day, treated with the king and queen-mother, and some other of the council, for a peace. Both sides were agreed upon the articles. The question was, upon the security for the performance. After some particulars propounded and rejected, the queen-mother said, "Why, is not the word of a king sufficient "security?" One of the deputies answered, “No, by St. Bartholomew, madam."

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32. There was a French gentleman speaking with an English, of the law Salique; that women were excluded from inheriting the crown of France. The English said, "Yes; but that was meant of the

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women themselves, not of such males as claimed by "women." The French gentleman said, "Where "do you find that gloss ?" The English answered, "I'll tell you, Sir: look on the backside of the re"cord of the law Salique, and there you shall find it "indorsed:" implying there was no such thing as the law Salique, but that it is a mere fiction.

33. A friar of France, being in an earnest dispute about the law Salique, would needs prove it by Scripture; citing that verse of the Gospel; Lilia agri non laborant neque nent: the lilies of the field do neither labour nor spin; applying it thus: That the flower-de-luces of France cannot descend, neither to the distaff, nor to the spade: that is, not to a woman, nor to a peasant.

34. When peace was renewed with the French in England, divers of the great counsellors were presented from the French with jewels: the lord Henry Howard, being then earl of Northampton, and a counsellor, was omitted. Whereupon the king said to him, "My lord, how happens it that you have not a jewel as well as the rest ?" My lord answered, according to the fable in Æsop; Non sum Gallus, itaque non reperi gemmam.

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35. The same earl of Northampton, then lord privy seal, was asked by king James, openly at the table, where commonly he entertained the king with discourse; the king asked him upon the sudden, "My "lord, have you not a desire to see Rome?" My

lord privy seal answered, "Yes indeed, Sir." The king said, " And why?" My lord answered, "Be"cause, if it please your majesty, it was the seat of "the greatest monarchy, and the seminary of the "bravest men of the world, whilst it was heathen: " and then, secondly, because afterwards it was the "see of so many holy bishops in the primitive "Church, most of them martyrs." The king would not give it over, but said, "And for nothing else?" My lord answered, "Yes, if it please your majesty, for two things more: the one, to see him, who, they say, hath so great a power to forgive other men "their sins, to confess his own sins upon his knees "before a chaplain or priest: and the other, to hear "Antichrist say his creed."

36. Sir Nicholas Bacon being appointed a judge for the northern circuit, and having brought his trials that came before him to such a pass, as the passing of sentence on malefactors, he was by one of the malefactors mightily importuned for to save his life; which, when nothing that he had said did avail, he at length desired his mercy on account of kindred. "Prithee,' said my lord judge," how caine that in?" "Why,

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"if it please you, my lord, your name is Bacon, and "mine is Hog, and in all ages Hog and Bacon have "been so near kindred, that they are not to be sepa"rated." "6 Ay, but," replied judge Bacon, "you and "I cannot be kindred, except you be hanged; for "Hog is not Bacon until it be well hanged."

37. Two scholars and a countryman travelling upon the road, one night lodged all in one inn, and supped together, where the scholars thought to have put a trick upon the countryman, which was thus: the scholars appointed for supper two pigeons, and a fat capon, which being ready was brought up, and they having sat down, the one scholar took up one pigeon, the other scholar took the other pigeon, thinking thereby that the countryman should have sat still, until that they were ready for the carving of the capon; which he perceiving, took the capon and laid it on his trencher, and thus said, "Daintily con"trived, every man a bird."

38. Jack Roberts was desired by his taylor, when the reckoning grew somewhat high, to have a bill of his hand. Roberts said, "I am content, but you "must let no man know it." When the taylor brought him the bill, he tore it as in choler, and said to him, "You use me not well; you promised me " that no man should know it, and here you have put "in, Be it known unto all men by these presents."

39. Sir Walter Raleigh was wont to say of the ladies of queen Elizabeth's privy-chamber and bedchamber," that they were like witches, they could "do hurt, but they could do no good."

40. There was a minister deprived for inconformity, who said to some of his friends, "that if they de“prived him, it should cost an hundred mens lives." The party understood it, as if, being a turbulent fellow, he would have moved sedition, and complained of him; whereupon being convented and apposed upon that speech, he said his meaning was, "that if he "lost his benefice, he would practise physic, and "then he thought he should kill an hundred men "in time."

41. Secretary Bourn's son kept a gentleman's wife in Shropshire, who lived from her husband, with him: when he was weary of her, he caused her husband to be dealt with to take her home, and offered him five hundred pounds for reparation; the gentleman went to Sir H. Sidney to take his advice upon this offer, telling him, " that his wife promised now a new life; and, to tell him truth, five hundred pounds would come well with him; and besides, that sometimes he wanted a woman in his bed." By my troth," said Sir Henry Sidney, "take her home, and take the money: then whereas other "cuckolds wear their horns plain, you may wear yours gilt."

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42. When Rabelais, the great jester of France, lay on his death-bed, and they gave him the extreme unction, a familiar friend came to him afterwards, and asked him how he did? Rabelais answered, Even going my journey, they have greased my boots already."

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43. Mr. Bromley, solicitor, giving in evidence for a deed, which was impeached to be fraudulent, was urged by the counsel on the other side with this presumption, That in two former suits, when title was made, that deed was passed over in silence, and some other conveyance stood upon. Mr. Justice Catline taking in with that side, asked the solicitor, "I pray "thee, Mr. Solicitor, let me ask you a familiar ques"tion; I have two geldings in my stable; I have "divers times business of importance, and still I send "forth one of my geldings, and not the other; would you not think I set him aside for a jade ?" "No,

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"my lord," said Bromley, "I would think you spared him for your own saddle."

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44. Thales, as he looked upon the stars, fell towards water; whereupon it was after said, "that if "he had looked into the water he might have seen "the stars, but looking up to the stars he could not 66 see the water."

45. A man and his wife in bed together, she towards morning pretended herself to be ill at ease, desiring to lie on her husband's side; so the good man, to please her, came over her, making some short stay in his passage over; where she had not long lain, but desired to lie in her old place again: quoth he, "How "can it be effected?" She answered, Come over "me again." "I had rather," said he, "go a mile " and a half about."

46. A thief being arraigned at the bar for stealing a mare, in his pleading urged many things in his own behalf, and at last nothing availing, he told the bench, the mare rather stole him, than he the mare; which in brief he thus related: That passing over several grounds about his lawful occasions, he was pursued close by a fierce mastiff dog, and so was forced to save himself by leaping over a hedge, which being of an agile body he effected; and in leaping, a mare standing on the other side of the hedge, leaped upon her back, who running furiously away with him, he could not by any means stop her, until he came to the next town, in which town

the owner of the mare lived, and there was he taken, and here arraigned.

47. Master Mason of Trinity college, sent his pupil to another of the fellows, to borrow a book of him, who told him, "I am loth to lend my books out of my "chamber, but if it please thy tutor to come and read

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upon it in my chamber, he shall as long as he "will." It was winter, and some days after the same fellow sent to Mr. Mason to borrow his bellows; but Mr. Mason said to his pupil, "I am loth to lend my "bellows out of my chamber, but if thy tutor would "come and blow the fire in my chamber, he shall as long as he will."

48. A notorious rogue being brought to the bar, and knowing his case to be desperate, instead of pleading, he took to himself the liberty of jesting, and thus said, "I charge you in the king's name, to "seize and take away that man (meaning the judge) "in the red gown, for I go in danger of my life be86 cause of him.”

49. In Flanders by accident a Flemish tiler fell from the top of a house upon a Spaniard, and killed him, though he escaped himself; the next of the blood prosecuted his death with great violence, and when he was offered pecuniary recompence, nothing would serve him but lex talionis: whereupon the judge said to him, "that if he did urge that sentence, it "must be, that he should go up to the top of the "house, and then fall down upon the tiler."

50. A rough-hewn seaman, being brought before a wise just-ass for some misdemeanor, was by him sent away to prison, and being somewhat refractory after he heard his doom, insomuch as he would not stir a foot from the place where he stood, saying, "it were "better to stand where he was than go to a worse 66 place:" the justice thereupon, to shew the strength of his learning, took him by the shoulder, and said, "Thou shalt go nogus vogus," instead of nolens volens.

51. Francis the first of France used for his pleasure sometimes to go disguised: so walking one day