the shepe, and had tyed hym by the
legges; and ferid that he had come to haue taken hym also for stelynge
of the nuttes: wherfore the mylner opened a bak dore, and ran away as
fast as he could. The tayler, herynge the backe dore openynge, wente to
the other syde of the myll, and there saw the mylner ronnyng away, and
stode ther a lytyll whyle musyng wyth the shepe on his necke. Then was
the parysshe preest and the sexten standynge there vnder the mylhouse
hydyng them for fere, and seeing[34] the tayler agayn with the shepe on
hys nek, had wende styll it had ben the deuyll wyth the spyryt of the
dede man on[35] hys nek, and for fere ran awaye; but because they knew
not the grounde well, the preste lepte into a dyche almoste ouer the hed
lyke to be drownyde, that he cryed wyth a loude voyce: help, helpe! Than
the tayler lokyd about, and seeing[36] the mylner ronne away and the
sexten a nother way, and hearing[37] the preste creye helpe, had went it
had ben the constable wyth a great company cryeng for helpe to take him
and to bring hym to pryson for stelyng of the shepe: wherfore he threwe
down the shepe and ran away another way as fast as he coud: and so euery
man was afferd of other wythout cause.

By thys ye may se well, it is foly for any man to fere a thyng to moche,
tyll that he se some profe or cause.

FOOTNOTES:

[27] Orig. reads _whether_.

[28] Places or appointments. This is one of the best stories of the kind
in the present or any other collection, in our own or other languages.
The construction is excellent.

[29] Weened (guessed).

[30] Orig. reads _saw_.

[31] weened.

[32] shells.

[33] In orig. _by_.

[34] Orig. reads _saw_.

+ _Of the foure elementes where they shoulde sone be founde._ xvii.

+ In the old world when all thyng could speke, the iiii elementys[38]
mette to geder for many thynges whych they had to do, because they must
meddell alway one wyth a nother, and had communicacion to gyder of
dyuers maters; and by cause they coulde not conclude all theyr maters at
that season, they appoyntyd to breke communicacion for that tyme and to
mete agayne another tyme. Therfore eche one of them shewed to other
where theyr most abydyng was and where theyr felows shoulde fynde them,
yf nede shuld requyre; and fyrste the erthe sayde: bretherne, ye knowe
well as for me I am permanent alway and not remouable; therfore ye may
be sure to haue me alway whan ye lyste. The wather sayde: yf ye