discourse, whereto he listened with no little attention.  The time serving fit for the fellows purpose, he came behind the Gentleman, and as many times one friend wil familiarly with another, clap his hands over his eyes to make him guesse who he is, so did this companion, holding his hands fast over the Gentlemans eyes, sayde:  who am I:  twise or thrise, in which time the drab had gotten the purse and put it up.  The Gentleman thinking it had been some merrie friend of his, reckoned the names of three or foure, when letting him go, the crafty knave dissembling a bashful shame of what he had done, said:  By my troth sir I crie ye mercy, as I came in at the Church doore, I took ye for such a one (naming a man) a verie friend of mine, whome you very much resemble:  I beseech ye be not angrie, it was verie boldlye done of me, but in penance of my fault, so please yee to accept it, I will bestow a gallon or two of Wine on yee, and so laboured him earnestly to go with him to the taverne, stil alledging his sorow for mistaking him.  The Gentleman little suspecting how who am I had handled him, seeing how sorie he was, and seeming to be a man of no such base condition:  tooke all in good part, saying:  No harme sir, to take one for another, a fault wherein any man may easily erre, and so excusing the acceptation of his wine, because he was busie there with a gentlewoman his friend:  the trecher with courtesie departed, & the drab (having what shee would) shortning her tale, hee desiring her to come to his Chamber the next morning, went to the place where her copes-mate and she met, and not long after, divers other of the crue, who bearing in what manner this act was performed, smiled a good therat, that she had both got the Gentlemans purse, her owne money againe, and his advise for iust nothing.  He that had done this tall exploit, in a place so open in view, so hardly to be come by, & on a man that made no meane esteem of his wit:  bids his fellowes keepe the worthles name of a Conny-catcher to themselves:  for he hence-foorth would bee termed a Foole-taker, and such as could imitate this quaint example of his, (which he would set down as an entrance into that art) should not thinke scorne to become his schollers.

Night drawing on apace, the Gentleman returned home, not al this while missing his purse, but being set at supper, his wife intreated a pint of Sack, which hee minding to send for:  drewe to his purse, and seeing it gone, what strange lookes (beside sighs) were betweene him and his wife.  I leave to your supposing, and blame them not:  for as I have heard, there was seven pound in gold, beside thirtie shillings and od white money in the purse.  But in the middle of his griefe, hee remembred him that said, who am I:  Wherewith hee brake foorth into a great laughter, the cause whereof his wife beeing desirous to know, he declared all that passed between him and the deceiuer, as also how sone afterward the queane abreuiated her discourse and followed:  so in troth wife (quoth he) betweene who am I and the drab, my purse is gone:  let his lesse teach others to looke better to theirs.