e of grace or vtter perdition, he start vp and took her
currishly by the neck, and askt her how long he should stay for her
Ladiship.

Thoutelst me (quoth he) of the plague, and the heauie hand of God, and
thy hundred infected breaths in one: I tel thee I haue cast the dice an
hundred times for the galleyes in _Spaine_, and yet still mist the
ill chance. Our order of casting is this, If there bee a generall
or captaine new come home from the warres, & hath some foure or fiue
hundred crownes ouerplus of the kings in his hand, & his souldiors al
paid, he makes proclamation, that whatsoeuer two resolute men will goe
to dice for it, and win the bridle or lose the saddle, to such a place
let them repaire, and it shall be ready for them. Thither go I & finde
another such needie squire resident. The dice runne, I win, he is
vndone. I winning haue the crownes, he loosing is carried to the
galleys. This is our custome, which a hundred times and more hath paid
mee custome of crownes, when the poore fellowes haue gone to _Gehenna_,
had course bread and whipping chere all their life after. Now thinkest
thou that I who so oft haue escapd such a number of hellish dangers,
only depending on the turning of a few pricks, can be scarebugd with
the plague? what plague canst thou name worse than I haue had? whether
diseases, imprisonment, pouertie, banishment, I haue past through them
all. My owne mother gaue I a box of the eare to, and brake her neck down
a pair of stairs, because she would not go in to a gentleman, when I bad
her: my sister I solde to an olde Leno, to make his best of her: anie
kinswoman that I haue, knew I shee were not a whore, my selfe would make
her one: thou art a whore, thou shalt bee a whore in spite of religion
or precise ceremonies.

Therewith he flew vpon her, and threatned her with his sword, but it
was not that he meant to wounde her with. Hee graspt her by the iuorie
throate, and shooke her as a mastiffe would shake a yong beare, swearing
& flaring he would teare out her wesand if she refused. Not content with
that sauage constraint, he slipt his sacriligious hand from her lilly
lawne skinned necke, and inscarfte it in her long siluer lockes, which
with strugling were vnrould. Backward hee dragd her, euen as a man
backward would plucke a tree downe by the twigs, and then like a traitor
that is drawen to execution on a hurdle, he traileth her vp and downe
the chamber by those tender vntwisted braids, and set