_Hey tisty-toisty, an owl is a bird, Jackanapes hath an old face; You may believe me at one bare word, How like you, this merry case?_ _A piece of ground they think they have found, I will tell you what it is: For I them told of Beggars' manor it did hold, A staff and a wallet i-wis._ _Which in short space, even in this place, Of me they shall receive: For when that their drift hath spent all their thrift, Their minds I shall deceive._ _I trow you shall see more knaves come to me, Which whensoever they do, They shall have their meed, as they deserve indeed, As you shall see shortly these two._ _When they do pretend to have had a good end, Mark well, then, what shall ensue: A bag and a bottle, or else a rope knottle, This shall they prove too true._ _But mark well this game, I see this gear frame; Lo, who cometh now in such haste? It is Cuthbert Cutpurse And Pierce Pickpurse, Give room now a little cast._ _Here entereth_ CUTHBERT CUTPURSE _and_ PIERCE PICKPURSE. [CUTHBERT CUTPURSE _must have in his hand a purse of money or counters in it, and a knife in one hand and a whetstone in the other; and_ PIERCE _must have money or counters in his hand and jingle it, as he cometh in_.] CUTH. By Gog's wounds, it doth me good to the heart, To see how cleanly I play'd this part. While they stood thrusting together in the throng, I began to go them among; And with this knife, which here you do see, I cut away this purse cleanly. NEW. See to your purses, my masters, and be ruled by me, For knaves are abroad, therefore beware. You are warn'd: and ye take not heed, I do not care. [_Aside._ PIERCE. And also, so soon as I had espied A woman in the throng, whose purse was fat, I took it by the strings, and cleanly it untied: She knew no more of it than Gib our cat. Yet at the last she hied apace, And said, that the money in my hand she saw. Thou whore, said I, I will have an action of the case, And seeing thou say'st so, I will try the law. CUTHB. How say'st thou, Pierce Pickpurse, art thou not agreed These two booties equally to divide? Then let us count the total sum, And divide it equally, when we have done. NEW. My masters, here is a good fellow, that would fain have some. CUTHB. What, Nichol Newfangle, be you here? So God help me, I am glad with all my heart. PIERCE. Then, ere we depart, we will have some cheer, And of this booty you shall have your part. NEW. I thank you both even heartily, And I will do somewhat for you by and by: Are not you two sworn brothers in every booty? BOTH. Yes, that we are truly. NEW. Then can I tell you news, which you do not know: Such news as will make you full glad, I trow. But first tell me this, Pierce Pickpurse, Whether is the elder, thou or Cuthbert Cutpurse?