O On a tyme cā Howlegias to Iubeke where is very strayght Iustyce And whyle y e Howleglas was there abydynge he harde tell of a wyne drawer y e was in a Iordes seller that was very prowde and presumtyouse and sayd that there was no man that culde deseyue hym or passe hym in wysdome and there was none of all the lordes that loued hym Than thought howleglas in his mynde howe he myght deseyue hym Thā vpon a tyme toke Howleglas. ij. pottes one of water and the other empty and he hyd the empty pot that nomā sawe it and cam to the seller and gaue the wyne dramer the empty pot and bad hym fyll the pot with wyne and so he dyd and whā it was full he browght it vp to Howleglas and than he loked a syde and in y e meane whyle howleglas set the pot of water in the pot or wynes place and hyd the pot of wyne & than ashyd he the drawer what he shulde pay and the drawer sayd. x. wytten that sayd howleglas the wyne is to dere for me / For I haue but viij. wytten Than was the wyne drawer angerye and sayde wyll ye set another pryce on y e wyne than y e lordes haue set Than sayd howleglas I haue no more money and I shall nath [...] ue it so thā take your wyne ageyne for I knewe it nat before / Than was the wyne deawer very angery and toke the [...]ot with the water & bare [Page]it downe into the seller and pored out the water into the vessell & went it had ben y e wyne & cam and gaue Howleglas the pot and sayd make ye me fyll wyne and ye haue no money to pay for it ye wene I be a fole & than sayde Howleglas pe be begyled of a fole and with that worde wēt his waye with the pottes / and than the drawer mystrustynge Howleglas for the wordes that he sayde and toke a sergant and ouer toke hym and serched hym and than they founde that he had two pottes vnder his mantell thā toke they Howleglas & peched hym for a thefe & browght hym to pryson and than sayd some that he had deserued to be hanged a some sayde that it was done for the nonse to deseyne the wyne drower and that was but well done For be shulde haue sene therto before for he sayth dayly that no mā shulde begyle hym. but they y t loued nat howleglas sayde that he was a thefe & that he shulde be hanged and thā was Howleglas browght before the Iuges and they gaue sētence that he shulde be hanged and on the morowe was he browght vnto the galowes for to be hanged for they that loued hym nat wolde fayne haue sene iusteyse done on hym and there were gathered many of y e cowne to se Howleglas suffer dethe / but the lordes of Iubeke were soryefor hym for some went that he culde socery or wytchecrafre [Page]that he therwith simlde be delyuered and as he was led towarde the galowse he lay all styll as thowght he had bene all deed and when he cam under the galowes than desyred he to speke w t the lordes & when the lordes were cum he fell upon his knes and prayed them that they wolde graunte hym a boue and the lordes sayde that shulde be his lyfe that he wolde aske. And than sayde How leglas it shall not be my lyfe not money nor it shulde nat coste them one pennye of coste And all y e lordes of Iubeke went to y e other syde of the galowes and toke acounsayll & they repeted his wordes and than agreed to graunt hym his peryeyon & cam to hym and bad hym aske whatsoeuer he wolde saue those wordes y t were a boue rehersed. And than thanked howle glas the lordes and sayd I pray you that euery oon of you wyll gyue me your handes thereon & thā all to gyther gaue hym they: hādes so that all y e lordes had graūted hym both he w t worde and hande Than sayd Howleglas to the lordes by cause I howe that ye be so faythefull of your wordes I shall showe to you my bone and than he sayd this is my bone that euery lorde of Iubeke to cū & kysse my ats when that I am hanged vpon the galowes by the space of .iij. dayes longe with his mowth in the mornynge fastynge and the Gorowghe mayster fyrste and all y e [Page]lordes after in order Than answered the lordes to Howleglas and sayd that that was a vnmanerly bone for to be asked And then sayd howle glas to the lordes of Iubeke I knowe the coun seyll of Iubeke so sure of theyr ꝓmyse that they wolde holde that they haue ꝓmysed bothe with hande & mowthe Then wentethe lordes ayene to counsayll and than sayde the oon to the other this thynge that he askes of vs it is vnlaufully asked for it were a great shame for vs [...]ll y t we y t be the greatteste lordes of the towne shulde cum and kys his ars better it were for vs to gyue hȳ his pardone & let hym goo his waye for it is but asmall faure that he hath done than agreed all the lordes and sayde that it was beste for to do / than called the lordes the Sergeaūtes and bad theym that they shulde vnbynde Howleglas & let hym go at large for they all had gyuen hym his ꝑdon & than dyd they vnlose Howleglas & when Howleglas was at large he thanked the lordes and than departed he fro Iubeke & was delyuered and neuer cam there after.
¶ Howe Howleglas becam a maker of spectakles and howe he culde fynde no worke in no lā de wheresoeuer he cam.
O [...] on a tyme y e Seniatours of Ro [...] h [...] great dyscorde amonge them selfe whiche of all the lordes shuld be Emperoure And at the laste was the Erle of Supplem browgh kyngs of Romanes and emperoure of Rome but there were many other that loked for it So when he was made he laye. vi. wekes longe before y t towne of Frankeforde [...] bydynge there for a [...] other lordes to tourment where was a great cō pany assembled And this herynge. Howleglas thowght in his mynde to goo thyder and so he and for there he thowght to get some gyfre and it were no more but the emperours syluer harnepse And as Howleglas passed be frankeford he met with the Bysshop of Taer and by cause that he was clothed auenturelye he asked hym what he was and Howleglas answered I am a spectacle maker cum out of Grabant and I cā fynde no worke than sayde the bysshop m [...] thȳ ke that youre crafte shulde be better dayly for y e people the longer the syue y e lesse syght they haue therfore your crafte shulde be better dayly / & than sayd Howleglas to the bysshop my lorde ye say trewthe but there is oon thynge that destroyeth our crafte and if that ye wyll nat take no despleasure I shall showe it to you / and than the bysshop bad hym say what he wolde & than sayde he this dell [...] wyes our crafte y t such [...]re [Page]Than sayd the merchaunte all angerly god d [...] ue it vnder nethe the galows [...] / and as he was a lytell ferther he spyed a Galowes & thyder dreued he the wagen vnder nethe y e galowes / and when it was vnder nethe he made the wagen to stande [...] vntyed the horse Than say [...] the merchan̄ [...]hat wyll ye nowe d [...] thā [...] Howleglas [...]ary here all nyght for ye b [...] [...] dreue vnder the galowes Than when thes [...] [...] sawe y t they were vnder y e galowse then [...] but the merchaunt was angery and [...] dreue fourth ryght and neuer stande [...] sayde Howleglas he wolde than pulled [...] a pynne that is in the wagen that he [...] [...] to the horse and droue the horse fourthe [...] folke standyng styll vnder [...] [...]ynge this lep [...] [...] and a p [...] with hym and runne [...] at the sas [...] they ouer toke hym [...] than y e [...] chaūte dreme his swerde and wolde haue [...] hym but the pryste wolde nat suffer hym / & th [...] made he faste y e horse a geyne & he than dre [...] out the iorney And whan the marchaunt was come home his wyfe asked howe he fared and howe he lyked his man he answered so so than he called Howleglas and bad hym tary there y t nyght and eate his belly full & in the mo [...]nynge departe fro thense for he sayde that he was but [Page]a begyler and a deseyuer where so euer he wēt [...] Than sayde Howleglas good mayster y t shall I doo and than a rose Howleglas erly in the mor nynge and as he was vp the merchaunte sayd eate and drynke your bellye full & ryd y e howse of you y t I fynde ye nathere when that I come ageyne for I muste goo to chyrche for & I fynde you here I shall bete you y t ye shall beshyte your breche And than hylde Howleglas his peace & spake neuer a worde to hym and when that the merchaunce was at chyrche than began he for to ryd all the howseholde stuffe out of the howse and bare it into the strete then worde cam to his mayster to the chyrche that all his howseholde stuffe stode in y e strete Than cam y e merchaūte home & sawe that it was Howleglas y t had borne out all his stuffe and asked hym why he dyd so and Howleglas sayd I do as ye bad me for ye bad me y t I shulde ryd your howse and so I haue of all your stuffe that ye haue / than sayd the merchaunte to Howleglas departe fro hense & cum no more here with y e delues name for here is no body that thākes the for thy laboure and than departed Howleglas his way and so was the merchaūte sayne to cary in his gere ageyne that Howleglas had borne out.
¶ Howe Howleglas was byd for a geste.
IN Iunē borowgh dwelled a flewte maker that knewe well lande roners and knewe also muche decepte And on a tyme cam he to y e ynne where Howleglas was and bad hym to mo [...]owe at none cumere with me than thanked Howleglas hym and sayd that he wolde & than departed the flewte maker home and on the morowe at none went Howleglas to the pype makers howse and when he cam there he fū de all the dores shyt and than walked he roūde a boute the howse tyll none was paste and then knewe he well that he was deseyued and returned home a gayne and on the mornynge as he walked in the marker he spyed the pype maker and than went he to hym and thanked hym for his dyner and sayde when ye byd a body shytte ye all youre dores / and the pype maker sayde I bad you cum eate but you culde nat cum in fo [...] I had shyt y e dores and than he lawhed and sayd goo to my howse a fore & I shall cum after to dyner for ye shall fynde there both roste and sodde and than departed Howleglas to the pype maker howse there he foūde altrewe as the pype maker tolde hym and than sayde he to the pype makers wyfe that she shulde goo as faste as she culde to hyr hushande and sayde y t he had a great sturgyn gyuen hym and sayd that he wolde turne the spytte tyll that she tam home a gayn [Page]the woman sayd good Howleglas kepe y e howse tyll that I come a yeen and lette no body in than departed the woman with hyr mayde towarde hyr husband as faste as she culde and met with hym by the way and whē he sawe hyr he asked hyr wether she wente so faste and she sayd to helpe hym for she sayde that Howleglas had tolde to hir that ye had a sturgen gyuē you and sayde that ye bad that we shulde cum & helpe you for it was so great that ye were nat able to bere it / than was the man angery and sayd knowe ye nat well that Howleglas is suche a mocker and a desse [...]er than wente he home with his wyfe and when he cam home he knocked at the dore and Howleglas sayde let be youre knockynge for the hooste hathe charged me that I shall nat let no geste in tyll dyner be done for thē she sayd that she wolde be here than sayd he y t is trewth but she ment nat so & thā went he to his nayghbours and tared there to Howleglas had dyned and when that Howleglas had dyned and made good there than opened he the dore and than the pypemaker cam in with all his folke And whan he was w tin he sayde to Howleglas that it was no honeste for a geste to shyt his hoostayse out of the dores and in this maner serued he his Hooste and the hoostayse.
[Page]with a good wyll and than toke Howleglas y e showne & put in the lyttell showne into y e great showne and sowed them bothe to gyther as his mayster had byd hym and at the laste that had sp [...]ed his mayster and sayd ye be a good seruāt fo [...] ye do all thynge as men byd you / Than an [...]tred Howleglas and sayde / they that do as they be byd they be wordy to haue thanke than sayde the mayster ye do after my sayinge and nat after my meanynge for I mente that fyrste ye s [...]tide haue sowed a lytell payre and after a great payer and the mayster was hastey & toke hym other ledder and sayde cut me all this ledder upon o [...]n laste and the mayster thought no more of the falsenes of Howleglas depa [...] his [...]hamber and when he was come [...] remnēbered he what he had sapd to [...] th [...]n wente he as faste as he cu [...] [...] [...]hoppe whe [...] as Howleglas [...] three Howleglas had cut all [...] ly [...] [...]il [...] [...] all for the [...]efte fo [...] [...] [...]ayster sowe all his leder all [...] he Howleglas [...] [...]he lesee fo [...]e a [...]gh [...]for [...] [...] g [...] with h [...] [...]han sayd [...] if [...]tye had [...] ha [...] n [...] they [...] als [...] [...] [Page]the mayster sayde I had the cutte the one with the other and thā answered Howleglas ye bad me cut all vpon on laste than answered y e showe maker if that I shulde kepe you longe you wol make me so pore that I muste nedes goo a beggynge but nowe gyue me moneye for myledder that thou haste marred me and departe fro hense Than answered Howleglas to the showe maker the hyde of a bull wyll make two hydes and with those wordes arose he & sayde in this howse haue I bene / but I wyll nat come here agayne and so departed he fro thense.
¶ Howe Howleglas solde courdes for fat.
[...] Howleglas had destroyed muche [...] the showemakers wherfore the [...] [...]s uery sory and that herynge [...] [...]ned ageyne to the towne and [...] [...]r and tolde hym that he had a [...] [...]lde his mayster that he shul [...] [...] [...]e for to restore hym parte of [...] [...]d done to hym before in his [...] showemaker sayde if it be [...] [...]me haue it before a nother [...] Howleglas with a good wyll [...] [...] [...]tud then went Howleglas [...] and made hym [...]yll .xij. [...] relles [Page]with towedes for a lytell money and thā toke he a lyttell talowe and put in the barelles .iiij. ynches thycke as thowghe it had bene all togyther grece and closed it so close that it shulde not stynke for it was in the wynter when there was a great froste that the durte was faste frosen to the barell and the other .vi. barelles he fylled with other talowe or fat more thycker than the other .vi. were for they were the example of his merchaūdyse And when that he had dressed all y e barelles he sence for his mayster the showemaker and asked hym if that he wolde cum se y e merchaundyse and he sayd he wolde / than with in a whyle cam y e showemaker to Howleglas and when he was come there Howleglas made y e heddes of y e beste Barelles to be broken vp whē y e cordeenr sawe the Barelles they lycked hym very well and thā Howleglas asked hym howethe Barelles pleased hym & he answered very well and than asked he the pryce and than answered Howleglas ye shall [...]ue me no more than .xxiiij. guyld [...]r [...] .xij. in ho [...]de & the other xij. at the yeres ende And than was the showemaker content and thowght no decente & gaue to hym the .xij. gu [...]ld [...]r [...] in hande and he reserued the money and departed & was glad and y e cordener was glad of the bargayne & thowght that the forsayde harme that he had done hym [Page]shulde be restored / and than he h [...]red manye felowes to melte the talowe and browght one barell by the fyer and when the durte began for to wexe whore than began it to smell than sayde y e one to y e other Iwene some of vs hath beshytyn theyr breche and than cam the mayster and bad theym make clene theyr showne for one of you hath trode in a courde and they loked all a boute but they founde nothynge. And than shulde they haue put one of y t barelles in the cauderne than sawe they well that it was the barell that stanke for it was full of turdes / And chan they lefte theyr worke & went for to seke Howleglas but he was gone and so the showemaker muste suffer the laste losse with the fyeste.
¶ Howe Howleglas serued a Tayler.
ON a tyme serued Howleglas a tayler and the tayler asked hym if that he culde sowe well and close that no man cause the seme / and than sayde Howleglas yea than went Howleglas & sowed vnder a barell than sayd his mayster what doest thou nowe this is a meruelows [...] sowynge / than answered Howleglas I sowe so cloche that no mā cause as ye bad me nor I my selfe se nat Thā answered his mayster good seruaunt I ment nat so but some that euery man [Page]ma [...] se & he s [...]d he wol [...] than y e thyrde nyght the [...]ayster [...]ad laboured so sore [...]t he muste nedes slepe thē caste he [...]o Howleglas a husbandes māgowne [...] bad hȳ [...] a wolfe & make it [...] and than sayd How [...] I shall do than [...] [...]he to bed than cut Howleglas the husban [...]s man gowne and made therof a wolfe with hed and fe [...]e And when that he had sowed it togyther than set he it vpon the table with stan [...] Than in the mornynge arose his mayster [...] cam downe and when he sawe the wolfe s [...] dynge vpon the table he was a frayde & [...] hym what he had done / And he sayde ma [...] I haue made a wolfe as ye bad me / than say [...] the master ment that ye shulde haue made vp [...] russet gowne for a husbādes man gowne [...] called here a wolfe Than answered Howleglas [...] that I had knowen y t before I wolde haue done so for I had leuer haue made a gowne thanne a wolfe / and than at the laste was the mays [...] [...] tence And within. iiij. dayes after watched the mayster so muche he muste nedes goo slepe and there was a cote reddye made but it lacked the sleues than y e mayster toke the cote & the sleues and gaue theym to Howleglas and bad hym y t he shulde caste on the sleues and he sayd he wolde than went his mayster to bed and than toke Howleglas y e cote & honge it on a balke & set on [Page]euery syde a candell and stode vp and caste the sleues at the Cote all the nyght longe and than a rose the the tayler and that spyed Howleglas and caste y e sleues more faster thā he dyd before at the cote / and that asspyed the tayler and sayd what folysshe toche is y t y t you do there And [...] answered Howleglas very angerly this is [...] folysshe toche for I haue stande all the nyght he recastynge the sleues at the cote and they woll nat byde thereon and nowe I se it is but loste laboure / Than sayde the mayster to Howleglas it is my faute for I wente y t ye wolde haue vnderstande me better for I ment that you shulde haue sowed on the sleues to the cote Than sayd Howleglas to his mayster the deuyll take you for if ye had sayd so to me before I myght haue sowed on the sleues and haue gonne slepte but nowe mayster goo you and sowe all the day longe and I wyll go slepe / And than answered the tayler haue I hyred you to slepe / & thus began they to chyde & as they were thus chydyng the tayler bad hym pay for his cādelles that he had by [...]ned that nyght and than Howleglas spake neuer a worde more but toke al his clothes and went his waye and [...]am no more there.