lowed him
weeping, not because he was accused before his master, but by reason he
knew his owne conscience guilty: behold by adventure Philesiterus (going
about earnest businesse) fortuned to meet with them by the way, who
fearing the matter which he committed the night before, and doubting
lest it should be knowne, did suddainly invent a meane to excuse Myrmex,
for he ran upon him and beate him about the head with his fists, saying:
Ah mischievous varlet that thou art, and perjured knave. It were a good
deed if the Goddesse and thy master here, would put thee to death, for
thou art worthy to be imprisoned and to weare out these yrons, that
stalest my slippers away when thou werest at my baines yester night.
Barbarus hearing this returned incontinently home, and called his
servant Myrmex, commanding him to deliver the slippers againe to the
right owner.

The old woman had scant finished her tale when the Bakers wife gan say:
Verily she is blessed and most blessed, that hath the fruition of so
worthy a lover, but as for me poore miser, I am fallen into the hands of
a coward, who is not onely afraid of my husband but also of every clap
of the mill, and dares not doe nothing, before the blind face of yonder
scabbed Asse. Then the old woman answered, I promise you certainly
if you will, you shall have this young man at your pleasure, and
therewithall when night came, she departed out of her chamber. In the
meane season, the Bakers wife made ready a supper with abundance of wine
and exquisite fare: so that there lacked nothing, but the comming of the
young man, for her husband supped at one of her neighbours houses. When
time came that my harnesse should be taken off and that I should rest my
selfe, I was not so joyfull of my liberty, as when the vaile was taken
from mine eyes, I should see all the abhomination of this mischievous
queane. When night was come and the Sunne gone downe, behold the old
bawd and the young man, who seemed to be but a child, by reason he had
no beard, came to the doore. Then the Bakers wife kissed him a thousand
times and received him courteously, placed him downe at the table: but
he had scarce eaten the first morsell, when the good man (contrary to
his wives expectation) returned home, for she thought he would not have
come so soone: but Lord how she cursed him, praying God that he might
breake his necke at the first entry in. In the meane season, she caught
her lover and thrust him into the bin