of this, but some worser misdemeanor, and is
therefore at present clapt up.

Here Master Truetale begins to relate, that lately there were four
Students, who for some petulancy, had been at Confession by the Mayor,
and he with their vomiting up some Guinies, gave them their
absolutions; but they perceiving that hereby their purses were cruelly
weakned, and that the return of monies did not come according to
expectation, took a resolution to get some revenge of him for it. And
he having built a new house, caused it, by a curious Workman, to be
neatly painted on the outside: which these four Students seeing, they
took a good quantity of Tar, and did so damnably bedawb it, that it
looked as if old Nick had been there with his rubbing brush. Which the
Mayor seeing in the morning, seemed to be little troubled at it; but
said, certainly some body hath done this, that I have taken too little
mony of, and therefore in gratitude have, for nothing, thus bepainted
my delicately painted house.

But nevertheless the Mayor sends in the evening five or six Spies
abroad into those Taverns and Alehouses where the lightest Students
generally frequented; who were smoking and drinking there, and amongst
other discourses related, how it tickled their fancies, that the
covetous Mayor was served such a delicate trik, &c. Whereupon some of
them hearing that the action was so much commended, and that the Mayor
made no search about it, saies, that was my work with James Smith the
Londoner, Jack Dove the Kentishman, and Sanny Clow the Scotch man.
Upon this they were all four apprehended in the night, and very
cleaverly clapt by the heels, &c.

Hereupon Mistriss Credit, said, There are no such wicked inventers of
mischief, as moniless Students; of which we had lately a new example,
for some of those Blades wanting mony, were resolved to act this
trick, _viz._ Some few daies before there was a malefactor hanged,
and one of them between eleven and twelve of the clock at night, gets
hard by the Gallows where he hung, and feigned to be the spirit of the
malefactor; sometimes appearing, and then again vanishing; in the mean
while the rest of his companions, all separate from each other, as if
they had been strangers, placed themselves not far from it. Each of
them seemed to be frightned, and shewed unto all the passers by that
there was the spirit of the malefactor that was executed. This run
forward like wild fire, in somuch that the number of the