7 6 THE ARTE OR CRAFTE OF RHETHORYKE
To Spanyerdes / agilitye. To ytalyens / hygh wyt and muche fub- tylty. To Scottes / boldnes / to IriiTh men / haftines. To Boemes valiauntnes and tenacite of opynions. &c.
After that to loke on his kynred / as yf his father or mother or other kynne were of yll difpoficion / for as the tre is : fuche fruite it berethe.
On this wyfe dothe Phillis entwyte Demophon / that his father Thefeus vncurteyfly and trayterouf ly lefte his loue Ariadna alone in the defert yle of Naxus / and contrary to his promyfe ftale from her by nyght/ addynge. Heredem patria\e\ perfide fraudis agis. That is to faye / vntrewe & falle forlworne man / thou playeft kyndely thy 1 fathers heyre / in deceytable begylynge of thy true louer.
After that we mult loke vpon the fex / whether it be man or woman that we accufe / to fe yf any argument can be deducte out of it to our purpofe. As in men is noted [E i b] audacite / women be comonly tymeroufe. Than nexte / the age of the peribne. As in Therence Simo fpeketh of his fon Pamphilus / fayeth vnto his man called Sofia / howe couldeft thou knowe his condicions or nature afore / whyle his age and feare / and his mayfter dyd let it to be knowen.
Hipermeftra in Guides epistels ioyneth thefe .ii. places of fexe & age togyther thus.
I am a woman and a yonge mayden / mylde and gentyll / bothe by nature and yeres. My fofte handes are nat apte to fyers batayles.
After thefe folowe ftrength of body / or agylite / and quicknes of wyt / out of whiche may be brought many reafons to affyrme our purpofe. So Tully in his oracyon for Milo / wyllynge to proue that Clodius was the begynner of the fraye / fheweth that Milo (which was neuer wont but to haue men about hym) by chaunce at that tyme had in his company certayne Muficiens and maydens that wayted on his wyfe / whom he had fyttyng with hym in his wagen. Contraryly Clodius that was neuer wont afore but to ryde in a wagen & to haue his wyfe with hym : at that tyme rode furth on horfebacke. And where as afore he was alwayes accuftomed to haue knaues and quenes in his company : [E ii a] he had the non but tal me a with hym / & (as who fhulde fay) men piked out for Me nones.
To this is added forme / as to affay yf we can haue any argument
1 B. the. 2 B. tall men.
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