Galateo espagnol, or, The Spanish gallant instructing thee in that which thou must doe, and take heed of in thyusuall cariage, to be well esteemed, and loved of the people. Written in Spanish by Lucas Gracian de Antisco servant to his Majesty. And done into English by W.S. of the Inner Temple Esquire. Full of variety, and delight, and very necessary to be perused, not only of the generous youth of this kingdom, but also of all such as are exercised in their gentile education.

CHAPTER, 5. Of those that set themselves to tell their dreames. (Book 5)

THey doe ill that make a setled discourse, in the punctuall rela∣ting of their dreames, in such earnest, and so wondring at them, that the telling of them becomes a torment to

the hearer of them, except hee that tels them do finde some wonder in∣deede in them, or at least so much witty conceit, in some of them, that he knowes that the humours of them that heare him being prepared for such discourse, they will finde pas∣time in them. And though some wise men of old, did leave bookes behind them, written of dreames, and those composed with great understanding, and acutenesse of wit, yet we in our ordinary conversation, ought not to discourse of them.

A dreame of example:

1. And of all the Dreames I ever heard related, (though I have heard but few, and given credit to none) that me thinkes was the best which they report, that one Micer Flaminio a Gentleman of Rome did Dreame, which me thinkes was very materiall and of much consideration. Hee thought in his sleepe, that he was sit∣ting in a ritch apothecaryes shop, that was his neighbour, and not knowing the reason, he saw that all the people, with great tumult tooke away all

that was in it, and one tooke an e∣lectuary, another tooke away sweet meates, one, one thing, another, an∣other, and then they fell of eating, in such a manner, that there was neither box, glasse, pot, or viall, but it was quite emptyed, and amongst them there was a little viall glasse, full of a cleere liquour, which all smelt unto, but none of them did eate it; and it was not long, but he saw a man of a great stature, being ancient, and of a venerable countenance, who behold∣ing the pots, and glasses, and finding one crackt, another overturned, and most part of them broken, hee cast his eye, upon the little viall-glasse, I spake of: and setting it to his mouth, he drunke out all the liquour not leaving one drop, and then went out, as the rest had done before him; at which Micer Flaminio seemed to wonder much, and turning to the Apothecary, he asked him, Sir what thing is this, and why hath this ho∣norable old man, drunke up so sa∣vourly, the water in the little viall, which the others refused. To whom the Apothecary answered: Sonne this venerable man, is our Lord, and the

water which hee (alone of all the rest) did drinke up, (which you saw was refused) is the discretion, to judge rightly of things, the which men doe not seeke to preserve, in any thing in this World.

2. Such Dreames as this may well be told, and be excused, because they rather seeme to bee good thoughts, of a man awake, then a vision of a troubled phansy. But for other Dreames, voyd of sence, or probabi∣lity, as for the most part, even lear∣ned men (themselves) doe dreame, as well as the unlearned, wee ought not to spend our time, in telling of them.