other Asse being of the same purpose that I was of, by feigned and
coloured wearinesse fell downe first, with all his burthen on the ground
as though hee were dead, and he would not rise neither with beating nor
with pricking, nor stand upon his legs, though they pulled him by the
tail, by his legs, and by his eares: which when the theeves beheld, as
without all hope they said one unto another, What should we stand here
so long about a dead or rather a stony asse? let us bee gone: and so
they tooke his burthen, and divided some to mee, and some to my horse.
And then they drew out their swords and cut off his legs, and threw
his body from the point of a hill down into a great valley. Then I
considering with my selfe of the evill fortune of my poore companion,
and purposed now to forget all subtility and deceit, and to play the
good Asse to get my masters favour, for I perceived by their talke that
we were come home well nigh at our journeys end. And after that wee had
passed over a little hill, we came to our appointed place, and when we
were unladen of our burthens, and all things carried in, I tumbled and
wallowed in the dust, to refresh my selfe in stead of water. The thing
and the time compelleth me to make description of the places, and
especially of the den where the theeves did inhabit, I will prove my
wit in what I can doe, and the consider you whether I was an Asse in
judgement and sence, or no. For first there was an exceeding great hill
compassed about with big trees very high, with many turning bottoms full
of sharp stones, whereby it was inaccessible. There was many winding
and hollow vallies, environed with thickets and thornes, and naturally
fortressed round about. From the top of the hill ranne a running water
as cleare as silver, that watered all the valleyes below, that it seemed
like unto a sea inclosed, or a standing floud. Before the denne
where was no hill stood an high tower, and at the foot thereof were
sheep-coats fenced and walled with clay. Before the gate of the house
were pathes made in stead of wals, in such sort that you could easily