er loue to happy ende. And hearinge tell
that the Father of Elisa the possessor of hir mother's house
liued at Carthage in great royalty and magnificence, thought
that if by some sleight and pollicie she founde not meanes to
enter the house without suspicion, hir attempt would be in
vayne: determined therefore to goe to Carthage, and to seeke
seruice in that house, counterfaytinge the kynde and habite of a
Page. For she considered, that if she went thither in order and
apparell of a mayden, she should incur the perill of her
virginity, and fall into the lapse of diuers other daungers,
purposed then to go thyther in maner of a Page and lacky. And
when she had in that sort furnished hirselfe, she passed the
Seas, and arriued at Carthage. And seekinge seruice about the
City at length chaunced to be retayned in a house that was next
neyghbour to the Souldier, and bicause this wench was gentle and
of a good disposition, was wel beloued of her maister, who being
the frend of Elisa, hir Father many times sent vnto him diuers
presents and gifts by Philene, wherevppon she began to be
acquainted and familiar with the seruantes of the house, and by
her oft repayre thyther viewed and marked euery corner, and vpon
a time entred the chamber wherein hir Mother Chera {t}olde hir,
that shee had bestowed hir goods, and lookinge vpont the Beames
espied by certayne Signes and tokens, one of them to be the same
where the Casket lay: and therewithal wel satisfied and
contented, verily supposed that the casket still remayned there,
and without further businesse for that time, expected some other
season for recouery of the same. In the ende, the good behauiour
and diligence of Philene, was so liked of Elisa, as hir father
and she made sute to hir maister to giue hir leaue to serue
them, who bycause they were his friends, preferred Philene vnto
them, and became a page of that house. And one day secretly
repayrynge into the chamber, where the treasure lay mounted
vppon a stoole, and sought the beame for the casket: where she
found no casket, but in place where that lay, the halter,
wherwithal Elisa woulde haue strangled hir self. And searching
all the parts of the Chamber and the beames, and finding nothing
else but the halter, she was surprised with sutch incredible
sorrowe, as she seemed like a stock, without spiryte, voice or
life. Afterwardes, being come againe to hir selfe, shee began
pitifully to lament and complayn in this maner: "Ah wr