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hands and seals to these blank charters.

Grasier

jesu, receive my soul, I am departed!

Farmer

I am even struck to at heart too.

Butcher

alas, sir, we are poor men, what should our hands

do?

Bailey

there is no harm I warrant ye. what need you fear,

when ye see Bailey ignorance has sealed before ye?

Grasier

I pray ye let us see them, sir.

Nimble

here, ye bacon-fed pudding-eaters, are ye afraid

of a sheepskin?

Grasier

mass! it is somewhat darkly written.

Farmer

ay, ay, it was done in the night, sure.

Grasier

mass, neighbours, here is nothing that I see.

Butcher

and can it be any harm, think ye, to set your

hands to nothing? these blank charters are but little

pieces of parchment. let us set our marks to them, and

be rid of a knave's company.

Farmer

as good at first as last, we can be but undone.

Grasier

ay and our own hands undoes us, that is the

worst on it. lend us your pen, sir.

Butcher

we must all venture, neighbours, there is no

remedy.

Nimble

they grumble as they do it. I must put them down

for whisperers and grumblers. come, have you done yet?

Grasier

ay, sir. (would you and they were sodden for my

swine!)

Nimble

here is wax, then. I will seal them for ye, and you

shall severally take them off, and then deliver them

as your deeds.

come you boar's grease, take off this

seal here. so! this is your deed.

Farmer

faith, sir, in some respect it is and it is not.

Nimble

and this is yours.

Grasier

ay, sir, against my will, I swear.

Nimble

ox-jaw, take off this seal! you will deliver your

deed with a good conscience?

Butcher

there it is, sir, against my conscience, god is my

witness. I hope ye have done with us now, sir.

Nimble

no, ye caterpillars, we have worse matters against

ye yet. sirrah, you know what your landlord told ye,

concerning my lord Tresilian, and King Richard's new

favourites; and more than that, you know your own

speeches; and therefore mr Bailey, let some of your

billmen away with them to the high Shrieve's presently,

either to put in bail, or be sent up to the court

for privy whisperers.

Bailey

their offenses are most pestiferous. away with

them!

Omnes

now out alas, we shall all to hanging, sure!

Nimble

hanging? nay, that is the least on it, ye shall

tell me that a twelvemonth hence else.

Exeunt Officers with the three men

stand close, mr Bailey; we shall catch more of these

traitors presently.

Bailey

you shall find me most pestiferous to assist ye;

and so I pray ye, commend my service to your good lord

and master. come, sir, stand close; I see -

Enter a Schoolmaster and a Serving-man Servant

nay, sweet mr Schoolmaster, let us hear it again, I

beseech ye.

Schoolmaster

patientia. you are a servingman, I am a scholar. I

have shown art and learning in these verses, I assure

ye, and yet if they were well searched they are little

better than libels. but the carriage of a thing is

all, sir. I have covered them rarely.

Servant

sfoot, the country is so full of intelligencers that

two men can scarce walk together but they are attached

for whisperers.

Schoolmaster

this paper shall wipe their noses, and they shall

not boo to a goose for it; for I will have these verses

sung to their faces by one of my schoolboys, wherein

I will tickle them all, in faith. shalt hear else.

but first let us look there be no pitchers with ears,

nor needles with eyes about us.

Servant

come, come, all is safe I warrant ye.

Schoolmaster

mark then. here I come over them for their blank

charters; shalt hear else.

will ye buy any parchment knives?

we sell for little gain:

whoever are weary of their lives

they will rid them of their pain.

blank charters they are called

a vengeance on the villain,

I would he were both flayed and balled:

god bless my lord Tresilian.

is it not rare?

Nimble

oh rascals! they are damned three hundred fathom deep

already.

Schoolmaster

nay, look ye, sir, there can be no exceptions taken

for this last line helps all, wherein with