Compare 1577 edition: 1 Then they bare him awaie, to laie him in the coun|ting house, & as they were about to laie him downe, the pangs of death comming on him,Arden [...]lain [...] outright. he gaue a great grone, and stretched himselfe, and then blacke Will gaue him a great gash in the face, and so kil|led EEBO page image 1065 him out of hand, laid him along, tooke the monie out of his pursse, and the rings from his fingers, and then comming out of the counting house, said; Now the feat is doone, giue me my monie. So mistres Arden gaue him ten pounds: [...]lacke will r [...]ueth ten pounds for h [...]s reward of Ardens wife, [...] murdering [...] husband. and he comming to Gréene, had a horsse of him, and so rode his waies. After that blacke Will was gone, mistresse Arden came into the counting house, and with a knife gaue him seuen or eight picks into the brest. Then they made cleene the parlor, tooke a clout, and wiped where it was bloudie, and strewed againe the rushes that were shuffled with strugling, and cast the clout with which they wiped the bloud, and the knife that was bloudie, wherewith she had wounded hir husband, into a tub by the wels side; where afterwards both the same clout and knife were found. Thus this wic|ked woman, with hir complices, most shamefullie murdered hir owne husband, who most entirelie lo|ued hir all his life time. Then she sent for two Lon|doners to supper, the one named Prune, and the o|ther Cole, that were grosers, which before the mur|der was committed, were bidden to supper. When they came, she said: I maruell where maister Ar|den is; we will not tarie for him, come ye and sit downe, for he will not be long. Then Mosbies sister was sent for, she came and sat downe, and so they were merie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 [...] what [...] after he m [...]rde| [...]ng of hir husband.After supper, mistres Arden caused hir daughter to plaie on the virginals, and they dansed, and she with them, and so séemed to protract time as it were; till maister Arden should come, and she said, I mar|uell where he is so long; well, he will come anon I am sure, I praie you in the meane while let vs plaie a game at the tables. But the Londoners said, they must go to their hosts house, or else they should be shut out at doores, and so taking their leaue, depar|ted. When they were gone, the seruants that were not priuie to the murder, were sent abroad into the towne; some to séeke their maister, and some of o|ther errands, all sauing Michaell and a maid, Mos|bies sister, and one of mistres Ardens owne daugh|ters. Then they tooke the dead bodie, and caried it out, to laie it in a field next to the church [...]yard, and ioining to his garden wall,The workers of this mis|chiefe carie out Arden [...]laine into the [...]. through the which he went to the church. In the meane time it began to snow, and when they came to the garden gate, they remembred that they had forgotten the kaie, and one went in for it, and finding it, at length brought it, opened the gate, and caried the corps into the same field, as it were ten pases from the garden gate, and laid him downe on his backe streight in his night gowne, with his slippers on: and betwéene one of his slippers and his foot, a long rush or two remai|ned. When they had thus laid him downe, they re|turned the same way they came through the garden into the house.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 This she did is colour hir wickednesse which by no meanes was [...]seable.They being returned thus backe againe into the house, the doores were opened, and the seruants re|turned home that had béene sent abroad: and being now verie late, she sent foorth hir folks againe to make inquirie for him in diuerse places; namelie, among the best in the towne where he was woont to be, who made answer, that they could tell nothing of him. Then she began to make an outcrie, and said; Neuer woman had such neighbors as I haue, and herewith wept: in somuch that hir neighbors came in, and found hir making great lamentation, pretending to maruell what was become of hir hus|band. Wherevpon, the maior and others came to make search for him.Arden a coue| [...] man and [...]errer of his priuat [...] b [...]fore common [...]. The faire was woont to be kept partlie in the towne, and partlie in the abbeie; but Arden for his owne priuat lucre & couetous gaine had this present yeare procured it to be wholie kept within the abbeie ground which he had purchased; & so reaping all the gaines to himselfe, and bereauing the towne of that portion which was woont to come to the inhabitants, got manie a bitter cursse. The maior going about the faire in this search, at length came to the ground where Arden laie: and as it hap|pened, Prune the groser getting sight of him,Ardens dead bodie is descri|ed by one of his acquain|tance. first said; Staie, for me thinke I sée one lie here. And so they looking and beholding the bodie, found that it was maister Arden, lieng there throughlie dead, and viewing diligentlie the maner of his bodie & hurts, found the rushes sticking in his slippers, and mar|king further, espied certeine footsteps, by reason of the snow, betwixt the place where he laie, and the garden doore.