estie) may it not seeme inough for a Courtier to know how to weare a
fether, and set his cappe a slaunt, his chaine _en echarpe_, a straight
buskin _al inglesse_, a loose _alo Turquesque_, the cape _alla Spaniola_,
the breech _a la Francoise_, and by twentie maner of new faishoned
garments to disguise his body, and his face with as many countenances,
whereof it seemes there be many that make a very arte, and studie who can
shew himselfe most fine, I will not say most foolish and ridiculous? or
perhaps rather that he could dissemble his conceits as well as his
countenances, so as he neuer speake as he thinkes, or thinke as he speaks,
and that in any matter of importance his words and his meaning very
seldome meete: for so as I remember it was concluded by vs setting foorth
the figure _Allegoria_, which therefore not impertinently we call the
Courtier or figure of faire semblant, or is it not perchance more
requisite our courtly Poet do dissemble not onely his countenances &
conceits, but also all his ordinary actions of behauiour, or the most part
of them, whereby the better to winne his purposes & good aduantages, as
now & then to haue a iourney or sicknesse in his sleeue, thereby to shake
of other importunities of greater consequence, as they vse their
pilgrimages in Fraunce, the Diet in Spaine, the baines in Italy? and when
a man is whole to faine himselfe sicke to shunne the businesse in Court,
to entertaine time and ease at home, to salue offences without discredite,
to win purposes by mediation in absence, which their presence would eyther
impeach or not greatly preferre, to harken after the popular opinions and
speech, to entend to their more priuate solaces, to practize more deepely
both at leasure & libertie, & when any publique affaire or other attempt &
counsaile of theirs hath not receaued good successe, to auoid therby the
Princes present reproofe, to coole their chollers by absence, to winne
remorse by lamentable reports, and reconciliation by friends intreatie.
Finally by sequestering themselues for a time fro the Court, to be able
the frecher & cleerer to discerne the factions and state of the Court and
of al the world besides, no lesse then doth the looker on or beholder of a
game better see into all points of auauntage, then the player himselfe?
and in dissembling of diseases which I pray you? for I haue obserued it in
the Court of Fraunce, not a burning feuer or a plurisie, or a palsie or
the hydropick an