maner, to espie if any
person by day or night, would come to complaine or be
sorrowefull for him. Which body was by the feete hanged vp
there, and a continuall watche appointed to kepe the same. The
rumor hereof was bruted throughout the Citie, and euery man
resorted thither to see it. The woman hearing tell that her
husbandes carcasse should be hanged vp in the market-place,
saide diuerse times to her sonne, that it was a very great shame
for him to suffer his father's body in that shamefull sort to be
vsed. To whom her sonne made answere, saying: "Good mother, for
God's sake be contented, for that whiche they do is for none
other purpose, but to proue me: wherefore be pacient a while,
till this chaunce be past." The mother not able to abide it any
longer, brake out many times into these words: "If I were a man
as I am a woman, it should not be vndone now: and if thou wilt
not aduenture thy selfe, I will one night giue the attempt." The
yong man seing the froward nature of his mother, determined to
take away the body by this policie. He borrowed twelve friers
frockes or cowles, and in the euening went downe to the hauen,
and hired twelue mariners, and placed them in a backe house,
geuing them so much meate and drinke as they woulde eate. And
when they had well whitled and tippled themselues, he put vpon
them those friers cowles, with visards vppon their faces, and
gaue euery of them in their hands a burning torch, making them
to seme as though they had ben Diuels of hel: and he himself
rode vpon a horse al couered with blacke, beset rounde about
with monstrous and vglie faces, euerye of them hauinge a burnyng
candle in his mouthe, and riding before with a visarde of
horrible shape vpon his head, sayde vnto them: "Doe as I doe:"
and then marched forward to the market-place. When they came
thether they ran vp and downe with roring voyces crying out like
Deuils being then past midnight and very darke. When the watche
sawe that straunge sight they were affrayde, thinking that they
had bene Deuils indeede, and that he on horsebacke in that forme
had ben the great Deuill Lucifer himselfe. And seing him runne
towardes the gibet, the watche toke their legges and ran away.
The yong man in the shape of the great Deuill toke downe the
body and layd it before him on horsebacke, who calling his
companie away, roode before in poste. When they were come home,
he gaue them their money, and vncasing them of their cowles sent
them aw