him, nor thee; But speaking so,
I speake and meane all three.

_Io_. If ye be good at Rimes and Riddles, old man, expound me this:--

These two serve two, those two serve one;
Assoyle[120] me this and I am gone.

_Aram_. You three serve three; those three do seeke to one;
One shall her finde; he comes, and she is gone.

_Io_. This is a wise answer: her going caused his comming;
For if she had nere gone he had nere come.

_Mop_. Good maister wizard, leave these murlemewes and tel _Mopso_
plainly whether _Gemulo_ my maister, that gentle shepheard, shall win
the love of the faire shepheardesse, his flocke-keeper, or not; and Ile
give ye a bottle of as good whey as ere ye laid lips to.

_Fris_. And good father Fortune-teller, let _Frisco_ knowe whether
_Siluio_ my maister, that lustie Forrester, shall gaine that same gay
shepheardesse or no. Ile promise ye nothing for your paines but a bag
full of nuts, and if I bring a crab or two in my pocket take them for
advantage.

_Io_. And gentle maister wise-man, tell _Ioculo_ if his noble maister
_Ascanio_, that gallant courtier, shal be found by me, and she found by
him for whom he hath lost his father's favour and his owne libertie and
I my labour; and Ile give ye thankes, for we courtiers neither giue nor
take bribes.

_Aram_. I take your meaning better then your speech,
And I will graunt the thing you doo beseech.
But, for the teares of Lovers be no toyes,
He tell their chaunce in parables to boyes.

_Fris_. In what ye will lets heare our maisters' luck.

_Aram_. Thy maister's Doe shall turne unto a Buck; (_To Frisco_.)
Thy maister's Eawe be chaunged to a Ram; (_To Mopso_.)
Thy maister seeks a maide and findes a man, (_To Ioculo_.)
Yet for his labor shall he gaine his meede;
The other two shall sigh to see him speede.

_Mop_. Then my maister shall not win the shepheardesse?

_Aram_. No, hast thee home and bid him right his wrong,
The shepheardesse will leave his flock ere long.

_Mop_. Ile run to warne my master of that.
[_Exit_.

_Fris_. My maister wood-man takes but woodden paines to no purpose,
I thinke: what say ye, shall he speed?

_Aram_. No, tell him so, and bid him tend his Deare
And cease to woe: he shall not wed this yeare.

_Fris_. I am not sorie for it; farewell, _Ioculo_.
[_Exit_.

_Io_. I may goe with thee, for I shall speed even so too by s