and women of
that country in prefence of their owne husbands, which th'embassadour
mislikes, and when supper was ended and the guestes departed, tooke his
familiars aside, and told them that is was nothing decent in a strange
country to praise thewomen, nor specially a wife before her husbands face,
for inconueniencie that might rise thereby, aswell to the prayser as to
the woman, and that the chief commendation of a chaste matrone, was to be
known onely to her husband, and not to be observed by strangers and
guestes.

And in the vse of apparel there is no little decency and vndecencie to be
perceiued, as well for the fashion as the stuffe, for it is comely that
euery estate and vocation should be knowen by the differences of their
habit: a Clarke from a lay man: a gentleman from a yeoman: a souldier from
a citizen, and the chief of euery degree from their inferiours, because in
confusion and disorder there is no manner of decencie.

The Romaines of any other people most seuere censurers of decencie,
thought no vpper garment so comely for a ciuill man as a long playted
qowne, because it sheweth much grauitie & also pudicitie, hiding euery
member of the body which had not bin pleasant to behold. In somuch as a
certain _Proconsull_ or Legat of theirs dealing one day with _Ptolome_
king of Egypt, seeing him clad in a straite narrow garment very
licentiously, disclosing euery part of his body, gave him a great checke
for it: and said that vnlesse he vsed more saf and comely garments, the
Romaines would take no pleasure to hold amitie with him, for by the
wantonness of his garment they would iudge the vanitie of his mind, not to
be worthy of their constant friendship. A pleasant old courtier wearing
one day in the sight of a great councellour, after the new guise a French
cloake scarce reaching to the wast, a long beaked doublet hanging downe to
his thies, & an high paire of silke netherstocks that couered all his
buttocks and loignes the Councellor marueled to see him in that sort
disguised, and otherwise than he had binwoont to be. Sir quoth the
Gentleman to excuse it: if I should not be able whan I had need to pisse
out of my doublet, and to do the rest in my netherstocks (vsing the plaine
terme) all men would say that I was but a lowte, the Councellor laughed
hartily at the absurditie of the speech, but what those sower fellows of
Rome haue said trowe ye? truly in mine opinion, that all such persons as
take pleasure to