36 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



When I had ended this composure, I left this place, and 

 saw a brother of the angle sit under that honeysuckle hedge, 

 one that will prove worth your acquaintance : I sat down by 

 him, and presently we met with an accidental piece of merri- 

 ment, which I will relate to you ; for it rains still. 



On the other side of this very hedge sat a gang of gipsies, 

 and near to them sat a gang of beggars. The gipsies were 

 then to divide all the money that had been got that week, 

 either by stealing linen or poultry, or by fortune-telling, or 

 legerdemain, or indeed by any other sleights and secrets 

 belonging to their mysterious government. And the sum 

 that was got that week proved to be but twenty and some 

 odd shillings. The odd money was agreed to be distributed 

 amongst the poor of their own corporation ; and for the 

 remaining twenty shillings, that was to be divided unto four 

 gentlemen gipsies, according to their several degrees in their 

 commonwealth. 



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

 third part of the 20s., which all men know is 65. 8d. 



The second was to have a fourth part of the 205., which all 

 men know to be 5s. 



The third was to have a fifth part of the 20s., which all 

 men know to be 4s. 



The fourth and last gipsy was to have a sixth part of the 

 20s., which all men know to be 3s. 4d. 

 As for example, 



3 times 6s. 8d. is 20s. 

 And so is 4 times 5s. . . 20s. 

 And so is 5 times 4s. . . 20s. 

 And so is 6 times 3s. 4d. . 20s. 



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 

 4 

 3 4 



make but . .190 



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 



