But I, considering the great mischiefe of this wicked queane, devised
with my selfe how I might reveale the matter to my Master, and by
kicking away the cover of the binne (where like a Snaile the young-man
was couched) to make her whoredome apparent and knowne. At length I was
ayded by the providence of God, for there was an old man to whom the
custody of us was committed, that drave me poore Asse, and the other
Horses the same time to the water to drinke; then had I good occasion
ministred, to revenge the injury of my master, for as I passed by, I
perceived the fingers of the young-man upon the side of the binne, and
lifting up my heeles, I spurned off the flesh with the force of my
hoofes, whereby he was compelled to cry out, and to throw downe the
binne on the ground, and so the whoredome of the Bakers wife was knowne
and revealed. The Baker seeing this was not a little moved at the
dishonesty of his wife, but hee tooke the young-man trembling for feare
by the hand, and with cold and courteous words spake in this sort:
Feare not my Sonne, nor thinke that I am so barbarous or cruell a
person, that I would stiffle thee up with the smoke of Sulphur as our
neighbour accustometh, nor I will not punish thee according to the
rigour of the law of Julia, which commandeth the Adulterers should be
put to death: No no, I will not execute my cruelty against so faire and
comely a young man as you be, but we will devide our pleasure betweene
us, by lying all three in one bed, to the end there may be no debate
nor dissention betweene us, but that either of us may be contented, for
I have alwayes lived with my wife in such tranquillity, that according
to the saying of the wisemen, whatsoever I say, she holdeth for law,
and indeed equity will not suffer, but that the husband should beare
more authority then the wife: with these and like words he led the
young-man to his Chamber, and closed his wife in another Chamber. On
the next morrow, he called two of the most sturdiest Servants of his
house, who held up the young man, while he scourged his buttockes
welfavouredly with rods like a child. When he had well beaten him, he
said: Art not thou ashamed, thou that art so tender and delicate a
child, to desire the violation of honest marriages, and to defame thy
selfe with wicked living, whereby thou hast gotten the name of an
Adulterer? After he had spoken these and like words, he whipped him
againe, and chased him out of his house. The young-man who was the
comeliest of all the adulterers, ran away, and did nothing else that
night save onely bewaile his striped and painted buttockes. Soone after
the Baker sent one to his wife, who divorced her away in his name, but
she beside her owne naturall mischiefe, (offended at this great
contumely, though she had worthily deserved the same) had recourse to
wicked arts and trumpery, never ceasing untill she had found out an
Enchantresse, who (as it was thought) could doe what she would with her
Sorcery and conjuration.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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