Page:The booke of thenseygnementes and techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his doughters - 1902.pdf/192



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