that went in the mill day and night grinding of corne, but lest I
should be discouraged at the first, my master entertained me well, for
the first day I did nothing but fare daintily, howbeit such mine ease
and felicity did not long endure, for the next day following I was tyed
to the mill betimes in the morning with my face covered, to the end in
turning amid winding so often one way, I should not become giddy, but
keepe a certaine course, but although when I was a man I had seen many
such horsemills and knew well enough how they should be turned, yet
feining my selfe ignorant of such kind of toile, I stood still and
would not goe, whereby I thought I should be taken from the mill as an
Asse unapt, and put to some other light thing, or else to be driven
into the fields to pasture, but my subtility did me small good, for by
and by when the mill stood still, the servants came about me, crying
and beating me forward, in such sort that I could not stay to advise my
selfe, whereby all the company laughed to see so suddaine a change.
When a good part of the day was past, that I was not able to endure any
longer, they tooke off my harnesse, and tied me to the manger, but
although my bones were weary, and that I needed to refresh my selfe
with rest and provender, yet I was so curious that I did greatly
delight to behold the bakers art, insomuch that I could not eate nor
drinke while I looked on.
O good Lord what a sort of poore slaves were there; some had their
skinne blacke and blew, some had their backes striped with lashes, some
were covered with rugged sackes, some had their members onely hidden:
some wore such ragged clouts, that you might perceive all their naked
bodies, some were marked and burned in the heads with hot yrons, some
had their haire halfe clipped, some had lockes of their legges, some
very ugly and evill favoured, that they could scarce see, their eyes
and face were so blacke and dimme with smoake, like those that fight in
the sands, and know not where they strike by reason of dust: And some
had their faces all mealy. But how should I speake of the horses my
companions, how they being old and weake, thrust their heads into the
manger: they had their neckes all wounded and worne away: they rated
their nosethrilles with a continuall cough, their sides were bare with
their harnesse and great travell, their ribs were broken with beating,
their hooves were battered broad with incessant labour, and their
skinne rugged by reason of their lancknesse. When I saw this dreadfull
sight, I began to feare, least I should come to the like state: and
considering with my selfe the good fortune which I was sometime in when
I was a man, I greatly lamented, holding downe my head, and would eate
no meate, but I saw no comfort or consolation of my evill fortune,
saving that my mind was somewhat recreated to heare and understand what
every man said, for they neither feared nor doubted my presence. At
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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