1 | 2 | 3 | 4 >>    III^ NIGHT: THE MOUNTEBANKES            …when Supper was done, and Quéene Aurelia, and the most Honourable of the company had taken places upon a Scaffold made for the nonce, there mounted a Mountebanke, his neck be chayned with live Adders, Snakers, Eau’ts and twentie sundry kinde of venymous vermines, whose mortall stringes taken away by Arte, and with him a Zanni and other Actors of pleasure: who presented themselves onely with a single desire to recreate Segnior Philoxenus and his whorty company : and not with the intent of common Montenbankers, to deceive the people with some unprofitable Merchiandise.          In the middest of this pastime an ancient Gentleman (of the Societie) seeing this Viperous Beasts, by cunning usage, to be made so Domesticke and affable, whether it were upon an impression of his owne griefe, or of the experience he had of another mans Plague, I know not: but sure I am, he burst into these passions.         God, (quoth he) of what mettal is a womans toung, which Correction cannot chastise, nor lenitie quiet, when these dumb Serpents by the one or the other are tamde? Marie (quoth a pleasant companion) it is made of the same metall that Virgils Brasen Flayle was of, which strooke both his friend and foes         But (quoth the Gentleman) Virgil know, and thought others how to pacific this engine. It is true (quoth the other) but in teaching the secrete unto his servant, cost him own life. So a woman knowes how to holde her tongue, by having of her will, but if a man thinke to stay it, he must beate her to death. A young youth named Phrisio , thinking to winne the Spurres, by building a Fortresse for women, who have no weapons but their tongues, to defend and offend, tooke upon Imn, to prove a chiding wife, thogh shée bée a little unpleasant, both profitable and necessary: his reasons weer these.  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 >>