The Compleat ^Angler 



And the first or chiefest gipsy was, by consent, to have a third part 

 of the 2os., which all men know is 6s. 8d. 



The second was to have a fourth part of the 2os., which all men 

 know to be 53. 



The third was to have a fifth part of the 2os., which all men know 

 to be 45. 



The fourth and last gipsy was to have a sixth part of the 2os., 

 which all men know to be 33. ^.d. 

 As for example, 



3 times 6s. 8d. is 2os. 

 And so is 4 times 55. . . 2os. 

 And so is 5 times 43. . . 2os. 

 And so is 6 times 33. 4d. . 203. 



And yet he that divided the money was so very a gipsy, that 

 though he gave to every one these said sums, yet he kept is. of it 

 for himself. 



As for example, s. d. 

 6 8 

 5 o 

 4 o 

 3 4 



make but . .19 o 



But now you shall know, that when the four gipsies saw that he 

 had got is. by dividing the money, though not one of them knew 

 any reason to demand more, yet, like lords and courtiers, every gipsy 

 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 

 gipsy 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 gipsies 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. 



129 



