Controll'st thou me for that wherein thyself
Art only the occasion of mishap?

Hadst thou and they stood to't as well as I,
The day had been our own, and London now,
That laughs in triumph, should have wept in tears.
But, being back'd by such faint-hearted slaves,
No marvel if the Lion go to wrack.

As though it were not incident to kings
Sometime to take repulse: mine is no more.
Nor is it for that muddy brain of thine
To tutor me how to digest my loss.
Then, fly with those that are already fled,
Or stay behind, and hang all but the head.

Spi. Oh, prejudice to Spicing's conqu'ring name,
Whose valour ev'n the hacks this sword has made
Upon the flint and iron bars at Aldgate,
Like mouths will publish whiles the city stands,
That I shrunk back! that I was never seen
To show my manly spleen but with a whip!
I tell thee, Falconbridge, the least of these
Do challenge blood, before they be appeas'd.
Fal. Away, ye scoundrel! tempt not my resolve.
The courage that survives in Falconbridge
Scorns the encounter of so base a drudge.

Spi. By the pure temper of this sword of mine,
By this true flesh and blood that gripes the same,
And by the honour I did win of late,
Against those frosty-bearded citizens,
It shall be tried before we do depart,
Whether accuseth other wrongfully,
Or which of us two is the better man.

Fal. I shall but quit the hangman of a labour:
Yet, rather than to be upbraided thus,

The Eagle once will stoop to feed on carrion.

[They fight.

Enter Chub.

Chub. Hold, if ye be men; if not, hold as ye are, rebels and strong thieves. I bring ye news of a proclamation. The King hath promised that whosoever can bring the head of Falconbridge or Spicing, shall have for his labour a thousand crowns. What mean you then to swagger? Save yourselves.

Spi. This proclamation comes in happy tim e.
I'll vanquish Falconbridge, and with this sword
Cut off his head and bear it to the King.
So not alone shall I be pardoned,

But have the thousand crowns is promised.

Fal. This rascal was ordain'd to save my life,
For now, when I have overthrown the wretch,
Ev'n with his head I'll yield me to the King.
His princely word is past to pardon me ;
And, though I were the chief in this rebellion,
Yet this will be a means to make my peace.

Chub. Oh, that I knew how to betray them both!

Fal. How say'st thou, Spicing? wilt thou yield thyself? For I have vow'd either alive or dead

To bring thee to King Edward.

Spi. And I have vow'd the like by thee:
How will these two bad contraries agree?
Chub. And I the same by both of you.

Fal. Come, sir, I'll quickly rid you of that care.
Spi. And what thou lottest me shall be thy share.

Enter a Miller.

Chub. Here comes a miller. Help to part the fray.

These are the rebels Falconbridge and Spicing.

The worst of them is worth a thousand crowns.

Mil. Marry, and such a booty would I have. Submit, submit; it is in vain to strive.

[Exit FALCONBRIDGE.

Spi. Why, what art thou?

Mil. One that will hamper you.

But what's the other that is fled away?

Chub. Oh, miller, that was Falconbridge,

And this is Spicing, his companion.

Spi. I tell thee, miller, thou hast been the means To hinder the most charitable deed

That ever honest Christian undertook.

Chub. Thou cannest bear me witness, I had ta'en That most notorious rebel, but for him.

Mil. But I have taken thee; and the world knows That Spicing is as bad as who is best.

Spi. Why, thou mistakest: I am a true subject. Chub. Miller, he lies: be sure to hold him fast. Spi. Dost thou accuse me? apprehend him too, For he's as guilty as any of us.

Mil. Come, you shall both together answer it Before my Lord Mayor; and here he comes.

Enter Lord Mayor, Josselin, and Attendants.

Mayor. Sir Ralph Josselin, have you ever seen a prince more affable than Edward is? What merry talk he had upon the way!

Jos. Doubtless, my lord, he'll prove a royal King. But how now; what are these?

Here I present unto you, my Lord Mayor,

A pair of rebels, whom I did espy

As I was busy grinding at my mill;

And taking them for vagrant idle knaves,
That had beset some true man from his house,
I came to keep the peace; but afterward
Found that it was the bastard Falconbridge
And this his mate, together by the ears.
The one, for all that I could do, escap'd;
The other standeth at your mercy here.

Mayor. It is the rebel Spicing.

Spi. It is indeed;

I see you are not blind; you know me then.

Mayor. Well, miller, thou hast done a subject's part, And worthily deserv'st that recompence

Is publickly proclaimed by the King.

But what's this other? I have seen his face;

And, as I take it, he is one of them.

Mil. I must confess, I took them both together.

He aided me to apprehend the rest.

Chub. A tells you true, my lord. I am Chub, the chandler; and I curse the time that ever I saw their faces; for, if they had not been, I had lived an honest man in mine own country, and never come to this.

Spi. Out, rogue! dost thou recant for fear of death? Ay, mayor, I am he that sought to cut your throat; And since I have miscarried in the fact,

I'll ne'er deny it, do the worst you can.

Mayor. Bring him away. He shall have martial law, And, at the next tree we do come unto,

Be hang'd, to rid the world of such a wretch.
Miller, thy duty is a thousand marks,

Which must be shared betwixt thee and this poor fellow
That did reveal him. And, sirrah, your life is sav'd
On this condition, that you hang up Spicing.
How saist thou? wilt thou do it?

Chub. Will I do it? what a question is that! I would hang him if he were my father, to save mine own life. Mayor. Then, when ye have done it, come home to my house, and there ye truly shall have your reward.

Spi. Well, sirrah, then thou must be my hangman? Chub. Ay, by my troth, sir, for fault of a better.

Spi. Well, commend me to little Pim, and pray her to redeem my paned hose: they lie at the Blue Boar for eleven pence, and if my hostess will have the other odd

penny, tell her she is a damned bawd, and there is no truth in her score.

Chub. Take no thought, sir, for your paned hose. They are lousy, and not worth the redeeming.

Spi. There is a constable sticks in my mind: he got my sword from me, that night I should have killed black Ralph. If I had lived, I would have been meet with him. Chub. Ay, sir; but here's a thing shall take an order for that.

Spi. Commend me to black Luce, bouncing Bess, and lusty Kate, and the other pretty morsels of man's flesh. Farewell, pink and pinnace, flyboat and carvel, Turnbull and Spittal! I die like a man.

Chub. Oh, captain Spicing, thy vain enticing
Brought me from my trade,

From good candles-making to this pains-taking,
A rebel to be made.

Therefore, Ned Spicing, to quit thy enticing,
This must be thy hope:

By one of thy fellows to be led to the gallows,

To end in a rope.

ACT III.

SCENE I-The Country.

Enter Hobs, the Tanner of Tamsworth.

[Exeunt.

Hobs. Dudgeon! dost thou hear? look well to Brock, my mare. Drive Dun and her fair and softly down the hill; and take heed the thorns tear not the horns of my cow-hides, as thou goest near the hedges. Ha, what sayest thou, knave? Is the bull's hide down? why, lay it up again; what care I? I'll meet thee at the style, and help to set all strait. And yet, God help! it's a

crooked world, and an unthrifty; for some, that have