CHAP. V. THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 107 



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 Is. belonged to him : and so they fell 

 to so high a contest about it, as none that knows the faith- 

 fulness 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 

 teJl 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 

 ^ mswered, by asking her, how she unript it if she let it 

 alone? and she confest herself mistaken. These and 

 twenty such like questions were proposed and answered, 

 with as much beggarly logic and earnestness as was ever 

 heard to proceed from the mouth of the most pertinacious 

 schismatic ; and sometimes all the beggars, (whose num- 

 ber was neither more nor less than the poets' nine muses,) 

 talked all together abput this ripping and unripping ; and 



(1) Alluding to a work that appeared a few years before, entitled " The 

 English Guiman, or, the History of that unparalleled thief, James Hind," 

 written by George Fidge, 4to. Lond. 1652. 



Hind made a considerable figure at the time of the great rebellion, and 

 fought, both at Worcester and Warrington, on the king's side. He was arrested 

 by order of the Parliament in 1651. 



