ould
choppe him in pieces. The Gardener when he heard him say so, drew out
his javelin which hee had by his side, and when he had throwne it away,
he knockt and beate him more cruelly then he did before, insomuch that
the souldier could not tell by what meanes to save himselfe, but by
feining that he was dead, Then my master tooke the javelin and mounted
upon my backe, riding in all hast to the next village, having no regard
to goe to his Garden, and when he came thither, he turned into one of
his friends house and declared all the whole matter, desiring him to
save his life and to hide himselfe and his Asse in some secret
place, untill such time as all danger were past. Then his friends not
forgetting the ancient amity betweene them, entertained him willingly
and drew me up a paire of staires into a chamber, my master crept into
a chest, and lay there with the cover closed fast: The souldier (as I
afterwards learned) rose up as one awaked from a drunken sleepe, but he
could scarce goe by reason of his wounds: howbeit at length by little
and little through ayd of his staffe he came to the towne, but hee would
not declare the matter to any person nor complaine to any justice, lest
he should be accused of cowardise or dastardnesse, yet in the end he
told some of his companions of all the matter that happened: then they
tooke him and caused him to be closed in some secret place, thinking
that beside the injury which he had received, he should be accused of
the breach of his faith, by reason of the losse of his speare, and when
they had learned the signes of my master, they went to search him out:
at last there was an unfaithfull neighbour that told them where he was,
then incontinently the souldiers went to the Justice declaring that
they had lost by the way a silver goblet of their Captaines, and that a
Gardener had found it, who refusing to deliver the goblet, was hidden in
one of his friends houses: by and by the Magistrates understanding the
losse of the Captaine, came to the doores where we were, commanded our
host to deliver my master upon paine of death: howbeit these threatnings
could not enforce him to confesse that he was within his doores, but by
reason of his faithfull promise and for the safeguard of his friend, he
said, that hee saw not the Gardener a great while, neither knew where
he was: the souldiers said contrary, whereby to know the verity of
the matter, the Magistrates commanded their Seargants and minis