_Hodge._ Yea, marry, gammer, that ich think best: will you now for him send? The sooner Doctor Rat be here, the sooner wese ha' an end. And here, gammer! Diccon's devil, as ich remember well, Of cat, and Chat, and Doctor Rat, a felonious tale did tell. Chold you forty pound, that is the way your nee'le to get again. _Gammer._ Chill ha' him straight! Call out the boy, wese make him take the pain. _Hodge._ What, Cock, I say! come out! What devil! can'st not hear? _Cock._ How now, Hodge? how does gammer, is yet the weather clear? What would chave me to do? _Gammer._ Come hither, Cock, anon! Hence swith to Doctor Rat, hie thee that thou were gone, And pray him come speak with me, cham not well at ease. Shalt have him at his chamber, or else at Mother Bee's; Else seek him at Hob Filcher's shop, for as cheard it reported, There is the best ale in all the town, and now is most resorted. _Cock._ And shall ich bring him with me, gammer? _Gammer._ Yea, by and by, good Cock. _Cock._ Shalt see that shall be here anon, else let me have on the dock. _Hodge._ Now, gammer, shall we two go in, and tarry for his coming? What devil, woman! pluck up your heart, and leave off all this glooming. Though she were stronger at the first, as ich think ye did find her, Yet there ye dress'd the drunken sow, what time ye came behind her. _Gammer._ Nay, nay, cham sure she lost not all, for, set th'end to the beginning, And ich doubt not but she will make small boast of her winning. THE THIRD ACT. THE FOURTH SCENE. TIB, HODGE, GAMMER, COCK. _Tib._ See, gammer, gammer, Gib, our cat, cham afraid what she aileth; She stands me gasping behind the door, as though her wind her faileth: Now let ich doubt what Gib should mean, that now she doth so doat. _Hodge._ Hold hither! I chould twenty pound, your nee'le is in her throat. Grope her, ich say, methinks ich feel it; does not prick your hand? _Gammer._ Ich can feel nothing. _Hodge._ No! ich know there's not within this land A murrainer cat than Gib is, betwixt the Thames and Tyne; Sh'ase as much wit in her head almost as ch'ave in mine. _Tib._ Faith, sh'ase eaten something, that will not easily down; Whether she gat it at home, or abroad in the town Ich cannot tell. _Gammer._ Alas, ich fear it be some crooked pin! And then farewell Gib! she is undone, and lost all save the skin! _Hodge._ 'Tis your nee'le, woman, I say! Gog's soul! give me a knife, And chill have it out of her maw, or else chall lose my life! _Gammer._ What! nay, Hodge, fie! Kill not our cat, 'tis all the cats we ha' now. _Hodge._ By the mass, dame Chat hase me so moved, ich care not what I kill, ma' God a vow! Go to, then, Tib, to this gear! hold up her tail and take her! Chill see what devil is in her guts! chill take the pains to rake her!