"The honourable town-clerk Peter Beyer's vote, was as follows: 'Gentlemen, I know not what to say in this matter. I have a notable shrew, who snaps about her like the devil. I cannot trust myself to be able to restrain her. If you can do it, try. But I advise, that we should begin to speak kindly with the women. Let benches be placed in the council-room, desire them to sit them down, and see whether it be possible to convert them by good words, or afterwards by threats. Perhaps they will take it into consideration.' "Hereupon the priest and the King's judge came to a conclusion. They said: 'The time is short, much delay cannot be given; it is a saying here, eat or die.' "So the King's judge spoke to the town-clerk saying: 'Are the women without?' He answered: 'No, there are as yet none there.' Then the judge said: 'Go, and you will find them either at my house or with Frau Geneussin.' The town-clerk found no one at the house of the King's judge, but at that of Frau Geneussin there were about fifteen. To these he said: 'His reverence the priest, together with his honour the King's judge, and the honourable council, send greeting to the ladies, and beg that they will come to the council-house, where the gentlemen are assembled.' "Then the wife of the King's judge answered: 'Yea, yea, greet them in return, and we will come soon.' So the women went two and two, the judge's and burgomaster's wives foremost, and ascended the stairs of the council-house, but the other women who had collected at the bread tables or elsewhere, or in houses, came after them in great numbers, by troops. Now when the servant had announced to the council that the women were there, the King's judge said: 'Let them in.' The servant replied: 'Sir, there will not be room here for them all; I believe that there are five hundred of them together. The council-house is full of them, part of them are already sitting on the musicians' stools.' "Then the priest began: 'Indeed, we must pause awhile, this is not well. I only intended at first that the most distinguished wives, such as those of the council, the justices, and jurymen should be called. Ay, ay, what have you done?' The servant answered: 'Your reverence must be informed, that yesterday the King's judge commanded that all the women who had not been converted, or would not be so, should be summoned, and to begin with his wife; this I have done, and because it was rather late, I told most of those whom I met that they should notify this to the others, that they were to come on the morrow without fail on pain of punishment. I believe I have done no wrong.' "The priest spoke again: 'Ay, ay, gentlemen, gentlemen, this is not well. I know not how we shall manage to be rid of a portion of these women.'