HODGE. Go near the light, gammer, 'tis well in faith, good luck: Ch' was almost undone, 'twas so far in my buttock. GAMMER. 'Tis mine own dear nee'le, Hodge, sikerly[313] I wot. HODGE. Cham I not a good son, gammer, cham I not? GAMMER. Christ's blessing light on thee, hast made me for ever. HODGE. Ich knew that ich must find it, else chould a' had it never. CHAT. By my troth, gossip Gurton, I am even as glad, As though I mine own self as good a turn had. BAILY. And I by my conscience, to see it so come forth, Rejoice so much at it, as three needles be worth. DOCTOR RAT. I am no whit sorry to see you so rejoice. Diccon. Nor I much the gladder for all this noise. Yet say, gramercy, Diccon, for springing of the game. GAMMER. Gramercy, Diccon, twenty times! O, how glad cham! If that chould do so much, your masterdom to come hither, Master Rat, goodwife Chat, and Diccon together; Cha but one halfpenny, as far as ich know it, And chill not rest this night, till ich bestow it. If ever ye love me, let us go in and drink. BAILY. I am content, if the rest think as I think. Master Rat, it shall be best for you if we so do, Then shall you warm you and dress yourself too. DICCON. Soft, sirs, take us with you, the company shall be the more; As proud comes behind, they say, as any goes before. But now, my good masters, since we must be gone, And leave you behind us here all alone: Since at our last ending thus merry we be, For Gammer Gurton's needle sake, let us have a plaudite. FINIS FOOTNOTES: [287] Orig. _you would_. [288] Orig. _you_. [289] [Orig. _of_.] [290] Orig. _kockes_. [291] Original, _you_. [292] [Beaten. Here was a note of half a page to explain and illustrate the meaning of the very common word _wot_!] [293] Poultry. So in Fitzherbert's "Boke of Husbandry": "Gyve thy _poleyn_--meate in the morning," &c. Again, in "Your five Gallants," by Middleton: "And to see how pitifully the _pullen_ will looke, it makes me after relent, and turne my anger into a quick fire to roast them." [294] A base, contemptible fellow. So, in "Tom Tyler and his Wife," 1661, p. 19-- "It is an old saying, praise at the parting, I think I have made _the cullion_ to wring. I was not beaten so black and blew, But I am sure he has as many new." In "Wily Beguiled:" "But to say the truth, she had little reason to take a _cullion_ lug loaf, milksop slave, when she may have a lawyer, a gentleman that stands upon his reputation in the country;" in Massinger's "Guardian," act. ii., sc. 4-- "Love live Severino, And perish all such _cullions_ as repine At his new monarchy." And Bobadil, in Ben Jonson's "Every Man to his Humour," act. iii., sc. 5, when beating Cob, exclaims: "You base _cullion_, you."