t casket to any
person, for that of purpose shee reserued the knowledge thereof,
to hir self, that it might serue for hir preferment, and procure
hir a husband worthy of hir selfe. And the maiden demaundinge
the value of the same, shee told hir that it was worth CC.
Talentes, and gaue hir in writing the particulars inclosed
within the Caskette, and that the lyke bill shee should find
within the same, written wyth hir owne Hande. And so the good
woman within a while after dyed, leauyng behynde hir the yong
mayden hir daughter, that maruellously lamented the death of hir
mother, accordingly as nature taught hir, and ech other
reasonable wyght depriued from their dearest friends. The maiden
for hir yeres was very wise, and would disclose to none what her
mother had sayd, keeping the writing very carefully. Not long
after Philene (whych was the maiden's name) fell in loue with a
Gentleman of Scicilia of greate reputation and authority, who al
bee it he saw hir to be very faire and comely, yet cared not for
hir loue in respect of Maryage, for that hee knewe hir to bee
poore, and withoute dowrie mete for a Gentleman, iestyng and
mocking to see hir fixe hir minde on him, for desyre to haue him
to hir husbande, that was a personage so noble and rich: which
refusall pierced the hearte of the tender maiden, bicause she
saw hir selfe forsaken for nothynge else, but for want of goods:
whych made hir to think and consider, howe shee myght recouer
the riches that hir mother had layed vp in Carthage. It chaunced
as she was in this meditation, the daughter of him to whome the
House of Chera was giuen, called Elisa, was likewise enamoured
of a noble yong gentleman in Carthage, who bicause Elisa was the
daughter of a Souldiour, and not very rich, in like manner
laughed and iested at hir loue, no lesse than the other did at
Philene. Notwithstanding Elisa attempted al meanes possible to
induce the yong man to loue hir, but hir practise and attemptes
tended to none effect. And last of all, desirous to haue a
resolute answere, and thereby vnderstode, that he would rather
dye than take hir to Wyfe, she fell into despayre and curssed
fortune, and hir fate, that she was not borne riche enough to
match wyth hir chosen Gentleman, and that she being poore, must
fall in loue wyth sutch a personage: whereupon she miserably
tormented hir selfe, still bewaylinge hir vnhappy lucke, that
shee could not win him to be hir husband, for whych only intent