natures: however, as to the things of this world I had enough, and
endured their discontents with much sereneness. My mistress was very
curious to know of such as were then called cunning or wise men, whether
she should bury her husband? She frequently visited such persons, and
this occasion begot in me a little desire to learn something that way,
but wanting money to buy books, I laid aside these motions, and
endeavoured to please both master and mistress.


OF MY MISTRESS'S DEATH, AND OCCASION THEREOF BY MEANS OF A CANCER IN HER
BREAST.


In 1622 she complained of a pain in her left breast, whereon there
appeared at first a hard knob no bigger than a small pea; it increased
in a little time very much, was very hard, and sometimes would look very
red; she took advice of surgeons, had oils, sear-cloths, plates of lead,
and what not: in 1623 it grew very big, and spread all over her breast;
then for many weeks poultices were applied to it, which in continuance
of time broke the skin, and then abundance of watery thin stuff came
from it, but nothing else; at length the matter came to suppuration, but
never any great store issued forth; it was exceeding noisome and
painful; from the beginning of it until she died, she would permit no
surgeon to dress it but only myself; I applied every thing unto it, and
her pains were so great the winter before she died, that I have been
called out of my bed two or three times in one night to dress it and
change plaisters. In 1624 by degrees, with scissars, I cut all the whole
breast away, I mean the sinews, nerves, &c. In one fortnight, or little
more, it appeared, as it were, mere flesh, all raw, so that she could
scarce endure any unguent to be applied.