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and seeketh with great cunning to be admired of as many as she can with as little peril to her virtue as possible; or else she is one of those well meaning inconsiderate creatures who cajole themselves with the belief, that as long as they do what at the first blush appeareth no absolute harm, the greater degree of pleasure they may be able to create around them, the greater degree of good will they be enabled to produce; which, under those circumstances, is nothing better than a robbery of one to be shared among many."

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Well, let her rob and go hang," cried Master Burbage impatiently, "I've had enough of her: and if ever I be caught going after a mercer's daughter again-tickle me with a fish-hook. It hath cost me a world in moneys expended with her father in such braveries as methought would the sooner win me her love and his goodwill, and I have got about as much by it as I might kick my shins against without fear of a hurt. A plague on all mercers' daughters, say I! and as for that cot-quean Joanna, I have a huge suspicion her lip is like a nutmeg in a vintner's parlour-every one may have the flavour on't when he lists. She hath gone clean out of my opinion. I'll have none of her."

"That's a most magnanimous resolution of thine, Dick," said Master Shakspeare laughingly, "considering she'll have none of thee."

"By this hand, she loved me as flies love sugar!" exclaimed the other.

"As flies love pepper, thou shouldst have said, Dick," observed his companion; "for I do assure thee she acknowledged to me that she heeded thy fine compliments as a thrifty housewife does a littér of kittens she be pitching all of a lump into the next pool."

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"Ha! said she so? the little villain!” cried Master Burbage. "But it matters not. I have done with her. And now attend to me, I prythee, for I have more attractive matter in hand.”

"Another Joanna?" enquired Master Shakspeare maliciously.

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"Another polecat!" sharply replied the other. "I tell thee, Will, I but want thy assistance to have such sport as we have not seen together this many a day.”

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Surely thou wouldst seek of me no more verses?" said his companion archly.

"Verses! Hang thy verses!" answered Master Burbage.

"Well, if thou wilt hang them, let it be with one of the lines I have been so oft obliged to borrow of thee when I came to a halt in my measure," ob‐ served the other with exceeding seriousness.

"By this light, thou art like a woman that hath left off having children-thou art past bearing," said his associate, as if in some sort of vexation.

"But listen now, I prythee. Thou knowest my Lords Simple and Dimple?”

"What, our Damon and Pythias? our Castor and Pollux? our David and Absalom?" asked his friend with a laugh. "To be sure I know them. There exists not a pair of fools so well matched throughout these realms.”

"Thou hast it, Will," added Master Burbage in a like humour. "They are precious fools indeed: as innocent as lambkins, and as loving as turtles. They seem born of Folly, and twinned at a birth. I'faith they seem such sworn friends that one might as well expect to meet with but one pannier on an ass as one of these lords without the other. Now, methinks such pestilent affectations should be put down. I like them not: and doubtless 'twould be exquisite sport could we two set this Damon and Pythias by the ears so completely, that they shall not only be eager to forswear each other's company, but that there shall be so deadly a quarrel betwixt them, that they shall presently out with their tools, and appear to thrust away so nimbly, that it shall be a difficult matter to say which be the most ready to destroy the other."

“I like the humour of it vastly," replied Master Shakspeare, who seemed to enter into the jest with great spirit," indeed 'tis exceeding well conceited. But there must be no mischief come of it."

"Mischief!" exclaimed the other, as if in some

astonishment at the idea.

"Nay, Will—make thy If ever they come nigh

mind easy on that score. enough with their weapons to hurt each other, then am I no judge of true valour: but we will be ready to interfere in case they shall be bent upon anything deadly."

"Well, 'tis a goodly scheme," said his companion' "and I doubt not 'twill afford marvellous proper sport. But how dost mean to set about it?"

"In this way, sweet Will,” replied Master Burbage. "About this time we may make sure of finding these faithful shepherds taking of their customary walk towards Finsbury Fields, discoursing in very delicate phrase of the delights of friendship. We will then be upon them. Thou shalt draw one aside and I the other, and with well asserted accounts of what one hath said and done in contempt of the other, we will move both to a monstrous furiousness."

""Tis admirable, Dick!" cried Master Shakspeare, starting up in evident delight. "I do commend thy wit hugely, in the devising of so superlative a piece of wickedness; and, mayhap, it shall afford thee a far more exquisite pleasure than did thy aims upon the mercer's daughter."

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"Hang the mercer's daughter!" exclaimed his companion, seemingly in some dudgeon. By this light I would not throw away a thought on so errant a jade."

"The grapes be sour, Dick," said the other mischievously.

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Grapes! grapes, quotha!" cried Master Burbage, with a well assumed indignation. "Yes, she shall be thought such when grapes do grow on thorns and figs on thistles."

"Oh, thou perjured piece of villainy!" exclaimed Master Shakspeare, laughing very heartily. "Dost remember when thou first spoke of her to me in my lodging at the Bankside, how, in a feverish ecstacy, thou didst assert that she had an eye like Venus, a bust like Juno, and every grace that all Olympus possessed?"

"That was out of the very generosity of my disposition, I do assure thee, Will," added his companion, with as serious a face as he could put on. "Thou knowest I am ever inclined to make the best of matters at all times, let them be ever so bad; but believe me, her teeth be like park palings after a hurricane; and her nose hath an exceeding resemblance to an onion running to seed-it doth sprout up so abominably."

"Alack, that disappointed vanity should make of thee such a thorough slanderer !" cried Master Shakspeare. "If she be not as pretty a piece of womanhood as eye ever dwelt on delightedly, then know I not what is perfection in comeliness. All the harm I could say of her is, that in my thinking she is either mightily deceiving herself, or deluding

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