A certaine young man being bitten with a mad dogge, fell presently af∣ter into madnesse himselfe; and was faine to be bound with chaines. The parents of this young man brought their sonne to an Abbot called Ammon; entreating him, that by his prayers hee would restore him to his former health; the holy Abbot answered, that they demanded that of him that pas∣sed his power: But this I can signifie unto you, that the Devill holdeth you all bound in his chaines, by reason of a Bull which you stole from a poore widdow; and untill you restore that Bull backe againe to the widdow, your sonne shall never be healed. The parents presently confessed their fault, re∣stored the Bull, and presently their sonne was delivered from this grievous disease.
A certaine Baker merrily talking with his neighbour, bragged, that in that great time of dearth which was then, he gained out of every bushell of Wheat above a crowne: which words being related unto the Governour of the Citie, hee sent for the Baker to supper, and examined him about those speeches; which the Baker could not deny: whereupon the Governour commanded him presently to put off his upper garments, and to knead so much dowe before him, that hee might finde out the manner of his deceit; which being done, hee and all his fellow Bakers in the towne was cast into prison, to their great disgrace.
The same Authour reporteth, That at Prague in Bohemia a Jew being dead, his friends desired that he might be buried at Ratisbone, forty miles off; which beca••se it could not bee done without paying of great tribute, they put his carkasse into a hog she••d full of sweet wine, and committed it to a carter to convey to Ratisbone. The theevish carters in the way being greedy of the wine, pierced the hogshead, and drinking themselves drunke with the wine, mixed with the stinke of the dead carkasse, most of them died.
The same Luther reporteth, that at Wittenberge three theeves having stolne a silver dish, brought it to a Goldsmiths wife to sell; who desired them to come againe within an houre, and then shee would bargaine with them. In the meane while she related this businesse unto the Magistrates; who sending presently the Sergeants to apprehend the theeves, they seeing themselves to be betrayed, resisted with their swords: but notwithstanding one of them was taken and executed, another escaped by flight, and the third being pursued over a bridge, leaped into the river Albis, and there was drowned. This example is more remarkable (saith Luther) because this fel∣low was a most notorious wicked wretch, and had cut off two fingers of his owne fathers; at which very instant his father not knowing of it, being as∣ked what was become of his sonne, answered, that he wished hee was drow∣ned in the river Albis; which wish was really performed at that very in∣stant; for it was the voyce of Gods anger out of the mouth of a father.
About Ailton in Huntington-shire, a lewd fellow stole one of his neigh∣bours fat weathers; and bringing him home bound about his neck, 〈…〉〈…〉 upon a great stone in the field to ••ase himselfe, where the weather st••••gling, fell over the stone, and pulled the thiefe after him; and so both striving, one for life, another for liberty, the theefe was found dead in the morning, and the weather alive.