where she bolted her flower, and
dissembling the matter, finely came to her husband demanding why he came
home so soone. I could not abide (quoth he) to see so great a mischiefe
and wicked fact, which my neighbours wife committed, but I must run
away: O harlot as she is, how hath she dishonoured her husband, I sweare
by the goddesse Ceres, that if I had [not] seene it with mine eyes, I
would never I have beleeved it. His wife desirous to know the matter,
desired him to tell what she had done: then hee accorded to the request
of his wife, and ignorant of the estate of his own house, declared the
mischance of another. You shall understand (quoth he) that the wife
of the Fuller my companion, who seemed to me a wise and chast woman,
regarding her own honesty and profit of her house, was found this night
with her knave. For while we went to wash our hands, hee and she were
together: who being troubled with our presence ran into a corner, and
she thrust him into a mow made with twigs, appoynted to lay on clothes
to make them white with the smoake of fume and brymstone. Then she sate
down with us at the table to colour the matter: in the meant season the
young man covered in the mow, could not forbeare sneesing, by reason of
the smoake of the brymstone. The good man thinking it had beene his
wife that sneesed, cryed, Christ helpe. But when he sneesed more, he
suspected the matter, and willing to know who it was, rose from the
table, and went to the mow, where hee found a young man welnigh dead
with smoke. When hee understood the whole matter, he was so inflamed
with anger that he called for a sword to kill him, and undoubtedly he
had killed him, had I not restrained his violent hands from his purpose,
assuring him, that his enemy would dye with the force of his brimstone,
without the harme which he should doe. Howbeit my words would not
appease his fury, but as necessity required he tooke the young man well
nigh choked, and carried him out at the doores. In the meane season,
I counsailed his wife to absent her selfe at some of her Neighbours
houses, till the choller of her husband was pacified, lest he should be
moved against her, as he was against the young man. And so being weary
of their supper, I forthwith returned home. When the Baker had told
his tale, his impudent wife began to curse and abhorre the wife of the
Fuller, and generally all other wives, which abandon their bodies with
any other then with their owne Husbands,