beasts, with whom I should openly have to doe: But first I will tell you
what tale I heard concerning this woman. This woman had a husband, whose
father minding to ride forth, commanded his wife which he left at home
great with child, that if she were delivered of a daughter, it should
incontinently be killed. When the time of her delivery came, it fortuned
that she had a daughter, whom she would not suffer to be slaine, by
reason of the naturall affection which she have unto her child, but
secretly committed her to one of her neighbours to nurse. And when her
husband returned home, shee declared unto him that shee was delivered of
a daughter, whom (as hee commanded), shee had caused to be put to death.
But when this child came to age, and ready to be married, the mother
knew not by what meanes shee should endow her daughter, but that her
husband should understand and perceive it. Wherefore shee discovered the
matter to her sonne, who was the husband of this woman, condemned to be
eaten of wild beasts: For shee greatly feared least hee should unawares
fancie or fall in love with his owne sister. The young man understanding
the whole matter (to please and gratify his mother) went immediately to
the young maiden, keeping the matter secret in his heart, for feare of
inconvenience, and (lamenting to see his sister forsaken both of mother
and father) incontinently after endowed her with part of his owne goods,
and would have married her to one of his especial and trusty friends:
But although hee brought this to passe very secretly and sagely, yet in
the end cruell fortune sowed great sedition in his house. For his wife
who was now condemned to beasts, waxed jealous of her husband and began
to suspect the young woman as a harlot and common queane, insomuch that
shee invented all manner of meanes to dispatch her out of the way. And
in the end shee invented this kind of mischiefe: She privily stale away
her husbands ring, and went into the country, whereas she commanded one
of her trusty servants to take the ring and carry it to the mayden. To
whom he should declare that her brother did pray her to come into the