was a Baker that baked sweet bread and delicates, the other a Cooke,
which dressed fine and excellent meats for his Master. These two lived
in common, and would drive me from place to place, to carry such things
as was necessary, insomuch that I was received by these two, as a third
Brother, and Companion, and I thought I was never better placed, then
with them: for when night came that Supper was done, and their businesse
ended, they would bring many good morsels into their Chamber for
themselves. One would bring Pigs, Chickens, fish, and other good meates,
the other fine bread, pasties, tarts, custards and other delicate
Junkets dipped in hony. And when they had shut their chamber doore, and
went to the bains: (O Lord) how I would fill my guts with these goodly
dishes: neither was I so much a foole, or so very an Asse, to leave
the dainty meats, and to grind my teeth upon hard hay. In this sort
I continued a great space, for I played the honest Asse, taking but a
little of one dish, and a little of another, wherby no man distrusted
me. In the end, I was more hardier and began to devoure the whole messes
of the sweet delicates, which caused the Baker and the Cooke to suspect,
howbeit they nothing mistrusted me, but searched about to apprehend the
theefe. At length they began to accuse one another of theft, and to set
the dishes and morsels of meat in order, one by another, because they
would learne what was taken away, whereby one of them was compelled to
say thus to his fellow: Is it reason to breake promise and faith in
this sort, by stealing away the best meat, and to sell it to augment
thy good, and yet neverthelesse to have thy part in the residue that
is left: if our partnership doe mislike thee, we will be partners and
brothers in other things, but in this we will breake of: for I perceive
that the great losse which I sustain, will at length be a cause of great
discord betweene us. Then answered the other, Verily I praise thy great
constancy and subtilnesse, in that (when thou hast secretly taken away
the meat) [thou] dost begin to complaine first, whereas I by long space