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Clo. You have of these pedlars, that have more in them than you'ld think, sister.

Per. Ay, good brother, or go about to think.
Enter AUTOLYCUS, singing.

Lawn as white as driven snow;
Cyprus* black as e'er was crow;
Gloves as sweet as damask roses;
Masks for faces and for noses;
Bugle bracelet, necklace amber,
Perfume for a lady's chamber;
Golden quoifs and stomachers,
For my lads to give their dears:
Pins and poking-sticks of steel,
What maids lack from head to heel:

220 *Crape.

Come buy of me, come; come buy, come buy; Buy, lads, or else your lasses cry:

Come buy.

231

Clo. If I were not in love with Mopsa, thou shouldst take no money of me; but being enthralled as I am, it will also be the bondage of certain ribbons and gloves.

Mop. I was promised them against the feast; but they come not too late now.

Dor. He hath promised you more than that, or there be liars. 240

Mop. He hath paid you all he promised you: may be, he has paid you more, which will shame you to give him again.

Clo. Is there no manners left among maids? will they wear their plackets* where they should bear their faces? Is there not milking-time, when you are going to bed, or kiln-hole, to whistle off these secrets, but you must be tittletattling before all our guests? 'tis well they are whispering: clamour your tongues, and not a word more. *Petticoat-fronts. 251

Mop. I have done. Come, you promised me a tawdry-lace* and a pair of sweet gloves.

Clo. Have I not told thee how I was cozened by the way and lost all my money? *Rustic necklace.

Aut. And indeed, sir, there are cozeners abroad; therefore it behoves men to be wary.

Clo. Fear not thou, man, thou shalt lose nothing here.

Aut. I hope so, sir; for I have about me many parcels of charge. 261

Clo. What hast here? ballads?

Mop. Pray now, buy some: I love a ballad in print o' life, for then we are sure they are true.

Aut. Here's one to a very doleful tune, how a usurer's wife was brought to bed of twenty money-bags at a burthen and how she longed to eat adders' heads and toads carbonadoed.*

Mop. Is it true, think you?

Aut. Very true, and but a month old.
Dor. Bless me from marrying a usurer!

270

Aut. Here's the midwife's name to't, one Mistress Tale-porter, and five or six honest wives that were present. Why should I carry lies abroad?

*Scotched for broiling.

Mop. Pray you now, buy it. Clo. Come on, lay it by: and let's first see moe ballads; we'll buy the other things anon.

Aut. Here's another ballad of a fish, that appeared upon the coast on Wednesday the fourscore of April, forty thousand fathom above water, and sung this ballad against the hard hearts of maids: it was thought she was a woman and was turned into a cold fish for she would not exchange flesh with one that loved her: the ballad is very pitiful and as true.

Dor. Is it true too, think you?

Aut. Five justices' hands at it, and witnesses more than my pack will hold.

Clo. Lay it by too: another.

290

Aut. This is a merry ballad, but a very pretty

one.

Mop. Let's have some merry ones.

Aut. Why, this is a passing merry one and goes to the tune of Two maids wooing a man:' there's scarce a maid westward but she sings it; 'tis in request, I can tell you.

Mop. We can both sing it: if thou'lt bear a part, thou shalt hear; 'tis in three parts:

Dor. We had the tune on't a month ago.

300

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Leslie was one of the famous artists of the last age who, like West and Allston, his friends, departed early from his home in America and became an English painter of the first rank. His work from Shakespeare is abundant and able, as the accompanying specimen amply proves.

[graphic]
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