make her Ceremonies, to turne the heart of the Baker to his wife, but
all was in vaine, wherefore considering on the one side that she could
not bring her purpose to passe, and on the other side the losse of her
gaine, she ran hastily to the Baker, threatning to send an evill
spirit to kill him, by meane of her conjurations. But peradventure some
scrupulous reader may demand me a question, how I, being an Asse, and
tyed alwayes in the mill house, could know the secrets of these women:
Verily I answer, notwithstanding my shape of an Asse, I had the sence
and knowledge of a man, and curiously endeavoured to know out such
injuries as were done to my master. About noone there came a woman
into the Milhouse, very sorrowfull, raggedly attired, with bare feete,
meigre, ill-favoured, and her hayre scattering upon her face: This woman
tooke the Baker by the hand, and faining that she had some secret matter
to tell him, went into a chamber, where they remained a good space, till
all the corne was ground, when as the servants were compelled to call
their master to give them more corne, but when they had called very
often, and no person gave answer, they began to mistrust, insomuch that
they brake open the doore: when they were come in, they could not find
the woman, but onely their master hanging dead upon a rafter of the
chamber, whereupon they cryed and lamented greatly, and according to the
custome, when they had washed themselves, they tooke 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 necke
appeared to her in the night, declaring the whole circumstance of his
death, and how by inchantment he was descended into hell, which caused
her to thinke 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 dayes were expired, as inheretrix to her father, she sold away