When she's unclean, she bawds; and when she's clean, she plays
the whore: So, all her time, she's either bawd or else
adulteress.
THE DEVOUT WOMAN AND THE TWO WICKED
ELDERS.[FN#124]
There was once, of old time, a virtuous woman among the children
of Israel, who was pious and devout and used every day to go out
to the place of prayer, first entering a garden, which adjoined
thereto, and there making the ablution. Now there were in this
garden two old men, its keepers, who fell in love with her
and sought her favours; but she refused, whereupon said they,
'Except thou yield thyself to us, we will bear witness against
thee of fornication.' Quoth she, 'God will preserve me from your
wickedness!' Then they opened the garden-gate and cried out, and
the folk came to them from all sides, saying, 'What ails you?'
Quoth they, 'We found this damsel in company with a youth, who
was doing lewdness with her; but he escaped from our hands.'
Now it was the use of the people of those days to expose an
adulteress to public ignominy for three days and after stone
her.
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