The king laughed
hartily and tooke it nothing offensiuely: for indeed as the case fell out
it was not vndecently spoken by Sir _Andrew Flamock_, for it was the
cleaneliest excuse he could make, and a merry implicatiue in termes
nothing odious, and therefore a sporting satisfaction to the kings mind,
in a matter which without some such merry answere could not haue bene well
taken. So was _Flamocks_ action most vncomely, but his speech excellently
well becoming the occasion.
But at another time and in another like case, the same skurrillitie of
_Flamock_ was more offensiue, because it was more indecent. As when the
king hauing _Flamock_ with him in his barge, passing from Westminster to
Greenewich to visite a fayre Lady whom the king loued and was lodged in
the tower of the Parke: the king comming within sight of the tower, and
being disposed to be merry, said, _Flamock_ let vs rime: as well as I can
said _Flamock_ if it please your grace. The king began thus:
_Within this towre,
There lieth a flowre,
That hath my hart._
_Flamock_ for aunswer: _Within this hower, she will, &c._ with the rest in
so vncleanly termes, as might not now become me by the rule of _Decorum_
to vtter writing to so great a Maiestie, but the king tooke them in so
euill part, as he bid _Flamock_ auaunt varlet, and that he should no more
be so neere vnto him.
Pages:
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328