before his brest, smiling that he was so well paid for so small a
trifle: the partie perceiuing his merry countenance, and imagining he
gest for what purpose the knife was, sayde, honest man, whereat smile
you? By my troth sir (quoth the Cutler) I smile at your knife, because
I never made one so litle before: and were it not offensive unto you,
I would request to know to what use you will put it too? Wilt thou
keepe my counsaile (quoth the Nipe) yea on mine honestie (quoth the
Cutler.) Then hearken in thy eare said the Nip, and so rounding with
him, cut the poore mans purse that houng at his bosom, he neuer
faeling when he did it: with this knife (quoth the Nippe) meane I to
cut a purse, marry GOD forbid (quoth the Cutler) I cannot thinke you
to be such a kind of man, I see you loue to iest, and so they parted.

The poore man, not so wise as to remember his owne purse, when by such
a warning hee might haue taken the offendour dooing the deede, but
rather proud (as it were) that his money was so easily earned: walkes
to the Alehouse, which was within a house or two of his owne, and
finding there three or foure of his neighbors with whom he began to
iest very pleasantly: sweares by cocke and pie hee would spend a whole
groat uppon them, for hee had gotten it and more, cleerely by a good
bargaine that morning.

Though it was no maruell to see him so liberall, because indeede he
was a good companion: yet they were loth to put him to such cost,
nothwithstanding he would need doe it, and so farre as promise
stretcht, was presently fild in and set upon the boord. In the
drinking time often he wisht to meet more such customers as he had
done that morning, and commended him for a very honest gentleman I
warrant you. At length, when the reckoning was to be paide, hee drawes
to his purse, where finding nothing left but a peece of the string in