h her. In old days he drank on
credit: now the good fellows tipple at his expense. Such is the end of
all the Falstaffs and all the Scapins. "This great Lorde, this worthie
Lord," relates the wicked page, "thought no scorne, Lord have mercy upon
us, to have his great velvet breeches larded with the droppings of this
dainty liquor," that is, the cider that he sold; "and yet he was an olde
servitor, a cavelier of an ancient house, as it might appeare by the
armes of his ancestrie, drawen very amiably in chalk, on the in side of
his tent doore."[276]

The scene between the fat, ruddy host, open-mouthed, blear-eyed, and the
frolicking slender page, who delights in his tricks and covers his
victim with jesting compliments, is extremely well described. Wilton
finds his man "counting his barrels, and setting the price in chalke on
the head of everie one of them." He addresses him his "duty verie
devoutly," and tells him he has matters of some secrecy to impart to him
for which a private audience is necessary:

"With me, young Wilton? quoth he, marie and shalt. Bring us a pint of
syder of a fresh tap into the 'Three Cups'[277] here; wash the pot!

"So into a backe roome he lead mee, where after hee had spit on his
finger, and picked off two or three moats of his olde moth eaten velvet
cap, ... he badde me declare my minde, and there upon he dranke to me on
the same."

Jack is careful not to touch at once on the matter in his head: he knows
his man and attacks him first by that vanity of a noble descent which he
possesses in common with Falstaff. Jack has always borne him affection,
"partly for the high discent and linage from whence he sprung, and
partly for the tender care and provident respect he had of poore
soldiers ... he vouchsafed in his own person to be a victualer to the
campe: a rare example of magnificence and courtesie; and diligently
provided, that without farre travel, every man might have for his money
syder and cheese his bellyfull. Nor did he sell his cheese by the way
onely, or his syder by the great, but abast himselfe with his owne hands
to take a shoomakers knife: a homely instrument for such a high
personage to touch, and cut it out equally like a true justiciarie in
little penny-worthes that it would doo a man good for to looke upon. So
likewise of his syder, the pore man might have his moderate draught of
it (as there is moderation in all things) as well for his doit or his
dandiprat as the rich man