Part 21 (2/2)

_Hodge._ ”My conscience, Tib, my Gammer has never lost her neele?”

_Tib._ ”Her neele.”

_Hodge._ ”Her neele?”

_Tib._ ”Her neele, by him that made me!”

_Hodge._ ”How a murrain came this chaunce (say Tib) unto her dame?”

_Tib._ ”My Gammer sat her down on the pes, and bade me reach thy breches, And by and by, a vengeance on it, or she had take two st.i.tches To clout upon the knee, by chaunce aside she lears, And Gib our cat, in the milk pan, she spied over head and ears.

Ah! out, out, theefe, she cried aloud, and swapt the breeches down, Up went her staffe, and out leapt Gib at doors into the town: And since that time was never wight cold set their eyes upon it.

G.o.d's malison she have c.o.c.ke and I bid twentie times light on it.”

_Hodge._ ”And is not then my breches sewed up, to-morrow that I shuld wear?”

_Tib._ ”No, in faith, Hodge, thy breches lie, for all this never the near.”

_Hodge._ ”Now a vengeance light on al the sort, that better shold have kept it; The cat, the house, and Tib our maid, that better should have swept it.

Se, where she cometh crawling! Come on, come on thy lagging way; Ye have made a fair daies worke, have you not? pray you, say.”

Act I. Scene 4. Gammer, Hodge, Tib, c.o.c.ke.

_Gammer._ ”Alas, alas, I may well curse and ban This day, that ever I saw it, with Gib and the milke pan.

For these, and ill lucke together, as knoweth c.o.c.ke my boy, Have stacke away my dear neele, and rob'd me of my joy, My fair long straight neele, that was mine only treasure, The first day of my sorrow is, and last of my pleasure.”

_Hodge._ ”Might ha kept it when ye had it; but fools will be fools still: Lose that is fast in your hands? ye need not, but ye will.”

_Gammer._ ”Go hie the, Tib, and run along, to th' end here of the town.

Didst carry out dust in thy lap? seek where thou porest it down; And as thou sawest me roking in the ashes where I morned, So see in all the heap of dust thou leave no straw unturned.”

_Hodge._ ”Your neele lost? it is pitie you shold lacke care and endles sorrow.

Tell me, how shall my breches be sewid? shall I go thus to-morrow?”

_Gammer._ ”Ah, Hodge, Hodge, if that I could find my neele, by the reed, I'd sew thy breches, I promise the, with full good double threed, And set a patch on either knee, shall last this months twain, Now G.o.d, and Saint Sithe, I pray, to send it back again.”

_Hodge._ ”Whereto served your hands and eyes, but your neele keep?

What devil had you els to do? ye keep, I wot, no sheep.

I'm fain abrode to dig and delve, in water, mire and clay, Sossing and possing in the dirt, still from day to day A hundred things that be abroad, I'm set to see them weel; And four of you sit idle at home, and cannot keep a neele.”

_Gammer._ ”My neele, alas, I lost, Hodge, what time I me up hasted, To save milk set up for thee, which Gib our cat hath wasted.”

_Hodge._ ”The devil he take both Gib and Tib, with all the rest; I'm always sure of the worst end, whoever have the best.

Where ha you ben fidging abroad, since you your neele lost?”

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