[141] Not here put as a painting, but in a general sense, as a
representation.
[142] The old perfect of _start_. The orig. reads _starte_.
+ _Of the courtear that ete the hot custarde._ xcvii.
+ A certayne merchaunt and a courtear, _being upon a time together_ at
dyner hauing a hote custerd, _the courtear being_ somwhat homely of
maner toke _parte of it and put it_ in hys mouth, whych was so hote that
made him _shed teares. The_ merchaunt, lokyng on him, thought that he
had _ben weeping, and asked hym why_ he wept. This curtear, not wyllynge
[it] to be kn_own that he had brent his_ mouth with the hote custerd,
answered and said, sir: q_uod he, I had_ a brother whych dyd a certayn
offence wherfore he was hanged; _and, chauncing_ to think now vppon his
deth, it maketh me to wepe. This merchaunt thought the courtear had said
trew, and anon after the merchaunt was disposid to ete _of the custerd_,
and put a sponefull of it in his mouth, and brent his mouth also, that
his _eyes watered_. This courtear, that perceuyng, spake to the
merchaunt and seyd: sir, quod _he, pray_ why do ye wepe now? The
merchaunt perseyued how he had _bene deceiued_ and said[143]: mary, quod
he, I wepe, because thou wast not hangid, _when that_ thy brother was
hangyd.
+ _Of the thre pointes belonging to a shrewd wyfe._ xcix.
+ A yong man, that was desirous to haue a wyf, cam to a company _of
Phi_losofers which were gadred to gider, requiring them to gif _him
their opinion_ howe he might chose him sich a wyf that wer no shrew.
Th_ese Philos_ofers with gret study and delyberacion determinid and
shewd this man that there _were iii espe_cial pointes, wherebi he shuld
sure know if a woman were a shrew. The _i point is_ that if a woman have
a shril voyce, it is a gret token that she is a shrew. The ii point is
that, if a woman have a sharp nose, then most commenly she is a shrew.
_The_ iii point that neuer doth mis is[144] that if she were [a]
kerchefer,[145] ye may be sure she is a shrew.