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Clo. Have I not told thee how I was cozen'd by the way, and loft all my money ?

Aut. And, indeed, Sir, there are cozeners abroad, therefore it behoves men to be wary.

Clo. Fear not thou, man, thou shalt lofe nothing. here.

Aut. I hope fo, Sir, for I have about me many parcels of charge.

Clo. What haft here? ballads?

Mop. Pray now, buy fome; I love a ballad in print, or a life; for then we are fure they are true.

Aut. Here's one to a very doleful tune, how a ufurer's wife was brought to-bed with twenty money-bags at a burthen; and how the long'd to eat adders' heads, and toads carbonado'd.

Mop. Is it true, think you?

Aut. Very true, and but a month old.

Dor. Blefs me from marrying a usurer !

Aut. Here's the midwife's name to 't, one Mistress Tale-porter, and five or fix honeft wives that were prefent. Why should I carry lyes abroad?

Mop. Pray you now, buy it.

Clo. Come on, lay it by; and let's first see more ballads; we'll buy the other things anon..

Aut. Here's another ballad, of a fish that appear'd upon the coaft, on Wednesday the fourfcore of April, forty thousand fadom above water, and fung this ballad against the hard hearts of maids. It was thought fhe was a woman, and was turn'd into a cold fish, for she would not exchange flesh with one that lov'd her. The ballad is very pitiful, and as true.

Dor. Is it true too, think you?

Aut. Five juftices hands at it, and witneffes more than my pack will hold.

Clo. Lay it by too: another.

Aut. This is a merry ballad, but a very pretty one..
Mop. Let's have fome merry ones.

Aut. Why, this is a paffing merry one, and goes to the tune of Two maids wooing a man; there's scarce a maid weftward, but the fings it: 'tis in requeft, I can. tell you.

Mop. We can both fing it; if thou 'lt bear a part, thou shalt hear, 'tis in three parts.

Dor. We had the tune on't a month ago.

Aut. I can bear my part; you must know, 'tis my Occupation have at it with you,

Aut. Get you hence, for I must go,
Where it fits not you to know.

Dor. Whither?

Mop. O whither?

Dor. Whither?

Mop. It becomes thy oath full well,
Thou to me thy fecrets tell.

Dor. Me too, let me go thither.

Mop. Or thou goeft to the grange, or mill.
Dor. If to either thou doft ill.

Aut. Neither.

Dor. What? neither?

Aut. Neither.

Dor. Thou haft fworn my love to be.
Mop. Thou haft fworn it more to me :

Then whither goeft? fay, whither?

Clo. We'll have this fong out anon by ourselves. My father and the gentlemen are in fad talk, and we 'll not trouble them. Come, bring away thy pack after me. Wenches, I'll buy for you both. Pedler, let's have the first choice follow me, girls.

Aut, And

you fhall

pay well for 'em.

SON G.

Will you buy any tape, or lace for your cap,
My dainty duck, my dear-a?

And filk, and thread, any toys for your head
Of the new'ft, and fin'ft, fin'ft wear-a?
Come to the pedler; money's a medler,
That doth utter all mens' ware-a.

[Exit Clown, Autolicus, Dorcas, and Mopfa.

SCENE VII. Enter a Servant.

Ser, Mafter, there are three carters, three fhepherds, three neat-herds, and three fwine-herds, that

have made themselves all men of hair*; they call themfelves faltiers; and they have a dance, which the wenches fay, is a gallymaufry of gambols, because they are not in 't : but they themselves are o' th' mind, (if it be not too rough for fome, that know little but bowling), it will please plentifully.

Shep. Away! we'll none on 't; here has been too much homely foolery already. I know, Sir, we weary

you.

Pol. You weary those that refresh us: pray, let's fee thefe four threes of herdfmen.

Ser. One three of them, by their own report, Sir, hath danc'd before the King; and not the worft of the three but jumps twelve foot and a half by th' fquare.

Shep. Leave your prating; fince thefe good men are pleas'd, let them come in; but quickly now.

Here a dance of twelve fatyrs.

Pol. O, father, you'll know more of that hereafter. Is it not too far gone? 'tis time to part them; He's fimple, and tells much.- -How now, fair fhepherd?

Your heart is full of fomething, that doth take

Your mind from feafting. Sooth, when I was young,
And handed love, as you do, I was wont

To load my fhe with knacks. I would have ranfack'd
The pedler's filken treafury, and have pour'd it
To her acceptance; you have let him go,
And nothing marted with him. If your lass
Interpretation fhould abuse, and call this
Your lack of love or bounty; you were traited
For a reply, at least, if you make care
Of happy holding her.

Flo. Old Sir, I know,

She prizes not fuch trifles as thefe are.

The gifts the looks from me, are pack'd and lock'd
Up in my heart, which I have given already,
But not deliver'd. O, hear me breathe my love
Before this ancient Sir; who, it fhould feem,
Hath fometime lov'd. I take thy hand, this hand,

* i. e. nimble, that leap as if they rebounded. The phrase is taken from tennis-balls, which were ftuffed with hair.

As foft as dove's down, and as white as it,
Or Ethiopian's tooth," or the fann'd fnow
"That's bolted by the northern blast twice o'er.
Pol. What follows this?

How prettily the young fwain feems to wash
The hand was fair before! I've put you out;
But to your proteftation: let me hear
What you profefs.

Fla. Do, and be witnefs to 't.

Pol. And this my neighbour too?

Flo. And he, and more

Than he, and men; the earth, and heav'ns, and all;
That were I crown'd the most imperial monarch
Thereof moft worthy, were I the fairest youth
That ever made eye fwerve, had force and knowledge
More than was ever man's, I would not prize them
Without her love; for her employ them all;
Commend them, and condemn them, to her fervice,
Or to their own perdition.

Pol. Fairly offer'd.

Cam. This fhews a found affection.

Shep. But, my daughter,

Say you the like to him?

Per. I cannot speak

So well, nothing fo well, no, nor mean better.

By th' pattern of mine own thoughts I cut out
The purity of his.

Shep. Take hands, a bargain;

And, friends unknown, you shall bear witness to 't. I give my daughter to him, and will make

Her portion equal his.

Flo. O, that must be

I' th' virtue of your daughter; one being dead,
I fhall have more than you can dream of yet,
Enough then for your wonder: but come on,
Contract us 'fore thefe witneffes.

Shep. Come, your hand;

And, daughter, your's.

Pol. Soft, fwain, a-while; 'befeech you, Have you a father?

Flo. I have; but what of him?

Pel. Knows he of this?

Pol. He neither does, nor fhall.

Pol. Methinks a father

Is, at the nuptial of his fon, a guest

That best becomes the table: 'pray you once more,
Is not your father grown incapable

Of reasonable affairs? is he not stupid

With age, and alt'ring rheums? can he fpeak? hear?
Know man from man? difpute his own estate ?
Lies he not bed-rid?. and, again, does nothing,
But what he did being childish?

Flo. No, good Sir;

He has his health, and ampler ftrength, indeed,
Than most have of his age.

Pol. By my white beard,

You offer him, if this be fo, a wrong
Something unfilial. Reafon, my fon

Should chufe himself a wife; but as good reason,
The father (all whofe joy is nothing else

But fair pofterity) should hold fome counsel
In fuch a bufinefs.

Flo. I yield all this;

But for fome other reafons, my grave Sir,

Which 'tis not fit you know, I not acquaint

My father of this business.

Pol. Let him know 't.

Flo. He fhall not.

Pol. Pr'ythee, let him.

Flo. No; he must not.

Shep. Let him, my fon, he fhall not need to grieve

At knowing of thy choice.

Flo. Come, come, he must not.

Mark our contract.

Pol. Mark your divorce, young Sir,

[Difcovering himfelf.

Whom fon I dare not call; thou art too bafe
To be acknowledg'd. Thou a fceptre's heir,
That thus affect'ft a fheep-hook! Thou old traitor,
I'm forry, that, by hanging thee, I can but
Shorten thy life one week. And thou, fresh piece
Of excellent witchcraft, who of force must know
The royal fool thou cop'ft with-

Shep. O my heart!

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