by lying all three in one bed, to the end there may be no debate nor dissention between us, but that either of us may be contented, for I have always lived with my wife in such tranquillity, that according to the saying of the wise men, whatsoever I say, she holdeth for law, and indeed equity will not suffer, but that the husband should bear more authority then the wife: with these and like words he led the young man to his chamber, and closed his wife in another chamber. On the next morrow, he called two of the most sturdiest servants of his house, who held up the young man, while he scourged his buttocks well-favouredly 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 thyself with wicked living, whereby thou hast gotten the name of an adulterer? After he had spoken these and like words, he whipped him again, 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 only bewail his striped and painted buttocks. Soon after the baker sent one to his wife, who divorced her away in his name, but she beside her own natural mischief, (offended at this great contumely, though she had worthily deserved the same) had recourse to wicked arts and trumpery, never ceasing until she had found out an enchantress, who (as it was thought) could do what she would with her sorcery and conjuration. The baker’s wife began to entreat her, promising that she would largely recompence her, if she could bring one of these things to pass, either to make that her husband may be reconciled to her again, or else if he would not agree thereto, to send an ill spirit into him, to dispossess the spirit of her husband. Then the witch with her abominable science, began to conjure and to make her ceremonies, to turn the heart of the baker to his wife, but all was in vain, wherefore considering on the one side that she could not bring her purpose to pass, and on the other side the loss of her gain, she ran hastily to the baker, threatening to send an evil spirit to kill him, by mean of her conjurations. But peradventure some scrupulous reader may demand me a question, how I, being an ass, and tied always in the mill house, could know the secrets of these women: verily I answer, notwithstanding my shape of an ass, I had the sense and knowledge of a man, and curiously endeavoured to know out such injuries as were done to my master. About no one there came a woman into the millhouse, very sorrowful, raggedly attired, with bare feet, meager, ill-favoured, and her hair scattering upon her face: this woman took the baker by the hand, and feigning that she had some secret matter to tell him, went into a chamber, where they remained a good space, till all the corn was ground, when as the servants were compelled to call their master to give them more corn, but when they had called very often, and no person gave answer, they began to mistrust, insomuch that they brake open the door: when they were come in, they could not find the woman, but only their master hanging dead upon a rafter of the chamber, whereupon they cried and lamented greatly, and according to the custom, when they had washed themselves, they took the body and buried it. The next day morrow, the daughter of the baker, which was married but a little before to one of the next village, came crying and beating her breast, not because she heard of the death of her father by any man, but because his lamentable spirit, with a halter about his neck appeared to her in the night, declaring the whole circumstance of his death, and how by enchantment he was descended into hell, which caused her to think that her father was dead. After that she had lamented a good space, and was somewhat comforted by the servants of the house, and when nine days were expired, as inheritrix to her father, she sold away all the substance of the house, whereby the goods chanced into diverse men’s hands.
There was a poor gardener amongst the rest, which bought me for the sum of fifty pence, which seemed to him a great price, but he thought to gain it again by the continual travel of my body. The matter requireth to tell likewise, how I was handled in his service. This gardener accustomed to drive me, every morning laded with herbs to the next village, and when he had sold his herbs, he would mount upon my back and return to the garden, and while he digged the ground and watered the herbs, and went about other business, I did nothing but repose myself with great ease, but when winter approached with sharp hail, rain and frosts, and I standing under a hedge side, was well-nigh killed up with cold, and my master was so poor that he had no lodging for himself, much less had he any litter or place to cover me withal, for he himself always lay under a little roof shadowed with boughs. In the morning when I arose, I found my hoofs shriveled together with cold, and unable to pass upon the sharp ice, and frosty mire, neither could I fill my belly with meat, as I accustomed to do, for my master and I supped together, and had both one fare: howbeit it was very slender since as we had nothing else saving old and
