The Bakers wife began to intreate her,
promising that she would largely recompence her, if shee could bring
one of these things to passe, eyther to make that her husband may be
reconciled to her againe, or else if hee would not agree thereto, to
send an ill spirit into him, to dispossesse the spirit of her husband.
Then the witch with her abhominable science, began to conjure and to
make her Ceremonies, to turne the heart of the Baker to his wife, but
all was in vaine, wherefore considering on the one side that she could
not bring her purpose to passe, and on the other side the losse of her
gaine, she ran hastily to the Baker, threatning to send an evill spirit
to kill him, by meane of her conjurations. But peradventure some
scrupulous reader may demand me a question, how I, being an Asse, and
tyed alwayes in the mill house, could know the secrets of these women:
Verily I answer, notwithstanding my shape of an Asse, I had the sence
and knowledge of a man, and curiously endeavoured to know out such
injuries as were done to my master. About noone there came a woman into
the Milhouse, very sorrowfull, raggedly attired, with bare feete,
meigre, ill-favoured, and her hayre scattering upon her face: This
woman tooke the Baker by the hand, and faining that she had some secret
matter to tell him, went into a chamber, where they remained a good
space, till all the corne was ground, when as the servants were
compelled to call their master to give them more corne, but when they
had called very often, and no person gave answer, they began to
mistrust, insomuch that they brake open the doore: when they were come
in, they could not find the woman, but onely their master hanging dead
upon a rafter of the chamber, whereupon they cryed and lamented
greatly, and according to the custome, when they had washed themselves,
they tooke the body and buried it. The next day morrow, the daughter of
the Baker, which was married but a little before to one of the next
Village, came crying and beating her breast, not because she heard of
the death of her father by any man, but because his lamentable spirit,
with a halter about his necke appeared to her in the night, declaring
the whole circumstance of his death, and how by inchantment he was
descended into hell, which caused her to thinke that her father was
dead. After that she had lamented a good space, and was somewhat
comforted by the servants of the house, and when nine dayes were
expired, as inheretrix to her father, she sold away all the substance
of the house, whereby the goods chanced into divers mens hands.
THE FORTY-SECOND CHAPTER
How Apuleius after the Baker was hanged, was sold to a Gardener, and
what dreadfull things happened.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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