reater felicity than to scoff and deride
others; they must sacrifice to the god of laughter, with them in [2170]
Apuleius, once a day, or else they shall be melancholy themselves; they
care not how they grind and misuse others, so they may exhilarate their own
persons. Their wits indeed serve them to that sole purpose, to make sport,
to break a scurrile jest, which is _levissimus ingenii fructus_, the froth
of wit, as [2171]Tully holds, and for this they are often applauded, in all
other discourse, dry, barren, stramineous, dull and heavy, here lies their
genius, in this they alone excel, please themselves and others. Leo
Decimus, that scoffing pope, as Jovius hath registered in the Fourth book
of his life, took an extraordinary delight in humouring of silly fellows,
and to put gulleries upon them, [2172]by commending some, persuading others
to this or that: he made _ex stolidis stultissimos, et maxime ridiculos, ex
stultis insanos_; soft fellows, stark noddies; and such as were foolish,
quite mad before he left them. One memorable example he recites there, of
Tarascomus of Parma, a musician that was so humoured by Leo Decimus, and
Bibiena his second in this business, that he thought himself to be a man of
most excellent skill, (who was indeed a ninny) they [2173]"made him set
foolish songs, and invent new ridiculous precepts, which they did highly
commend," as to tie his arm that played on the lute, to make him strike a
sweeter stroke, [2174]"and to pull down the arras hangings, because the
voice would be clearer, by reason of the reverberation of the wall." In the
like manner they persuaded one Baraballius of Caieta, that he was as good a
poet as Petrarch; would have him to be made a laureate poet, and invite all
his friends to his instalment; and had so possessed the poor man with a
conceit of his excellent poetry, that when some of his more discreet
friends told him of his folly, he was very angry with them, and said
[2175]"they envied his honour, and prosperity:" it was strange (saith
Jovius) to see an old man of 60 years, a venerable and grave old man, so
gulled. But what cannot such scoffers do, especially if they find a soft
creature, on whom they may work? nay, to say truth, who is so wise, or so
discreet, that may not be humoured in this kind, especially if some
excellent wits shall set upon him; he that mads others, if he were so
humoured, would be as mad himself, as much grieved and tormented; he might
cry with