[161] The original has _who so ever that_.
[162] Baillie or magistrate, from the old French word _bailli_.
[163] This form of _it_, though it does not occur in the _C. Mery
Tales_, is very common in old English works; see the _Seven Sages_,
edited by Wright, 1845, for the Percy Society, and the _Anglo-Saxon
Passion of St. George_, 1850 (Percy Soc.).
+ _Of him that was called cuckolde._ xvii.
+ A certayne man, whiche vpon a tyme in company betwene ernest and game
was called cuckolde, went angerly home to his wife and sayde: wyfe, I
was this day in company called kockolde; whether am I one or nat? Syr,
truly, sayde she, ye be none. By my fayth (sayde he), thou shall swere
so vpon this boke; and helde to her a boke. She denyed it longe; but
whan she sawe there was no remedy, she sayde: well, sythe I must nedes
swere, I promyse you by my faythe, I will swere truly. Yea, do so, quod
he. So she toke the boke in her hande and sayd: By this boke, syr, ye
be a cokolde. By the masse, hore, sayd he, thou lyest! thou sayste it
for none other cause but to anger me.
By this tale ye may parceyue, that it is nat best at all tymes for a man
to beleue his wife, though she swere vpon a boke.
+ _Of the iolous man._ xviii.
+ A man that was ryght iolous on his wyfe, dreamed on a nyght as he laye
a bed with her and slepte, that the dyuell aperd vnto him and sayde:
woldest thou nat be gladde, that I shulde put the in suretie of thy
wife? Yes, sayde he. Holde, sayde the dyuell, as longe as thou hast this
rynge vpon thy fynger, no man shall make the kockolde. The man was
gladde therof, and whan he awaked, he founde his fynger in * * * * * * *.
+ _Of the fatte woman that solde frute._ xix.
+ As a greate fatte woman sate and solde frute in a Lente, there came a
yonge man bye, and behelde her frute ernestly, and specially he caste
his eyes on her fygges. She asked him, as was her gyse: syr, wyll ye
haue any fygges; they be fayre and good? And whan she sawe he was
content, she sayde, howe manye? wyll ye haue fyue li? He was content.
So she wayed him oute fyue li. into his lappe: and whyle she layde aside
her balaunce, he wente his waye faire and softely. Whan she tourned to
haue taken her[164] money, and sawe her chapman go his waye, she made
after apace, but faster with her voice than with hir fote. He,
dissemblinge the mater, wente styll forth on. She made suche a cryenge
and folkes gathered so faste, that he stode styll. So in the preace he
shewed to the people all the matter, and said: I bought nothing of hir;
but that that she vnbyd gaue me, I toke; and if she wyll, I am contente
to go before the Justice.
+ _Of a poller that begyled a prest._ xx.
+ Vpon a tyme in Andwarpe a false pollynge[165] felowe came vnto a
certeyne preste, that hadde his purse hangynge at his gyrdell
strouttinge[166] oute full of money that he a lytell before had
resceyued, and gentilly gretynge hym sayde: good Mayster, our parysshe
preste bad me bye him a palle[167] (which is the vppermoste vestement,
that a preste syngeth masse in); if it wolde please you to go with me, I
were moche bounde to you: for our curat and you be of one stature. The
preste was contente. Whan they came there where he wolde bye it, the
palle was broughte forth, and the preste dyd it on: the poller loketh
and toteth[168] thereon, and preyseth it, but he layde a wyte,[169] that
it was to shorte before. Nay, quod the syller, the faute is nat in the
vestement, hit is the strouttinge purse vnderneth that beareth hit up.
Shortely to speake, the prest dyd of his purse, and layde hit by, and
than the vestiment they behelde agayne. Whan the poller sawe the preste
was tourned, he snatched vp the purs, and toke his legges and to
go.[170] The preste rounne after with the vestement on his backe: and
the vestement-maker after the prest. The prest bad stop the thefe, the
siller bad stop the prest, the poller bade holde the mad preste, and
euery man wende[171] he had ben mad in dede, bicause he had the
vestement on his backe; and so whyle one letted an other, the false
poller went his waye.