And by this Time they were grown a little familiar; then says Maccus, Tell me upon your Word, whether it never was your Hap, when you had fitted a Man with Boots and Shoes, as you have me, to have him go away without paying for ’em?  No, never in all my Life, says he.  But, says Maccus, if such a Thing should happen to you, what would you do in the Case?  Why, quoth the Shoemaker, I’d run after him.  Then says Maccus, but are you in Jest or in Earnest?  In Earnest, says the other, and I’d do it in Earnest too.  Says Maccus, I’ll try whether you will or no.  See I run for the Shoes, and you’re to follow me, and out he runs in a Minute; the Shoemaker follows him immediately as fast as ever he could run, crying out, Stop Thief, stop Thief; this Noise brings the People out of their Houses:  Maccus laughing, hinders them from laying Hold of him by this Device, Don’t stop me, says he, we are running a Race for a Wager of a Pot of Ale; and so they all stood still and look’d on, thinking the Shoemaker had craftily made that Out-cry that he might have the Opportunity to get before him.  At last the Shoemaker, being tir’d with running, gives out, and goes sweating, puffing and blowing Home again:  So Maccus got the Prize.

Ge. Maccus indeed escap’d the Shoemaker, but did not escape the Thief.

Po. Why so?

Ge. Because he carried the Thief along with him.

Po. Perhaps he might not have Money at that Time, but paid for ’em afterwards.

Ge. He might have indicted him for a Robbery.

Po. That was attempted afterwards, but now the Magistrates knew Maccus.

Ge. What did Maccus say for himself?

Po. Do you ask what he said for himself, in so good a Cause as this?  The Plaintiff was in more Danger than the Defendant.

Ge. How so?

Po. Because he arrested him in an Action of Defamation, and prosecuted him upon the Statute of Rheims which says, that he that charges a Man with what he can’t prove, shall suffer the Penalty, which the Defendant was to suffer if he had been convicted.  He deny’d that he had meddled with another Man’s Goods without his Leave, but that he put ’em upon him, and that there was no Mention made of any Thing of a Price; but that he challeng’d the Shoemaker to run for a Wager, and that he accepted the Challenge, and that he had no Reason to complain because he had out-run him.

Ge. This Action was pretty much like that of the Shadow of the Ass.  Well, but what then?