adly, crying 'Seyte frolich!' The best of their drunken
sport is 'Kurlemurlehuff,' a way of drinking with touching deftly of the
glass, the beard, the table, in due turn, intermixed with whistlings
and snappings of the finger so curiously ordered as 'tis a labour of
Hercules, but to the beholder right pleasant and mirthful. Their topers,
by advice of German leeches, sleep with pebbles in their mouths. For,
as of a boiling pot the lid must be set ajar, so with these fleshy
wine-pots, to vent the heat of their inward parts: spite of which many
die suddenly from drink; but 'tis a matter of religion to slur it, and
gloze it, and charge some innocent disease therewith. Yet 'tis more a
custom than very nature, for their women come among the tipplers, and
do but stand a moment, and as it were, kiss the wine-cup; and are indeed
most temperate in eating and drinking, and of all women, modest and
virtuous, and true spouses and friends to their mates; far before our
Holland lasses, that being maids, put the question to the men, and being
wived, do lord it over them. Why, there is a wife in Tergou, not far
from our door. One came to the house and sought her man. Says she,
'You'll not find him: he asked my leave to go abroad this afternoon, and
I did give it him.'"

Catherine. "'Tis sooth! 'tis sooth! 'Twas Beck Hulse, Jonah's wife. This
comes of a woman wedding a boy."

"In the south where wine is, the gentry drink themselves bare; but not
in the north: for with beer a noble shall sooner burst his body than
melt his lands. They are quarrelsome, but 'tis the liquor, not the mind;
for they are none revengeful. And when they have made a bad bargain
drunk, they stand to it sober. They keep their windows bright; and
judge a man by his clothes. Whatever fruit or grain or herb grows by the
roadside, gather and eat. The owner seeing you shall say, 'Art welcome,
honest man.' But an ye pluck a wayside grape, your very life is in
jeopardy. 'Tis eating of that Heaven gave to be drunken. The French are
much fairer spoken, and not nigh so true-hearted. Sweet words cost them
nought. They call it payer en blanche."

Denys. "Les coquins! ha! ha!"

"Natheless, courtesy is in their hearts, ay, in their very blood. They
say commonly, 'Give yourself the trouble of sitting down.' And such
straws of speech show how blows the wind. Also at a public show, if you
would leave your seat, yet not lose it, tie but your napkin round the
bench, and no French