s mynde her conscience being prycked with his wordes
had caused her to wepe. Wherfore, whan his sermon was done, he called
the woman to hym, and asked what was the cause of her wepynge, and
whether his wordes moued her to wepe or nat? Forsoth, mayster (sayde
she), I am a poure wydowe: and whan myne husbande dyed, he lefte me but
one asse, whiche gotte parte of my lyuynge, the whiche asse the wolues
haue slayne: and nowe, whan I hard your hyghe voyce, I remembred my
selye asse: for so he was wonte to braye bothe nyghte and daye. And
this, good mayster, caused me to wepe. Thus the lewde brayer, rather
than preacher, confuted with his folysshenes, wente his way; which,
thinkynge for his brayenge lyke an asse to be reputed for the beste
preacher, deserued well to here hym selfe to be compared to an asse.

For truely one to suppose hym selfe wyse
Is vnto folysshenes the very fyrste gryce.[193]

+ _The oration of the ambassadour sent to Pope Urban._ xxxii.

+ Out of the towne of Parusyn were sente vpon a tyme thre ambassadours
vnto our holye father Pope Urban, whom they founde sycke in his bed.
Before whose holynes one of the sayde ambassadours had a longe and a
tedious oration, that he had deuysed by the way; the whiche, er it was
ended, ryght sore anoyed the popes holynesse. Whan he hadde all sayde,
the pope asked: Is there anye thynge elles? An other of the thre,
percevuynge howe greately the ambagious[194] tale greued the popes
holynes to here it out, sayde: Moost holy father, this is all the
effece, and if your holynes spede vs nat forthewith, my felowe shall
telle his tale agayne. At whiche sayenge the pope laughed, and caused
the ambassadours to be spedde incontinent.

By this tale one maye lerne, that superfluous wordes ought dilygently to
be auoyded, specially where a matter is treated before an hygh prince.

FOOTNOTES:

[193] Step, from the Latin _grassus_ or _gressus_.

[194] Circumlocutory.--SINGER.

+ _Of the ambassadour sent to the prince Agis._ xxxiii.

+ Nat moch vnlike the forsayd tale, Plutarche reciteth that, whan the
ambassadour of the Abderites had at laste ended a longe tale to the
prynce Agis, he asked what answere he shulde make to them that sent him?
Say vnto them (quod the prince), whan thou comest home, that all the
longe tyme that thou didest dispende in tellynge thy tale, I sate styll
and harde the paciently.

+ _The answere of Cleomenes to the Samiens ambassad