Page:History of the four Kings of Canterbury, Colchester, Cornwall, and Cumberland.pdf/19

 came up to her, saying wash me, comb me, lay me down softly. but she bang'd it with her bottle, saying, hang you, take this for your washing. So the second and third heads came up, and met with no better welcome than the first. Whereupon the heads consulted among themselves, what evils to plague her with for such usage. The first said, let her be struck with leprosy in her face. The second said, let an additional stink be added to her breath. The third be- stowed on her a husband, tho' but a poor country-cobler. This done, she goes on till she came to a market-town, and it being market-day, the people smell'd a stink, and seeing such a mangy face, all fled, but a poor cobler, who not long before had mended the shoes of an old hermit, who having no money, gave him a box of ointment for the cure of the leprosy, and a bottle of spirits for a stinking breath. Now the cobler having a mind to do an act of charity, was minded to try an experiment; so going up to her, asked her who she was? I am, said she, the King of Colchester's daughter-in-law. Well, said the Cobler, if I restore you to your natural complexion, and make a sound cure both in face and breath, will you in reward take me for a husband? Yes, friend