brings him into a place where behind an arras cloth hee himselfe spake in
manner of an Oracle in these matters, for so did all the Sybils and
sothsaiers in old times giue their answers.
_Your best way to worke - and marke my words well,
Not money: nor many,
Nor any: but any,
Not weemen, but weemen beare the bell._

_Polemon_ wist not what to make of this doubtfull speach, & not being
lawfull to importune the oracle more then once in one matter, conceyued in
his head the pleasanter construction, and stacke to it: and hauing at home
a fayre yong damsell of eighteene yeares old to his daughter, that could
very well behaue her self in countenance and also in her language,
apparelled her as gay as he could, and brought her to the Court, where
_Philino_ harkning daily after the euent of this matter, met him, and
recommended his daughter to the Lords, who perceiuing her great beauty and
other good parts, brought her to the King, to whom she exhibited her
fathers supplication, and found so great fauour in his eye, as without any
long delay she obtained her sute at his hands. _Poleman_ the diligent
solliciting of his daughter, wanne his purpose: _Philino_ gat a good
reward and vsed the matter so, as howsoeuer the oracle had bene construed,
he could not haue receiued blame nor discredit by the successe, for euery
waies it would haue proued true, whether _Polemons_ daughter had obtayned
the sute, or not obtained it. And the subtiltie lay in the accent and
Ortographie of these two wordes [any] and [weemen] for [any] being deuided
sounds _a nie_ or neere person to the king: and [weemen] being diuided
soundes _wee men_, and not [weemen] and so by this meane _Philino_ serued
all turnes and shifted himselfe from blame, not vnlike the tale of the
Rattlemouse who in the warres proclaimed betweene the foure footed beasts
and the birdes, beyng sent for by the Lyon to beat his musters, excused
himselfe for that he was a foule and flew with winges: and beying sent for
my the Eagle to serue him, sayd that he was a foure footed beast, and by
that craftie cauill escaped the danger of the warres, and shunned the
seruice of both Princes. And euer since sate at home by the fire side,
eating vp the poore husbandmans baken, halfe lost for lacke of a good
huswifes looking too.

_FINIS_.

THE THIRD BOOKE,
OF ORNAMENT.

_CHAP. I_.

_Of Ornament Poeticall_.

As no doubt the good proportion of any thing doth great