.
Perhaps he hath some skill in hidden arts,
Of planets' course, or secret magic spells,
To know where Lelia and that fox lies hid,
Whose craft so cunningly convey'd her hence.
[_Exit_ FORTUNATUS.

GRIPE.
Ay, here I'll rest an hour or twain,
Till Fortunatus do return again.

WILL CRICKET.
Faith, sir, this same Churms is a very scurvy lawyer; for once I put a
case to him, and methought his law was not worth a pudding.

GRIPE.
Why, what was your case?

WILL CRICKET.
Marry, sir, my case was a goose's case; for my dog wearied[163] my
neighbour's sow, and the sow died.

NURSE.
And he sued you upon wilful murder?

WILL CRICKET.
No; but he went to law with me, and would make me either pay for his
sow, or hang my dog. Now, sir, to the same returna[164] I went.

NURSE.
To beg a pardon for your dog?

WILL CRICKET.
No; but to have some of his wit for my money. I gave him his fee, and
promised him a goose beside for his counsel. Now, sir, his counsel was
to deny all was asked me, and to crave a longer time to answer, though I
knew the case was plain. So, sir, I take his counsel; and always when he
sends to me for his goose, I deny it, and crave a longer time to answer.

NURSE.
And so the case was yours, and the goose was his: and so it came to be a
goose's case.

WILL CRICKET.
True: but now we are talking of geese, see where Peg and my granam
Midnight comes.

_Enter_ MOTHER MIDNIGHT _and_ PEG.

MOTHER MIDNIGHT.
Come, Peg, bestir your stumps, make thyself smug, wench; thou must be
married to-morrow: let's go seek out thy sweetheart, to prepare all
things in readiness.

PEG.
Why, granam, look where he is.

WILL CRICKET.
Ha, my sweet tralilly: I thought thou couldst spy me amongst a hundred
honest men. A man may see that love will creep where it cannot go. Ha,
my sweet and too sweet: shall I say the tother sweet?

PEG.
Ay, say it and spare not.

WILL CRICKET.
Nay, I will not say it: I will sing it.

_Thou art mine own sweetheart,
From thee I'll never depart;
Thou art my Ciperlillie,
And I thy Trangdidowne-dilly:
And sing, Hey ding a ding ding,
And do the tother thing:
And when 'tis done, not miss
To give my wench a kiss:
And then dance_, Canst thou not hit it?
_Ho, brave William Cricket_!

How like you this, granam?

MOTHER MIDNIGHT.
Marry, God's benison light o' thy good heart for't. Ha, that I were
young again! i' fai