Page:The booke of thenseygnementes and techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his doughters - 1902.pdf/135

 also he toke hym the tables of the lawe, and many other signes and tokens of loue he dyd shewe vnto hym, as of his nourysshynge, wherof the good lady was well rewarded. For god forgeteth neuer the seruyce done to hym by charyte, as to nourysshe the orphanes or faderles, whiche is an operacion of Mysericorde that God moche loued, as hit is conteyned in the lyf of saynte Elysabeth, whiche nourisshed the poure Orphanes, and maad them to lerne somme crafte to gete theyr lyuynge with. Wherfor it befelle that a good woman whiche had but one child, the whiche was wont to bathe hym self in the ryuer, fyll within a pytte, where he was eyght dayes. And his moder, whiche was charitable to god and to sayut Elysabeth, hadde therfore grete dolour and sorowe, It befelle that at the laste daye of eyght, she dremed that her sone was in a pytte ful of water, and that saynte Elysabeth kepte hym there on lyue, and tolde her," By cause that ye haue euer nourysshed and susteyned the orphans and faderles, oure lord wylle not that your sone deye ne perysshe in this pytte. And therfore make ye redy to haue hym oute." And thenne the moder awoke and made her sone to be had oute of the pytte, and fonde hym of fayr colour alyue. And the child recounted to his moder how a fayre lady had euer kepte hym, and had sayd to hym," It is goddes wylle that thow be saued for the charyte and myserycorde of thy moder, whiche with good wylle had susteyned the orphanes and them nourysshed. Therfor here isa good ensample how men ought to nourysshe the orphanes and the smal children that haue mystier or nede, for it is grete almesse & grete charyte, & that moche pleseth god, & to this is shewed to vs exaple of many other bestes also, that whan men haue slayn the moder, and that the faons ben loste withoute noreture, another beest cometh and nouryssheth them vnto the tyme that they may purueye them self.