And now Mother Shipton, beginning to grow famous in the world for her notable judgment in things to come, there resorted to her house a number of people of all sorts, both old and young, rich and poor, especially young maidens, who have always a great desire to know when they shall be married, as also, what manner of husbands they shall have, to which she gave such satisfactory answers, both for the person and time, that no sooner could a young maid get into her teens, but she would presently trot to Mother Shipton’s, to be resolved of her doubt. Now though she was not mercenary herself, but refused great gifts when proffered unto her; yet did she keep a young wench, who, rather than fail, if they forgot to open their purse to her, would remember to open her mouth to them, and tell them, that neither Dame Shipton nor she could be maintained with thanks, but that the belly required meat to feed it; and that it was money that made the mare to go. One day, there came a certain young heir thither, whose father was sick, to be resolved by her whether he should live or die; but Mother Shipton could by no means be wrought upon to tell him anything; whereupon he proffered the maid great store of money, if she could by any means persuade the dame to fulfil his request; the wench, greedy of money, promised him fair; that if he would come the next morning, he would be certain to be resolved; in the meantime, she importuned her dame with the most cunning rhetoric that she could invent; but she was deaf to all entreaties, and would by no means be induced thereto, whereupon the wench resolved with herself, rather than lose the money, to give him an answer of her own invention; when the next morning came she performed her part in these words:— “The grave provided hath a room: Prepare for death, thy hour is come.” The young gentleman having received this answer, went away very joyful, hoping presently to reap the golden crop which his father had sown, and to be in an instant possessor of all his vast estate; but the sequel proved quite contrary; for by the time he came home, great hopes of amendment appeared in his father, who each day grew better and better, so that in a short time he became perfectly well. This unexpected recovery of the old man struck such a damp into the young heir, that he presently took to his bed, fell extremely ill, and in a short time grew so much worse that all the symptoms of a dying man appeared in him; the old man having no more children, was very desirous of his life; and to know whether he should recover, he sent to Mother Shipton, who, knowing by her art what her maid had done, severely chid her for the same, threatening to turn her out of her service. In the meantime the messenger was come to her house, who having delivered his errand returned back with this answer:— “For other’s death who do gape out, Their own, unlook’d for, comes about.”