For in comparison of these treasours, all the gold or siluer
in the world may by a skornefull terme be called pelfe, & so ye see that
the reason of the decencie holdeth not alike in both cases. Now let vs
passe from these examples, to treate of those that concerne the
comelinesse and decencie of mans behauiour.
And some speech may be whan it is spoken very vndecent, and yet the same
hauing afterward somewhat added to it may become prety and decent, as was
the stowte worde vfed by a captaine in Fraunce, who sitting at the lower
end of the Duke of _Guyses_ table among many, the day after there had bene
a great battaile foughten, the Duke finding that this captaine was not
seene that day to do any thing in the field, taxed him priuily thus in al
the hearings. Where were you Sir the day of the battaile, for I saw ye
not? the captaine answered promptly: where ye durst not haue bene: and the
Duke began to kindle with the worde, which the Gentleman perceiuing, said
spedily: I was that day among the carriages, where your excellencie would
not for a thousand crownes haue bene seene. Thus from vndecent it came by
a wittie reformation to be made decent againe.
The like hapned on a time at the Duke of Northumberlandes bourd, where
merry _John Heywood_ was allowed to sit at the tables end.
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