Ateu. What meanst thou by this?
Slip. Shifting fellow sir, these be thy words, shifting fellow:
This Gentlewoman I feare me, knew your bringing vp.
Ateu. How so?
Slip. Why sir your father was a Miller,
That could shift for a pecke of grist in a bushell,
And you a faire spoken Gentleman, that can get more land by
a lye, then an honest man by his readie mony.
Ateu. Catiue what sayest thou? 830
Slip. I say sir, that if shee call you shifting knaue,
You shall not put her to the proofe.
Ateu. And why?
Slip. Because sir, liuing by your wit as you doo shifting, is
your letters pattents, it were a hard matter for mee to get my
dinner that day, wherein my Maister had not solde a dozen of
deuices, a case of cogges, and a shute of shifts in the morning:
I speak this in your commendation sir, & I pray you so take it.
Ateu. If I liue knaue I will bee reuenged, what Gentleman
would entertaine a rascall, thus to derogate from his honour? 840
Ida. My Lord why are you thus impatient?