THE GENEROUS USURER Mr NEVELL in Thames-street, who alloweth his maid usually a black pudding to dinner. Who once bought a Pullet for his wife when she was sick; but he would go to Market himself, because he would not be cozened by the Messenger; and brought the feathers home in his hat when it was pulled; because he would not lose them; and how he was troubled therewith when the Lord Major seeing him called to speak with him.  
And how he made lamentable moan to his Neighbours, that his maid had robbed him; because she gave her Sweetheart a piece of bread and cheese.   woodcut of man 
LONDON Printed for Solomon Johnson, 1641.   

A DIALOGUE BEtween the Maid and the Nurse, about their Master, Mr. Nevell his Generosity.  Maid. 
NVrse, I will tell you what I heard my Master say even now of you.  Nurse. 
Why, what did he say? I pray thee tell me.  Ma. 
He said that he would turn away both you, and me: you to morrow, and me the next day after.  Nur. 
How can I go away, and my Mistress so ill? thou talkest strangely; or thou either, why what is the matter with him now? it is the strangest man, he is never contented, never quiet.  Maid. 
For your part he saith, that you are so chargeable to him, and put him to such cost for my Mistress, that he will not by any means endure it.  Nur. 
He is a base fellow, for all he is my master, would he have to starve my mistress? I will have that which is fitting for her, that I will, a door sick woman, I think he would starve her, if he might have his will.  Maid. 
Truly I must needs say that he is very miserable, I am sure I have felt it, and known it; for I did live with him when he was a Widower.  Nurse. 
Was he not then more generous and free, than he is now?  Maid. 
Free? I will tell you how free he was; I was all the family he had; and he gave me but 18. s. a year, and we lay in bed (commonly) till 9 or 10. of the clock in the morning; and went to bed before candle light to save charges; and he would let me make but one meal a day for the most part (as himself had) and that was with a black pudding to dinner, and an half penny loaf, except by chance sometimes he cut me a slice of bread and cheese, and that very thin: which he always used to lock up in the Cubboard himself, because he would not trust me with it.  Nur. 
Had you no supper than never, nor breakfast too?  Naid. 
Sometimes he would cut me a little thin slice of bread and cheese; or else give me a slice of bread only, or at other times he would give me an half penny for meal, and an half penny for butter, to make me an hasty pudding.  Nurse. 
Oh monstrous, I never heard of the like. But what drink did he allow you? I hope you kept a good vessel of drink in the house.  Maid. 
We had always a firkin of four shilling Beer in the house; but I could never come at it, except I went to him for the key, which was very irksome to me to do, he gave it me so mutteringly.  Nurse. 
Oh, fie upon it; how could you endure to dwell with him?  Ma. 
I must tell you that I could never have born it, but that he promised me, that if I would live with him until he died, he would give me an hundred pounds to my portion; which he being old, moved me to undergo the greater hardship.  Nurse. 
I do assure you that he is very covetous, and miserable, as ever I heard of any man in my life; if it were not for my Mistress, I would not stay an hour in the house.  Maid. 
Did you not hear what a trick he played yesterday, when he went for the Pullet for my Mistress?  Nur. 
No, why what did he do, I know it was a very poor, lean, starved fowl; I do not think but it was some smothered pullet: was that it?  Ma. 
No I assure you, he bought it at one of the Poulterer's shops in Gracious street, it cost him 10. d. But here was the jest. We have a feather tub, and it will not hold I think half a bushel, and I have lived with him this 3. years and a half, and I dare say that there is scarce so many feathers in it, as will well cover the bottom of it; we have had such store of fowl since I dwelled with him: and yet he was so covetous, ihat when he had bought the Pullet, and made the woman to pull it and all, he called for the feathers, and took them from the woman, and put them in the crown of his hat, and put it upon his head, and so came home: But as he was coming home, he chanced to meet the Lord Maior, who had sent yesterday two or three times to our house, to speak with him about something, I think to speak in the behalf of a friend of my Lords, that oweth him money; and my Mr. seeing my Lord coming, went into an Haberdasher's shop, and made an excuse to beg a sheet of paper to put the pullet in, to carry it home; but my Lord espied him, and commanded an Officer to go into the shop to call him to my Lord, which he did.  
Then was my Mr perplexed what to do, because of the feathers in his hat, to talk to my L. Major with his hat on was very misbeseeming, and not fitting: and how to put off his hat, and not descry the feathers in it he could not tell. But whilst he was pausing upon the matter, my Lord himself drew nearer to the shop, and called to him, M. Nevell (quoth he, I would speak with you) than he came came to my Lord, blustering by as if he had been in wondrous haste; and giving his hat brim a little touch with his hand, went to pass by my Lord, telling him, that he would be with his honour presently at his house, but now he could not stay, his wife was sick, and his haste concerned her life.  
But the Lord Major being very importunate, would needs speak with him. Then my M. moved his hat up and down a little with his hand, and my L. held him in talk so long, till at last the feathers began to fly out about his ears forth of his hat.  
What (quoth my Lord Mayor) have you got a birds nest in your hat, M. Nevell, that the feathers fly about so. Then my M. put off his hat quite, and shown it my Lord, saying, that because his wife, had longed for a Pullet, being not well, he brought home the feathers and all, lest she should long for them too: But oh how my Lord, and his Officers, and the people about him laughed at it.  Nurse. 
Laugh (quoth I) how could they choose but laugh; I cannot forbear laughing myself. I never heard of the like to him in every thing; but me thinks this is as pretty a jest as ever I heard; how can my Lord Major, or any that saw it, choose but laugh as long as they live, every time they see him.  Maid. 
But you little think what a quarter my Master keeps now? did you not hear him railing at me even now; and I must be gone now that I must?  Nurse. 
Come (quoth I) I think it will be the better for you; but what was the matter?  Maid. 
My Master (you know) was called forth in the Morning to go to Grays-inn, and as it seems knew that he should stay forth; and therefore left me the bread and cheese out; which was I confess a great favour from him; for he doth so very seldom; but he had written upon the Cheese, which was about half a Cheese, within about an inch of the edge, he had written these words; Cut this Cheese even; and it so fortuned that about three hours since, a friend of mine came to see me, who when he came, I was glad that I had the bread and Cheese to set before him; and did therefore desire him to sit down, and set it before him; you was then very busy in the next Chamber with my Mistress.  
But here was the mischief, that he espied this writing upon the Cheese, which he read, and knowing him to be a miserable covetous fellow, conceived that he writ it from a niggardly disposition, and therefore drew out his knife, & cuts it quite through the Cheese very handsomely, and cut about half the half Cheese, which was two or three pounds, at the least, and when he had done, he took his pen and ink out of his pocket, and writ very near the edge thus; Is not this Cheese cut even; and put the rest in his pocket; and after some few words of discourse between us, took his leave of me; and so we parted: but I was in a terrible perplexity to see him carry away the Cheese; yet I was ashamed to forbid him.  
But even now my Master came in, and found his Cheese gone; but oh how he cried out against me for his Cheese; so I was feign to tell him how it was: then he called me whore, and jade, and thief, and I know not what, & I must be gone that I must; and now he is gone and complains to our neighbours, that I have let in theeuds to rob him; which God knows was nothing but a piece of bread and cheese, which I promised to pay him for out of my wages; but he would not hear me speak, oh, he is gone forth in a terrible chafe.  Nurse. 
Hark, hark, some body knocks, I think.  Maid. 
No, no, I warrant you, go go down and see who is at door, I will go in to my Master.  
Thus they parted, and their discourse ended.  
FINIS.