The Booke of Thenseygnementes and Techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his Doughters/Chapter 55
HOW THE BENEFAYTTE WHICHE IS DONE FOR THE LOUE OF GOD IS RENDRED OF GOD AN C TYME GRETTER THAN IT IS.
NOTHER ensample I shall reherce vnto yow vpon this faytte. It befelle that in the Towne of Iherico was a woman whiche was named Raab,and the which was blamed, but charytable she was, wherfor it befelle that certayne good men whiche were come there for to preche to the peple of that toune euylle & cruell there duellyng, wherfore they lefte and wente and hyded them in the sayd woman's hows. She casted ouer them beddes and fardels of lynencloth, in so moche that the peple coude not fynde them, for they wold haue put them to dethe. And at nyght the sayd woman had them oute of her hows with a cord oute of a wyndowe, and saued them, wherfor it befell that she therfore was wel guerdoned after the deserte. For the towne was soone after take and alle the men and women put to dethe, sauf this Raab and her meyny, whiche god wold haue saued by cause she had saued his mynystres and sergeans. And therfore sayth the holy Euangely, where god sayth that the good and seruyce that one shal doo to hym or to his seruaunts for the loue of hym, he shalle rendre it a C double. Wherfor I wold ye wyst thexample of saynte Anastasye, whiche was putte in pryson. But god made her to be delyuerd oute, and made her to wete that hit was by cause that she susteyned of her owne good the prysoners whiche were in the prysons and chartres where as she wyst that ony were putte in wrongly and by enuye or for somme debte. And she gaf so moche of her good that she had them oute. And therfor god guerdoned her to double. And also the swete Ihesu Cryste sayd in the theuangely that at the daye of his grete Iugement he shalle haue mercy on them whiche shalle haue vysyted and comforted them that were emprysoned, and the seke, and also the poure wymmen that lay pourely in theyr childbedde. For at that ferdful and dredefull day god shalle therof aske a rekenynge, and nedes men must rendre hym reason therof. And wel I wene that many one haue be repreued therof, whiche shalle be in grete charge and payne to gyue a good ansuere. And therfore, my fayr doughters, thynke now on hit whyles ye lyue, as dyd saynt Arragone, whiche was quene of France, and whiche comforted and vysyted the poure enchartered and emprysoned, and nourysshed the orphanes, and vysyted them that were seke. And by cause she myghte not entende to hit as ofte as she wold, for doubte to disobeye her lord, she lefte her lord & alle the worship and vayne glory of the world and the worldly Ioye, and ranne to hyde her secretely fro parys vnto Poytyers, and there she rendryd her self in to thabbeye and bycame a Nonne, and lefte the world to thende she myght the better serue god withoute drede of ony man, wherfore afterward god shewed for her sake a myracle. For a tree whiche stode in the myddes of theyr cloystre, the whiche was al drye, god made hym to bycome and wexe fayr and grene, and sprange oute of hit newe braunches and leues ageynste the cours of nature. But no thynge is Impossible to god, and many other grete myracles he dyd for the loue of her. And therfore is here a good ensample to be charytable, as aboue ye haue herd of these two holy ladyes and of this good lady Raab, as they dyd, and how at the last god gwerdoned and rewarded them for theyr good seruyse.