The Booke of Thenseygnementes and Techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his Doughters/Chapter 81
HOW THE DEUYLLE TEMPTETH MANY ONE OF THE SYNNE WHERE AS HE FYNDETH THEM MOST WYLLYNGE AND REDY TO.
N Ensample I shalle reherce vnto yow, of a grete lady whiche was lady to a Baron. This lady was longe tyme in thestate of wedowhede, and had but a doughter, whiche was wedded to a grete lord. She thenne became seke, and laye in her dedely bedde, and made the cheste where as her tresoure was in to be sealed, and the keye to be brought vnto her, whiche she put in a lynen clothe vnder her bak. The dethe ranne fast vpon her, and she whiche had euer thougt to her tresour, lyfte vp her hand, makynge signe or token that none shold approche ne come to her back. And thus she dyd styll, tylle that she deyde and rendryd her sowle oute of her body. Thenne came the doughter, whiche was a grete lady, and demaunded of them that were at her deth yf she had ony tresour. They ansuerd that they knewe of none, but thought that she had some, and that yf she had ony it was hyd somwher aboute her bedde. They told to her the maner of her moder, and how she wold not suffre that ony body shold come by her, and also how she maade a cheste to be sealed, and the keye of hit brought to her, whiche keye she kepte euer vnder her back. The corps was meued and tourned, and the keye found. And thenne her doughter wente in to a Towre, where as the Chyste was, and opened hit, wherin she fond as wel in coyne as in plate more than thyrtty thousand pound, but the gold was found in cloutis and ballys of threde and of wulle, and in other thynges, wherof alle they that knewe and sawe the maner of it were merueylled and abasshed. The doughter thenne made a Crosse, and sayd that in good feythe she held her not so ryche by the xxv parte as she was, wherfore she merueylled moche and was sore abasshed. And yet she sayd how of late she and her lord also cam to her, and prayd her to helpe and lene to them some of her good tyll a certayne tyme that they shold rendre it and paye her ageyne, and that she sware & made grete othes to them that she had no money, ne no syluer but suche plate as they sawe abrode, that was, a coup and a pyece only. And therfore was she moche merueylled to fynd there so grete a tresour. Thenne sayd the folke whiche were with her, "Madame, be not ye merueylled, for we ben therof more merueylled than yow, for yf she wold send on a message, or els as she had som other thyng to do, she borowed some money of oure seruauntes, & sayd that she had no money, by her feythe." The doughter tooke alle this good with her, and went her waye toward her lord, to whome she was welcome. And of all this tresour was neuer gyuen a halfpeny for the sowle of theyr moder, but soone they forgate her. For it is not yet longe tyme gone that I was where as she was buryed, and demaunded and asked of the Monkes of the Abbeye where she lay, and why she had no tombe on her, or some token of her. And they ansuerd to me that syn she was entered there, no masse, ne no seruyse at all, ne none other good, ther had be done for her. By this ensample may ye knowe how the deuylle is subtyll to tempte the folke of the synne where he seeth them most entatched, & soo fast he holdeth them in it that they maye not leue it withoute to be therof Cofessyd, and maketh them his seruauntes, as he dyd the forsayd lady. For he dyd soo moche that she was subgette and seruaunt to her gold, in suche wyse that she durst not take of hit to doo her ony good. And therfore, my fayre doughters, here is a good ensample, that yf it befelle that god of his grace sende yow ony grete good, that ye departe largely of hit to the poure folke, in the worship of god and for the loue of hym, and specially to youre poure parentes and neyghbours, and leue it not to be departed by the handes of your heyres, as dyde this lady, for whome after her dethe was neuer masse ne none other good done for her, as ye haue herd to fore.