by his honour the mustard was naught: now,
I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and
the mustard was good, and yet was not the
knight forsworn. 73
Cel. How prove you that, in the great heap
of your knowledge?
Ros. Ay, marry: now unmuzzle your wisdom.
Touch. Stand you both forth now: stroke
your chins, and swear by your beards that I am
a knave. 79
Cel. By our beards, if we had them, thou art.
Touch. By my knavery, if I had it, then I
were; but if you swear by that that is not, you
are not forsworn: no more was this knight,
swearing by his honour, for he never had any;
or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever
he saw those pancakes or that mustard. 86
Cel. Prithee, who is 't that thou meanest?
Touch. One that old Frederick, your father,
loves.
Cel. My father's love is enough to honour
him. Enough! speak no more of him; you'll
be whipped for taxation one of these days. 92
Touch. The more pity, that fools may not
speak wisely what wise men do foolishly.
Cel. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since
the little wit that fools have was silenced, the
little foolery that wise men have makes a great
show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. 98
Enter Le Beau.
Ros. With his mouth full of news.
70 naught: worthless
71 stand to it: maintain
90 Cel.; cf. n.
92 taxation: slander, backbiting
96 fools . . . silenced; cf. n.
