)_
And so proceedes to answere the kings question?
_The shippe thou seest sayling in sea so large, &c._
This insertion is very long and vtterly impertinent to the principall
matter, and makes a great gappe in the tale, neuerthelesse is no disgrace
but rather a bewtie and to very good purpose, but you must not vse such
insertions often nor to thick, nor those that bee very long as this of
ours, for it will breede great confusion to haue the tale so much
interrupted.
[Sidenote: _Histeron proteron_, or the Preposterous.]
Ye haue another manner of disordered speach, when ye misplace your words
or clauses and set that before which should be behind, _& e conuerso_, we
call it in English prouerbe, the cart before the horse, the Greeks call it
_Histeron proteron_, we name it the Preposterous, and if it be not too
much vsed is tollerable inough, and many times scarse perceiueable,
vnlesse the sence be thereby made very absurd: as he that described his
manner of departure from his mistresse, said thus not much to be misliked.
_I kist her cherry lip and tooke my leaue_:
For I tooke my leaue and kist her: And yet I cannot well say whether a man
vse to kisse before hee take his leaue, or take his leaue before he kisse,
or that it be all one busines. It seemes the taking leaue is by vsing some
speach, intreating licence of departure: the kisse a knitting vp of the
farewell, and as it were a testimoniall of the licence without which here
in England one may not presume of courtesie to depart, let yong Courtiers
decide this controuersie.
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