Sec. Car. Time enough to go to bed with a candle, I
warrant thee. Come, neighbour Mugs, we'll call up the
gentlemen: they will along with company, for they have
great charge. [Exeunt Carriers.[2251]
Gads. What, ho! chamberlain![2252]45
Cham. [Within] At hand, quoth pick-purse.[2253]
Gads. That's even as fair as—at hand, quoth the[2254]
chamberlain; for thou variest no more from picking of
purses than giving direction doth from labouring; thou
layest the plot how.[2255]50
Enter Chamberlain.
Cham. Good morrow, Master Gadshill. It holds current
that I told you yesternight: there's a franklin in the
wild of Kent hath brought three hundred marks with him
in gold: I heard him tell it to one of his company last
night at supper; a kind of auditor; one that hath abundance55
of charge too, God knows what. They are up already, and
call for eggs and butter: they will away presently.
Gads. Sirrah, if they meet not with Saint Nicholas'
clerks, I'll give thee this neck.
Cham. No, I'll none of it: I pray thee, keep that for[2256]60
the hangman; for I know thou worshippest Saint Nicholas
as truly as a man of falsehood may.
Gads. What talkest thou to me of the hangman? if I
hang, I'll make a fat pair of gallows; for if I hang, old Sir
John hangs with me, and thou knowest he is no starveling[2257]65
Tut! there are other Trojans that thou dreamest
not of, the which for sport sake are content to do the profession
some grace; that would, if matters should be looked
into, for their own credit sake, make all whole. I am joined[2258]
with no foot-land rakers, no long-staff sixpenny strikers,[2259]70
none of these mad mustachio purple-hued malt-worms; but[2260]
with nobility and tranquillity, burgomasters and great oneyers,[2261][2262]
such as can hold in, such as will strike sooner than[2262][2263]
speak, and speak sooner than drink, and drink sooner than[2263][2264]
pray: and yet, 'zounds, I lie; for they pray continually to[2265]75
their saint, the commonwealth; or rather, not pray to her,[2266][2267]
but prey on her, for they ride up and down on her and[2267][2268]
make her their boots.[2268]
Cham. What, the commonwealth their boots? will she
hold out water in foul way?80