_Sec. Car._ Ay, when? canst tell? Lend me thy lantern, quoth he? marry, I'll see thee hanged first.[2250] _Gads._ Sirrah carrier, what time do you mean to come to London? 40 _Sec. Car._ Time enough to go to bed with a candle, I warrant thee. Come, neighbour Mugs, we'll call up the gentlemen: they will along with company, for they have great charge. [_Exeunt Carriers._[2251] _Gads._ What, ho! chamberlain![2252] 45 _Cham._ [_Within_] At hand, quoth pick-purse.[2253] _Gads._ That's even as fair as--at hand, quoth the[2254] chamberlain; for thou variest no more from picking of purses than giving direction doth from labouring; thou layest the plot how.[2255] 50 _Enter_ Chamberlain. _Cham._ Good morrow, Master Gadshill. It holds current that I told you yesternight: there's a franklin in the wild of Kent hath brought three hundred marks with him in gold: I heard him tell it to one of his company last night at supper; a kind of auditor; one that hath abundance 55 of charge too, God knows what. They are up already, and call for eggs and butter: they will away presently. _Gads._ Sirrah, if they meet not with Saint Nicholas' clerks, I'll give thee this neck. _Cham._ No, I'll none of it: I pray thee, keep that for[2256] 60 the hangman; for I know thou worshippest Saint Nicholas as truly as a man of falsehood may. _Gads._ What talkest thou to me of the hangman? if I hang, I'll make a fat pair of gallows; for if I hang, old Sir John hangs with me, and thou knowest he is no starveling[2257] 65 Tut! there are other Trojans that thou dreamest not of, the which for sport sake are content to do the profession some grace; that would, if matters should be looked into, for their own credit sake, make all whole. I am joined[2258] with no foot-land rakers, no long-staff sixpenny strikers,[2259] 70 none of these mad mustachio purple-hued malt-worms; but[2260] with nobility and tranquillity, burgomasters and great oneyers,[2261][2262] such as can hold in, such as will strike sooner than[2262][2263] speak, and speak sooner than drink, and drink sooner than[2263][2264] pray: and yet, 'zounds, I lie; for they pray continually to[2265] 75 their saint, the commonwealth; or rather, not pray to her,[2266][2267] but prey on her, for they ride up and down on her and[2267][2268] make her their boots.[2268] _Cham._ What, the commonwealth their boots? will she hold out water in foul way? 80