_Diccon._ Slepe[693] not you[r] gere, I counsell you, but of this take good hede: Let not be knowen I told you of it, how well soever ye spede. _Gammer._ Chil in, Diccon, a cleene aperne to take and set before me; And ich may my neele once see, chil, sure, remember the! 45 The ii Acte. The v Sceane. DICCON. _Diccon._ Here will the sporte begin; if these two once may meete, Their chere, durst lay money, will prove scarsly sweete. My gammer, sure, entends to be uppon her bones With staves, or with clubs, or els with coble stones. Dame Chat, on the other syde, if she be far behynde 5 I am right far deceived; she is geven to it of kynde.[694] He that may tarry by it awhyle, and that but shorte, I warrant hym, trust to it, he shall see all the sporte. Into the towne will I, my frendes to vysit there, And hether straight againe to see thend of this gere. 10 In the meane time, felowes, pype upp; your fiddles, I saie, take them, And let your freyndes here such mirth as ye can make them. The iii. Acte. The i Sceane. HODGE. _Hodge._ Sym Glover, yet gramercy! cham meetlye well sped now, Thart even as good a felow as ever kyste a cowe! Here is a thonge[695] in dede, by the masse, though ich speake it; Tom Tankards great bald curtal, I thinke, could not breake it! And when he spyed my neede to be so straight and hard, Cii Hays lent me here his naull,[696] to set the gyb forward,[697] 6 As for my gammers neele, the flyenge feynd go weete! Chill not now go to the doore againe with it to meete. Chould make shyfte good inough and chad a candels ende; The cheefe hole in my breeche with these two chil amende. 10 The iii. Acte. The ii Sceane. GAMMER. HODGE. _Gammer._ Now Hodge, mayst nowe be glade, cha newes to tell thee; Ich knowe who hais my neele; ich trust soone shalt it see. _Hodge._ The devyll thou does! hast hard, Gammer, in deede, or doest but jest? _Gammer._ Tys as true as steele, Hodge. _Hodge._ Why, knowest well where dydst leese it? _Gammer._ Ich know who found it, and tooke it up! shalt see or it be longe. 5 _Hodge._ Gods mother dere! if that be true, farwel both naule an thong! But who hais it, Gammer, say on; chould faine here it disclosed. _Gammer._ That false fixen, that same Dame Chat, that counts her selfe so honest. _Hodge._ Who tolde you so? _Gammer._ That same did Diccon the bedlam, which saw it done.