Of Which Thing Strangers Themselues, Who Are Not A Little Conuersant In Our Iland, May Be Most Sufficient Witnesses.

I could also gather together many such filthy, vnmannerly, and baudie fashions noted by others euen in his own countrey.

But I detest this dogged eloquence, neither take I any pleasure to be witty in the disgracing of others: and yet I will not shew my selfe such a milke-soppe as to be daunted with light words. Onely, let all honest and good men consider, what disposition it argueth, for one to obiect against a whole nation certaine misdemeanours committed by some one or other particular man. If any man should trauell thorowout all the cities and townes of Germanie or any other nation, and heaping together the offences, and most leud maners, the robberies, manslaughters, murthers, whoredomes, adulteries, incests, riots, extortions, and other prophane, and filthy actes, should affirme them to be common to all Germans, or otherwise to any other whole nation, and should exaggerate all these things with notorious lies, is he to be accounted one that spends his time in a good argument? But what maruaile is it, though a varlet, and, that I may giue him his true title, a filthy hogge, that imer (I say) hath bewrayed his nature and disposition in reproches? For it is well knowen that swine, when they enter into most pleasant gardens, do not plucke lilies or roses, or any other most beautifull aud sweet flowers; but thrusting their snouts into the ground, doe tumble and tosse vp and downe whatsoeuer durt and dung they can finde, vntill they haue rooted vp most vncleane things, namely such as are best agreeable to their nature, wherewith they greedily glut themselues: Euen so this hoggish Rimer lightly passeth ouer the best and most commendable things of our Common wealth, but as for the woorst, and those which haue been committed by none, or by very few, namely, such things as best fit his humour and disposition (that he might indeed show himselfe to be the same which we haue termed him) those things (I say) hath he scraped vp together: whereupon hereafter by my consent, for his maners and disposition let him enioy the name of a swine.

SECTIO DECIMAQUINTA.

[Sidenote: 9. Conuitium.] Nonum conuicium hic recensebimus, quod a victu, ac pracipue cibo potu Islandorum maledicus ille porcus, non vno aut paucis verbis, sed prolixa inuectiua petiuit: Nempe quod cibis vtantur vetustis, et insulsis, idque sine panis vsu: Tum etiam quod varia et incognita extraneis piscium genera illis sint esui, et aquam ac serum lactis in potum misceant. Qua omnia venenatus hic pasquillus diserta contumelia, et ingeniosa calumnia, pulchre amplificauit.

Caterum etsi ilium prolixiore responsione non dignemur: tamen propter alios, qui hodie hanc rem partim mirantur, partim haud leuiter nostra genti obijciunt, pauca hoc loco addenda videbantur.

Primum igitur totam hanc gentem bipartito secabimus: In mendicos, et hos qui et se et cum alijs etiam mendicos alunt. Mendicorum, et eorum qui ad hos proxime accedunt, omnia cibaria recensere aut examinare haud facile est, nec quod illos edere, aut edisse, extrema aliquando coegit necessitas, reliqua genti cibariorum genera aut numerum prascribere fas est.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 225 of 243
Words from 117447 to 117977 of 127955