PEER. They believe that I am a good, honest man and deacon here in this place; which is true.
MONTANUS. And I say it is a lie. I say you are a cock, and I shall prove it, as surely as two and three make five.
PEER. The devil you will! Now, how can I be a cock? How can you prove that?
MONTANUS. Can you tell me anything to prevent you from being one?
PEER. In the first place I can talk; a cock cannot talk; ergo, I am not a cock.
MONTANUS. Talking does not prove anything. A parrot or a starling can talk, too; that does not make them human beings by any means.
PEER. I can prove it from something else besides talking. A cock has no human intelligence. I have human intelligence; ergo, I am not a cock.
MONTANUS. Proba minorem.
JESPER. Aw, talk Danish.
MONTANUS. I want him to prove that he has the intelligence of a human being.