_Hodge._ "How a murrain came this chaunce (say Tib) unto her dame?" _Tib._ "My Gammer sat her down on the pes, and bade me reach thy breches, And by and by, a vengeance on it, or she had take two stitches To clout upon the knee, by chaunce aside she lears, And Gib our cat, in the milk pan, she spied over head and ears. Ah! out, out, theefe, she cried aloud, and swapt the breeches down, Up went her staffe, and out leapt Gib at doors into the town: And since that time was never wight cold set their eyes upon it. God's malison she have Cocke and I bid twentie times light on it." _Hodge._ "And is not then my breches sewed up, to-morrow that I shuld wear?" _Tib._ "No, in faith, Hodge, thy breches lie, for all this never the near." _Hodge._ "Now a vengeance light on al the sort, that better shold have kept it; The cat, the house, and Tib our maid, that better should have swept it. Se, where she cometh crawling! Come on, come on thy lagging way; Ye have made a fair daies worke, have you not? pray you, say." * * * * * Act I. Scene 4. Gammer, Hodge, Tib, Cocke. _Gammer._ "Alas, alas, I may well curse and ban This day, that ever I saw it, with Gib and the milke pan. For these, and ill lucke together, as knoweth Cocke my boy, Have stacke away my dear neele, and rob'd me of my joy, My fair long straight neele, that was mine only treasure, The first day of my sorrow is, and last of my pleasure." _Hodge._ "Might ha kept it when ye had it; but fools will be fools still: Lose that is fast in your hands? ye need not, but ye will." _Gammer._ "Go hie the, Tib, and run along, to th' end here of the town. Didst carry out dust in thy lap? seek where thou porest it down; And as thou sawest me roking in the ashes where I morned, So see in all the heap of dust thou leave no straw unturned." _Hodge._ "Your neele lost? it is pitie you shold lacke care and endles sorrow. Tell me, how shall my breches be sewid? shall I go thus to-morrow?"