hers, that she
wold get her an husband: nat for the nyce playe, quod she, but to th'
entente he may kepe my goodes to gether, whiche is an harde thinge for
me to do, beynge a lone woman. Her gossyp, whiche vnderstode her
conceyte, promysed her so to do. Aboute iii or iiii dayes after, she
came to her agayne, and sayde: gossyp, I haue founde an husbande for
you, that is a prudente, a ware, and a worldlye[264] wyse man, but he
lacketh his priuey members, wherof ye force nat. Go to the dyuell with
that husbande (quod the wydowe): for though that I desyre nat the nyce
playe: yet I wylle that myne husbande shall haue that, where with we may
be reconciled, if we falle at variance.

+ _Of the couetous ambassodour, that wolde here no musike._ lxxvii.

+ Whan a couetous man on a time was come vnto a certain cite, whither he
was sent as ambassadour for his contrey, anon the mynstrels of the cite
came to him to fil his eares with swete din, to th' intente he shuld fyl
their purses with money. But he, perceyunge that, bad one of his
seruauntes go and telle them, that he coulde nat than intende[265] to
here their musicke, but he muste demene great sorow, for his mother was
deed. So the minstrels, disapointed of theyr purpose, all sadlye went
theyr waye. And whan a worshipfull man of the cite, that was his frende,
herd tell of his mourning, he came to visete and comforte him; and so in
talkynge together he asked, howe longe a go it was that his mother
deceased? Truelye (quod he), hit is xl yere ago. Than his frende,
vnderstandyinge his subtilte, beganne to laughe hartely.

This tale is aplyed to the couetous men, whiche by al crafte and meanes
study to kepe and encreace theyr money and substance; agaynst whiche
vyce many thinges ben wryten. As farre (sayth one) is that frome a
couetous man that he hath, as that he hath nat.[266] And Diogenes
calleth couetousnes the heed of all yuels, and saynt Hieronyme calleth
couetousnes the rote of all yuels. And for an example, the tale
folowinge shall be of couetousnes.

FOOTNOTES:

[264] Orig. and Singer read _wordlye_.

[265] Give attention.

[266] "The covetous man is servaunt and nat mayster vnto riches: and the
waster will nat longe be mayster therof. The one is possessed and doth
nat possesse; and the other within a shorte whyle leueth the possession
of riches."--Erasmus _De Contemptu Mundi_, 1533, fol. 17 (Paynel's
translation). So also, in the _Rule of Reason_, 1551, 8vo,