in the mail, sir. O! sir, plantain, a plain plan- 76
tain: no l'envoy, no l'envoy: no salve, sir, but a
plantain.
Arm. By virtue, thou enforcest laughter; thy
silly thought, my spleen; the heaving of my 80
lungs provokes me to ridiculous smiling: O!
pardon me, my stars. Doth the inconsiderate
take salve for l'envoy, and the word l'envoy for
a salve? 84
Moth. Do the wise think them other? is not
l'envoy a salve?
Arm. No, page: it is an epilogue or discourse, to make plain
Some obscure precedence that hath tofore been sain. 88
I will example it:
The fox, the ape, and the humble-bee
Were still at odds, being but three.
There's the moral. Now the l'envoy. 92
Moth. I will add the l'envoy. Say the moral
again.
Arm. The fox, the ape, and the humble-bee
Were still at odds, being but three. 96
Moth. Until the goose came out of door,
And stay'd the odds by adding four.
Now will I begin your moral, and do you follow
with my l'envoy. 100
The fox, the ape, and the humble-bee
Were still at odds, being but three.
Arm. Until the goose came out of door,
Staying the odds by adding four. 104
Moth. A good l'envoy, ending in the goose.
Would you desire more?
76 mail: bag; cf. n.
80 spleen: mirth
86 l'envoy a salve; cf. n.
88 sain: said
98 adding: i.e. making
