your horse. I have sold him, if I pay your price, you have nothing that you can do with me. There are laws in this city: you can not compel me to produce the horse. After I had bawled a long time, either that he should produce the horse, or the buyer; at length being mad, he pays me my price. I had bought him for fifteen crowns, I had valued him at twenty-six. he had valued him at thirty-two. He thought to himself it is better to make this advantage, than to return the horse. I go away like one grieved, and scarce appeased with the money given me. He begs that I would take in good part that he would inake amends for this inconvenience in other things. So I cheated the cheater. He has a horse of no value. He expects that he who gave the earnest penny, should come to pay his money; but

nobody comes nor ever will come.

A. In the mean time did he never expostulate with you?

or.

B. With what front? with what right could he do it? he met me indeed once and again. He complained of the honesty of the buyer. But I expostulated of my own accord with the man, saying that he was worthy of that misfortune, who had robbed me of such a horse by too hasty selling of him. This is a crime so well placed, in my opinion, that I cannot bring my mind to confess it.

A. I should demand a statue for myself, if I had contrived any such thing.

B. I know not whether you speak from your heart; yet you give encouragement to me, that I have the more mind to put the trick upon such fellows.

LYTHLUS, PHILOGELOS, ADOLESCHES.

EUGLOTTUS, LEROCHARES,

A. As it does not become a well ordered state to be without laws and a prince; so neither does it become a feast to be.

Ge. That indeed pleases us very well, that I alone may answer in the name of the whole people.

here besides comical stories. He that wants a story, let him be fined sixpence. Let that money be spent in wine. And let things invented extempore be reckoned amongst lawful stories provided probability and decency be preserved. If none shall want a story, let those two pay the charge of the wine, whereof the one shall tell the prettiest the other the dullest story. Let the master of the feast be free from the charge of the wine: let him alone bear the charge of the victuals. If any dispute happen, let Gelasinus be the decider and judge of that affair. If you confirm these things let them be established. He that will not obey the law, let him go, yet so that it may be lawful and allowable for him to return the day after to the club.

Po. So ho, boy, bring hither the dice: by their votes the kingdom shall be disposed of to whomsoever Jupiter shall favour. Well done! Jupiter has favoured Eutrapelus. The lots were not blind. A more fit man could not have been chosen though the votes had been taken man by man through every tribe. There is commonly tossed about a proverb, not so silly as it is bad latin. "A new king, a new law."

Eu. That it may be lucky and fortunate for this feast. First I proclaim that no body produce any thing

Ge. We will that the law made by our king be confirmed by our votes; but whence shall the circle of stories proceed?

E. When he on a certain time had been chosen governor of a feast at the pleasure of the dice, the master of the house asking

Eu. I assent to it. At. But your law equals the best story to the worst. Eu. Where pleasure is sought there he deserves no less praise who says very badly than he who says very well, as amongst singers no man pleases, unless he that sings; either notably well, or extraordinary ill. Do not more laugh upon hearing the cuckow, than the nightingale; here indifference has no praise.

to be served to every one, he says, if a large plenty of wine be provided, give to every one as much as he calls for; if a more sparing divide to every one alike.

Phylyth. What meant that Lacedemonian when he said these things?

Eut. He meant this that the feast should neither be drunken, nor again querulous.

Phylyth. How so?

Eut. Because there are some who love to drink plentifully, there are who love to drink sparingly.

Eut. Lest excessive happiness should provoke some Nemesis against them, if they should get both praise and immunity together.

As. Bromius, Minos himsclf never made a more reasonable law.

Phylyth. Will you make no law concerning the manner of drinking?

Eut. The thing being considered, I will follow the example of Agesilaus, king of the Lacedemonians. Phyly. What did he?

abstemious people such as Romulus is said to have been. Therefore if wine is given to none but him that calls for it, first nobody is forced to drink, and yet they want nothing to whom plentiful drinking is agreeable. So it comes about that nobody is sad in the feast. Again if a less quantity of wine is distributed in equal shares to each they have enough, that drink moderately, nor can any murmur in equality, since he that would have drunk

one

plentifully composes himself to temperance with a contented mind. If this example pleases you, I will use it, for we would have this to be a fabulous, not a drunken feast.

Phylyth. What then drank Romulus?

Eut. The same that dogs drink.

Phylyth. Is not that unworthy of a king?

Eut. No more than that kings breathe in the air common with dogs, but that there is that difference; the king does not drink the same water which the dog drank, but the dog draws in the air which the king breathed out. And again, the king draws in the air which the dog breathed out. Alexander the great had got more glory, if he had drunk with the dogs. For nothing is worse for a king, who watches over so many thousand men, than drunkenness. But that Romulus was abstemious, an apothegm spoken by him not unwittingly declares. For when one seeing him abstain from wine, had said that wine would be cheap, if all should drink as he; nay, says he, then I think it would be very dear, if all should drink wine as I do, for I drink as much as I have a mind.

Ge. I wish our John Bot

zem, Canon of Constance, was here. For he too is no less abstemious than he is said to be; otherwise a courteous and pleasant companion.

Po. Come, if you can, I will not say, sup and blow at the same time, which Plautus says is difficult, but eat and hear, which is very easy; I will begin the business of telling stories with good luck. If the story be

not a pretty one, know it is a dutch one. I suppose the name of Maccus has been heard by some of you.

Ge. It is not so long since he died.

Po. When he was come into a city which is called Leyden, and being a new guest had a mind to become known by some jest, (for that was the man's way) he entered the shop of a shoemaker, salutes him. He desiring to put off his ware, asks if he

would have any thing. Maccus casting his eyes upon leather stockings that hung there, the shoemaker, asks him if he would have leather stockings. Maccus agreeing to it, he seeks some fit for his legs, he, produced them when found cheerfully, and as they use to do, draws them on for him. When Maccus now was handsomely fitted with

leather stockings, how well, quoth he, would a pair of shoes with double soles agree with these leather stockings. Being asked whether he would have shoes too, he agrees to it. They were found, and put upon his feet. Maccus commended the stockings, commended the shoes. The shoemaker rejoicing silently agreed with him commending them hoping for a better price, seeing the ware pleased the buyer so much. And now some familiarity was contracted. Here Maccus says, tell me in good faith did it never happen to you, that one whom you had furnished thus with leather stockings and shoes for a race, now you have furnished me, went off without paying the price? Never says he. But if by chance, says he, it should happen what would you do then? I would follow him, says the shoemaker. Then Maccus says, do you say that in earnest, or in jest? truly I speak in earnest, says the other, and would do in earnest. I will try, says Maccus; lo I run before for the shoes, do you follow running; and together with this saying, he threw himself upon his feet. The shoemaker followed him forthwith, as fast as he could, bawling, stop

as

the thief, stop the thief. When the citizens ran out of their houses on all sides at this cry, Maccus hindered them by this contrivance, that nobody should lay hands on him. He says, smiling and with a pleasant countenance, let nobody stop our running, the race is for a tankard of ale. Wherefore now all became spectators of the race; for they suspected that the shoemaker pretended that cry out of roguery, that by that means he might get before him. At last the shoemaker being beat in the race, returned home sweating and out of breath, Maccus got the prize.

Ge. That Maccus indeed escaped the shoemaker, but he did not escape the thief.

Po. What for?

Ge. Because he carried the thief with him.

Po. Perhaps money was not at hand, which afterwards he paid.

Ge. But there was an action of theft.

Po. That indeed was brought afterwards, but now Maccus was become acquainted with some magistrates.

Ge. What did Maccus plead?

Po. What did he plead, do you ask, in a cause so easy to be carried?

the