. It chaunced on a tyme (quod
he), that she and I dydde suche a thyng to gether, and she tolde hit to
her mother. Therin (quod his wyfe) she playde the foole: a seruante of
my fathers playde that game with me an hundred tymes, and yet I neuer
tolde my mother. Whan he herde her saye so, he lefte his nyce laughynge.

FOOTNOTES:

[260] Orig. reads _as_.

+ _Of hym that made as he hadde ben a chaste lyuer._ lxxiiii.

+ A felowe, that toke vpon him, as he had ben the moste chaste and beste
disposed man lyuinge, was by one of his felowes on a tyme taken in
aduoutry,[262] and sharpely rebuked for it, bycause he prated so moche
of chastite, and yet was taken in the same faute. To whome he answerde
againe: O fool, doste thou thinke that I did it for bodely pleasure? No!
no! I dyd it but onely to subdue my flesshe, and to purge my reynes.

Wherby ye may perceyue, that of all other dissemblynge hipocrytes are
the worste.

FOOTNOTES:

[261] Foolish. Used in this sense by Chaucer and Shakespeare. See the
last edit, of Nares _in voce_.

[262] I have already explained this word to signify adultery. The latter
form appears to have been little used by old writers (though it occurs
in the _Rule of Reason_, 1551, 8vo. by Thomas Wilson). Thus in Paynel's
translation of Erasmus _De Contemptu Mundi_,1533, fol. 16, we
find--"Richesse engendre and brynge forth inceste and advoutry."

"_Hobs._ Mass, they say King Henry is a very _advoutry_ man.

"_King._ A devout man? And what King Edward?"--

Heywood's _Edward IV._ Part I. 1600.

+ _Of hym that the olde roode fell on._ lxxv.

+ As a man kneled vpon a tyme prayenge before an olde rode, the rode
felle downe on him and brak his hede; wherfore he wolde come no more in
the churche halfe a yere after. At lengthe, by the prouocation of his
nighbours, he cam to the churche agayne; and bycause he sawe his
nighbours knele before the same rode, he kneled downe lyke wyse and
sayde thus: well, I may cappe and knele to the; but thou shake neuer
haue myn harte agayne, as long as I lyue.

By which tale appereth, that by gentyll and courteyse entreatinge mens
myndes ben obteyned.[263] For though the people cappe and knele to one
in highe authorite, yet lyttell whoteth he, what they thynke.

FOOTNOTES:

[263] Orig. and Singer read _opteyned_.

+ _Of the wydow that wolde nat wedde for bodily pleasure._ lxxvi.

+ There was a ryche wydowe, whiche desyredde a gossyp of