the whole matter (to please and gratify his mother)
went immediately to the young maiden, keeping the
matter secret in his heart, for feare of inconvenience,
and (lamenting to see his sister forsaken both of mother
and father) incontinently after endowed her with part
of his owne goods, and would have married her to one
of his especial and trusty friends: But although
hee brought this to passe very secretly and sagely,
yet in the end cruell fortune sowed great sedition
in his house. For his wife who was now condemned
to beasts, waxed jealous of her husband and began
to suspect the young woman as a harlot and common queane,
insomuch that shee invented all manner of meanes to
dispatch her out of the way. And in the end shee
invented this kind of mischiefe: She privily stale
away her husbands ring, and went into the country,
whereas she commanded one of her trusty servants to
take the ring and carry it to the mayden. To
whom he should declare that her brother did pray her
to come into the country to him, and that she should
come alone without any person. And to the end
shee should not delay but come with all speed he should
deliver her the ring, which should be a sufficient
testimony of the message. This mayden as soone
as she had received the ring of her brother, being
very willing and desirous to obey his commandement:
(For she knew no otherwise but that he had sent for
her) went in all hast as the messenger willed her
to doe. But when she was come to the snare and
engine which was prepared for her, the mischievous
woman, like one that were mad, and possessed with
some ill spirit, when the poore maiden called for
helpe with a loud voyce to her brother, the wicked
harlot (weening that she had invented and feined the
matter) tooke a burning firebrand and thrust it into
her secret place, whereby she died miserably.
The husband of this maiden but especially her brother,
advertised of her death, came to the place where she
was slain, and after great lamentation and weeping,
they caused her to be buried honourably. This
yong man her brother taking in ill part the miserable
death of his sister, as it was convenient he should,
conceived so great dolour within his mind and was
strucken with so pestilent fury of bitter anguish,
that he fell into the burning passions of a dangerous
ague, whereby he seemed in such necessity, that he
needed to have some speedy remedy to save his life.
The woman that slew the Maiden having lost the name
of wife together with her faith, went to a traiterous
Physician, who had killed a great many persons in
his dayes and promised him fifty peeces of Gold, if
he would give her a present poyson to kill her husband
out of hand, but in presence of her Husband, she feined
that it was necessary for him to receive a certaine
kind of drink, which the Maisters and Doctours of
Physicke doe call a sacred Potion, to the intent he
might purge Choller and scoure the interiour parts
of his body. But the Physitian in stead of that
drinke prepared a mortall and deadly poyson, and when