126 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. [PARTI. 



And yet he that divided the money was so very a Gypsy t 

 that, though he gave to every one these said sums, yet he kept 

 one shilling of it for himself. 



As, for example, f . J. 



6 S 



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 re- 

 maining 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, 't was easiest to unrip a cloak, for 

 that was to let it alone : but she was answered by asking hei 

 how she unripped it, if she let it alone ? and she confessed her- 

 self mistaken. These and twenty such like questions were pro- 

 posed, and answered with as much beggarly logic and earnest- 

 ness as was ever heard to proceed from the mouth of the most 



