University of Virginia Library

The iiii. Sceane.

Diccon: Gammer.
Diccon
Now this gere must forward goe, for here my gammer: commeth,
Be still a while & say nothing, make here a litle romth.

Gāmer
Good lord, shall neuer be my lucke my neele agayne to spye?
Alas the whyle tys past my helpe, where tis still it must lye.

Diccon
Now Iesus gammer gurtō, what driueth you to this sadnes:
I feare me by my conscience, you will sure fall to madnes.

Gāmer
Who is that, what Diccon, cham lost man: fye fye.

Diccon
Mary fy on them yt be worthy, but what shuld be your troble,

Gāmer
Alas the more ich thinke on it, my sorow it waxeth doble
My goodly tossing sporyars neele, chaue lost ich wot not where.

Diccon
Your neele, whan?

Gāmer
My neele (alas) ich myght full ill it spare,
As god him selfe he knoweth nere one besyde chaue.

Diccon
If this be all good gammer, I warrant you all is saue.

Gāmer
Why know you any tydings which way my neele is gone?

Diccon
Yea that I do doubtlesse, as ye shall here anone,
A see a thing this matter toucheth, within these .xx. howres,
Euen at this gate, before my face, by aneyghbour of yours,
She stooped me downe, and vp she toke a nedle or a pyn:
I durst be sworne it was euen yours, by all my mothers kyn.

Gāmer
It was my neele diccon ich wot, for here euen by this poste
Ich sat, what time as ich vp starte, and so my neele it loste:
Who was it leiue son? speke ich pray the, & quickly tell me that?

Diccon
A suttle queane as any in thys Towne, your neyghboure here dame Chat.

Gāmer
Dame chat diccon let me be gone, chil thyther in post haste.

Diccon
Take my councell yet or ye go, for feare ye walke in wast,
It is a murrion crafty drab, and froward to be pleased,
And ye take not the better way, our nedle yet ye lose it:
For when she tooke it vp, euen here before your doores
What soft dame chat (quoth I) that same is none of yours
Auant (quoth she) syr knaue, what pratest thou of that I fynd:
I wold ye hadst kist me I wot whear: (she ment I know behind)
And home she went as brag, as it had ben a bodelouse,
And I after as bold, as it had ben, the goodman of the house:
But there and ye had hard her, how she began to scolde
The tonge it went on patins, by hym that Iudas solde,
Ech other worde I was a knaue, and you a hore of hores,
Because I spake in your behalfe, and sayde the neele was yours.

Gāmer
Gogs bread, and thinks ye callet thus to kepe my neele me fro?

Diccon
Let her alone, and she minds non other but euē to dresse you so

Gāmer
By the masse chil rather spend the cote that is on my backe.
Thinks the false quean by such a slygh, that chill my neele lacke

Diccon
Slepe not you gere I counsell you, but of this take good hede
Let not be knowen I told you of it, how well soeuer ye spede.

Gāmer
Chil in Diccon a cleene aperne to take, and set before me,
And ich may my neele once see, chil sure remember the