dearely bought, or which were given him from divers of his friends.

Howbeit for all his sumptuous cost, hee could not be free from the
malitious eyes of envy, for some of them were well nigh dead with too
long tying up, some meagre with the broyling heat of the sunne, some
languished with lying, but all having sundry diseases, were so afflicted
that they died one after another, and there was well nigh none left, in
such sort that you might see them lying in the streets pittiously dead.
And the common people having no other meat to feed on, little regarding
any curiosity, would come forth and fill their bellies with the flesh
of the beares. Then by and by Babulus and I devised a pretty sport, wee
drew one of the greatest of the Beares to our lodging, as though wee
would prepare to eat thereof, where wee flayed of his skinne, and kept
his ungles whole, but we medled not with the head, but cut it off by
the necke, and so let it hang to the skinne. Then we rased off the flesh
from the necke, and cast dust thereon, and set it in the sun to dry.




THE TWENTIETH CHAPTER


How Thrasileon was disguised in a Beares skin, and how he was handled.

When the skin was a drying we made merry with the flesh, and then we
devised with our selves, that one of us being more valiant than the rest
both in body and courage (so that he would consent thereto) should
put on the skin, and feigning that he were a Beare, should be led to
Demochares house in the night, by which means we thought to be received