iends, who received the news with great temper, and with jeers and
scoffs instead of pity. "Jack has hanged himself!" quoth they; "let us
go and see how the poor rogue swings." Then they called Sir Roger. "Sir
Roger," quoth Habakkuk, "Jack has hanged himself; make haste and cut
him down." Sir Roger turned first one ear and then the other, not
understanding what he said.

HAB.--I tell you Jack has hanged himself up.

SIR ROGER.--Who's hanged?

HAB.--Jack.

SIR ROGER.--I thought this had not been hanging day.

HAB.--But the poor fellow has hanged himself.

SIR ROGER.--Then let him hang. I don't wonder at it; the fellow has been
mad these twenty years.

With this he slunk away.

Then Jack's friends began to hunch and push one another: "Why don't you
go and cut the poor fellow down?" "Why don't you?" "And why don't you?"
"Not I," quoth one. "Not I," quoth another. "Not I," quoth a third;
"he may hang till doomsday before I relieve him!" Nay, it is credibly
reported that they were so far from succouring their poor friend in
this his dismal circumstance, that Ptschirnsooker and several of his
companions went in and pulled him by the legs, and thumped him on the
breast. Then they began to rail at him for the very thing which they
had advised and justified before, viz., his getting into the old
gentlewoman's family, and putting on her livery. The keeper who
performed the last office coming up, found Jack swinging, with no life
in him. He took down the body gently and laid it on a bulk, and brought
out the rope to the company. "This, gentlemen, is the rope that hanged
Jack; what must be done with it?" Upon which they ordered it to be laid
among the curiosities of Gresham College; and it is called Jack's rope
to this very day. However, Jack, after all, had some small tokens of
life in him, but lies, at this time, past hopes of a total recovery,
with his head hanging on one shoulder, without speech or motion. The
coroner's inquest, supposing him to be dead, brought him in non compos.

CHAPTER XIV. The Conference between Don Diego and John Bull.

During the time of the foregoing transactions, Don Diego was
entertaining John Bull.

DON DIEGO.--I hope, sir, this day's proceeding will convince you of the
sincerity of your old friend Diego, and the treachery of Sir Roger.

JOHN BULL.--What's the matter now?

DON DIEGO.--You have been endeavouring, for several years, to have
justice done upon that rogue Jack, but, wh