to one of the chiefe schoolesto a Comedie handled by scollers.
_Acolastus_ the prodigall childe was the name of it, which was so
filthily acted, so leathernly sette foorth, as woulde haue moued
laughter in _Heraclitus_. One as if he had beene playning a clay floore
stampingly troade the stage so harde with his feete, that I thought
verily he had resolued to doe the Carpenter that sette it vp some vtter
shame. Another floung his armes lyke cudgelles at a peare tree, in so
much as it was mightily dreaded that hee woulde strike the candles that
hung aboue theyr heades out of their sockets, and leaue them all darke.
Another did nothing but winke and make faces. There was a parasite, &
he with clapping his hands and thripping his fingers seemed to dance
an antike to and fro The onely thing they did well, was the prodigal
childes hunger, most of their schollers being hungerly kept, and surely
you would haue sayd they had ben brought vp in hogs academie to learne
to eate acornes, if you had seene how sedulously they fell to them. Not
a iest had they to keepe their auditors from sleepe but of swill and
draffe, yes now and then the seruant put his hand into the dish before
his master, and almost choakt himselfe, eating slouenly and rauenously
to cause sport.

The next daie they had solempne disputations, where _Luther_ and
_Carolostadius_ scolded leuell coile. A masse of words I wot well they
heapt vp against the masse and the Pope, but farther perticulars of
their disputations I remember not. I thought verily they woulde haue
worried one another with wordes, they were so earnest and vehement.
_Luther_ had the louder voice, _Carolostadius_ went beyond him in
beating and bounsing with his fists, _Quae supra nos nihil ad nos_. They
vttered nothing to make a man laugh, therefore I wil leaue them. Mary
theyr outward iestures now and then would affoorde a man a morsell of
mirth: of those two I meane not so much, as of all the other traine of
opponents and respondents. One peckte like a crane with his forefinger
at euery halfe sillable he brought forth, and nodded with his nose like
an olde singing man, teaching a yong querister to keepe time. Another
would be sure to wipe his mouth with his handkercher at the end of
euerie full point And euer when he thought he had cast a figure
so curiously, as he diu'de ouer head and eares into his auditors
admiration, hee would take occasion to stroke vp his haire, and twine
vp his mustachios twic