OF THE LETTER H.
H is worst among letters in all the cross row,
For if thou find him either in thine elbow,
In thine arm or leg, in any degree,
In thy head or teeth, in thy toe or knee;—
Into what place soever H may pyke him,
Wherever thou find ache thou shalt not like him.
Heywood has a few epigrams touching fools. The following will show that what Selden said of evil-speaking, in reference to James’s court fool, Stone, in courtly prose, had been uttered before him by Mary’s court wit in shambling verse.
A FOOL’S TONGUE.
Upon a fool’s provocation,
A wise will not talk,
But ev’ry light instigation,
Will make a fool’s tongue walk.
And again, on a fool whose foolish wit was called wisdom, Heywood said and sang:—
Wisdom and folly in thee (as men scan)
Is, as it were, a thing by itself; fool,
Among fools, thou art taken a wise man;
And among wise men thou art known a fool.
In the same strain is this quatrain:—
OF EARS AND WITS.
Thin ears and thin wits be dainty;
Thick ears and thick wits be plenty.
Thick ears and thick wits be scant;
Thin ears and thin wits none want.