hey had giuen vs libertie, that fortune
lent vs such a sweet puefellow. A pretie round faced wench was it, with
blacke cie browes, a high forehead, a litle mouth, and a sharpe nose, as
fat and plum euerie part of her as a plouer, a skin as slike and soft as
the backe of a swan, it doth me good when I remember her. Like a birde
she tript on the ground, and bare out her belly as maiesticall as
an Estrich. With a licorous rouling eie fixt percing on the earth, &
sometimes scornfully darted on the tone side, she figured foorth a high
discontented disdain, much like a prince puffing and storming at the
treason of some mightie subiect fled lately out of his power. Her verie
countenance repiningly wrathfull, and yet cleere and vnwrinkled, would
haue confirmed the cleernes of her conscience to the austerest iudge
in the world. If in any thing she were culpable, it was in being too
melancholy chast, and shewing her selfe as couetous of her beautie as
her husband was of his bags. Many are honest because they knowe not
how to be dishonest: she thought there was no pleasure in stolne
bread, because there was no pleasure in an olde mans bed. It is almost
impossible that anie woman should be excellently wittie, and not make
the vtmost pennie of her beautie. This age and this countrie of ours
admits of some miraculous exceptions, but former times are my constant
informers. Those that haue quicke motions of wit, haue quicke motions
in euerie thing: yron onely needes many strokes, onely yron wits are not
wonne without a long siege of intreatie. Golde easily bends, the most
ingenious mindes are easiest moued, _Ingenium nobis molle Thalia dedit_,
saith _Psapho_ to _Phao_. Who hath no mercifull milde mistres, I will
maintaine, hath no wittie but a clownish dull flegmatike puppie to his
mistres.

This Magnificos wife was a good louing soule, that had mettall inough
in her to make a good wit of, but being neuer remoued from vnder her
mothers and her husbands wing, it was not moulded and fashioned as it
ought. Causelesse distrust is able to driue deceite into a simple womans
head. I durst pawne the credit of a page, which is worth ams ase at all
times, that she was immaculate honest till she met with vs in prison.
Marie what temptations shee had then when fire and flaxe were put
together, conceit with your selues, but hold my master excusable.

Alacke he was too vertuous to make her vicious, he stoode vpon religion
and conscience, what a hai