Cap. 29.

A Fewe daies after, this Boie inuented an other mischiefe: For whē he had solde al y^• wood, which I bare, to certain men dwelling in a village by, he led me homeward vnladen: And then he cried that he was not able to rule me, & that he woulde not driue me any lenger to the hill for woodde, saiyng: doo you sée this slowe and dull Asse, who besides all the mischiefes that he hath wrought alreadie, inuenteth dailie more & more. For when he espieth any woman passing by the waie, whether she be olde or maried, or if it be a yonge childe, he will throwe his burthen from his backe and ronneth fiersly vpon thē. And after y^t he hath throwen them downe, he will stride ouer them to committe his buggery and beastlie pleasure, moreouer he will faine as though he would kisse them, but he will byte their faces cruellie, whiche thinge may woorke vs great dis∣pleasure, or rather be imputed vnto vs as a crime: and euen now when he espied an honest maiden passing by the highe waie, he by and by threwe downe his woodde & ranne after her: And when he had throwen her vpon the ground, he would haue rauished her before the face of all the worlde, had it not bene that by reason of her criyng out, she was succoured and pulled frō his héeles and so deliuered. And if it had so come to passe that this fearfull maiden had bene slaine by him, what daun∣ger had we bene in? By these and like lies, he prouoked the shéepeherdes earnestlie against me, whiche greued Page  [unnumbered] me (God wote) full sore that saide nothing. Then one of the shepeherdes said: Why doo we not make sacrifice of this common adulterouse Asse. My sonne ({quod} he) let vs kill him and throwe his guttes to the dogges,* & reserue his fleshe for the labourers supper. Then let vs cast dust vpō his skinne, & carie it home to our maister, and say that the Wolues hath deuoured him. The boie that was my euill accuser, made no delaie but prepared him selfe to execute the sentence of the shepeherde, re∣ioysing at my present daūger, but O how greatly did I then repent that the stripe which I gaue him with my héele had not killed him. Then he drewe out his swoord and made it sharpe vpon a whetstone to slea me, but an other of the shepeherdes gan saie, verely it is a great offence to kill so faire an Asse.* And so (by accusation of luxurie and lasciuious wantonnes) to lacke so necessary his labour and seruice, where otherwyse if you would cut of his stones, he might not onely be depriued of his courage, but also become gentle, that we should be de∣liuered from all feare of daunger. Moreouer, he would be thereby more fat and better in fleshe. For I knowe my selfe as well many Asses, as also moste fierce hor∣ses, that by reason of their wantonnes, haue bene most madde and terrible, but (when they weare gelded and cut) they haue become very gentle and tame, and trac∣table to all vse. Wherfore I would counsell you to geld him. And if you consent therto, I will by and by, when I goe to the next market fetche mine yrons and tooles for the purpose: And I ensure you after y^• I haue gel∣ded and cut of his stones, I will deliuer him vnto you as tame as a lambe. When I did perceiue that I was deliuered from death,* and reserued to be gelded, I was greatly sorie, in so muche that I thought all the hinder Page  75 part of my bodie and my stones did ake for woo, but I sought about to kil my selfe by some maner of meanes, to thende if I should die, I would die with vnperished members.