_The Story of the three Men and their Bag of Money_ (Vol. ii., p.
132.).--In _Tales, and quicke Answers, very mery, and pleasant to rede_,
is the following, with the title "Howe Demosthenes defended a Mayde:"--
"There were two men on a time, the whiche lefte a great somme of
money in kepyng with a maiden, on this condition, that she
shulde nat delyuer hit agayne, except they came bothe to gether
for hit. Nat lang {172} after one of them cam to hir mornyngly
arrayde, and sayde that his felowe was deed, and so required the
money, and she delyuered it to hem. Shortly came the tother man,
and required to have the moneye that was lefte with her in
kepyng. The maiden was than so sorrowfull, both for lacke of the
money, and for one to defend her cause, that she thought to
hange her selfe. But Demosthenes, that excellent oratour, spake
for her and sayd: 'Sir, this mayden is redy to quite her
fidelitie, and to deliuer agayne the money that was lefte with
her in kepyng, so that thou wylt brynge thy felowe with thee to
receyue it.' But that he coude not do."
This is the 69th tale in the collection. I cite from the reprint which
appeared in 1831, under the title of _The Hundred Merry Tales: or
Shakspeare's Jest Book_.