beare the office of the Clerke of the
market, and therfore if you will have any pittance for your supper
speake and I will purvey it for you. Then I thanked him heartily and
sayd I had bought meat sufficient already. But Pithias when hee espied
my basket wherein my fish was, tooke it and shaked it, and demanded of
me what I had payd for all my Sprots. In faith (quoth I), I could scarce
inforce the fishmonger to sell them for twenty pence. Which when I
heard, he brought me backe again into the market, and enquired of me
of whom I bought them. I shewed him the old man which sate in a corner,
whome by and by, by reason of his office, hee did greatly blame, and
sayd, Is it thus you serve and handle strangers, and specially our
friends? Wherefore sell you this fish so deare, which is not worth a
halfepenny? Now perceive I well, that you are an occasion to make this
place, which is the principall city of all Thessaly, to be forsaken of
all men, and to reduce it into an uninhabitable Desart, by reasone of
your excessive prices of victuals, but assure yourself that you shall
not escape without punishment, and you shall know what myne office is,
and how I ought to punish such as offend. Then he took my basket and
cast the fish on the ground, and commanded one of his Sergeants to tread
them under his feet. This done he perswaded me to depart, and sayd that
onely shame and reproach done unto the old Caitife did suffice him, So
I went away amazed and astonied, towards the Baines, considering with
myself and devising of the grace of my companion Pythias. Where when I
had well washed and refreshed my body, I returned againe to Milos house,
both without money and meat, and so got into my chamber. Then came Fotis
immediately unto mee, and said that her master desired me to come to
supper. But I not ignorant of Milos abstinence, prayed that I might be
pardoned since as I thought best to ease my wearied bones rather with
sleepe and quietnesse, than with meat. When Fotis had told this to Milo,
he came himselfe and tooke mee by the hand, and while I did modestly
excuse my selfe, I will not (quoth he) depart from this place, until
such time as you shall goe with me: and to confirm the same, hee bound
his words with an oath, whereby he enforced me to follow him, and so he
brought me into his chamber, where hee sate him downe upon the bed, and
demaunded of mee how his friend Demeas did, his wife, his children, and
all his family: and I made ans