I know he'll scarce leave their company to say
evening prayer; for, though I say it, he's a very painful man, and takes
so great delight in that faculty, that he'll take as great pain about
building of a stage or so, as the basest fellow among them.

WILL CRICKET.
Nay, if he have so lawful an excuse, I am content to defer it one day
the longer; and, landlord, I hope you and your son Peter will make bold
with us, and trouble us.

PLOD-ALL.
Nay, William, we would be loth to trouble you; but you shall have our
company there.

WILL CRICKET.
Faith, you shall be very heartily welcome, and we will have good merry
rogues there, that will make you laugh till you burst.

PETER PLOD-ALL.
Why, William, what company do you mean to have?

WILL CRICKET.
Marry, first and foremost, there will be an honest Dutch cobbler, that
will sing _I will noe meare to Burgaine[158] go_, the best that ever you
heard.

PETER PLOD-ALL.
What, must a cobbler be your chief guest? Why, he's a base fellow.

WILL CRICKET.
A base fellow! You may be ashamed to say so, for he's an honest fellow
and a good fellow; and he begins to carry the very badge of
good-fellowship upon his nose, that I do not doubt but in time he will
prove as good a cup-companion as Robin Goodfellow himself. Ay, and he's
a tall fellow, and a man of his hands too, for, I'll tell you what--tie
him to the bull-ring, and for a bag-pudding, a custard, a cheesecake, a
hog's cheek, or a calf's head, turn any man i' the town to him, and if
he do not prove himself as tall a man as he, let blind Hugh bewitch him,
and turn his body into a barrel of strong ale, and let his nose be the
spigot, his mouth the faucet, and his tongue a plug for the bunghole.
And then there will be Robin Goodfellow, as good a drunken rogue as
lives, and Tom Shoemaker; and I hope you will not deny that he's an
honest man, for he was constable o' the town; and a number of other
honest rascals which, though they are grown bankrouts, and live at the
reversion of other men's tables, yet, thanks be to God, they have a
penny amongst them at all times at their need.

PETER PLOD-ALL.
Nay, if Robin Goodfellow be there, you shall be sure to have our
company; for he's one that we hear very well of, and my son here has
some occasion to use him, and therefore, if we may know when 'tis,
we'll make bold to trouble you.

WILL CRICKET.
Yes, I'll send you word.

PLOD-ALL.
Why then farewell, till we hear from you.