yle, whose flessh is meruelouse lyght of
dygestyon, _bycause that_ byrd is euer mouying and styryng. The sekeman,
herynge the phesicion _say so_, answered hym and seyd: sir, yf that be
the cause that those byrdes be lyght of dygestyon, than I know a mete
moch lyghter of dygestyon than other[15] sparow swallow or wagtaile, and
that is my wyues tong, for it is neuer in rest but euer meuying[16] and
sterryng.

By this tale ye may lerne a good generall rule of physyke.

FOOTNOTES:

[14] Owned. In _Northward Hoe_, 1607, by Decker and Webster, act i.
scene i., the writers have made use of this story. See Websters' Works,
edit. Hazlitt, i. 178-9.

+ _Of the woman that followed her fourth husbands bere and wept._ viii.

+ A woman there was which had had iiii husbandys. It fourtuned also that
this fourth husbande dyed and was brought to chyrche vpon the bere; whom
this woman folowed and made great mone, and waxed very sory, in so moche
that her neyghbours thought she wolde swown and dye for sorow. Wherfore
one of her gosseps cam to her, and spake to her in her ere, and bad her,
for Godds sake, comfort her self and refrayne that lamentacion, or ellys
it wold hurt her and perauenture put her in ieopardy of her life. To
whom this woman answeryd and sayd: I wys, good gosyp, I haue grete
cause to morne, if ye knew all. For I haue beryed iii husbandes besyde
this man; but I was neuer in the case that I am now. For there was not
one of them but when that I folowed the corse to chyrch, yet I was sure
of an nother husband, before the corse cam out of my house, and now I am
sure of no nother husband; and therfore ye may be sure I haue great
cause to be sad and heuy.

By thys tale ye may se that the olde prouerbe ys trew, that it is as
great pyte to se a woman wepe as a gose to go barefote.

FOOTNOTES:

[15] either.

[16] moving.

+ _Of the woman that sayd her woer came too late._ ix.

+ Another woman there was that knelyd at the mas of requiem, whyle the
corse of her husbande lay on the bere in the chyrche. To whome a yonge
man cam and spake wyth her in her ere, as thoughe it had ben for som
mater concernyng the funerallys; howe be it he spake of no suche matter,
but onely wowyd her that he myght be her husbande to whom she answered
and sayde thus: syr, by my trouthe I am sory that ye come so late, for I
am sped all redy. For I was made sure yesterday to another man.

By thys tale ye maye perceyue that women