d and a malicious
one--as those two virtues are wont always to keep company
together--was at dispute with another neighbour of hers in the
town. And on a time she made of her counsel a poor neighbour of
hers, whom she thought she might induce, for money, to follow her
intent. With him she secretly spoke, and offered him ten ducats
for his labour, to do so much for her as in a morning early to
come to her house and with an axe unknown privily strike off her
head. And when he had done so, he was to convey the bloody axe
into the house of him with whom she was at dispute, in such manner
as it might be thought that he had murdered her for malice. And
then she thought she should be taken for a martyr. And yet had she
farther devised that another sum of money should afterward be sent
to Rome, and there should be measures made to the Pope that she
might in all haste be canonized!

This poor man promised, but intended not to perform it. Howbeit,
when he deferred it, she provided the axe herself. And he
appointed with her the morning when he should come and do it, and
thereupon into her house he came. But then set he such other folk
as he wished should know of her mad fancy, in such place appointed
as they might well hear her and him talk together. And after he
had talked with her so much as he thought was enough, he made her
lie down, and took up the axe in his own hand. And with the other
hand he felt the edge, and found a fault that it was not sharp,
and that therefore he would in no wise do it, till he had ground
it sharp. He could not otherwise, he said, for pity, it would put
her to so much pain. And so, full sore against her will, for that
time she kept her head still. But because she would no more suffer
any more to deceive her and put her off with delays, ere it was
very long thereafter, she hung herself with her own hands.

VINCENT: Forsooth, here was a tragical story, whereof I never
heard the like.

ANTHONY: Forsooth, the party who told it to me swore that he knew
it for a truth. And he is, I promise you, such as I reckon for
right honest and of substantial truth.

Now, here she forbore not, as shameful an intent as she had, to
make someone of her counsel--and yet, I remember, another too,
whom she trusted with the money that should procure her
canonization. And here I believe that her temptation came not of
fear but of high malice and pride. And then was she so glad in
that pleasant device that, as I told y