Page:Omniana 2.djvu/240

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230
OMNIANA.

the Suppression of Vice, is a modest request of Tirante to the Princess Carmesina, that she would be pleased to give him the shift which she has on, as being the thing nearest her precious body, and that he may take it off with his own hands. Carmesina has the grace to exclaim, "Santa Maria, et che è quello che mi dite!" She gives him the shift, but has decency enough to retire and take it off herself" . . it is the only mark of decency which she ever discovers.

In a coronation procession at London, all the wives, widows, and maidens, walk; next all the religioners of both sexes, by special licence of the Pope; the rear is brought up by all the common strumpets and their bellies. The author has several odd things about England. The morning collation at the English court, he says, was green ginger, with good malmsey, which was their custom, because of the coldness of the land. He tells the story of the Institu-