The Complete Angler 



And yet he that divided the money was so very 

 a gypsy, that though he gave to every one these 

 said sums, yet lie kept one shilling of it for himself. 



As, for example, 5. d. 



6 8 



5 o 



4 o 



3 4 



make but ...... 19 o 



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 remain- 

 ing 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 

 jwise 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 con- 

 tention 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 confest herself mistaken. These and twenty 



