For taking up the publick ground;
The kennel, and the King’s highway, 605
For being unmolested, pay;
Let out the stocks, and whipping-post,
And cage, to those that gave him most;
Impos’d a tax on bakers’ ears,
And for false weights on chandelers; 610
Made victuallers and vintners fine
For arbitrary ale and wine;
But was a kind and constant friend
To all that regularly offend;
As residentiary bawds, 615
And brokers that receive stol’n goods;
That cheat in lawful mysteries,
And pay church duties and his fees;
But was implacable, and awkward,
To all that interlop’d and hawker’d. 620

To this brave man the Knight repairs
For council in his law-affairs
And found him mounted in his pew,
With books and money plac’d for shew,
Like nest-eggs to make clients lay, 625
And for his false opinion pay
To whom the knight, with comely grace,
Put off his hat to put his case
Which he as proudly entertain’d
As th’ other courteously strain’d; 630
And, to assure him ’t was not that
He look’d for, bid him put on’s hat.

Quoth he, There is one Sidrophel,
Whom I have cudgell’d —­ Very well. 
And now he brags t’ have beaten me. —­ 635
Better and better still, quoth he. —­
And vows to stick me to a wall
Where-e’er he meets me —­ Best of all. 
’Tis true, the knave has taken’s oath
That I robb’d him —­ Well done, in troth 640
When h’ has confess’d he stole my cloak,
And pick’d my fob, and what he took;
Which was the cause that made me bang him,
And take my goods again —­ Marry hang him. 
Now whether I should before-hand, 645
Swear he robb’d me? —­ I understand. 
Or bring my action of conversion
And trover for my goods? —­ Ah, Whoreson! 
Or if ’tis better to indite,
And bring him to his trial? —­ Right. 650
Prevent what he designs to do,
And swear for th’ State against him? —­ True. 
Or whether he that is defendant
In this case has the better end on’t;
Who, putting in a new cross-bill, 655
May traverse th’ action? —­ Better still. 
Then there’s a Lady too —­ Aye, marry
That’s easily prov’d accessary;
A widow, who, by solemn vows
Contracted to me for my spouse, 660
Combin’d with him to break her word,
And has abetted all. —­ Good Lord
Suborn’d th’ aforesaid Sidrophel
To tamper with the Dev’l of Hell;
Who put m’ into a horrid fear, 665
Fear of my life. —­ Make that appear. 
Made an assault with fiends and men
Upon my body. —­ Good agen,
And kept me in a deadly fright,
And false imprisonment, all night 670
Mean while they robb’d me, and my horse,
And stole my saddle. —­ Worse and worse. 
And made me mount upon the bare ridge,
T’ avoid a wretcheder miscarriage.