he young
man, while he scourged his buttockes welfavouredly with rods like a
child. When he had well beaten him, he said: Art not thou ashamed, thou
that art so tender and delicate a child, to desire the violation of
honest marriages, and to defame thy selfe with wicked living, whereby
thou hast gotten the name of an Adulterer? After he had spoken these and
like words, he whipped him againe, and chased him out of his house. The
young-man who was the comeliest of all the adulterers, ran away, and
did nothing else that night save onely bewaile his striped and painted
buttockes. Soone after the Baker sent one to his wife, who divorced her
away in his name, but she beside her owne naturall mischiefe, (offended
at this great contumely, though she had worthily deserved the same) had
recourse to wicked arts and trumpery, never ceasing untill she had found
out an Enchantresse, who (as it was thought) could doe what she would
with her Sorcery and conjuration. The Bakers wife began to intreate her,
promising that she would largely recompence her, if shee could bring
one of these things to passe, eyther to make that her husband may be
reconciled to her againe, or else if hee would not agree thereto, to
send an ill spirit into him, to dispossesse the spirit of her husband.
Then the witch with her abhominable science, began to conjure and to
make her Ceremonies, to turne the heart of the Baker to his wife, but
all was in vaine, wherefore considering on the one side that she could
not bring her purpose to passe, and on the other side the losse of her
gaine, she ran hastily to the Baker, threatning to send an evill
spirit to kill him, by meane of her conjurations. But peradventure some
scrupulous reader may demand me a question, how I, being an Asse, and
tyed alwayes in the mill house, could know the secrets of these women:
Verily I answer, notwithstanding my shape of an Asse, I had the sence
and knowledge of a man, and curiously endeavoured to know out such
injuries as were done to my master. About noone there came a woman
into the Milhouse, very sorrowfull, raggedly attired, with bare feete,
meigre, ill-favoured, and her hayre scattering upon her face: This woman
tooke the Baker by the hand, and faining that she had some secret matter
to tell him, went into a chamber, where they remained a good space, till
all the corne was ground, when as the servants were compelled to call
their master to give them more corne, but when they had call