entered with the cloak and beaver on. “What!” said one of them, “instead of a coat, you come with a cloak, and great need for it; for,” he added, “there’s a deal of knavery under it.” Will then opened the cloak, and showed them the coat, saying, that he had received the cloak and beaver into the bargain; and gave an account of the whole adventure. Meanwhile, my lord and his company had waited long in expectation of the servant, whom they supposed to have been one of the waiters of the house. The landlord also wondering that they were so long in calling for more wine, one of the servants was sent up-stairs to force trade. He entered the room, saying, “Call here, call here, gentlemen?” “Yes,” said one of them, “where is your fellow-servant who waited upon us?” “My fellow-servant!” exclaimed the other; “he said he was my lord’s servant, and that his master would be served by none but himself, and I should have good vails, nevertheless.” My lord replied, “How can that be? I have only one gentleman of my own retinue; the rest are with my lady. He that served us came in with an apron, and in the character of one of the servants of the house:--call up the landlord!” Boniface instantly waited upon them, when one of the gentlemen asked him, if he kept sharpers in his house, to affront gentlemen and to rob them. “Nay,” replied the vintner, who was a choleric man, “do you bring sharpers along with you, to affront me and rob my house? I am sure I have lost a new cloak and beaver; and, for aught I know, though you look like gentlemen, you may be sharpers yourselves; and I expect to be paid by you for my losses, as well as for the reckoning.” One of them instantly drew upon him, enraged at his insolent language; but the landlord ran down stairs in affright, and alarmed the whole house, entreating them not to suffer such rogues to escape. In the mean time he seized a sword, the servants armed themselves with spits, pokers, and such other weapons as the house afforded. A great uproar was soon raised; and the nobleman coming first out to penetrate through the crowd, made a thrust at the landlord, but was beaten back by a fire-shovel in the hand of one of the waiters, and narrowly escaped being run through with a long spit in the hands of a cook maid. His lordship, seeing the door so completely guarded, shut himself up in the room, and began to consult with the rest of the company what was best to be done. Fortunately, however, the gentleman who was in the other tavern with Will, conjecturing that a quarrel might ensue between the nobleman and the vintner, who had lost his cloak and beaver, sent his own landlord to inform him, that the rogue was caught, and in safe custody.