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But now you shall know, that when the four gypsies saw that he had
got
one shilling by dividing the money, though not one of them knew
any
reason to demand more, yet, like lords and courtiers, every gypsy
envied him that was the gainer; and wrangled with him; and every
one
said the remaining shilling belonged to him; and so they fell to
so high
a contest about it, as none that knows the faithfulness of one gypsy
to
another will easily believe; only we that have lived these last
twenty
years are certain that money has been able to do much mischief.
However, the gypsies were too wise to go to law, and did therefore
choose their choice friends Rook and Shark, and our late English
Gusman, to be their arbitrators and umpires. And so they left this
honeysuckle hedge; and went to tell fortunes and cheat, and get
more
money and lodging in the next village.
When these were gone, we heard as high a contention amongst the
beggars, whether it was easiest to rip a cloak, or to unrip a
cloak ? One
beggar affirmed it was all one: but that was denied, by asking
her, If
doing and undoing were all one? Then another said, 'twas easiest
to
unrip a cloak; for that was to let it alone: but she was answered,
by
asking her, how she unript it if she let it alone ? and she confess
herself
mistaken. These and twenty such like questions were proposed and
answered, with as much beggarly logick and earnestness as was
ever
heard to proceed from the mouth of the pertinacious schismatick;
and
sometimes all the beggars, whose number was neither more nor less
than the poets' nine muses, talked all together about this ripping
and
unripping; and so loud, that not one heard what the other said:
but, at
last, one beggar craved audience; and told them that old father
Clause,
whom Ben Jonson, in his Beggar's Bush, created King of their
corporation, was to lodge at an ale-house, called " Catch-her-by-the-
way," not far from Waltham Cross, and in the high road towards
London; and he therefore desired them to spend no more time about
that and such like questions, but refer all to father Clause at
night, for
he was an upright judge, and in the meantime draw cuts, what song
should be next sung, and who should sing it. They all agreed to
the
motion; and the lot fell to her that was the youngest, and veriest
virgin
of the company. And she sung Frank Davison's song, which he made
forty years ago; and all the others of the company joined to sing
the
burthen with her. The ditty was this; but first the burthen:
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