A ruler there was in a country afar, And of the people a great executioner, Who by name, I understand, was called Jude. One gave him an ass, which gift when he had view’d, He asked the giver, for what intent He brought him that ass. “For a present I bring, Master Jude,” quoth he, “this ass hither; To join Master Jude and this ass together, Which two joined in one, this is brought to pass, I may bid you good even, Master Jude--ass.” “Maccabee or Iscariot, thou knave?” quoth he;-- “Whom it pleaseth your mastership, him let it be!” The following, too, is very much after the fashion of the French “_fous à titre d’office_” when they repelled the unwelcome familiarity of certain courtiers. TWO, ARM-IN-ARM. One said to another, on taking his arm, “By license, friend, and take this for no harm.” “No, Sir,” (quoth the other,) “I give you full leave To hang on my arm, Sir, but not on my sleeve.” Here is a jester’s definition of WIT, WILL, AND WISDOM. Where will is good, and wit is ill, There wisdom can no manner skill. Where wit is good, and will is ill, There wisdom sitteth silent still. Where wit and will are both too ill, There wisdom no way meddle will. Where wit and will well-ordered be, There wisdom maketh a trinity. And the following is not a bad specimen of the ordinary fool’s mock sermon put into rhyme, with the title of CERTAIN FOLLIES. To cast fair white salt into wise man’s meat, To make them count salt, sugar, when they eat,-- A folly. To bear a man in hand he itcheth in each part, When the man feeleth an universal smart,-- A folly. To speak always well and do always ill, And tell men those deeds are done of good will,-- A folly. Thy lusty-limbed horse to lead in thy hand, When on thy lame limbs thou canst scanty stand,-- A folly. Of sticks for cage-work to build thy house high, And cover it with lead, to keep thy house dry,-- A folly! From a sermon, to those who needed the instruction that ought to be afforded by one, is not going wide apart. Such a person Heywood seems to have met, and to have reproved by a Latin pun which was unintelligible to this MERRY WOMAN.