r
function. These excesses or defectes or confusions and disorders in the
sensible objectes are deformities and vnseemely to the sence. In like sort
the mynde for the things that be his mentall obiectes hath his good graces
and his bad, whereof th'one contents him wonderous well, th'other
displeaseth him continually, no more nor no lesse then ye see the discords
of musicke do to a well tuned eare. The Greekes call this good grace of
euery thing in his kinde, [Greek: illegible], the Latines [_decorum_] we
in our vulgar call it by a scholasticall terme [_decencie_] our owne Saxon
English terme is [_seemelynesse_] that is to say, for his good shape and
vtter appearance well pleasing the eye, we call it also [_comelynesse_]
for the delight it bringeth comming towards vs, and to that purpose may be
called [_pleasant approche_] so as euery way seeking to expresse this
[Greek: illegible] of the Greekes and _decorum_ of the Latines, we are
faine in our vulgar toung to borrow the terme which our eye onely for his
noble prerogatiue ouer all the rest of the sences doth vsurpe, and to
apply the same to all good, comely, pleasant and honest things, euen to
the spirituall obiectes of the mynde, which stand no lesse in the due
proportion of reason and discourse than any other materiall thing doth in
his sensible bewtie, proportion and comelynesse.

Now because this comelynesse resteth in the good conformitie of many
things and their sundry circumstances, with respect one to another, so as
there be found a iust correspondencie betweene them by this or that
relation, the Greekes call it _Analogie_ or a conuenient proportion. This
louely conformitie or proportion or conueniencie betweene the sence and
the sensible hath nature her selfe first most carefully obserued in all
her owne workes, then also by kinde graft it in the appetites of euery
creature working by intelligence to couet and desire: and in their actions
to imitate & performe: and of man chiefly before any other creature as
well in his speaches as in euery other part of his behauiour. And this in
generalitie and by an vsuall terme is that which the Latines call
[_decorum_.] So albeit we before alleaged that all our figures be but
transgressions of our dayly speach, yet if they fall out decently to the
good liking of the mynde or eare and to the bewtifying of the matter or
language, all is well, if indecently, and to the eares and myndes
misliking (be the figure of it selfe neu