a wager that his asse was aliue, who to euery mans
seeing was starke dead: and when one had laid mony with him therevpon,
he commaunded the asse to arise, but hee lay still as though he were
dead: then did he beate him with a Cudgell, but that would not serue
the turne, vntill he had addressed his speech to the Asse, saying as
before in open audience, the _Sultane_ hath commaunded that all the
people shall ride out to morrow, and see the triumph, and that the
faire Ladies will ride vpon the fairest Asses, and will giue notable
prouender to them, and euery Asse shall drinke of the sweete water of
Nylus: and then, loe the Asse did presently start vp, and aduance
himself exceedingly. Loe quoth his master, now I haue wonne: but in
troth the Maior hath borrowed my Asse for the vse of the old
il-fauoured witch his wife: and therevpon immediately he hung downe
his eares and halted downe right, as though he had bene starke lame:
then said his Master, I perceaue you loue young pretty wenches: at
which the asse looked vp as it were with a ioyfull cheere, and then
his master bad him choose out one that should ride vpon him, and he
ran to a very hansome woman, and touched her with his head.

Such a one is at this day to be seene in London, his master will say,
sirra, heere be diuers Gentlemen, that haue lost diuers things, and
they heare say that thou canst tell them tydings of them where they
are: if thou canst, prethee shew thy cunning and tell them: then
hurles he downe a handkercher or a gloue that he had taken from the
parties before, and bids him giue it the right owner, which the horse
presently doth: and many other pretty feates this horse doth, and some
of those trickes as the Asse before mencioned did, which not one among
a thousand perceaues how they are done, nor how he is brought to
learne the same: and note that all the feates that this horse doth, is
altogether in numbering: as for ensample, His master will aske him how
many people there are in the roome: the horse will pawe with his foote
so many times as there are people: and marke the eye of the horse is
alwaies vpon his master, and as his master moues, so goes he or stands
still, as he is brought to it at the first: as for ensample, his
master will throw you three dice, and will bid his horse tell how many
you or he haue throwne, then the horse pawes with his foote whiles the
master stands stone still: then when his master sees hee hath pawed so
many as the first