knowing his charitable diſpoſition and that ſhe could have it cheaper than any where elſe, which the honeſt farmer meaſured out to her, and gave her three large handfuls over, ſaying, I know thou art poor, therefore, I give the theſe three handfuls over, that every child may take the better male at dinner. The poor widow with a thouſand thanks paid the corn: and praying for the proſperity of the farmer, that he might be bleſſed tripple old the next year, ſhe went home. No ſooner was ſhe gone, but the wife of the farmer began to ſcold at him, wiſhing that God might take her out of the world, if he continued to be ſo generous, he would undo himſelf, and the ſhe ſhould come to beg her bread. The goodman to avoid ſtrife walked out into his grounds, and pulling out the practiſe of Piety, which he always carried about with him, he read in it, that he might put the thoughts of diſturbance far from him. Walking and reading, at length he came to a large ſpreading oak, he ſat himſelf down under it, ruminating upon his paſt life, and the expectation of death and eternity: and leaning his head upon his hand, he fell aſleep and awaked not, till the moon had darted her beams upon his face, cauſed him to ariſe, and gueſſing it to be late bent his ſteps homeward: but coming within one field of his own houſe he ſpyed a perſon walking down another path, and they happened to meet together at the ſtyle; this ſtranger, who appeared to be young, was cloathed in white raiment, his hair was white as flax, his coat was a light colour, ſpangled with gold, his veſt of pure purple, his ſtocking of a delicate green, and every way nicely dreſſed, as made him appear more like a Divine than a human creature; and coming up, with the farmer, thus accoſted him. Honeſt father,
