Mitto tibi Nashum Nashum pror● N puppi hum que carentem .

GOD saue you ( right glossomachicall Thomas . ) The vertuous riches , wherewith ( as broad spread Fame reporteth ) you are indued , though , 〈◊〉 , ( as saith the poet ) which I confirme : for that shee is tam fict● pranique tenax , quam nuncia veri , as well saith Master William Lilly in his Adi●ctina verbalia in ax . I say the report of your rich vertues so bewitched me toward you , that I cannot but send my poore Book to be vertuously succoured of you , that when both yours & my frends shall see it , they may ( for your sake ) vertuously accept of it . But , it may be , you denie the Epistle , the Booke is of you , the Epistle must be to some other . I answer , you are desirous of an Epistle . Did not Caesar write those things himself which himselfe did ? and did not Lucius that golden Asse speak of himself which was the Asse ? & will not you ( though an Asse , yet neither golden not siluer ) patronize that which others tooke paines to write of you ? Caesar and Lucius for that shall liue for euer : and so shall you , as long as euer you liue . Go too I say , he is an ill horse that will not carrie his owne prouender . But chiefly I am to tell you of one thing , which I chuse to tell you of in my Epistle , both because of Epistles some be denuntiatorie , as also considering that wise saying elswhere of the precise Schoolemaster : If thy frend commit anie enormious offence toward thee , tell him of it in an Epistle . And truly this is a great and enormious offence , at which my choller stands vpright , neither will I put it vp . Therefore in sad●es prouide your Lawier , I haue mine , it will beare as good an action , as if you should haue come into another mans house , and neuer say , Ho● God be here : that is , you wrote a foule Epistle to mee , and neuer told me of it before : you might haue said , By your leaue sir. I warrant you I write but this small Epistle to you , and I tell you of it as long before as the Epistle is long . But now I remember me , there was no hatred between vs before , and therefore t would be prooued but chauncemedley . Let it euen alone , it cannot be vndone , for a thing easely done , neuer can be vndone : and a man may quickly become a knaue , but hardly an honest man . And thus ( maleuolent Tom ) I leaue thee . From my chamber in Camb. to your “ “ where can you tell ? .

YOu see howe louingly I deale with you in my Epistle and tell of your vertues , which ( God forgiue me for it ) is as arra●t a lye as euer was told : but to leaue these parergasticall speeches and to come to your trimming , All your parts . because I will deale roundly with you , I wil cut you with the round cut , in which I include two cuts : First the margent cut : Secondly the perfect cut : The margent cut is nothing els but a preparation to the perfect cut , wherby I might more perfectly discharge that cut vpon you , for as in a deep standing poole , the brinks thereof , which are not vnfitly called the margents being pared away , we may the better see thereinto : so the margents which fitly we may terme the brinkes of your stinking standing poole ( for it infects the eare as doth the stinking poole the smell ) being cut away , I may the better finish this perfect cut and rid my selfe of you . To the margent cut . When first your Epistle came into my hands , I boldly opened it , and scaling the margents of it I espied a seely note quasi conuersant about heads . I sayd not a word , but turning ouer a leafe or twoo more to see if you continued in those simple animaduersions and indeed I saw you to bee no changling , for there I espied barbers kn●cking of their fingers , & lowsie 〈◊〉 , as foolish as the other ▪ semper ide● ( thought I ) might be your mot , and so you will dye : then I began to marke the note which you adioyned to your notes that they might be noted , there tossing and turning your booke vpside downe , when the west end of it hapned to be vpward , me thought your note seemed a D , ah Dunce , Dolt , Dotterell , quoth I , well might it be a D. and for my life for the space of twoo houres , could I not leaue rayling of thee all in Ds.

Now to the perfect cut : I cannot but admire you in the tittle you allow me , seeing wee admire monsters as well as vertuous men , and a foole ( as oft I haue heard Scholers dispute in mine office ) as a monster : other Barbers like not the title , it pleaseth me , and all the Dukes in Spa●● cannot shew the like , and I thinke that halfe a yeeres study did not bring it out of thy dunsticall hammer-headed scalpe , but thou dost to disgrace mee , and thinkst thy title decketh a Barber , and that a Barber with thy title is as a rotten chamber hangd with cloth of arras , but t is not so : alas thy reading affoords thee not to knowe the ancient and valorous power of Barbers .

I could speake howe they flourished amongst the Ab●●ts , a fierce , and warlike people , and by the Barbers perpolike cunning as it were amending nature and shaping their faces to more austeritie , they became more victorious , as Plutarch recordeth in the life of Theseus : and young stripplings newly fit for armes , first were brought to Delphos , and there offered the first fruites of their haire to Iupiter , next him the Barbers were serued and they cut them , and were as Ioues , Vises to make them fit for warre . They flourished before with the Arabians , the Mysians , the Dacians , the Dalmatians , the Macedonians , the Thracians , the Ser●ians , the Sarmacians , the Valachia●s and the Bulgarians , as saith Pollidorus Virgil : afterward Alexander entertained into his campes Barbers as the spurres and whetstones of his armies .

D●●isius that blood-thirstie Tyrant that feared no peeres , stoode alwaies in feare of Barbers , and rather would haue his hayre burnt off , than happen into the Barbers handes .

Therefore in a Barbers shop ( as Plutarche reporteth ) where some fewe were talking of the Tyrany of the tyger Dionysius . What ( said the Barber ) are you talking of King Dionysius , whome within these two or three daies I must shaue ? When Dionysius heard of this , he gate the Barber secretly to be put to death , for feare of after-claps . The Barbers Chaire is the verie Royall-Exchange of newes , Barbers the None but Barbers meddle with the head . ●head of all Trades . I could speake of their excellencie , for that a mans face ( the principall part of him ) is committed onely to Barbers . All trades adorne the life of man , but none ( except Barbers ) haue the life of man in their power , and to them they hold vp their throates readie .

If they be happie , whom pleasure , profit and honor make happie , then Barbers with great facilitie attaine to happines . For pleasure , if they be abroad , they are soght too of the best Companions , Knights and Esquires send for them : if at home and at worke , they are in pleasing conference ; if idle , they passe that time in life-delighting musique . For profite , a Barber hath liuing in all parts of England : he hath money brought in as due as rents , of those whom he neuer saw before . For honour , Kings and ruling Monarchs , ( to whom all men crouch with cap in hand and knee on ground ) onely to Barbers sit barehead , and with bended knees . But for all this , thou sparest not to raile on Barbers ( as on all others ) : & being full of botches and byles thy selfe , spuest forth thy corruption on all others : but I nought respect it , thy raylings rather profite mee . For ( as Antisthenes was wont to say ) a man might as well learne to liue well of his ill-willing & abusiue enemies , as of his honest frends ; of these , by following their vertues , of the others by eschuing their actions , by seeing the effects that followed those actions in his enemies : and as Telep●us ( beeing wounded , and destitute of a sauing remedie at home ) went euen to his enemies and sworne fo●s , to get some souerraigne medicine , so if of my friendes I could not learne temperance , I might learne of thee by seeing the effectes of thy cankered conuicious tongue , for by that thou art brought into contempt , thy talking makes thee bee accounted as a purse that cannot bee shutte , and as an house whose doore standes alwayes open , and as that open purse contayneth no siluer , and in that house is nothing worthie the taking away , so out of thy mouth proceedeth nothing but noysome and ill-sauered vomittes of railinges : Wherefore draw together the stringes , and locke vp the doore of thy mouth , and before thou speakest such ill corrupted speeches againe , let it be lifted of the hingelles , rule I say that little and troublesome Vermin , that smal tongue of thine , which in some is not the smallest parte of vertue , but in thee the greatest Arte of vice , not vnlike the Purple fish which whilest the gouernes her tongue well , it getteth her foode and hunteth after her praye , but when shee neglect it , it bringeth her destruction , and she is made her selfe a pray vnto the fisher , so that in that small parcell all vertue and vice lyes hidden , as is recorded of Kias whom king Amasis commaunding to sende home the best and most profitable meate from the market , hee sent home a tongue , the king demaunding a reason , hee answered that of a tongue came many profitable and good speeches , and this tongue thou hast not : Then the king sent him to buy the woorst and most vnprofitable meate , and he likewise bought a tongue , the king also asking the reason of this , from nothing ( sayde he ) issueth worse venome then from the tongue , and this tongue thou hast , and this tongue cros●e with the barre of reason , lest thou seeme more foolish then those geese in Cilicia , which when the flie in the night time by the hill Taurus , that is possest of Eagles , are sayde to gette stones into ther mouthes by which as by a bridle they raine in their cryinges , and so quietly passe the greedie talentes of the Eagles : but alas why inuect I so against thy tongue ? lingua a lingeudo , and you knowe wee vse alwayes to like in , and so thou shouldest keepe in thy poyson : or a ligando which is to binde , and so thou shouldest binde vp and not disperse abroad that ranker in thee : thy tongue doth but in dutie vtter that which is committed vnto it , Marke this secret allegorie . and nature hath set before it a double bull-woorke of teeth to keepe in the vagrant wordes which straying abroade and beeing surprised may betray the whole cittie , and the vpper bull-woorke sometimes serues for a percullis , which when any rascallie woorde hauing not the watch-worde , that is , reason , shall but enter out of the gates , is presently lette downe and so it cuttes it of before it woorketh wracke to the whole Castell : therefore I must of necessitie find out another cause of thine infected speech , and now I haue founde it , fie on thee , I smell thee , thou hast a stinkinge breath , but a stinking breath ( some say ) commeth of foule teeth , and if it bee so , wash thy teeth Tom , for if thou wouldest drawe foorth good and cleane wordes out of thy mouth , thou wouldest washe thy teethe as euerie tapster that goeth to drawe good beare will washe the potte before hee gooeth : but it may bee the filth hath so eaten into thy teeth that washinge cannot gette it away , then doe as that venome-bitinge beast that Nile-breede Crocodile , which to purge her teethe of those shiuered reedes that are wreathed betweene by feedinge in the water , commeth to● the shoore , and there gapinge , suffereth some friendly bird without daunger to creepe into her mouth , and with her bill to picke away the troubling reedes : so come you but to some shoore , and I le bee that Trochilus , Trochilus I le picke your teeth and make a cleane mouth , or I le picke out toungue and all , but of this stinkinge breath I speake not . Toedet anima sayth the Comedian , philosophy and this I meane not meaning as hee meant , for hee meant a stinkinge breath , but by anima I meane the forme by which thou art , what thou art , by which also thy senses woorke , which giueth vse to all thy faculties and from which all thy actions proceede , and this anima if thou termist a breath , this breath stinketh and from this breath ( as little riuers flowe from a fountaine ) all thy woordes flowe foorth and the ●ountaine beeing corrupted ( as you knowe ) likewise all the lesser riuers needes must bee corrupted , and this anima , this breath or fountayne thou must cleanse , but howe to cleanse this breath it passeth my cunninge to tell , for thoughe ( as I am a Cirurgion ) I coulde picke your teeth , for the other stinkinge breath , yet this I durst not meddle with , this hath neede of a metaphisition , and lette it suffice for mee rudely to take vppe the bucklers and laie them downe againe , How I bewich thee with fac●●ditie . onely to tune the Lute , but to leaue to the more cunning to playe thereon , Count it enough for mee that am but an aduincte to a Scholler , that haue nothinge of my selfe but what I gleane vppe at the disputation of some Schollers in myne office , let it bee sufficient for mee ( I say ) onely to tell the reason of this stinkinge breath , and to leaue to more sounde Philosophers to determine and set downe the remedie of it , but nowe it may bee t●ipsum noscis , you smell your owne breath , and finde it to bee so intoxicated with poyson that vnlesse you haue present helpe you are quite vndone , you perish vtterly , and knowing me to be a man of such excellent partes , Ha ha a rage borrowed from your owne dunghill . yea of farre better partes then In speach bee these eight partes , are very instant with me to vnbinde the bundell which I gathered at disputations , and giue you some remedie for this stinkinge breath : loe howe vertue in the friend casteth foorth her beames euer vpon her enemie , I am ouercome , A medicine for a stinking breath . blushingly I vndertake it , and like a bashfull mayde refuse , yet deig●e you that fauour , then marke , first goe get some strong hempe , and worke it and temper it so long together till therearise out of it an engine which wee call Capistrum , then carry this Capistrum to some beame that lyeth a crosse , for none else will serue , when it must bee straynde and the one ende of it fasten to the beame , and one the other make a noose of as rounde a figure as you can for the roundest figure is the most retenti●e , let the noose bee alwayes readie to slide , for mans breath is slipperie , then when euerie thing is fitted , boldly put through thy heade , then worke the Capistrum ouer newe agayne , swinge vppe and downe twice or thrice that it may be well strainde , and so in short time your olde breath will be gone , dispayre not yet man , probatum est , olde Aeson was deade a while but reuiued agayne and liued many a yeare after , but marke , nowe to the pynche , if Platoes trasmigration holde , ( which some menne holde that the animae and breathes of men that bee deade doe fleete into the bodyes of other menne which shall l●ue , then I holde that some breath seeing thy younge bodie without an anima , and t would bee harde lucke if some breath or other should not be yet straying about for a body , their being continually so many let loose at Tiburne , I say , some vnbespoken vagrant breath wil goe in and possesse thy body : nowe if this remedie helpe not surely thou art vnrecurable , if also thy newe breath happen to be as stinking as thy olde , thou wilt neuer haue a sweete breath in this worlde nor then neither . And thus much of my title .

You knowe or at the least ought to knowe that writers shoulde eshewe lyes as Scorpions , but your lyes that you deuisd of one are the greatest parte of the matter of your Epistle , as , My shoppe in the towne , the teeth that hange out at my Windowe , my painted ●ay-poole , with many others which fill vp roome in the Epistle in aboundant manner , and which are nothing else but meere lyes and fictions to yeeld the matter , whereby I perceiue howe threede-bare thou art wax●● , how● 〈◊〉 thy inuention is , and that thy true amplifying vaine is quite dryed vppe . Repent , repent , I say , and leaue of thy lying which without repentance is very haynous , Pag: 6. that one lye I make of thee in this booke is presently washed away with repentance . An other lye I cannot but tell you off , which you clappe in my teeth in the very beginning of your Epistle , which nothinge greeueth mee for that I suppose it to bee committed of ignorance , that is you tell mee that you come vpon mee with but a dick●● of Dickes , but you come vppon mee with seuenteene or eighteene Dickes , whereby I see thy ignorance in the Greeke tongue , thou knowest not what a dicker is , a dicker is but ten of any thing , for it commeth of the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is by interpretation , de k● Ten ▪

Thou 〈◊〉 that olde Tooly and I differed , I confesse it , I am a man alone , I scorne such ragged rent-foorth speech , yet thou mayest well praye for the duall number , thou scabbed , scalde , lame , halting adiectiue as thou art , in all thy guiles , thou neuer hadest that guile as alone to get thee one crust of breade : no , I knowe not who had a hande with you in this seely Epistle , goe too , hee is not a minister , he hadde but small reason for it : againe , you remember the time when your fellowe Lusher and you lay in coleharbour together , when you had but one payre of breeches betweene you both , but not one penie to blesse you both , and howe by course hee woore the breeches one day , and went cunny-catching about for victuals , whilest you lay in bedde , and the next day you wore the breeches to goe begge whilest he lay in bed , for all the worlde like two bucketes in one well , nowe suppose , when Lusher wore the breeches , that then thou shouldest haue beene carryed to pryson where nowe thou art , verily I thinke thou shouldest haue escaped prison for want of breeches , or suppose that at that time thou shouldest haue beene hanged , I cannot but thinke that the want of a payre of breeches woulde haue beene better to thee then thy necke-verse , for the hange-man would haue his breeches , no fee , no lawe : but put case that with much adoe , by greate extraordinarie fauour some good hang-man had done thee this last benifitte , that thou mightest neuer troble him agayne , and shoulde haue giuen thee thy hanginge francke and free ( as indeede happy for thee had it bene if this good hap had hapned , for then thou shouldst not haue liued thus miserably in this vaine and wicked worlde ) I say plainely , put case thou haddest beene hanged , the hangman not sticking with thee for thy breeches , then Ghacon would haue come vpon you for his ferry-penny , fi● out , money and breeches as ill as a rope and butter , for if one slippe the other holde , with him no 〈◊〉 no wastage , and then thou haddest beene in worse case then euer thou wert ; thus you see how the want of a payre of breeches might haue been the meanes to haue made thee escape prison , death and vtter damnation : and O thrise happy Lusher that shouldst haue beene away with the breeches at that happy time , but when thou wert in thy chiefest pride , if thou hadst but lent out one payre of breeches thou shouldst haue beene th●● happy .

Prayse from the praise-worthy , and hee is not praysed whose prayser deserueth not prayse , therefore in these places of the Epistle where thou praysest mee , I take my selfe most to bee dispraised for that thou the prayser art worthie no praise , for how soeuer thou leade in a fooles paradise , like the fishe cald a m●ge , which is sayde to feede herselfe with her owne snotte Mucu● snotte . for thereof shee takes her name , thou feadest thy-s●lfe with self-conceite that whatsoeuer commeth from thee is the verie quintessence of true witte , and that all thy ribaldrie that euer thou fe●●st forth , exceeded in pleasing mirth , that so thou hast imbraced true Mi●er●a , when as ( God knowes ) thou art as farre deceiued as euer was poore Ixion , that imbraced a cloude in steade of Iuno , or that guld-god mostrous accadian Pan , who in steade of that sweet● Nimphe Syrinx fumpt a bunche of reedes : yet I must confesse thou haste something , thou art as a bundell of strawe that beeing sett on fire consumes it selfe all in smoke , but no warmnesse commeth from it , so thou hast no true fire in thee , all smoother , no thing that can warme a man , thou art as many Ciphers without an I , which they wanting are of them selues nothing , and thou hast much apparencie of witte which is as Ciphers , but thou hast not this same 1 , Iota is wanting to thy Ciphers , thou hast not one iot nor title of true witte , againe , as some souldiers that were at Cales breaking into a shoppe for pillage , and there seeing many great sackes readie trussed vppe , they with great ioy made hast away with them , and so with light hartes carryed away their heauie burdens , and when they brought them into the streetes , opening them to see their booties , founde in some of them nought but redde cappes , of which afterward they made store of fires , and in the rest nought but earthen pitchers , chaffendishes and pispottes , and such like : so whosoeuer shall see thee trussed vppe and in thy clothes , might happily take thee for a wise young man , but when thou shalt be opened , that is , when he shall see but some worke of thine , he shall finde in thee nought but rascallitie and meere delusions , and for this cause thou mayest be cald the very Choroebus of our time , of whom the prouerbe was raysde , more foole then Choroebus , who was a seely ideot , but yet had the name of a wise man , for he might be cald Choroebus quasi chori Phos , the light of euery company into which hee came , so thou hast onely the name of a wise man and that is Nashe , O wise name , I praye let mee christen you a newe and you shall bee called Choro●●us quasi chori bos , the very bull-heade of all he ttroope of pamphleters : thou goest about to gather iestes and to barrell them vp into thine ale-howse index , that when occasion shall serue thou mightest be a Democritus alwayes to laugh thy selfe or to cause others to laugh by the ideotisme . Thus to conclude , as Daphne chastitie was turnd into a laurell tree , and so kept her chastitie , ●uen so I wish that for thy wit thou mightst bee turnd into a● asse , that so thou mightst keepe thy wit to thy selfe , and not defile the world withall . But this thou scornst , and will prooue that thou hast a good wit and thus submissiue●y in eloquence , to make vs beleeue thee , at the first word thou beginst ; Nature , that neuer wont to be vnequall in her gifts , with mee hath broke her wont , and indowed me with a dowrie aboue the rest of her children : but euerie commoditie hath his discommoditie , and we cannot alwaies please all ; and though all my books did not take as I wished they should , yet most of them did take , as Piers Pe●●●lesse , and others which I wi●l not name , to au●yd suspition of vainglorie Argu that had an hundred eyes sometime slept , or els hee had not dyed for it : and wh●● 〈◊〉 ca●e , ●ee had no power to hold ope his eyes O fine speech ! By this I gather , that thou confessest thy selfe to be Arg●s , and me Mercury : and if you be Arg●s , hold ope your eyes with a pox to ye , I meane yee no ●●rme yet , yet I pipe not to you : but I thinke it will be my lucke to be as ill a scourge to you , as euer Mercu●●● was to Argus . But if you will dispute and prooue that you haue a good wit , awaye with your confused bibble b●bble binde vp your Arguments into Syllogismes and I will answere you directly . Content say you , and thus you begin . If my fame be spred ●ar abroad , & all the Countrey confirme that I haue a good wit then t is true that I haue a good wit : But the first proposition is true , therefore I haue a good w●t . I answer , ●oore and illiterate Opponent , to contex no 〈◊〉 argument against to firme a Logician as I am . A double R●sponse or Aunswere extempore I can affoord you . First , though your name bee blazed abroad , it fol●owes not that you should haue a g●od 〈◊〉 for as an emptie vess●ll wi●l sound f●rre that ha●h nothing in ●t ; so you may cracke your selfe abroad , and get to be reported the man you are not .

Secondly , I graunt that you are famous , and that the Countrey reports you wise . Sententiously I aunswere , that by a figure the Countrey is taken here for the common rout onely : for none that can but write and read will euer agree to it ; and turba m●lum argumentum , as much as to saye , the troublesome Commons assertion , neuer goes for currant . Thus leauing no hole for you to creepe in with a second Obiection , you betake you to your second Argument .

If my wit ( saye you ) were not excellent and vnaunswerable , manie who are accounted to haue good wits , ( to whom I haue oft giuen perticular occasion ) would haue answered mee : but they haue not answered mee , therefore my wit is excellent . Therefore I wyll aunswere thee .

I would to God thou & I were to dispute for the best Mayorship in Spaine , faith thou mightest euen cast thy cap at it . Doost thou not know that the Lion scornes combate with the bace ? Wise-men ( though mooued ) will not worke reuenge on euerie obiect ? and the more stately oake , the more hardly set on fire ? More plainly in a similitude , the like reason is to bee gathered of the nettles .

Euen as the nettle keepeth her leafe cleanest , for that no man purgeth his post-pendence ( there your nose Thomas ) with it ; not because they cannot , but because it would sting them if they should , and so for that small good turne , it would worke them a more displeasure : so thou art suffered to be quiet , and not wrote against , not for that thou canst not bee aunswered , but that by aunswering thee they should but giue more fodder to thy poison , put more casting to thy gorge ; and hee that intends to meddle with dung , must make account to defile his fingers .

Thus thou art quite put downe , thou art drawne drie : me thinkes I perceiue thee wish for some Moderatour , that should crie ; Egregie Nash ( or , you great asse ) satisfecisti of 〈◊〉 tuum . And now for want of a Moderatour , my selfe ( for fault of a better ) will supplye that roome , and determine of our Disputation . And herein it shall not bee amisse , ( the Question so requiring , and you also requiring it in that place of your Epistle , where you lay wit to my charge ) first to tell what a good wit is . And whereas thou burthenst me to say , that much extraor dinarie descant cannot be made of it : thou lyest . For how vniust were mens wits , not to affoord vs extraordirie descant of that , which giueth vs descant for euerye thing ?

A good wit ( therefore ) is an affluent spirit , yeelding inuention to praise or dispraise , or anie wayes to discourse ( with iudgement ) of euerie subiecte . Mistake me not ( I pray you ) and think not that I thinke all those to haue good wits , that will talke of euerie subiect , and haue an oa●e ( as we say ) in euerie mans boate : for manie fooles doo so , and so doost thou . These talke not with iudgement : they be like the Fellow , who swearing by God , and one standing by , correcting him , said ; Fie on thee how th●n talkest . What skills it said hee , so long as I talke of God ? So I say , thou carest not how without iudgement thou talkest on euerie thing .

A good wit is it that maketh a man , and hee is not a man , that hath not a good wit . The verie brutish and sauage beasts haue wit . Oxen and Asses by theyr wit choose out the best Pasture to feed in , and thou art no better : for diuers men will say , and especially Northeren men , to one that dooth anie thing vnhandsomely , whaten a N●sh it is , for what an asse it is , and an asse all men know hath not a good wit .

Thu● ( by these descriptions ) the definitiue sentence of my determination in this : Nashe , thou hast not a good wit , thou art a ●●lly fellow , and more silly than Syr Thomas of Carleton , who beeing a little sicke , and the bell ●olling to haue him goe read Seruice , the Clarke of the Parish going to him , and telling him that the bell toa●de for him , meaning to goe Read , he went presently and made his Will , because the bell toa●de for him : and so doo thou , plye thee , mak● thy Will ▪ and dye betimes before thou beest killd , for thine owne wit w●ll kill th●e : and call you that a good wit that kills a man ? All the Wisemen of Greece and Gotam neuer came to the miserie that thy good wit hath brought thee too . My minde presageth the great confusion that thy good wit will bring vppon thee . For as the Cammell that ( come hee into neuer so cleare a Fountaine ) cannot drinke of the Water , till hee hath royled and fowled it with his feete : so whatsoeuer thy wit goet● about , it first defiles it , and so brings destruction to th●●e owne bodie . Thy wit , thy wit Tom , hath roddes in p●sse for thee , t wil whip thee , tw●ll worke thine ouerthrow t will quite destroye thee : Acteon ( as wise a man a● you ) no wayes could escape it , for all his loue to his h●unds , and sw●fe flight when he saw their felnes , but was deuoured of his owne dogs .