I greatly desire to know it: therefore I pray you mother tell me the
whole story. By and by the old woman which knew well to babble, began to
tell as followeth.




THE FORTY-FIRST CHAPTER


How Barbarus being jealous over his wife, commanded that shee should be
kept close in his house, and what happened.

You shall understand that on a day this Barbarus preparing himselfe to
ride abroad, and willing to keepe the chastity of his wife (whom he so
well loved) alone to himselfe, called his man Myrmex (whose faith he
had tryed and proved in many things) and secretly committed to him the
custody of his wife, willing him that he should threaten, that if any
man did but touch her with his finger as he passed by, he would not
onely put him in prison, and bind him hand and foote, but also cause
him to be put to death, or else to be famished for lacke of sustenance,
which words he confirmed by an oath of all the Gods in heaven, and so
departed away: When Barbarus was gone, Myrmex being greatly astonied of
his masters threatnings, would not suffer his mistresse to goe abroad,
but as she sate all day a Spinning, he was so carefull that he sate by
her; when night came he went with her to the baines, holding her by the
garment, so faithfull he was to fulfill the commandement of his master:
Howbeit the beauty of this matron could not be hidden from the burning
eyes of Philesiterus, who considering her great chastity and how she was
diligently kept by Myrmex, thought it impossible to have his purpose,