CAREAWAY. Now dare I speak, so mote I the, Master Bongrace is my master, and the name of me Is Jenkin Careaway! JACK JUGGLER. What, sayest thou so? CAREAWAY. And if thou wilt strike me, and break thy promise, do, And beat on me, till I stink, and till I die; And yet woll I still say that I am I! JACK JUGGLER. This Bedlam knave without doubt is mad-- CAREAWAY. No, by God, for all that I am a wise lad, And can call to remembrance every thing That I did this day sith my uprising; For went not I with my master to-day Early in the morning to the tennis-play? At noon, while my master at his dinner sat, Played not I at dice at the gentleman's gate? Did not I wait on my master to supper-ward? And I think I was not changed the way homeward! Or else, if thou think I lie, Ask in the street of them that I came by; And sith that I came hither into your presence, What man living could carry me hence? I remember I was sent to fetch my mistress, And what I devised to save me harmless; Do not I speak now? [is] not this my hand? Be not these my feet that on this ground stand? Did not this other knave here knock me about the head? And beat me, till I was almost dead? How may it then be, that he should be I? Or I not myself?--it is a shameful lie. I woll home to our house, whosoever say nay, For surely my name is Jenkin Careaway. JACK JUGGLER. I woll make thee say otherwise, ere we depart, if we can-- JENKIN CAREAWAY. Nay that woll I not in faith for no man, Except thou tell me what thou hast done[190] Ever sith five of the clock this afternoon: Rehearse me all that without any lie, And then I woll confess that thou art I. JACK JUGGLER. When my master came to the gentleman's place, He commanded me to run home a great pace, To fet thither my mistress; and by the way I did a good while at the bucklers play; Then came I by a wife, that did costards sell, And cast down her basket fair and well, And gathered as many as I could get, And put them in my sleeve: here they be yet! CAREAWAY. How the devil should they come there, For I did them all in my own sleeve bear? He lieth not a word in all this, Nor doth in any one point miss. For ought I see yet between earnest and game I must go seek me another name; But thou mightest see all this:--tell the rest that is behind, And there I know I shall thee a liar find. JACK JUGGLER. I ran thence homeward a contrary way, And whether I stopped there or nay, I could tell, if me lusteth, a good token; But it may not very well be spoken. JENKIN CAREAWAY. Now, may I pray thee, let no man that hear, But tell it me privily in mine ear. JACK JUGGLER. Ay, thou lost all thy money at dice, Christ give it his curse, Well and truly picked before out of another man's purse! JENKIN CAREAWAY. God's body, whoreson thief, who told thee that same? Some cunning devil is within thee, pain of shame! _In nomine patris_, God and our blessed lady, Now and evermore save me from thy company!