here he was. Out vpon the, horson (quod
she), thou hast let mi child fal in to the water (for he passed ouer the
water of Dee at a brige). Thou list,[278] hore (quod he): for if he had
fallen into the water, I shuld haue hard him plump.

+ _Of him that desired to be set vpon the pillori._ xcv.

+ There were iii loytteringe felowes fell in companye on a tyme, the
whiche wente so longe to gether tylle all theyr money was spente. Whan
their money was gone, one of them sayd: what shal we do now? By my faith
(quod an other), if I might come where preace of people were, I coulde
get moneye inough for vs. And I (quod the iii) can assemble people to
gether lyghtly. So whan they came in to a lyttelle towne, where a newe
pillory was sette vp, he, that sayde he coude lyghtly assemble people to
gether, went to the bayly of the towne whiche was a boucher, and desyred
him, that he wolde gyue him leaue to haue the maidenheed of the pyllory.
Whiche requeste at the fyrste abasshed the bayllye: for he wyst not what
he mente therby; wherfore he toke counsayle of his neighbours, what was
best to do, and they bade him set vp the knaue, and spare nat. So whan
he was on the pillorye, he loked aboute, and sawe his ii felowes busy in
the holes of the bouchers aprons, where thei vsed to put theyr money.
Than he said: ther now, go to a pace. The people gaped vp styll and
laughed; and whan he saw that his felowes had sped their maters, and
were going away, he said to the peple: now turne the pilori ones about,
and than I wyl com downe. So they laughing hartily did. Whan the felow
was com downe from the pyllory, the baylie sayde to hym: by my faythe,
thou arte a good felowe, and by cause thou haste made vs so good sporte,
holde I wyll gyue the a grote to drynke, and so putte his hande in the
hole of his apron. But there he founde neuer a penye. Cockes[279] armes!
(quod the bayllye) my pourse is pycked, and my moneye is gone. Syr
(quod the felowe), I truste ye wyll beare me recorde, that I haue hit
nat. No, by the masse, quod he, thou were on the pyllorie the whyle.
Than, no force, quod the felow, and wente his waye.

FOOTNOTES:

[278] Liest.

[279] (?) God's alms. Browne calls this a _dunghill_ oath:--

"With that the _Miller_ laughing brush'd his cloathes, Then swore by
Cocke and other dung-hill oathes."

_Britannias Pastorals_, lib. i. p. 100 (ed. 1625).

It is very commonly found in the early dramatists, and long before the
stat