into consideration.'

"Hereupon the priest and the King's judge came to a conclusion. They
said: 'The time is short, much delay cannot be given; it is a saying
here, eat or die.'

"So the King's judge spoke to the town clerk saying: 'Are the women
without?' He answered: 'No, there are as yet none there.' Then the
judge said: 'Go, and you will find them either at my house or with Frau
Geneussin.' The town clerk found no one at the house of the King's
judge, but at that of Frau Geneussin there were about fifteen. To these
he said: 'His reverence the priest, together with his honour the King's
judge, and the honourable council, send greeting to the ladies, and beg
that they will come to the council-house, where the gentlemen are
assembled.'

"Then the wife of the King's judge answered: 'Yea, yea, greet them in
return, and we will come soon.' So the women went two and two, the
judge's and burgomaster's wives foremost, and ascended the stairs of
the council-house, but the other women who had collected at the bread
tables or elsewhere, or in houses, came after them in great numbers, by
troops. Now when the servant had announced to the council that the
women were there, the King's judge said: 'Let them in.' The servant
replied: 'Sir, there will not be room here for them all; I believe that
there are five hundred of them together. The council-house is full of
them, part of them are already sitting on the musicians' stools.'

"Then the priest began: 'Indeed, we must pause awhile, this is not
well. I only intended at first that the most distinguished wives, such
as those of the council, the justices, and jurymen should be called.
Ay, ay, what have you done?' The servant answered: 'Your reverence must
be informed, that yesterday the King's judge commanded that all the
women who had not been converted, or would not be so, should be
summoned, and to begin with his wife; this I have done, and because it
was rather late, I told most of those whom I met that they should
notify this to the others, that they were to come on the morrow without
fail on pain of punishment. I believe I have done no wrong.'

"The priest spoke again: 'Ay, ay, gentlemen, gentlemen, this is not
well. I know not how we shall manage to be rid of a portion of these
women.'

"Thereupon the King's judge said to the priest: 'Let your reverence be
content; we will arrange the business, and in the beginning we will
only call in the women of distinction. When the