Page:Merry tales of the wise men of Gotham (9).pdf/11

 ( 11 ) he did not count himself.Well faid the courier, what will you give me, and I will find out the twelfth man ? Sir, faid they, all the money we have got. Give me the money, faid he; he then began with the firft, and gave him a ftroke over the fhoulders with his whip, which made him groan; faying, Here is one, and fo he ferved them all, and they groaned at the matter. When he came to the laft, he paid him well, faying here is the twelfth man ; God’s bleffing on thy heart, faid they for finding our brother. TALE XI. A Man of Gotham riding along the high-way, faw a cheefe, fo he drew his fword and pricked it with the point, in order to pick it up. Another man came by and alighted,and picked it up and rode away with it The man of Gotham rides back to Nottingham to buy a long fword to pick up the cheefe ; and returning to the place where the cheefe did lye, he pulled out his fword, pricking the ground, and faid, If I had had but this long fword, I fhould have had the cheefe myfelf, but now another has got it.

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