holas night together, Nicholas has to fool John and make him believe a flood greater than Noahs flood (94) will hit the town. The first step in Nicholas trickery is to have John swear no man will you this word betray (94), because it is Christs own word that I will say, and if you tell a man, youre ruined quite (94). John agrees that I never will it tell to child or wife, by Him that harried Hell! (94), and continues to become engulfed in what Nicholas is about to say. Nicholas says he will not lie, but has found out, from my astrology come Monday next shall a rain fall so wildly mad (94) and continues to say that this world, in less time than an hour, shall all be drowned (94). In Cowans wheel, Nicholas is a figure who shows disinterest and manifests himself from time to time within the comic tradition. In this case, Nicholas is trying to save Alison from Johns jealousy and concentrates his efforts on the rescue of her, the victim. John becomes ecstatic and begins to worry about his wife: Alas, my wife! And shall she drown? (94). John inquires if there is a remedy to this disaster, Nicholas replies with the story of Noah, and how his wife had one ship for herself alone (95). Nicholas tells John to go retrieve three kneading-tubs, or brewing vats (95) so that they can swim out once the flood comes. Nicholas continues to tell John to be sure to have sufficient food and water for one day only, and once again repeats, your wife I shall not lose, there is no doubt (95). Once John had acquires the three tubs, Nicholas tells him to hang them near the roof-tree high (95) so that no eye can see them. Nicholas finalizes his fiasco by telling John that not one of us must speak or whisper word for this is Gods own bidding (96). In the dark and infernal level of comedy, several vices are apparent, and in this case, both hypocrisy and treachery are prevalent. Nicholas repeats several times not to tell anyone because God will punish him...
