[67.] Mr. French the King's Fisher, beeing a Widower, married a young woman, and shortly died, on whom one made this distich.
By fish hee liv'd, by fish hee thriv'd,
He touched ye flesh, and so hee died.
[103.] An Alderman of Norwich, having a Maid servant Married from his House, went two or three Years after to see her, and ask'd (amongst other things) how many Children she had? Truly Sir, says she, none. O Lord, replys he, what should be the reason of that? I don't know, says the Woman. Alas! adds the Old Fellow, now I remember me, your Mother had none.
[105.] After a while Scogin came to London, hee married a young woman, taking her for a maid, as other men doe. At last he thought to prove his wife, and fained himselfe sicke. Oh good wife, saies he, I will shew you a thing, and if you will promise me to conceale it. She said, Sir, you may tell mee what you will, I were worse than accursed, if I should disclose your counsell: O wife, said Scogin, I had a great pang to day in my sicknesse, for I did parbrake,[230] and cast out a Crow. A Crow? said shee. Yea, said Scogin, God helpe me. Be of good comfort said she, you shall recover and doe well. Well wife, said Scogin, goe to Church and pray for me: shee went to the Church, and by & by one of her gossips met with her and asked how her husband did. I wis,[231] said she, a sore sick man he is, and like to die, for there is an evill signe and token in him. What is that, Gossip? said shee. Nay, by gisse,[232] I will not tell it to any man alive. What, said the woman, you may tell me, for I will never bewray your counsell. By gisse, said Scogin's wife, if I wist that you wold keep my counsel, I wold tel you. Then said the woman, whatsoever you doe tell, I will lay it dead under my feet. Oh, said Scogins wife, my husband parbraked two Crowes. Jesus, said the woman, I never heard of such a thing. This woman as she did meet with another gossip of hers, shewed that Scogin had parbraked three Crowes. So it went on from one gossip to another, that ere Mattens were finished, all the parish knew that Scogin had parbraked twenty Crowes. And when the Priest was ready to goe into the Pulpit, one came to request him and all the Parish to pray for Scogin, for he had parbraked twenty Crowes. The Priest blessed him and said to the Parishioners, I doe pray you pray for Scogin, for he is in perill of his life, and hath parbraked 21 Crowes. By and by one went to Scogin, and said, Sir, is it as it is spoken in the Church of you? What is that, said Scogin. The Priest said in the Pulpit that you parbraked 21 Crowes. Said Scogin, what a lie is this? By & by the bels were told for sacring, and Scogin hied him to Church, lustily and merry, and when the men and women did see him in the Church, they looked upon one another, and marvelled of this matter. After Masse, Scogin asked what were they that they should bring such a tale upon him. At last the matter was so boulted out, that the original of the cause began at Scogins wife.
[230] Or parbreak, to vomit.
[231] Suppose or think.
[232] An oath, a corruption of Jesus.
[17.] A poor Countrey Boy came up to London to be an Apprentice to a Cobler, and seeing the Lord Mayors show, and hearing that Sir Simon Eyre who formerly was Lord Mayor, had been apprentice to a Shoemaker; one said to him, Is not this a brave show: I, says the Boy, 'tis this we must all come to.