The text comes from the first edition, 1578. I've added the paragraph numbers. The original is in black-letter, with emphasized words in roman; I've used roman for the text, and italics for the emphasis. I have expanded macrons indicating omitted m and n's. The text still has to be proofread against the original, and I hope to add commentary as time permits.
[1] I Was driuen into a quandarie Gentlemen, whether I might send this my Pamphlet to the Printer or to the pedler. I thought it to bad for the presse, & to good for the packe. But seing my folly in writing to be as great as others, I was willing my fortune should be as ill as any mans. We commonly see the booke that at Christmas lyeth bound on the Stacioners stall, at Easter to be broken in the Haberdasshers shop, which sith it is the order of proceding, I am content this winter to haue my doings read for a toye, that in sommer they may be ready for trash. It is not straunge when as the greatest wonder lasteth but nyne dayes: That a newe worke should not endure but three monethes. Gentlemen vse bookes, as gentlewomen handle theyr flowres, who in the morning sticke them in their heads, and at night strawe them at their heeles. Cheries be fulsome when they be through rype, bicause they be plenty, & bookes be stale when they be printed, in that they be common. In my mynde Printers and Taylors are bound chiefely to pray for Gentlemen, the one hath so many fantasies to print, the other such diuers fashions to make, that the pressing yron of the one is neuer out of the fyre, nor the printing presse of the other any tyme lyeth still. But a fashion is but a dayes wearing, and a booke but an howres reading, which seeing it is so, I am of a shomakers mynde, who careth not so the shooe hold the plucking on, and I, so my labours last the running ouer. He that commeth in print bicause he would be knowen, is lyke the foole that commeth into the market bicause he would be seene. I am not he that seeketh prayse for his labour, but pardon for his offence, neither doe I set this foorth for any deuotion in print, but for dutie whith I owe to my Patrone. If one write neuer so well, he cannot please all, and write he neuer so ill hee shall please some. Fine heads will pick a quarrell with me if all be not curious, and flatterers a thanke, if any thing be currant. But this is my mynde, let him that fyndeth fault amende it, and him that liketh it, vse it. Enuie braggeth but draweth no bloud, the malicious haue more mynde to quippe, then might to cut. I submit my selfe to the iudgement of the wise, and I little esteme the censure of fooles. The one will be satisfyed with reason, the other are to be aunswered with silence. I know gentlemen wil fynde no fault without cause, and beare with those that deserue blame, as for others I care not for their iestes, for I neuer ment to make them my Iudges.
Farewell.
[2] There dwelt in Athens a young gentleman of great patrimonie, & of so comely a personage, that it was doubted whether he were more bound to Nature for the liniaments of his person, or to fortune for the encrease of his possessions. But Nature impatient of comparisons, and as it were disdaining a companion, or copartner in hir working, added to this comlinesse of his body suche a sharpe capacitie of minde, that not onely shée proued Fortune counterfaite, but was halfe of that opinion that she hir selfe was onely currant. This younge gallant, of more wit then wealth, and yet of more wealth then wisdome, séeing himselfe inferiour to none in pleasant conceits, thought himselfe superiour to al in honest conditions, insomuch yt he déemed himselfe so apt to all things, that he gaue himselfe almost to nothing, but practising of those things commonly which are incident to these sharp wits, fine phrases, smoth quipping, merry taunting, vsing iesting without meane, & abusing mirth without measure. As therefore the swéetest Rose hath his prickel the finest veluet his brack, the fairest flowre his bran so the sharpest witte hath his wanton will, and the holiest heade his wicked waye. And true it is that some men write and most men beléeue, that in all perfecte shapes, a blemmish bringeth rather a liking euery way to the eyes, then a loathing any waye to the minde. Venus had hir Mole in hir chéeke which made hir more amiable, Helen hir scarre on hir chinne which Paris called Cos amoris, the Whetstone of loue. Aristippus his wart, Lycurgus his wenne: So likewise in the disposition of ye minde, eitheir vertue is ouershaddowed with some vice or vice ouercast with some vertue. Alexander valiaunt in warre, yet gyuen to wine. Tulli eloquent in his gloses, yet vayneglorious: Salomon wyse, yet to too wanton: Dauid holye, but yet an homicide: none more wittie then Euphues, yet at the first none more wicked. The freshest colours soonest fade, the kéenest Rasor soonest tourneth his edge, the finest cloathe is soonest eaten wyth Moathes, and the Cambricke sooner stained then the course Canuas: whiche appeared well in this Euphues, whose witte béeinge lyke waxe apte to receiue any impression, and hauinge the bridle in hys owne handes either to vse the raine or the spurre, disdayning counsayle, leauinge his countrey, loathinge his olde acquaintance, thought either by wytte to obteyne some conquest, or by shame to abyde some conflicte, and leauing the rule of reason, rashly ranne vnto destruction.
[3] It hath bene an olde sayed sawe, and not of lesse truth then antiquitie, that witte is the better if it bée the déerer bought: as in the sequele of thys historie shall moste manifestlye appeare. It happened thys young Impe to ariue at Naples (a place of more pleasure then profite, and yet of more profite then pietie) the very walles and windowes whereof shewed it rather to bée the Tabernacle of Venus, then the Temple of Vesta.
[4] There was all things necessary and in redinesse that myght eyther allure the minde to luste, or entice the hearte to follye, a courte more méete for an Atheyst, then for one of Athens, for Ouid then for Aristotle, for a gracelesse louer then for a godly lyuer: more fitter for Paris then Hector, and méeter for Flora then Diana.
[5] Héere my youthe (whether for wéerinesse hée coulde not, or for wantonnesse woulde not goe anye further) determined to make hys abode: whereby it is euidently séene that the fleetest fishe swalloweth the delicatest bayte, that the highest soaring Hawke trayneth to the lure, and that the wittiest skonce is inuegled wyth the soddeyne viewe of alluringe vanities.
[6] Héere hée wanted no companions whiche courted hym continuallye wyth sundrye kindes of deuises, whereby they myght eyther soake hys purse to reape commoditie, or sooth hys person to wynne credite, for hée had guestes and companions of all sortes.
[7] There frequented to his lodging and mancion house as well the Spider to sucke poyson, of his fine wyt, as the Bée to gather hunny, as well the Drone, as the Doue, the Foxe as the Lambe, as well Damocles to betraye hym, as Damon to bée true to hym: Yet hée behaued hymselfe so warilye, that hée coulde single out hys game wiselye, insomuche that an olde Gentleman in Naples séeinge hys pregnaunt wytte, his Eloquent tongue somewhat tauntinge, yet wyth delight, his myrthe wythout measure, yet not wythout wytte, hys sayinges vaineglorious, yet pythie, beganne to bewayle hys nurture: and to muse at hys Nature, béeinge incensed agaynste the one as most pernicious, and enflamed wyth the other as moste precious: for hée well knewe that so rare a wytte woulde in tyme eyther bréede an intollerable trouble, or bringe an incomperable Treasure to the common weale: at the one hée greatly pittied, at the other he reioysed.
[8] Hauinge therefore gotten opportunitie to communicate with him hys minde, wyth watrye eyes, as one lamentinge his wantonnesse, and smilinge face, as one louinge his wittinesse, encountred him on thys manner.
[9] Young gentleman, although my acquaintaunce bée small to intreate you, and my authoritie lesse to commaund you, yet my good-will in giuing you good counsaile should induce you to beléeue mée, and my hoarie haires (ambassadors of experience) enforce you to follow mée, for by howe much the more I am a straunger to you, by so much the more you are beholdinge to mée, hauing therefore opportunitie to vtter my minde, I meane to bée importunate wyth you to followe my meaninge. As thy birth doth shewe the expresse and liuely Image of gentle bloude, so thy bringing vp séemeth to mée to bée a greate blotte to the linage of so noble a brute, so that I am enforced to thincke that either thou dyddest want one to giue thée good instructions, or that thy parentes made thée a wanton wyth to much cockeringe, either they were too foolishe in vsinge no discipline, or thou too frowarde in reiecting their doctrine, eyther they willinge to haue thée idle, or thou wylfull to bée ill employed. Dyd they not remember that whiche no man ought to forgette, that the tender youth of a childe is lyke the temperinge of newe waxe apte to receiue any forme? Hée that wyll carry a Bull wyth Milo, must vse to carrye him a Calfe also, hée that coueteth to haue a straight trée, muste not boowe hym béeinge a twigge. The Potter fashioneth his claye when it is softe, and the Sparrowe is taught to come when hée is younge: As therefore the yron béeinge hotte receyueth any forme with the stroake of the Hammer, and kéepeth it béeinge colde for euer, so the tender witte of a childe if with diligence it bée instructed in youth, wyll with industrye vse those qualities in hys age.
[10] They might also haue taken example of the wise husbandmen, who in their fattest and most fertill grounde sowe Hempe before Wheate, a grayne that dryeth vp the superfluous moysture, and maketh the soyle more apte for corne: Or of good Gardeiners who in their curious knottes mixe Hisoppe wyth Time as ayders the one to the growth of the other, the one béeinge drye, the other moyste: or of cunning Painters who for the whitest woorke caste the blackest grounde, to make the Picture more amiable. If therefore thy Father had bene as wise an husbandman, as hée was a fortunate husbande, or thy Mother as good a huswyfe as shée was a happye wyfe, if they had bene bothe as good Gardners to kéepe their knotte, as they were grafters to brynge foorth such fruite, or as cunninge Painters, as they were happie parentes, no doubte they had sowed Hempe before Wheate, that is discipline before affaction, they had set Hisoppe wyth Time, that is manners wyth witte, the one to ayde the other, and to make thy dexteritie more, they had caste a blacke grounde for their white woorke, that is, they had mixed threates wyth faire lookes.
[11] But thinges past are paste callinge agayne, it is to late to shutte the stable doore when the stéede is stolen: The Troyans repented to late when their towne was spoiled: Yet the remembraunce of thy former follies might bréede in thée a remorse of conscience, and bée a remedy against further concupiscence. But nowe to thy present tyme: The Lacedemonians were wont to shewe their children dronken men and other wicked men, that by séeinge theire filth they might shunne the lyke faulte, and auoyde suche vices when they were at the lyke state. The Persians to make theire youth abhorre gluttonie woulde paint an Epicure sléeping with meate in his mouthe, & most horribly ouerladen with wine, that by the view of such monsterous sightes, they might eschewe the meanes of the like excesse.
[12] The Parthians to cause their youthe to loath the alluringe traines of womens wyles and deciptfull entisementes, had most curiously carued in their houses a younge man blinde, besides whome was adioyned a woman so exquisite, that in some mennes iudgement Pigmalions Image was not halfe so excellent, hauing one hande in hys pocket as notinge their thefte, and holdinge a knyfe in the other hande to cutte hys throate: If the sight of such vglye shapes caused a loathinge of the like sinnes, then my good Euphues consider their plight, and beware of thyne owne perill. Thou art héere in Naples a younge soiourner, I an olde senior, thou a straunger, I a Citizen, thou secure doubtinge no mishappe, I sorrowfull dreadinge thy misfortune. Héere mayste thou sée that which I sighe to sée, dronken sottes wallowinge in euery house, in euery chamber, yea, in euery channell, héere maiste thou beholde that whiche I cannot wythout blushinge beholde, nor wythoute blubbering vtter, those whose bellies bée their Gods, who offer their goodes as sacrifice to theyre guttes: who sléepe wyth meate in their mouthes, wyth sinne in their heartes, and wyth shame in their houses.
[13] Héere, yea, héere Euphues, maiste thou sée not the carued vizarde of a lewde woman, but the incarnate visage of a lasciuious wanton, not the shaddowe of loue, but the substaunce of luste: My hearte melteth in droppes of bloude, to sée a harlot with the one hande robbe so many cofers, and wyth the other to rippe so many corses.
[14] Thou arte héere amiddest the pykes betwéene Scilla and Caribdis, readye if thou shunne Syrtes, to sincke into Semphlagades. Let the Lacedemonian, the Persian, the Parthian, yea, the Neapolitan, cause thee rather to detest suche villanie, at the sight and viewe of their vanitie.
[15] Is it not farre better to abhorre sinnes by the remembraunce of others faultes, then by repentaunce of thine owne follies? Is not hée accompted moste wise, whome other mens harmes dooe make moste warie? But thou wylte happely saye, that although there bée many thinges in Naples to bée iustlye condemned, yet there are some thinges of necessitie to bée commended, and as thy wyll doeth leane vnto the one, so thy wytte woulde also embrace the other.
[16] Alas Euphues by how much the more I loue the highe climbinge of thy capacitie, by so muche the more I feare thy fall. The fine christall is sooner crazed then the harde marble, the gréenest Béeche burneth faster then the dryest Oke, the fairest silke is soonest soyled, and the swéetest wine tourneth to the sharpest vineger, the pestilence doth most ryfest infect the cléerest complection, and the Caterpiller cleaueth vnto the ripest fruite, the most delicate wyt is allured with small enticement vnto vice, and moste subiecte to yelde vnto vanitie, if therefore thou doe but harken to the Syrens, thou wilte bée enamoured, if thou haunte their houses and places, thou shalt be enchaunted:
[17] One droppe of poyson infecteth the whole tunne of Wine, one leafe of Colliquintida marreth and spoyleth the whole potte of porredge, one yron Mole defaceth the whole péece of lawne: Descende into thine owne conscience, and consider wyth thy selfe the greate difference betwéene staringe and starke blinde, wit and wisdome, loue and lust. Bée merrye but with modestie, be sober but not to sulloume, bee valiaunt but not too venterous. Let thy attyre bée comely but not costly, thy dyet wholesome but not excessiue, vse pastime as the woorde importeth, to passe the tyme in honest recreation: mistrust no man wythout cause, neither bée thou credulous without proofe, bée not light to followe euery mans opinion, nor obstinate to stande in thine owne conceipte. Serue God, loue God, feare God, and God wyll so blesse thée as eyther hearte can wishe or thy friendes desire. And so I ende my counsaile, beseechinge thée to beginne to followe it. Thys olde Gentleman hauinge finished his dyscourse, Euphues beganne to shape hym an aunswere in this sort.
[18] Father and friende (your age sheweth the one, your honestie the other) I am neither so suspitious to mistrust your good will, nor so sottishe to mislike your good counsaile, as I am therefore to thancke you for the first, so it standes mée vppon to thincke better on the latter: I meane not to cauill wyth you as one louinge sophistrye, neyther to controwle you as one hauing superioritie, the one woulde bring my talke into the suspition of fraude, the other conuince me of folly. Whereas you argue I knowe not vppon what probabilyties, but sure I am vppon no proofe, that my bringing vp shoulde bée a blemish to my birth. I aunswere, and sweare to that you were not therein a lyttle ouershot, eyther you gaue too muche credite to the report of others, or to much lybertie to your owne iudgement, you conuince my parents of péeuishnesse, in making me a wanton, and me of leaudnesse in reiectinge correction. But so many men so many mindes, that may séeme in your eye odious, which in an others eye may be gratious. Aristippus, a Philosopher, yet who more courtely? Diogenes, a Philosopher, yet who more carterly? Who more popular then Plato, retayning alwayes good company? Who more enuious then Tymon, denouncing all humaine societie? Who so seuere as the Stoyckes, which lyke stockes were moued with no melody? Who so secure as the Epicures which wallowed in all kinde of licentiousnesse? Though all men bee made of one mettall, yet they bée not cast all in one moulde, there is framed of the selfe same clay aswell the tile to kéepe out water as the potte to containe lycour, the Sunne doth harden the durte & melt the waxe, fire maketh the gold to shine and the straw to smother, perfumes doth refresh ye Doue & kill ye Betil, & the nature of the man disposeth ye consent of ye manners. Now wheras you séeme to loue my nature & loath my nurture, you bewray your own weaknes, in thinking ye nature may any waies be altered by education, & as you haue ensamples to confirme your pretence, so I haue most euident and infallyble argumentes to serue for my purpose: It is naturall for the vyne to spread, the more you seeke by arte to alter it, the more in the ende you shall augment it. It is proper for the Palme trée to mounte, the heauyer you loade it the higher it sprowteth. Though yron be made softe with fire it returneth to his hardnes, though the Fawlcon be reclaimed to ye fist she retyreth to hir haggardnes, the whelpe of a Mastiffe will neuer be taught to retriue the Partridge, education can haue no shew, where the excellencie of nature doth beare sway. The silly Mouse will by no manner of meanes be tamed, the subtill. Foxe may well be beaten, but neuer broken from stealing his pray, if you pownde spices they smell the swéeter, season the woode neuer so well the wine will taste of the caske, plante and translate the crabbe trée, where, and whensoeuer it please you and it will neuer beare sweete apple.
[19] Infinite and innumerable were the examples I coulde alleadge and declare to confirme the force of Nature, and confute these your vayne and false forgeries, were not the repetition of them néedelesse hauing shewed sufficient, or bootelesse séeinge those alleadged will not perswade you. And can you bée so vnnaturall, whome dame Nature hath nourished and brought vpp so many yeares, to repine as it were agaynst Nature?
[20] The similytude you rehearse of the waxe, argueth your waxinge and melting brayne, and your example of the hotte and harde yron, sheweth in you but colde and weake disposition. Doe you not knowe that which all men doe affirme and knowe, that blacke will take no other coulour? That the stone Abeston being once made hotte will neuer be made colde? That fire cannot be forced downewarde? That Nature will haue course after kinde? That euery thing will dispose it selfe according to Nature? Can the Aethiope chaunge or alter his skinne? or the Leoparde his hewe? Is it possible to gather grapes of thornes, or figges of thistelles? or to cause any thinge to striue against nature?
[21] But why go I about to prayse Nature, the whiche as yet was neuer any Impe so wicked & barbarous, any Turke so vile and brutish, any beast so dull and sencelesse, that coulde, or would, or durst disprayse or contemne? Doth not Cicero conclude and allowe, that if wée followe and obey Nature we shall neuer erre? Doth not Aristotle alleadge and confirme, that Nature frameth or maketh nothing in any poynte rude, vayne, and vnperfect?
[22] Nature was had in such estimation and admiration among the Heathen people, that she was reputed sor the onely Goddesse in Heauen: If Nature then haue largely and bountefully endewed mée with hir giftes, why déeme you me so vntoward and gracelesse? If she haue dealte hardely with me, why extoll you so muche my birth? If Nature beare no sway, why vse you this adulation? If Nature worke the effecte, what booteth any education? If Nature be of strength or force, what auaileth discipline or nurture? If of none what helpeth Nature? But lette these sayings passe, as knowne euidently and graunted to be true, which none can or may deny vnlesse he be false, or that he bée an enemye to humanitie.
[23] As touchinge my residence and abidinge héere in Naples, my youthly and lusty affections, my sportes and pleasures, my pastimes, my common dalyaunce, my delyghtes, my resorte and company, and companions, which dayly vse to visite mée, althoughe to you they bréede more sorrowe and care, then solace and comforte, bicause of your crabbed age: yet to mée they bring more comforte and ioy, then care & griefe, more blisse then bale, more happines then heauines: bicause of my youthfull gentlenes. Eyther you would haue all men olde as you are, or els you haue quite forgotten yt you your selfe were young or euer knew young dayes: eyther in your youth you were a very vicious and vngodly man, or now being aged very supersticious & deuoute aboue measure.
[24] Put you no difference betwéene the younge flourishinge Baye trée, and the olde withered Béeche? No kinde of distinction betwéene the waxinge and the wayninge of the Moone? And betwéene the risinge and the settinge of the Sunne? Doe you measure the hotte assaultes of youth, by the colde skirmishes of age? whose yeares are subiect to more infirmities then our youth, we merry, you melancholy, wée zealous in affection, you ielous in all your dooinges, you testie without cause, wee hastie for no quarrell. You carefull, we carelesse, wee bolde, you fearefull, we in all pointes contrary vnto you and ye in all pointes vnlike vnto vs.
[25] Seeing therefore we bée repugnaunt eache to the other in nature, woulde you haue vs alyke in qualyties? Woulde you haue one potion ministred to the burning Feuer, and to the colde Palseye? one playster to an olde issue and a fresh wounde? one salue for all sores? one sauce for all meates? No no Eubulus, but I will yeelde to more, then eyther I am bounde to graunte, eyther thou able to proue: Suppose that which I neuer will beléeue, that Naples is a canckred storehouse of all strife, a common stewes for all strumpettes, the sinke of shame, and the very nurse of all sin: shall it therfore follow of necessitie that all ye are woed of loue, should be wedded to lust, will you conclude as it were ex consequenti, that whosoeuer aryueth héere shall be enticed to follye, and béeinge enticed, of force shallbe entangled? No, no, it is ye disposition of the thought yt altereth ye nature of ye thing. The Sun shineth vppon the dungehill, and is not corrupted, the Diamond lyeth in the fire, and is not consumed, the Christall toucheth the Toade, and is not poysoned, the birde Fiochilus lyueth by the mouth of the Crocodile and is not spoyled, a perfecte wit is neuer bewitched with leaudenesse, neyther entised with lasciuiosnesse.
[26] Is it not common that the Holme trée springeth amidst the Beach? That the Iuie spreadeth vppon the hard stones? That the softe fetherbed breketh the hard blade? If experience haue not taughte you this, you haue lyued long & learned lyttle, or if your moyst braine haue forgot it, you haue learned much and profited nothing. But it may be, that you measure my affections, by your owne fancies, and knowing your selfe either too simple to rayse the siege of pollycie, or too weake to resist the assault by prowesse, you déeme me of as lyttle wit as your selfe, or of lesse force, eyther of small capacitie, or of no courage. In my iudgement Eubulus, you shal assone catch a Hare with a Taber, as you shal perswade youth, with your aged & ouerworn eloquence, to such seueritie of lyfe, which as yet ther was neuer Stoycke so strict, nor Iesuite so supersticious, neyther Votarie so deuout, but would rather allow it in words then follow it in workes, rather talke of it then try it. Neither were you such a Saint in your youth, that abandoning all pleasures, all pastimes, and delyghts, you would chuse rather to sacrifice the first fruites of your lyfe to vayne holynesse, then to youthly affections. But as to the stomacke quatted with daynties, all delycates séeme quesie, and as he that surfetteth with wine vseth afterward to allay with water: So these olde huddles hauing ouercharged their gorges with fancie, accompte all honest recreation méere follly, and hauinge taken a surfet of delyght, séeme now to sauor it with despight. Séeing therefore it is labour lost for mée to perswade you, and winde vaynely wasted for you to exhort me, héere I founde you and héere I leaue you, hauing neither bought nor solde with you, but chaunged ware for ware, if you haue taken lyttle pleasure in my reply, sure I am that by your counsaile I haue reaped lesse profit. They that vse to steale honny, burne hemlocke to smoke the Bées from their hiues, and it may bée, that to get some aduauntage of mée, you haue vsed these smokie argumentes, thincking thereby to smother mée with the conceipt of strong imagination: But as ye Camelion thoughe hée haue most guttes, draweth least breath, or as the Elder trée thoughe hée bée fullest of pith, is farthest from strength, so though your reasons seeme inwardly to your selfe somewhat substantial, and your perswasions pithie in your owne conceipte, yet beyng well wayed without, they be shadowes without substaunce, and weake without force. The Birde Fauras, hath a great voyce but a small body, the thunder a greate clappe, yet but a lyttle stone, the emptie vessell giueth a greater sownd, then the full barrell. I meane not to apply it, but looke into your selfe and you shall certeinely finde it, and thus I leaue you séekinge it, but were it not that my company stay my comming, I would surely helpe you to looke it, but I am called hence by my acquaintance.
[27] Euphues hauing thus ended his talke departed leauing this olde gentleman in a great quandarie: who perceiuing that he was more enclined to wantonnesse, then to wisedome, with a déepe sigh the teares trickling downe his chéekes, sayde: Séeing thou wilt not buye counsell at the firste hande good cheape, thou shalt buye repentaunce at the seconde hande, at suche an vnresonable rate, that thou wilt curse thy hard penyworth, and banne thy hard hearte. And immediately he wente to his owne house, heauily bewayling the young mans vnhappinesse.
[28] Héere ye may beholde gentlemen, how lewdly wit standeth in his owne lyght, howe he déemeth no pennye good siluer but his owne, preferring the blossome before the fruite, the budde before the flower, the gréene blade before the ripe eare of corne, his owne witte before all mens wisedomes. Neyther is that geason, séeing for the most parte it is proper to all those of sharpe capacitie to estéeme of themselues, as most proper: if one bée harde in conceiuing, they pronounce him a dowlte, if giuen to study, they proclayme him a duns, if merrye a iester, if sadde a Sainct, if full of wordes, a sotte, if without speach, a Cypher, if one argue with them boldly, then is he impudent, if coldely an innocent, if there be reasoning of diuinitie, they cry, Quae supra nos nihil ad nos, if of humanitie, Sententias loquitur carnifex, héereoff commeth suche greate familyaritie betweene the rypest wittes, when they shall sée the dysposition the one of the other, the Sympathia of affections and as it were but a payre of shéeres to goe betwéene theire natures, one flattereth an other in hys owne folly, and layeth cushions vnder the elbowe of his fellowe, when hée seeth him take a nappe with fancie, and as theire witte wresteth them to vice, so it forgeth them some feate excuse to cloake theire vanitie.