[26] Orig. reads _and_: _but_ seems to be required.
+ _Of the mylner that stale the nuttes of the tayler that stale a
shepe._ xvi.
+ There was a certayne ryche husbandman in a vyllage, whiche louyd
nuttes meruelously well and sette trees of fylberdes and other nutte
trees in his orcharde, and norysshed them well all his lyfe; and when he
dyed he made his executours to make promyse to bery with him in his
graue a bagge of nuttes, or els they sholde not be his executours;
which executours, for fere of lesynge of theyre romes[28] fulfylled his
mynde and dyd so. It happenyd that, the same nyghte after that he was
beryed, there was a mylner in a whyte cote cam to this mannes garden to
the entent to stele a bagge of nuttes; and in the way he met wyth a
tayler in a black cote, an vnthrift of hys acquayntance, and shewyd hym
hys intent. This tayler lykewyse shewyd hym, that he intendyd the same
tyme to stele a shepe; and so they bothe there agred to go forwarde
euery man seuerally wyth hys purpose; and after that they apoynted to
make god chere eche wyth other and to mete agayn in the chyrch porch,
and he that cam fyrste to tarye for the other. This mylner, when he had
spede of hys nuttys, came furst to the chyrch porch, and there taryed
for hys felow, and the mene whyle satte styll there and knakked nuttes.
It fortuned than the sexten of the church, because yt was about ix of
the cloke, cam to ryng curfue; and whan he lokyd in the porche and sawe
one all in whyte knakkynge nuttes he had wente[29] it had bene the dede
man rysyn owt of hys graue, knakkynge the nuttes that were beryed wyth
hym, and ran home agayne in all hast and tolde to a krepyll that was in
his house what he had sene. Thys crepyll, thus herynge hym, rebuked the
sexten and sayd that yf he were able to go he wolde go thyder and
coniure the spyryte. By my trouthe, quod the sexten, and yf thou darest
do that, I wyll bere the on my neck; and so they both agreed. The sexten
toke the creple on his nek, and cam in to the chyrchyarde again, and the
mylner in the porch seeing[30] one comynge beryng a thynge on his necke
had went[31] it had ben the tayler comynge with the shepe, and rose vp
to mete them. And as he cam towarde them, he askyd and sayd: is he fat,
is he fat? The sexten, heryng hym sey so, for fere cast the crepull down
and sayd: fatte or lene, take hym as he is; and ranne awaye; and the
creple by myracle was made hole, and ran away as fast as he or faster.
Thys mylner perceyuyng that they were two, and that one ran after an
other, thoughte that one had spyed the tayler stelyng the shepe, and
that he had ron after hym to haue taken hym; and fearyng that one had
spyed hym also stelynge the nuttes, he for feare lefte hys nuttes behynd
him; and as secretly as he cowde ran home to hys myll. And anon after
that he was gone, the tayler cam wyth the stolen shepe vppon hys necke
to the chyrche to seke the mylner; and whan he fownde there the nutte
shalys,[32] he supposyd that his felow had ben ther and gone home, as he
was in dede; wherfore he toke vp the shepe agayne on his necke, [and]
went towarde the myll. But yet durynge this while, the sexten which
ranne away went not to hys owne house, but went to the parysh prestys
chamber, and shewyd hym how the spyryt of the man was rysen out of hys
graue knacking nuttes, as ye haue hard before; wherfore the prest sayd
that he wolde go coniure hym, yf the sexten wolde go wyth hym; and so
they bothe agreed. The prest dyd on hys surples and a stole about hys
necke, and toke holy water wyth hym, and cam wyth the sexten toward the
church; and as sone as he entred in the chyrche yard, the talyer wyth
the whyte shepe on hys neck intendyng, as I before haue shewyd yow, to
go downe to the myll, met with them, and had went that the prest in his
surples had ben the mylner in his whyte cote, and seyd to hym: by God! I
haue hym, I haue hym! meanynge thereby[33] the shepe that he had stolen.
The prest, perceyuynge the tayller all in blake and a whyte thynge on
hys nek, had went it had ben the deuyll beryng away the spyryte of the
dede man that was beryed, and ran away as fast as he coude, takyng the
way down towarde the myl, and the sexten ronnyng after hym. Thys tayler,
seying one folowyng hym, had went that one had folowed the mylner to
haue done hym som hurt, and thought he wold folow, if nede were to help
the milner; and went forth, tyl he cam to the mill and knocked at the
myll dore. The mylner beynge wythin asked who was there. The tayler
answeryd and sayd: by God! I haue caught one of them, and made hym sure
and tyed hym fast by the legges. But the mylner, heryng him sey that he
had hym tyed fast by the legges, had went it had ben the constable, that
had taken the tayler for stelyng of the shepe, and had tyed hym by the
legges; and ferid that he had come to haue taken hym also for stelynge
of the nuttes: wherfore the mylner opened a bak dore, and ran away as
fast as he could. The tayler, herynge the backe dore openynge, wente to
the other syde of the myll, and there saw the mylner ronnyng away, and
stode ther a lytyll whyle musyng wyth the shepe on his necke. Then was
the parysshe preest and the sexten standynge there vnder the mylhouse
hydyng them for fere, and seeing[34] the tayler agayn with the shepe on
hys nek, had wende styll it had ben the deuyll wyth the spyryt of the
dede man on[35] hys nek, and for fere ran awaye; but because they knew
not the grounde well, the preste lepte into a dyche almoste ouer the hed
lyke to be drownyde, that he cryed wyth a loude voyce: help, helpe! Than
the tayler lokyd about, and seeing[36] the mylner ronne away and the
sexten a nother way, and hearing[37] the preste creye helpe, had went it
had ben the constable wyth a great company cryeng for helpe to take him
and to bring hym to pryson for stelyng of the shepe: wherfore he threwe
down the shepe and ran away another way as fast as he coud: and so euery
man was afferd of other wythout cause.
By thys ye may se well, it is foly for any man to fere a thyng to moche,
tyll that he se some profe or cause.