and fire. But
the artificers in cities and good towns do deal far otherwise; for,
albeit that some of them do suffer their jaws to go oft before their
claws, and divers of them, by making good cheer, do hinder themselves
and other men, yet the wiser sort can handle the matter well enough in
these junketings, and therefore their frugality deserveth
commendation. To conclude, both the artificer and the husbandman are
sufficiently liberal, and very friendly at their tables; and, when
they meet, they are so merry without malice, and plain without inward
Italian or French craft and subtlety, that it would do a man good to
be in company among them. Herein only are the inferior sort somewhat
to be blamed, that, being thus assembled, their talk is now and then
such as savoureth of scurrility and ribaldry, a thing naturally
incident to carters and clowns, who think themselves not to be merry
and welcome if their foolish veins in this behalf be never so little
restrained. This is moreover to be added in these meetings, that if
they happen to stumble upon a piece of venison and a cup of wine or
very strong beer or ale (which latter they commonly provide against
their appointed days), they think their cheer so great, and themselves
to have fared so well, as the Lord Mayor of London, with whom, when
their bellies be full, they will not often stick to make comparison,
because that of a subject there is no public officer of any city in
Europe that may compare in port and countenance with him during the
time of his office.

I might here talk somewhat of the great silence that is used at the
tables of the honourable and wiser sort generally over all the realm
(albeit that too much deserveth no commendation, for it belongeth to
guests neither to be _muti_ nor _loquaces_[2]), likewise of the
moderate eating and drinking that is daily seen, and finally of the
regard that each one hath to keep himself from the note of surfeiting
and drunkenness (for which cause salt meat, except beef, bacon, and
pork, are not any whit esteemed, and yet these three may not be much
powdered); but, as in rehearsal thereof I should commend the nobleman,
merchant, and frugal artificer, so I could not clear the meaner sort
of husbandmen and country inhabitants of very much babbling (except it
be here and there some odd yeoman), with whom he is thought to be the
merriest that talketh of most ribaldry or the wisest man that speaketh
fastest among them, and now an