in egypte. Of her speketh moche the holy scrypture, how meruey!lously she loued her lord, and of the grete obeyssaunce and honour that she bare to hym. This good lady Rachel, as she had made a child, she forthwith rendryd and gaf thankynges of it to god, & made to come to her prestes and clerkes, to thende that she and they to gyder shold thanke god. She made grete dyners to the poure peple whiche prayd for her children; and as soone as she was a lyght out of her child bedde he tooke her child in her armes and wente and offred hym before the aulter, gyuynge thankynges and louynges to god, and humbly prayenge for hym that he wold preferre hym in his loue and grace of the world. And therfor god enhaunced her children, the which came to grete worship and honour. And for certayne al worship and honour cometh of god, for they that louen hym, he enhaunceth toward hym self and toward the world. And al this good cometh by humylyte. For no thyng is so pleasyng to god as is a persone whiche is meke, humble, and charitable. And for certayne he had not come doune fro heuen in to the swete wombe of the blessyd vyrgyne Mary, ne had be that she shewed her humble whan she ansuerd to the Angel gabryel that she was the ancylle or chamberere of god, and that it shold be done as hym pleased. She myght nomore humble ne meke her self than to calle her self chamberere. Wherfore I wold ye wyste thexample of a quene of Cypre, whiche was ouer eaged, so that she myght haue no children. But notwithstondynge al this, for the goodness of her lord, and at his request and prayer, god gaf to them a fayre sone, wherof grete joye was made thrugh oute al the reame. And for the grete Ioye that they toke therof they made festes and Ioustynge to be cryed, and sente for alle the grete lordes and ladyes of the lond. The feste was nobly and rychely hold, for there lacked no thynge plente of sylke, and clothe of gold was there abrode. Al the palays resowned of the sowne of the instrumentes that were there, and the Ioustynge and tornoyeng was fayre to see, for the knyghtes ranne eche one vpon other, lyke in a batayl; grete solas and ioye was there. But al this displeased to god, and by his prouydence and wylle, as they were in suche balances, theyr child deyde. And whanne the dethe of hym was knowen thurgh al the Courte, the joye and myrthe was soone falle doune, and tourned or become in to grete trystesse and sorowe, and departed and wente ageyne euerychone to theyr places heuy and sorowfull. And therfor this is a moche good ensample how men ought not to reíoyse them to moche whan god sendeth to them children, for oftyme hit displeaseth god, whiche soone taketh therfore his yeft ageyne fro them.