l her enterprise. The Physitians wife partly to winne the further
favour of this rich woman, and partly to gaine the money, ranne
incontinently home, and brought her a whole roote of poyson, which
when she saw, having now occasion to execute her further malice, and
to finish the damnable plot, began to stretch out her bloody hands
to murther. She had a daughter by her husband (that was poysoned) who
according to order of law, was appointed heire of all the lands and
goods of her father: but this woman knowing that the mothers succoured
their children, and received all their goods after their death, purposed
to shew her selfe a like parent to her child, as she was a wife to
her husband, whereupon she prepared a dinner with her owne hands, and
empoysoned both the wife of the Physitian and her owne daughter: The
child being young and tender dyed incontinently by force of the drinke,
but the Physitians wife being stout and strong of complexion, feeling
the poison to trill down into her body, doubted the matter, and
thereupon knowing of certainty that she had received her bane,
ran forthwith to the judges house, that what with her cryes, and
exclamations, she raised up the people of the towne, and promising them
to shew divers wicked and mischievous acts, caused that the doores and
gates were opened. When she came in she declared from the beginning to
the end the abhomination of this woman: but shee had scarce ended her
tale, when opening her falling lips, and grinding her teeth together,
she fell downe dead before the face of the Judge, who incontinently to
try the truth of the matter, caused the cursed woman, and her servants
to be pulled out of the house, and enforced by paine of torment to
confesse the verity, which being knowne, this mischievous woman farre
lesse then she deserved, but because there could be no more cruell a
death invented for the quality of her offence, was condemned to be eaten
with wild beasts. Behold with this woman was I appointed to have to doe
before the face of the people, but I being wrapped in great anguish, and
envying the day of the triumph, when we two should so abandon our selves
together, devised rather to sley my selfe, then to pollute my body with
this mischievous harlot, and so for ever to remaine defamed: but it was
impossible for me so to doe, considering that I lacked hands, and was
not able to hold a knife in my hoofes: howbeit standing in a pretty
cabin, I rejoyced in my selfe to se