RAFE ROISTER

‡ And I am glad to see you here in this place. ¶ And I will not your company refuse of a certainty. So that to my conditions your manners do agree. ¶ Now friend tom tospot seeing that we are brethren sworn: And neither of our companies from other may be forborn. the whole trade of my life to thee I will declare: ¶ By my truth for my partly thereto I do agree, ¶ Why Nichole all we are content: ¶ I pray you be content and we will be more mannerly. ¶ I pray you be content good gentle master Nichole, ¶ I pray you sir let us no more contend. ‡ And I am served as Hamao that prepared, ‡ Whom I speak of thou knowest not well. ‡ Nay I am served as Hamam that prepared. A high pair of gallous for Mardocheus the Jew, and was the first that theron was hanged: So I feel the smart at mine own too this is true. But hereafter I will learn to be wise, and ere I leap once I will look twice. ¶ Nay I have not done for I can say much more, ¶ Sir for my part I thank you heartily. I promised of fate to come unto a company. Which at Hob filchers for me do remain: God be with you and anon I will come again, ¶ Well there is no remedy but I must be gone. ¶ Gods heart can I away with this life? To beg my bred from door to door? I will rather cut my throat with a knife, then I will live thus beggarly and poor. By Gogs blood rather then I will it assay: I will rob and steal, and keep the hie way. ¶ Now in faith you whoreson take heed I you acu see: How you do any more young men entice. ¶ Now we go a begging God send us good speed. ¶ Gogs blood if Nichol newfangle serve us so: we may say that we have had a shrewd blow. For all that I had is now lost at dice, My Sword, my Buckler and all at sink and since, My Coat, my Cloak, and my Hat also, And now in my Doublet and my Hose I am feign to go. Therefore if Nichol newfangle help not now at a pinch: I am undone for land I have not and inch. ¶ O Lord why did not I consider this before, what should of roisting be the final end? Now the house is stolen I shut the stable door, Alas that I had time my life to amend. Time I have I must needs confess, But yet in misery that time must be spent: Seeing that my life I would not redress, But wholly in riot I have it all spent. Wherefore I am now brought to this exigent. But the time passed cannot be called again this is no nay, Wherefore all you here take example by me: Time tarrieth no man but passes still away, take time while time is for time doth flee: Use well your youthful years and to virtues over agree. For if I to virtue had any respect, this misfortune to me could not have chanced: But because unto vice I was a subject; to no good fame may I now be advanced. My credit also is now quite staunched. Wherefore I would all men my woeful case might see: that I to them a mirror might be. * You know that Rate roister I am called always, And my conditions in knavery so far do surmount: that to have this patrimony I make mine account. For I entice young gentle men all virtue to eschew And to give them to riotousness, this is true, Serving men by me are also seduced: that all in bravery their minds are confused. then if they have not themseluesto maintain, to pick and to steal they must be fain. And I may say to you I have such a train: that some time I pitch a field on Salisbury plain. And much more if needs were I could say verily, Wherefore I am worthy to have the patrimony. ¶ Then farewell Hance I will remember thy errant, he will be her by and by I dare be his warrant. Exit R. Roister. ¶ But where is the land that to us you promised: ¶ God a mercy good fellow, tell me what thou art. ¶ If your name to me you will declare and show: You may in this matter my mind the sooner know. ¶ By my troth Tom tospot you are welcome with all my heart, ‡ I pray you sir what is that patrimony? ¶ What? Master Nichole are you her all this while ¶ Thou villain art only the cauler of this woe: therefore thou shalt have some thing of mere I go. ¶ Take this of me before I go henee, ¶ Marry that is the cause of our hither resort: For now we are void of all joy and comfort.