Another tyme the lord asked his seruaunt in the nyght (f. 133) if
any fuyre were in the house. He forsoth cald the cat and tempted
hir whether she were hote or nat, whiche whan[1] he fond cold saide
to his lord ther was noon."
[The Yongman]: "Of the yongman his slowth now have I herd and the jangler I coveite to here." Than thold man: "It is saide that his lord cam glad from the market for the moche wynnyng that he had there. And Maymund the seruaunt went out agenst his lord; whom whan his lord saw, [he was] crymynous lest any shrewd tidynges [he would tell], as he was wont to tell, [and] saide vnto hym: 'Beware thow tel me no shrewd tidynges.' The seruaunt saide: 'I shal tel the no shrewde tidynges; but, sir, Bispel our litel dog is dede.' To whom the lord: 'How is he dede?' The seruaunt: 'Our Mule was agast and brake his halter[2] and trade the hounde vndir his feete and so hath slayn hym.' The lord: 'And what is don of the Mule?' The seruaunt saide: 'He fil in the diche and is dede.' The lord than: 'How was the Mule gasted?' Than the seruaunt: 'Yowre sone fil from the solier above so that he is dede, and so was the Mule gasted.' Than the lord: 'What dide his Moder?' The seruaunt: 'For the grete sorowe of hir sone she is dede.' The lord: 'Who kepith the house?' The seruaunt: 'Noon, forwhy it is torned into asshen and what ellis that was therin.' The lord: 'How was it brent?' The seruaunt: 'The same nyght that my lady deide, the foote Maiden whiche wacchid for my lady was foryeteful and left the candel in the Chamber and so thyn house is brent.' The lord: 'Wher is the footemayde?' The seruaunt: 'She wold have qwenched the fuyre and[3] fil vpon hir hede and is dede.' The lord: 'How escapest thow whiche art so slow?' The seruaunt: 'Whan I saw the foote maide dede I fled.'
Than the lord wounder sorowful cam to his neighburghs
praieng hem to host and herburgh hym in sum howse. In the meane
while he mette oon of his friendis, whiche whan he saw hym sorowful
asked hym why he sorowed. He to hym reherced that his seruaunt
had saide. The friende forsoth to the desolate friende reherced
ageyne, sayeng as to make hym myrry: 'Friende, nyl thow
be nat desolate ne sory, forwhi often tymes fallen to a man many
worldly aduersitees that thoo thynges desirith and with honest deth
to fynissh; and anoon suche comodites comen vnto hem that the
more redier swetnes be to hym to Remembre of the aduersitees
