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and dressyd the brekfast; and so olde John was brenyd; and from thens forth yong John occupyed his place.
¶ Of the courtear that ete the hot custarde. xcvii.
¶ A certayne merchaunt and a courtear, being upon a time together at dyner hauing a hote custerd, the courtear being somwhat homely of maner toke parte of it and put it in hys mouth, whych was so hote that made him shed teares. The merchaunt, lokyng on him, thought that he had ben weeping, and asked hym why he wept. This curtear, not wyllynge [it] to be known that he had brent his mouth with the hote custerd, answered and said, sir: quod he, I had a brother whych dyd a certayn offence wherfore he was hanged; and, chauncing to think now vppon his deth, it maketh me to wepe. This merchaunt thought the courtear had said trew, and anon after the merchaunt was disposid to ete of the custerd, and put a sponefull of it in his mouth, and brent his mouth also, that his eyes watered. This courtear, that perceuyng, spake to the merchaunt and seyd: sir, quod he, pray why do ye wepe now? The merchaunt perseyued how he had bene deceiued and said[143]: mary, quod he, I wepe, because thou wast not hangid, when that thy brother was hangyd.
¶ Of the thre pointes belonging to a shrewd wyfe. xcix.
¶ A yong man, that was desirous to haue a wyf, cam to a company of Philosofers which were gadred to gider, requiring them to gif him their opinion howe he might chose him sich a wyf that wer no shrew. These Philosofers with gret study and delyberacion determinid and shewd this man that there were iii especial pointes, wherebi he shuld sure know if a woman were a shrew. The i point is that if a woman have a shril voyce, it is a gret token that she is a shrew. The ii point is that, if a woman have a sharp nose, then most commenly she is a shrew. The iii point that neuer doth mis is[144] that if she were [a] kerchefer,[145] ye may be sure she is a shrew.