It happened this gentlewoman being vnmaried, had a brother who went to
schoole with the said Doctor, and calling his Scholler to him, demaunded
if he did lye with his sister, who answered he did, by meanes wherof he
thought to obtaine his purpose, and therefore secretlye promised to teach
him without stripes, so he would obtain for him three haires of his
sisters priuities, at such time as he should spye best occasion for it:
which the youth promised faithfullye to perfourme, and vowed speedily to
put it in practise, taking a peece of coniured paper of his maister to
lappe them in when he had gotten them: and therevpon the boye practised
nightlye to obtaine his maisters purpose, especially when his sister was a
sleepe.
But God who knoweth the secrets of all harts, and reuealeth all wicked and
vngodlye practises, would not suffer the intents of this diuilish Doctor
to come to that purpose which he supposed it would, and therefore to
declare that he was heauilye offended with his wicked entent, did so
woorke by the Gentlewomans owne meanes, that in the ende the same was
discouered and brought to light: for she being one night a sleepe, and her
brother in bed with her, suddenlye cryed out to her mother, declaring that
her Brother would not suffer her to sleepe, wherevpon her mother hauing a
quick capacitie, did vehemently suspect Doctor _Fians_ entention, by
reason she was a witche of her selfe, and therefore presently arose, and
was very inquisitiue of the boy to vnderstand his intent, and the better
to know the same, did beat him with sundry stripes, wherby he discouered
the trueth vnto her.
The Mother therefore being well practised in witchcrafte, did thinke it
most conuenient to meete with the Doctor in his owne Arte, and therevpon
tooke the paper from the boy, wherein hee should haue put the same haires,
and went to a young Heyfer which neuer had borne Calfe nor gone to the
Bull, and with a paire of sheeres, clipped off three haires from the vdder
of the Cow, and wrapt them in the same paper, which she againe deliuered
to the boy, then willing him to giue the same to his saide Maister, which
he immediatly did.
The Schoolemaister so soone as he had receiued them, thinking them indeede
to bee the Maides haires, went straight and wrought his arte vpon them:
But the Doctor had no sooner doone his intent to them, but presentlye the
Hayfer or Cow whose haires they were indeed, came vnto the doore of the
Church wherein the Schoolemaister was, into the which the Hayfer went, and
made towards the Schoolemaister, leaping and dauncing vpon him, and
following him foorth of the church and to what place so euer he went, to
the great admiration of all the townes men of Saltpans, and many other who
did beholde the same.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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