A Schole of wise conceytes wherein as euery conceyte hath wit, so the most haue much mirth : set forth in common places by order of the alphabet / translated out of diuers Greeke and Latine wryters by Thomas Blage ...

144 Of a woman that bet hir Husband.

A Certen Woman of a manly courage, had shrewdly beaten hir husband, which was a coward and dolte, bicause the Kight had stollen one of the chikens, which she going forth lefte him to tende: wherefore when his Wife was absent agayn, he tyed al the chickens to one thréed, and kept them more diligently, least the Kight should snatche any of them which he was put in trust to kéepe: but the Kight comming so∣denly, caughte one in his clawes, whiche as hée woulde haue caried away, he drew vp al the rest togither into the Aire. This wretched husbande remembring that for one chicken lost he was yll handled of his wife, was afrayd of more mischief to come, and thought it therfore better to die thā to trye hys wiues fury againe. Now this wittie woman had put certen figs into a little pot, wel dressed wyth hony and swéet spices, whereof she warned hir wise husbande, whose lickerousnesse she feared, that he should not tast thereof, bicause present poyson was in them. Hir husband wil∣ling to die, dyd▪ eate vp al the figs, supposing that

to be the best way to die and to escape his wiues anger. When the woman came home & knewe that the Kight had snatched away al hir chickēs, she tooke vp a staffe and determined to beate hir husband, bicause he kepte the chickens so yll: to whome hir foolish husband said: I praye thée wife beate me not nowe béeing readye to die, for I haue eaten vp all the poyson in the glasse, to pu∣nishe my selfe for my faulte. Then the woman turning hir anger into laughter, forgaue hir hus∣bande, which for kéeping hir chickens yll, other∣wise contented hir.

MOR Ther is no fit remedie against fooles.