in sight of me:  Then I had need of all my confidence, nor did it fail me:  I went up roundly to him, and making my moan how I had lost my self in the wood, desir’d him tell me the was to the city:  He pittying my figure (for I was as pale as death, and all bemir’d) ask’d me if I had seen any one in the wood?  I answer’d, not a soul—­on which he courteously brought me into the highway, where he met two of his friends, who told him, they had travers’d the wood thro’ and thro’ but had light upon nothing but a coat, which they shew’d him.

It may easily be believed I had not the courage to challenge it, tho’ I knew well enough what the value of it was:  This struck me more than all the rest; however, bewailing my treasure, the country-man not heeding me, and feebleness growing upon me, I slacken’d my pace, and jogg’d on slower than ordinarily.

It was longer e’re I reach’d the city than I thought of; but coming to the inn, I found Ascyltos half dead, and stretcht on a straw pallet, and fell on another my self, not able to utter a word:  He missing the coat was in a great disorder, and hastily demanded of me, what was become of it:  I on the other hand, scarce able to draw my breath, resolv’d him by my languishing eyes, what my tongue would not give me leave to speak:  At length recovering by little and little, I plainly told him the ill luck I had met with:  But he thought I jested, and tho’ the tears in my eyes might have been as full evidence to him as an oath, he yet questioned the truth of what I said, and would not believe but I had a mind to cheat him.  During this, Gito stood as troubled as my self, and the boy’s sadness increased mine:  But the fresh suit that was after us, distracted me most.  I opened the whole to Ascyltos who seem’d little concern’d at it, as having luckily got off for the present, and withal assur’d himself, that we were past danger, in that we were neither known, nor seen by any one:  However, it was thought fit to pretend a sickness, that we might have the better pretext to keep where we were:  But our monies falling shorter than we thought of, and necessity enforcing us, we found it high time to sell some of our pillage.

It was almost dark, when going into the brokers market, we saw abundance of things to be bought and sold:  of no extraordinary value, ’tis true; yet such whose night-walking trade, the dusk of the evening might easily conceal.  We also had the mantle with us, and taking the opportunity of a blind corner, fell a shaking the skirt of it, to try if so glittering a shew would bring us a purchaser; nor had we been long there, e’re a certain country-man, whom I thought I had seen before, came up to us with a hussye that follow’d him, and began to consider the mantle more narrowly, as on rhe other side did Ascyltos our country chapman’s shoulders, which presently startled him, and struck him dumb, nor could my self behold ’em without being concern’d at it, for he seemed to me to be the same fellow that