English poetry -- History and criticism; Poetry -- Early works to 1800
For in this word [_reprooue_] because there is no extraordinary sence to
be inferred, he keepeth his sharpe accent vpon the sillable [_prooue_] but
in the former verses because they seeme to encounter ech other, they do
thereby merite an audible and pleasant alteration of their accents in
those sillables that cause the subtiltie. Of these maner of nicetees ye
shal finde in many places of our booke, but specially where we treate of
ornament, vnto which we referre you, sauing that we thought good to set
down one example more to solace your mindes with mirth after all these
scholasticall preceptes, which can not but bring with them (specially to
Courtiers) much tediousnesse, and so to end. In our Comedie intituled
_Ginecocratia:_ the king was supposed to be a person very amorous and
effeminate, and therefore most ruled his ordinary affaires by the aduise
of women either for the loue he bare to their persons of liking he had to
their pleasant ready witts and vtterance. Comes me to the Court one
_Polemon_ an honest plaine man of the country, but rich: and hauing a
suite to the king, met by chaunce with one _Philino_, a louer of wine and
a merry companion in Court, and praied him in that he was a stranger that
he would vouchsafe to tell him which way he were best to worke to get his
suite, and who were most in credit and fauour about the king, that he
might seek to them to furder his attempt. _Philino_ perceyuing the
plainnesse of the man, and that there would be some good done with him,
told _Polemon_ that if he would well consider him for his labor he would
bring him where he should know the truth of all his demaundes by the
sentence of the Oracle. _Polemon_ gaue him twentie crownes, _Philino_
brings him into a place where behind an arras cloth hee himselfe spake in
manner of an Oracle in these matters, for so did all the Sybils and
sothsaiers in old times giue their answers.
_Your best way to worke - and marke my words well,
Not money: nor many,
Nor any: but any,
Not weemen, but weemen beare the bell._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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