Page:Mad pranks of Tom Tram, son-in-law to Mother Winter (1).pdf/11

 OF TOM TRAM. 11 to lie down, and away he goes. The wo- men came, and wondered what woman it ſhould be that left that cake; ſome of them: ſuppoſed that it was ſome midwife: They ſtaid a while, and the perſon they expected to be with them not coming, they fell ta their meat, and at laſt to the cake. But is was not long in their bellies before it began to work, ſo that one muſt go to fool, and- ther to vometing, and all of them were ſo ſick, that the ſmell of-them perfumed the houſe, and the breath of them was ſo ſtrong, that none could endure it: In which time Tom ſhifts himſelf into man's apparel, and with a ſtaff in his hand, came where his goſſips were, and hearing them groaning all the houſe over, opened the door and aſked them what was the matter? They anſwered, they were all poiſoned. Marry, quoth Tom, I hope not, if you pleaſe to let me have a horſe, I will ride to Mr. Doctor's and fetch an antidote to expel the poiſon. Take my horſe, quoth one; take my horſe, ſaid ano- ther; or mine, ſaid a third. Well, well, ſaid Tom, I will take one. And into the ſtable he goes, and takes three horſes, and to the doctor's he rides, and told him, that all the people of ſuch a houſe had eaten ſome thing that hindred them from going to ſtool; and prayed him that he would without de- lay, carry them ſome Glyſters; and that they had ſent a horſe for him and another for his man. The doctor, greedy of money,