GREENE'S FAREWELL TO FOLLY 1 Modern spelling tran

GREENE’S FAREWELL TO FOLLY 12
________________________________________________________________________
somewhat choleric, & not well able to brook the frump of Benedetto, was thus rough with
him:
Mass Courtier, I am glad you keep so good a decorum as to let the lightness of your head
& lavishness of your follies so well to agree in eode tertio. You take Bernardino’s part,
but when the gentleman ran so merry a descant on the pride of scholars, had he by hap
but glanced at the gaudiness of your apparel, he had spoken far more reverently of
scholars than he did. For you Florentine courtiers, nay to be flat, we Florentine
gentlemen, to bring myself within the same predicament, discover ourselves to be the very
anatomies of pride, for he that marketh our follies in being passing humourous for the
choice of apparel shall find Ovid’s confused chaos to afford a multitude of diffused
inventions. It was objected to Caesar for a fault in his youth that he ever used to go
untrussed, and we count it a glory by a careless clothing of ourselves to be counted
malcontent. Sardanapalus was thrust from his empire for that he was a little effeminate,
and we strive to be counted womanish by keeping of beauty, by curling the hair, by
wearing plumes of feathers in our hands which in wars our ancestors wore on their
heads, they feared of men, we to be favoured of women. Alexander fell in hate of his
Macedons, being the monarch of the whole world, for wearing a Persian robe
embroidered with gold, and we Florentines, that are scarce masters of one town, so deck
ourselves in costly attire, so rich and so rare that did the Macedons live and see our
follies, they would grant Alexander to wear his robe without envy as a privilege. Yea,
now-a-days time hath brought pride to such perfection in Italy that we are almost as
fantastic as the English gentleman that is painted naked with a pair of shears in his hand,
as not being resolved after what fashion to have his coat cut.
In truth, quoth Farnese, to digress a little from our matter, I have seen an English
gentleman so diffused in his suits, his doublet being for the wear of Castile, his hose for
Venice, his hat for France, his cloak for Germany, that he seemed no way to be an
Englishman but by the face.
And, quoth Peratio, to this are we Florentines almost grown, for we must have our
courtesies so cringed, our congees delivered with such a long accent, our speeches so
affected, as, comparing our conditions with the lives of our ancestors, we seem so far to
differ from their former estate that, did Ovid live, he would make a second
metamorphosis of our estates. Now, Mass Benedetto, are not you and the scholar fellowcompeers
in follies? Hath not pride taught the one as large principles as the other? Are
not courtiers as proud of their coats as we of our books? Nay, gentlemen, not soldiers,
scholars and courtiers only, but all other estates whatsoever are comprised within the
compass of our inquisition, and may very well and rightly be appeached of this folly.
But Signior Peratio, quoth the old Countess, what, do you think everyone proud that
weareth costly apparel?
No madam, quoth Peratio, neither do I think but very beggars have their pride, and
therefore appoint the seat of this folly in the heart, not in the habit, for as the cowl makes
not the monk nor the grey weed the friar, so sumptuous attire procureth not always
Modern spelling transcript copyright 2007 Nina Green All Rights Reserved