now your meaning.

ANS. Now to me,
If she have either love or charity.

MRS ART. Here, Master Justice, this to your grave years,
A mournful draught, God wot: half-wine, half-tears. [_Aside_.

JUS. Let come, my wench; here, youngsters, to you all!
You are silent: here's that will make you talk.
Wenches, methink you sit like puritans:
Never a jest abroad to make them laugh?

FUL. Sir, since you move speech of a puritan,
If you will give me audience, I will tell ye
As good a jest as ever you did hear.

O. ART. A jest? that's excellent!

JUS. Beforehand, let's prepare ourselves to laugh;
A jest is nothing, if it be not grac'd.
Now, now, I pray you, when begins this jest?

FUL. I came unto a puritan, to woo her,
And roughly did salute her with a kiss:
Away! quoth she, and rudely push'd me from her;
Brother, by yea and nay, I like not this:
And still with amorous talk she was saluted,
My artless speech with Scripture was confuted.

O. LUS. Good, good, indeed; the best that e'er I heard.

O. ART. I promise you, it was exceeding good.

FUL. Oft I frequented her abode by night,
And courted her, and spake her wond'rous fair;
But ever somewhat did offend her sight,
Either my double ruff or my long hair;
My scarf was vain, my garments hung too low,
My Spanish shoe was cut too broad at toe.

ALL. Ha, ha! the best that ever I heard!

FUL. I parted for that time, and came again,
Seeming to be conform'd in look and speech;
My shoes were sharp-toed, and my band was plain,
Close to my thigh my metamorphos'd breech;
My cloak was narrow-cap'd, my hair cut shorter;
Off went my scarf, thus march'd I to the porter.

ALL. Ha, ha! was ever heard the like?

FUL. The porter, spying me, did lead me in,
Where his fair mistress sat reading of a chapter;
Peace to this house, quoth I, and those within,
Which holy speech with admiration wrapp'd her;
And ever as I spake, and came her nigh,
Seeming divine, turn'd up the white of eye.

JUS. So, so, what then?

O. LUS. Forward, I pray, forward, sir.

FUL. I spake divinely, and I call'd her sister,
And by this means we were acquainted well:
By yea and nay, I will, quoth I, and kiss'd her.
She blush'd, and said, that long-tongu'd men would tell;
I swore[18] to be as secret as the night,
And said, on sooth, I would put out the light.

O. ART. In sooth he would! a passing-passing jest.

FUL. O, do not swear, quoth she, yet put it out,
Because I would not have you break yo