[67.] Mr. French the King's Fisher, beeing a Widower, married a young woman, and shortly died, on whom one made this distich. By fish hee liv'd, by fish hee thriv'd, He touched y^e flesh, and so hee died. [103.] An Alderman of _Norwich_, having a Maid servant Married from his House, went two or three Years after to see her, and ask'd (amongst other things) how many Children she had? Truly Sir, says she, none. O Lord, replys he, what should be the reason of that? I don't know, says the Woman. Alas! adds the Old Fellow, now I remember me, your Mother had none. [105.] After a while _Scogin_ came to London, hee married a young woman, taking her for a maid, as other men doe. At last he thought to prove his wife, and fained himselfe sicke. Oh good wife, saies he, I will shew you a thing, and if you will promise me to conceale it. She said, Sir, you may tell mee what you will, I were worse than accursed, if I should disclose your counsell: O wife, said _Scogin_, I had a great pang to day in my sicknesse, for I did parbrake,[F. 230] and cast out a Crow. A Crow? said shee. Yea, said _Scogin_, God helpe me. Be of good comfort said she, you shall recover and doe well. Well wife, said _Scogin_, goe to Church and pray for me: shee went to the Church, and by & by one of her gossips met with her and asked how her husband did. I wis,[F. 231] said she, a sore sick man he is, and like to die, for there is an evill signe and token in him. What is that, Gossip? said shee. Nay, by gisse,[F. 232] I will not tell it to any man alive. What, said the woman, you may tell me, for I will never bewray your counsell. By gisse, said _Scogin's_ wife, if I wist that you wold keep my counsel, I wold tel you. Then said the woman, whatsoever you doe tell, I will lay it dead under my feet. Oh, said _Scogins_ wife, my husband parbraked two Crowes. Jesus, said the woman, I never heard of such a thing. This woman as she did meet with another gossip of hers, shewed that _Scogin_ had parbraked three Crowes. So it went on from one gossip to another, that ere Mattens were finished, all the parish knew that _Scogin_ had parbraked twenty Crowes. And when the Priest was ready to goe into the Pulpit, one came to request him and all the Parish to pray for _Scogin_, for he had parbraked twenty Crowes. The Priest blessed him and said to the Parishioners, I doe pray you pray for Scogin, for he is in perill of his life, and hath parbraked 21 Crowes. By and by one went to _Scogin_, and said, Sir, is it as it is spoken in the Church of you? What is that, said _Scogin_. The Priest said in the Pulpit that you parbraked 21 Crowes. Said _Scogin_, what a lie is this? By & by the bels were told for sacring, and _Scogin_ hied him to Church, lustily and merry, and when the men and women did see him in the Church, they looked upon one another, and marvelled of this matter. After Masse, _Scogin_ asked what were they that they should bring such a tale upon him.