A posie of gilloflowers eche differing from other in colour and odour, yet all sweete. By Humfrey Gifford gent.

Of one that hyred a foolish seruaunt, and was serued accordingly.

PAndolfus a Gentleman of Padua, on a time standing greatly in néede of a ser••••iant, chaunced to méete with one, wh•• he thought would well serue his turne: of whom hée demaunded, whether he would serue him for resonable wages, who made aunswere that hée would: but with this condition, that hée would at no time doe him any other ser∣uice, but looke to his horses, and ride with him. Héereon they concluded, and there were Indentures of couenants drawn, sealed, and deliuered for the performance of the premisses. It happened on a certaine day that Pandolfus, as hée rode with his new seruant, in a filthy mirie way, his horse stumbling, fell into a ditch, and Padolfus vnder him: who being in great feare and daunger, cryed vnto his man for helpe. His ser∣uaunt standing still, gaue him the looking on, saying that he•• was not bound to doe it, and that there was no such thing contained in his Indenture of couenaunt, and taking the copie thereof out of his pocket, beganne from poynt to point to reade the conditions of it, to sée whether it were therein

contained, or no, that hée should helpe him in such a i••oper∣die. His maister cryed out vnto him, saying, For the passi∣on of God helpe mée. Hée answered, I cannot sir: for that it is agaynst the couenantes of my Indenture. His maister tolde him, that if hée would not helpe him, and deliuer him out of this daunger, hée woulde not pay him such wages, as was therein contained hée should haue. The foolishe ser∣uaunt sayde that hée would not doe it, for feare of incurring the penaltie contained in the Indenture of couenaunt. And if his maister had not béene presently holpen by one that came that way, doubtlesse hée could neuer haue escaped.

For this cause, after their returne home, there were new co∣uenantes drawne, vnto which hée yeelded his consent, vnder a certaine forfeiture, to performe and obserue them truely: which was, that hée should assist his maister at all times; in all causes that hée commaunded him, and shoulde neuer departe or seperate himselfe from him.

It chaunced on a time, that Pandolfus entring into one of the chiefest Churches of the Citie, with certaine Venetian Gentlemen, his seruaunt alwayes folowed him at his shoul∣ders, and would neuer leaue him.

The Gentlemen and other that were by, for the rarenes of the sight, tooke vp a great laughter, through which the maister returning to his house, chidde him bitterly, shew∣ing him what a foolish and vnaduised part hée plaied, in wal∣king so childishly with him, in the Church, without any re∣spect, either of him, or the Gentlemen that were with him.

The seruaunt alledged vnto him, that hée had not done con∣trary to the couenantes that were drawne betwixt them, and had fulfilled the contents therof and no more. Vpon this there was a new couenant put in, that hée should goe far∣ther of from him.

After that time the seruant would kéepe himselfe aloofe, and not come néere him by fortie foote, at the least. And although his maister called him, and had néede to vse him:

Neuerthelesse, his seruaunt would not for feare of incur∣ring the penaltie contained in the Indentures. Heereat Pandolphus fretting a good at the folly, and simplicity of his man; told him that his comming farther of him, was to bée vnderstoode about a thrée foote distant The seruant thinking himselfe now too be apparauntly aduertised of his maisters meaning, tooke a staffe of the length of thrée foote, and as hée went in the citie, would set one end therof against his brest, and holding the other towardes his maisters shoulders, so followed him. The Citizens, & Prentises, seyng him to goe in this order, déeming him to bee some notable foole, did laugh at him vnmeasurably. The maister as yet not know∣ing wherfore they so laught, maruelled greatly, but being af∣terwards aduertised how he carried the staffe after him, he was in a great rage, reprehending his seruant vehemently, threatning also to beat him. And he weeping and lamenting, excused himselfe, saying, yée doe me manifest iniury, Maister, in going about to beate me; made I not a bargaine with you? haue I not obserued all the couenants? When did I any thing contrary to that you willed me? reade the Indenture, and then punish me if I haue fayled in any thing. And thus his maister could neuer iustly take him at any aduauntage. At another time his maister sent him to the Market, to buy meate, and speaking figuratiuely vnto him; saide; Goe thy way, and let it be a yéere ere yée come agayne: meaning that he should make spéed. The seruant ouer obedient to his mai∣ster, went into his Country and there tarried till the yéere was expired; and within one day after came home: & brought the meate with him to his maister, who maruelling thereat greatly; hauing forgotten what he gaue him in commande∣ment to doe, rebuked him as a Runaway; saying: yée are come somewhat too late, that the gallowes take you. But I wil reward thée according to thy desertes knaue and varlet, that thou art; and thou shalt bée sure to pay the penalty that thou hast forfeyted, and gettest not one peny of wages of me.

The seruaunt answered that he had not swarued from a∣ny one couenant contained in his Indenture: but had ob∣serued them all, and had obeyed him in euery thing that hée commaunded.

Call yée to minde maister (said hée) that whiles yée wil∣led mée to tary a yeere, ere I came againe: I haue done so: and therfore pay mée my wages that yée promised mee. And héere vpon they waged the lawe, and in conclusion the may∣ster was constrained to pay him his wages, whether hée would, or no.

THere dwelt in the Citie of Ferrara, an ex∣céeding rich man, and of a worshipfull house, who had a seruaunt called Fortu∣nius, a young man of no great witte. It chaunced that his maister on a time sit∣ting asléepe in his orchard, in the extreme heat of the sunne, Fortunius hauing a bush of fethers, kept of y^e flyes from his maister, y^e hée might take his rest the more quietly. Amongst the other flyes, there was one so importunate, that not waying the bush of fe∣thers, wherewith shée was striken, often, with her sharpe sting would neuer lin byting the balde pate of his maister, and hauing béene thrée or foure times to anoye him, would still prf••er to come againe.

In fine Fortunius noting the malapert presumption of the beast, not being able any longer to forbeare her, very vnaduisedly determined to kill her. And the flye sitting on the balde pate of his maister sucking out his blood Fortuni∣us like a simple and ignoraunt sette, tooke a weightie pestle of brasse that by chaunce lay some what too néere him; and lifting it vp with great force with intēt to kil the fly, knockt out the braines of his maister. He séeing his maister to bée ••••aine in déede, and thinking that hée should bée hangd for it, determined to runne away, and saue himselfe by flight:

But altering this his purpose, hée thought it better to burie him in some secrete place, and putting him into a sacke, did so. And then taking a great hée Goat of his maisters, flong him into a well, that stoode néere the Orchard where he slept. The goodman not comming in at night, as hée was accusto∣med, began to thinke euill of the seruaunt, and demanding of him for her husband, hée made answere, that hée saw him not.

Then the good wife being very sorowfull, beganne to wéepe bitterly, and with a skriking voyce, called her hus∣band, but all in vaine. Her parents and kinsfolkes séeing that the good man could not bée found, went to the Mayor of the Citie, and there accused Fortunius the feruaunt, saying, that hée should bée committed to prison, and so to be had on the racke, there to bée made to confesse, what was become of his maister.

The Mayor presently caused him to bée taken, and bound, and vpon presumptions committed him to the racke. The seruaunt not being able to abyde the torment thereof, promi∣sed to manifest the whole: so that hée myght bée let downe, and being taken downe, and had before the Mayor, with a craftie disceate, hée sayde, as foloweth.

Yesterday, as I was asléepe in the orcharde, and sodenly a great noyse awaked mée, which séemed, as though some great stone had falne into the well. I being astouied there∣at, ranne sodeinly thither, and looking into the water, saw it quiet and still, so that I sought no farther: whiles I re∣turned, I heard an other lyke noyse, & I stayde. And I veri∣ly thinke it was my maister, who being about to draw some water, fell into the well. But for that the troath may bée knowne of the matter, let vs al go thither, and I wil discend into the well to sée whether that it bée true or no, which I gather by presumptions.

The Mayor desirors to make proof of the troth hereof, called

all his brethren with him, and with diuers other Gentlemen came to the well. And with them went a great company of the common sort of people, both men and women, being desi∣rous to sée the issue of this matter. And behold as the wicked fellow by the cōmandement of the Maior descended into the well, & sought for his maister in the water, he found the goate which he had before throwne therinto, and ther with cried out to his mistresse, (which was amongest the rest of the compa∣ny) saying, hoe, mistres; tel me, had your husband any hornes? I haue found one here in this well, which hath a payre both greate and long, was hee euer your husband? she being sur∣prised with these spéeches, said neuer a words. The Maior with all the rest of the company stoode still, beeyng very desi∣rous to sée the dead body, which being drawen vp, when they perceaued that it was a Goate, they made such excéeding ioy, that they were like to breake insunder with laughter. And the Maior seing the chance, adiudged the seruant to be trusty, and released him as innocent, and it was neuer known what became of his maister; and the good wife with the scorne of the horne, remayned defamed euer after.