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king, let not us that are squires of the night's

body be called thieves of the day's beauty: let

us be Diana's foresters, gentlemen of the shade,

minions of the moon; and let men say, we be

men of good government, being governed as the

sea is, by our noble and chaste mistress the

moon, under whose countenance we steal,

Prince. Thou sayest well, and it holds well

too; for the fortune of us that are the moon's

men doth ebb and flow like the sea, being go-

verned as the sea is, by the moon. As for proof

now: a purse of gold most resolutely snatched

on Monday night and most dissolutely spent on

Tuesday morning; got with swearing 'Lay by;'

and spent with crying 'Bring in:' now in as

low an ebb as the foot of the ladder, and by and

by in as high a flow as the ridge of the gallows.

Fal. By the Lord, thou sayest true, lad. And

is not my hostess of the tavern a most sweet

wench?

Prince. As the honey of Hybla, my old lad of

the castle. And is not a buff jerkin a most sweet

robe of durance?

Fal. How now, how now, mad wag! what,

in thy quips and thy quiddities? what a plague

have I to do with a buff jerkin?

Prince. Why, what a pox have I to do with

my hostess of the tavern?

Fal. Well, thou hast called her to a reckon-

ing many a time and oft.

 29 Diana's: the moon's 30 minions: servants 40 'Lay by': address of highwaymen to their victims 41 'Bring in': a call for wine 47 honey of Hybla: Sicilian honey lad of the castle; cf. Appendix 48 buff jerkin: leather jacket worn by sheriff's officers; cf. n. 49 durance: a stuff noted for its durability 51 quips: jests quiddities: subtleties, puns 