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market place against my lord Tresilian and the rest of

the King's young counsellors. if such there be, we will

have some aid and attach them speedily.

Bailey

ye shall do well, sir, and for your better aiding,

if you can but find out my brother, mr ignoramus, he

will be most pestiferous unto ye, I assure ye.

Crosby

I am afraid he will not be found, sir, but we will

inquire. come, fellow Fleming and Nimble, look to the

whisperers I charge ye.

Nimble

I warrant ye. come, mr Bailey, let your billmen

retire till we call them; and you and I will here

shadow ourselves and write down their speeches.

Bailey

nay, you shall write and I will mark, sir.

Enter a Farmer, a Butcher, and a Grazier, very hastily

and see, see, here come some already, all rich

chubbs, by the mass. I know them all, sir.

Farmer

tarry, tarry, good neighbours, take a knave with

ye! what a murrain! is there a bear broke loose in

the town, that ye make such haste from the market?

Grasier

a bear? no, nor a lion baited neither. I tell ye,

neighbour, I am more afraid of the bee than the bear.

there is wax to be used today, and I have no seal about

me. I may tell you in secret, here is a dangerous

world towards. neighbour, you are a Farmer, and I hope

here is none but god and good company. we live in such

a state, I am even almost weary of all, I assure ye.

here is my other neighbour, the Butcher, that dwells at

hockley, has heard his landlord tell strange tidings.

we shall be all hoisted and we tarry here, I can tell

ye.

Nimble

they begin to murmur. I will put them down all for

whisperers. mr Bailey, what is he that talks so?

Bailey

his name is cowtail, a rich Grasier, and dwells

here hard by at leighton buzzard.

Nimble

cowtail, a Grasier, dwelling at leighton,

buzzard, my Bailey?

Bailey

right, sir. listen again, sir.

Farmer

ah, sirrah? and what said the good knight your

landlord, neighbour?

Butcher

marry, he said, but I will not stand to anything, I

tell ye that aforehand. he said that King Richard's

new counsellors (god amend them) had crept into honester

men's places than themselves were; and that the King's

uncles and the old lords were all banished the

court. and he said flatly we should never have a

merry world as long as it was so.

Nimble

Butcher, you and your landlord will be both hanged

for it.

Butcher

and then he said there is one Tresilian, a lawyer,

that has crept in amongst them and is now a lord forsooth,

and he has sent down into every country of England

a sort of black chapters.

Farmer

black chapters? a' god's name, neighbour, out

of what black book were they taken?

Grasier

come, come. they are blank charters, neighbours.

I heard of them afore, and therefore I made

such haste away. they are sent down to the high

Shrieve with special charge that every man that is of

any credit or worship in the country must set their

hands and seal to them, for what intent I know not. I

say no more, I smell something.

Farmer

well, well, my masters. let us be wise. we are

not all one man's sons. they say there are whispering

knaves abroad. let us hie us home, for I assure ye,

it was told me where I broke my fast this afternoon that

there were above three score gentlemen in our shire

that had set their hands and seals to those blank

charters already.

Grasier

now god amend them for it, they have given an ill

example we shall be forced to follow.

Butcher

I would my wife and children were at jerusalem

with all the wealth! I would make shift for one, I warrant

them. come, neighbours, let us be gone.

Nimble

step forward with your bills, mr Bailey. not too

fast, sirs! I charge ye in the King's name to stand

till we have done with ye.

Omnes

saint benedicite, what must we do now, trow?

Bailey

be not so pestiferous, my good friends and neighbours.

you are men of wealth and credit in the country

and therefore as I myself and others have begun, I

charge ye in his highness' name presently to set