8
Night approaching she talked privately with her man John. wooing him to wed her, which he still, through bashfulness, refused; and when night drew on, she caused an extraordinary bed to be made up for her man John to be in, which bed was only for strangers to lie in, or for her husband when he was not well; and she herself lay in the next chamber.
When she had lain in bed an hour or two, she thought she had lain alone long enough. So she arose and went to her man John, shivering and shaking, and lifting up the bed cloath, he started. Who is there? quoth he. It is I, my sweet John, said she, it is an exceeding cold night, and I lying alone, am almost starved in my bed; good John afford me the favor of one night’s lodging by thy side, my John I pray thee. Alas! my poor mistress, quoth he, come lie close. Yea, yea, quoth she. O sweet, loving, and dear John—Here it will be proper to leave them till morning.
She got up early in the morning, and calling for her man John to go out with her, she took him to the Church of St Bartholomew and called for the priest of
