Two Brothers, who liv’d together favour’d extreamly one another, and bore the same Name. A Man desired to speak to one of them. Which do you ask for? Said the Porter, The Counsellor, answer’d the Man, They are both Councellors. Him that Squints a little; they both Squint. Him that has a handsom Wife; both their Wives are handsom. Well then, him who is a Cuckold. By my Faith, Sir, answered the Porter, I take them both to be Cuckolds. Well, said the Man, these two Brothers are strangely fated to resemble one another.
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Deux Freres qui logeoient ensemble, se ressembloient parfaitement, & portoient le même nom. Un homme demanda à parler à l’un des deux. Lequel demandez-vous? Lui dit le Portier: Celui qui est conseiller, repondit cét homme; ils le sont tous deux. Celui qui est un peu louche; ils le sont tous deux. Celui qui est marié; ils le sont tous deux. Celui qui a une belle Femme, ils en sont tous deux. C’est donc celui qui est cocu; Ma foi, Monsieur, lui repondit le Portier, je crois qu’ils le sont tous deux. Voilà, dit cét homme, deux Freres bien destinez à se ressembler.
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The Players acting at Paris before King Lewis XIII. a Play against the Men of the Long Robe, had placed among the Spectators one of their Company in a City-dress. This Player, who by his Habit appear’d like a Counsellor at Law, stood up at the merriest part of the Play, and said with a loud Voice, That it was intolerable to see Lawyers thus played upon, and that they should have Satisfaction for it. In short, he charg’d the Player to desist immediately, and forbear going on with so insolent a Play. I will have them go on with it, answered the King, who took him to be a Counsellor, that broke in upon the Respect due to him, by threatening them in his Presence. Which created a new Diversion in the Audience, when they came to know that he was a Player in Disguise. And the King, who understood Raillery, was one of the first that laugh’d at his mistake.
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Les Comediens joüant à Paris devant Louis XIII. une Comedie contre les Gens de Robe avoient fait mettre parmi les Spectateurs, un de leur troupe en Habît de Ville. Ce Comedien, qui avec cét Habit ressembloit à un Conseiller, se leva à l’endroit le plus risible de la Piece, dit hautement que cela n’ètoit pas supportable, de voir ainsi jouer les Gens de justice, & qu’ils en auroient raison. Enfin, il somma les Comediens de cesser à l’instant cette insolente Piece. Et moi je veux qu’ils la joüent, repondit le Roy, qui crut que c’étoit un Conseiller qui lui manquoit de respect en sa presence. Ce qui donna une autre espéce de Divertissement à l’assemblée, lors qu’elle seut que c’étoit un Comedien deguisé. Et le Roy qui entendoit Raillerie, rit le premier d’y avoir été trompé.
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The Ingenious come off of Richard I. King of England, for excusing to the Pope his keeping Philip, Bishop of Beauvais his Prisoner, is to be admired. This Bishop was a Warlike Man, very troublesom to the English, who possest the best part of France. Being at last fallen into their Hands, the Pope not knowing how it came to pass, wrote to the King for his Freedom, as being a Clergyman, and one of his beloved Sons. Whereupon the King sent to the Pope the Armour, in which the Bishop was taken, having first caused these Words to be ingraven upon it: Vide an hæc sit Tunica Filii tui vel non: See if this be the Coat of thy Son, or not. Which are the very Words that Jacob’s Children used, when they brought to him the Coat of their Brother Joseph. The Pope viewing the Armour, did ingenuously own, That this Bishop was more like the Son of Mars, than of the Church; and so left him wholly to the King’s Mercy.
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