YOUTH. Why, knave, doth it grieve thee! Thou shalt not answer for me. When my soul hangeth on the hedge once, Then take thou, and cast stones, As fast as thou wilt! CHARITY. Sir, if it please you to do thus, Forsake them and do after us, The better shall you do. RIOT. Sir, he shall do well enou', Though he be ruled by neither of you; Therefore crake no longer here, Lest you have on the ear, And that a good knock. PRIDE. Lightly see thou avoid the place, Or I shall give thee on the face. Youth, I trow that he would Make you holy, ere ye be old; And, I swear by the rood, It is time enough to be good, When that ye be old. YOUTH. Sir, by my truth, I thee say I will make merry, whiles I may, I cannot tell you how long. PRIDE. Yea, sir, so mot I thrive, Thou art not certain of thy life; Therefore thou wert a stark fool To leave mirth and follow their school. HUMILITY. Sir, I shall him exhort Unto us to resort, And you to forsake. PRIDE. Ask him if he will do so, To forsake us and follow you two; Nay, I warrant you, nay! HUMILITY. That shall you see even anon; I will unto him gone, And see what he will say. RIOT. Hardily go on thy way; I know well he will say nay. YOUTH. Yea, sir, by God that me dear bought, Methink ye labour all for nought; Weenest thou that I will for thee Or thy brother Charity Forsake this good company? Nay, I warrant you. PRIDE. No, master, I pray you of that, For anything forsake us not, And all our counsel rule you by; Ye may be emperor, ere ye die. YOUTH. While I have life in my body, Shall I be ruled by Riot and thee. RIOT. Sir, then, shall ye do well, For we be true as steel; Sir, I can teach you to play at the dice, At the queen's game[19] and at the Irish;[20] The treygobet[21] and the hazard[22] also, And many other games mo; Also at the cards I can teach you to play, At the triump and one-and-thirty, Post,[23] pinion,[24] and also aums-ace, And at another they call dewce-ace; Yet I can tell you more, and ye will con me thank, Pink[25] and drink, and also at the blank,[26] And many sports mo. YOUTH. I thank thee, Riot, so mot I the, For the counsel thou hast given me; I will follow thy mind in every thing, And guide me after thy learning. CHARITY. Youth, leave that counsel, for it is nought, And amend that thou hast miswrought, That thou may'st save that God hath bought. YOUTH. What say ye, Master Charity? What hath God bought? By my troth, I know not Whether he goeth in white or black; He came never at the stews, Nor in no place, where I do use; I-wis he bought not my cap, Nor yet my jolly hat; I wot not what he hath bought for me; And he bought anything of mine, I will give him a quart of wine, The next time I him meet. CHARITY. Sir, this he did for thee; When thou wast bond, he made thee free, And bought thee with his blood. YOUTH. Sir, I pray you tell me, How may this be: That I know, I was never bond Unto none in England.