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equivocation I say "god bless my lord Tresilian." do

ye mark, sir? now here, in the next verse I run over

all these flatterers in the court by name. ye shall

see else:

a poison may be Green,

but Bushy can be no fagot:

god mend the King and bless the Queen,

and it is no matter for Bagot.

for Scroope, he does no good;

but if you will know the villain,

his name is now to be understood:

god bless my lord Tresilian.

how like ye this, sir?

Servant

most excellent, in faith, sir.

Nimble

oh, traitors! mr Bailey, do your authority.

Bailey

two most pestiferous traitors. lay hold of them,

I charge ye.

Servant

what mean ye, sir?

Nimble

nay, talk not, for if ye had a hundred lives they

were all hanged. ye have spoken treason in the ninth

degree.

Schoolmaster

treason? patientia, good sir, we spoke not a word.

Bailey

be not so pestiferous. mine ears have heard your

examinations, wherein you uttered most shameful treason,

for ye said, "god bless my lord Tresilian."

Schoolmaster

I hope there is no treason in that, sir.

Nimble

that shall be tried. come, mr Bailey: their hands

shall be bound under a horse's belly and sent up to

him presently, they will both be hanged, I warrant them.

Servant

well, sir, if we be: we will speak more ere we be

hanged, in spite of ye.

Nimble

ay, ay, when you are hanged, speak what you will, we

care not. away with them.

Exeunt Schoolmaster and Serving-man [with Officer]

ye see, mr Bailey, what knaves are abroad now you are

here: it is time to look about, ye see.

Bailey

I see there are knaves abroad indeed, sir. I speak

for mine own part. I will do my best to reform the

pestiferousness of the time, and as for example I have

set my mark to the charters, so will I set mine eyes

to observe these dangerous cases.

Enter one a-whistling Nimble

close again, mr Bailey: here comes another whisperer,

I see by some, oh villain! he whistles treason!

I will lay hold of him myself.

Whistler

out alas, what do ye mean, sir?

Nimble

a rank traitor, mr Bailey: lay hold on him, for he

has most erroneously and rebelliously whistled

treason.

Whistler

whistled treason! alas, sir, how can that be?

Bailey

very easily, sir. there is a piece of treason that

flies up and down the country in the likeness of a

ballad, and this being the very tune of it, thou hast

whistled treason.

Whistler

alas, sir, ye know I spake not a word.

Nimble

that is all one, if any man whistles treason it is

as ill as speaKing it. mark me, mr Bailey: the bird

whistles that cannot speak, and yet there be birds in

a mAnner that can speak too. your raven will call ye

rascal, your crow will call ye knave, mr Bailey.

ergo, he that can whistle can speak, and therefore

this fellow hath both spoke and whistled treason.

how say you, Bailey ignorance?

Bailey

ye have argued well, sir, but ye shall hear me sift

him nearer, for I do not think but there are greater

heads in this matter, and therefore, my good fellow,

be not pestiferous, but say and tell the truth. who

did set you a-work? or who was the cause of your whistling?

or did any man say to you, "go whistle"?

Whistler

not any man, woman or child, truly, sir.

Bailey

no? how durst you whistle, then? or what cause had

ye to do so?

Whistler

the truth is, sir. I had lost two calves out of my

pasture, and being in search for them, from the top of

the hill I might spy you two in the bottom here, and

took ye for my calves sir; and that made me come

whistling down for joy, in hope I had found them.

Nimble

more treason yet! he take a courtier and a Bailey

for two calves! to limbo with him. he shall be quartered

and then hanged.

Whistler

good mr Bailey, be pitiful.

Bailey

why, look ye, sir, he makes a pitiful fellow of a

Bailey too! away with him. yet stay awhile, here

comes your fellows, sir.

Enter Crosby and Fleming Crosby

now, mr Bailey, are your blanks sealed yet?

Bailey

they are, sir, and we have done this day most

strange and pestiferous service, I assure