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34 Erasmus
those several little tricks of setting their Faces,
painting their Eye-brows, and smoothing their
Skins? And now tell me, what higher Letters
of Recommendation have they to men than this
Folly? For what is it they do not permit ’em
to do? and to what other purpose than that
of pleasure ? wherein yet their folly is not the
least thing that pleaseth; which how true it
is, I think no one will deny, that does but con¬
sider with himself, what foolish Discourse and
odd Gambals pass between a man and his
woman, as oft as he has a mind to be gamesome ?
And so I have shown ye whence the first and
chiefest delight of man’s life springs.
But there are some, you'll say, and those too
none of the youngest, that have a greater
kindness for the Pot than the Petticoat, and
place their chiefest pleasure in good fellowship.
If there can be any great entertainment without
a woman at it, let others look to ’t. This I am
sure, there was never any pleasant which Folly
gave not the relish to. Insomuch that if they
find no occasion of Laughter, they send for +‘ one
that may make it’, or hire some Buffon flatterer,
1 yeAwromo.dy quempiam.