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my hand more than ever you have done yet. At which harsh words he trembled, and looked as white as his wife’s smock, for fear he should miscarry with his basket of eggs, for he knew his wife would be as good as her word.
Then Simon taking his basket of eggs, trudged to the market; but no sooner came there, than seeing a vast crowd of people, he resolved to see what was the matter. When he came to the place, he found that two butler women had fallen out, and to that degree, that they had taken one another by the quoif, their hair and their fillets flying about their ears; which Simon seeing he was moved with compassion, and ran to past them, but in vain; poor Simon was still unfortunate, and came off with loss; for one of the women pulled him down and broke his eggs. Poor Simon was almost distracted to see ⟨the⟩ ground; but whether it was the fear of ⟨the⟩ anger of his wife, or whether it was ⟨courage⟩; this it was, Simon run in among them, ⟨and⟩resolved to be revenged on them for the ⟨loss⟩ of his eggs. Whilst they were in the fray, ⟨the⟩ constable came, and supposing them drunk ⟨gave⟩ orders they should be all set in the ⟨stocks⟩ together: Simon in the middle and ⟨the⟩ women on one side, which was ⟨accordingly⟩ done; but they rang such a peal in Simon's
