we hit than she was before; wherfore she enquered more
straitly and more violentlye. The chylde, beinge sore constrayned of his
mother, shortelye deuysed a propre merye leasynge.[173] It is reasoned
in the parlemente (quod he), whether of both[174] shulde be more
profytable for the comon welth, a man to haue ii wiues or els a woman ii
husbandes. Whan she harde him saye so, her mynde was pacified: and
forth-with she wente and tolde hit to the other matrones.

On the morowe, a great company of the moste notable wyues of Rome came
to the parlemente house weping, and humbly prayeng, that rather one
woman shuld be maryed vnto ii men than ii wemen to one man. The
Senatours entringe into the court, what with the sodayn assembling of
the wyues and of their request, were right sore astonied. Than the
childe Papyrius stode forth, and enformed the senatours, how his mother
wold haue compelled him to vtter the secrete counsayle: and howe he, to
contente her mynde, feyned that leasynge. For which dede the Senatours
right hyghly commended the childes fydelite and wytte. And forth-with
they made a law, that no child after that (saue only Papirius) shuld
come in to the parlement house with his father. And for his great
prudence in that tender age he hadde gyuen to hym, to his great honour,
this surname _Pretextatus_.

Whereby ye may se, that the hygh treasure of man, and greattest grace,
rested in well-ordrynge of the tonge. The moste prudent poete Hesiodus
sayth: The tonge shulde not ronne at large, but be hydde as a precious
treasure: for, of all the membres of man, the tonge yll-ordered is the
worste. The tonge blasphemeth God. The tonge slaundereth thy neyghbour.
The tonge breaketh peace, and stereth vp cruell warre, of all thynges
to mankynde moste mischefull; the tonge is a broker of baudrye; the
tonge setteth frendes at debate; the tonge with flatterynge, detraction
and wanton tales enfecteth pure and clene myndes; the tonge without
sworde or venome strangleth thy brother and frende; and brefely to
speake, the tonge teacheth cursed heresyes, and of good Christiens
maketh Antichristes.

FOOTNOTES:

[172] _Noctes Atticae_, translated by Belue, vol. i. p. 86. The _Historie
of Papyrius Praetextatus_ is related in the 18th Novel of the 1st Tome of
Painter's _Palace of Pleasure_.

[173] Deceit, or what would now be called a _white lie._

[174] _i.e._ which of the two.

+ _Of the corrupte man of lawe._ xxii.

+ There