112 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. [PARTI. 



On the other side of this very hedge sat a gang of gypsies ; and 

 near to them sat a gang of beggars. The gypsies were then to 

 divide all the money that had been got that week, either by steal- 

 ing 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, tha:t was to be divided unto 

 four gentlemen gypsies, according to their several degrees in their 

 commonwealth. And the first or chiefest gypsy was, by consent, 

 to have a third part of the twenty shillings, which all men know 

 is 6s. 8d. The second was to have a fourth part of the 20s., 

 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 

 gypsy was to have a sixth part of the 20s., which all men know to 

 be 3s. 4d. 



As for example, 



3 times 6s. 8d. dte .... 205. 



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



And so is 5 times 4s. . 1 . . 20s. 



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



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

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

 shilling of it for himself. 



As for examplci s, d. 1 



6 8 

 5 o 



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 I'emaining 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 there- 

 fore choose their choice friends Rook and Shark, and our late 

 English Gusman,* to be their arbitrators and umpires. And so 



* The English Gusmnn occurs in Walton's second edition, 1655; and his allusion is 



