thee and of the simpleness of thine intent. Straitness liketh me
not and thou in thy [present] craft gaiuest nought; so either do
thou seek out a craft other than this or pay me my due[FN#17] and
let me go my way.' Her husband chid her for this and admonished
her;[FN#18] but she would not be turned from her intent and said
to him, 'Go forth and watch yonder physician how he doth and leam
from him what he saith.' Quoth he, 'Let not thy heart be
troubled: I will go every day to the physician's assembly.'

So he fell to resorting daily to the physician and committing to
memory his sayings and that which he spoke of jargon, till he had
gotten a great matter by heart, and all this he studied throughly
and digested it. Then he returned to his wife and said to her, 'I
have committed the physician's sayings to memory and have learned
his fashion of muttering and prescribing and applying
remedies[FN#19] and have gotten by heart the names of the
remedies and of all the diseases, and there abideth nought
[unaccomplished] of thy commandment. What wilt thou have me do
now?' Quoth she, 'Leave weaving and open thyself a physician's
shop.' But he answered, 'The people of my city know me and this
affair will not profit me, save in a land of strangerhood; so
come, let us go out from this city and get us to a strange land
and [there] live.' And she said, 'Do as thou wilt.'

So he arose and taking his weaving gear, sold it and bought with
the price drugs and simples and wrought himself a carpet, with
which they set out and journeyed to a certain village, where they
took up their abode. Then the man donned a physician's habit and
fell to going round about the hamlets and villages and country
parts; and he began to earn his living and make gain. Their