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, 15. Of Compotations or Drinkings. (Book 15)

An invitation to drinking by a strange word, wee call Brin∣dis, which is to Drinke a health to one; of it selfe, it is an ill, and clownish fashion; and though some (in our Country,) doe use it, and entertaine it, yet wee ought to avoyd it; and if any invite thee to it, thou mayst refuse his invitation, and acknowledge thy weaknesse, giving him thankes, and accepting friendly the Wine, with∣out Drinking it.

These Drinkings, or Healthes (for so wee may interpret them) are sayd to have bin much used (of old) in some parts of Greece, where I have herd say, there have bin some, that were very famous for this manner of Drinking: it is sayd of a famous man, of that time, called Socrates, that hee sat up bouldly, a whole Night, to

Drinke with a famous Drinker, called Aristophanes: and the next morning, hee drew a curious Geo∣metricall figure, without missing a hayre, in its true proportion, whence you may gather, the Wine had not stirred him: and the rea∣son was, because hee had so much used to adventure himselfe, in this bould way of Drinking. And though many shew their strength, in drinking much, and use to drinke for wagers, that they will not bee made drunke, yet wee ought to ac∣compt of their victories, if they win but as of an infectious vice, and a brutish sin.

3. Shew not thy selfe troubled, at any thing thou canst not helpe, and if thou repentest of any thing thou hast done, let no body know it, That none may discover thy weakenesse; Yet by way of mirth, I will tell you a Jest that befell a Gallant, and it was not an ill one, of whom it is sayd, That being desired (by a Lady,) to come to a tilting in blew cloathing, hee promised to doe it, but because hee had no mony, nor other

thing to provide himselfe this li∣very withall, hee sould a More that hee highly esteemed, and ha∣ving worn his blew cloathes, and being afterwards sorry for the error, he had committed, His More broke this jest upon him, of blacke comes blew.

None ought to put off his Cloathes before another, especial∣ly his shoes: for it may fall out, that the partes of thy body, which should bee hid, may bee discove∣red, to thy shame, and his, that sees it. Nor must thou combe thy Head, or wash thy Hands, before people of worth, but thou must doe them in private, in thy lodg∣ing, and not in publike, except∣ing that washing of the Handes, may bee done before any Body, when thou art to sit downe, to thy Meate, for in that case, though one bee cleane already, yet ought every one then to wash, that he that eateth with him, may have assur∣ance of his cleanelinesse, nor must thou come before company, with the Cap thou wearest a nights, or with thy night geere on, or come

out, tying or untying it, nor to speake to any thou seest in thy House, in the manner as many usually doe. O sir, pray stay there a little; nor is it a good fashion at night to dresse thy selfe, or to binde up thy Head, as I have seene some doe, with as great curiosity, as if they were Women: except there bee some extraordinary necessity for it.

4. A new married Gentleman, used this curiosity, who being a smooth faced youth, without a Beard, being with his Wife, in his Chamber, a messenger came in thi∣ther, to looke for him, that had a message to deliver to him: and being there, and seeing them both so trimmed up, and one as well as the other, without a Beard, hee asked, which of their Worships was the Gentleman to whom hee was sent to, that hee might not bee mistaken in his message? then the Husband put off his Night∣geere, and resolved, no more to put it on, till hee should have a Beard.

5. There bee some, that hold

it for great ingenuity, often, to wreath their mouthes into divers fashions, to rowle and glance with their eyes, to swell their Cheekes, like Bagpipes, to stand puffing, and blowing, and making of va∣riety of Faces: and some others there bee that are so discomposed when they doe some certaine things, that they put out their tongues, almost a hand-breadth, as they are in doing it: these should altoge∣ther avoyde the doing of such things: as it is storyed of the god∣desse Pallas, who was sometimes delighted in playing on the Cor∣net, till it happened, that (one day) playing thereon, for her pleasure, by a Fountaine side, shee beheld her selfe in the water, and beholding those new & strange faces, which shee must necessarily make, while shee played, was a∣shamed of her selfe, and presently broke the Cornet, in pieces. And indeede, it was well done of her, it not being an instrument, fitting for Ladies, nor yet for men, ex∣cept for those that make it their profession. And that which shewes

ill in the Face does as bad in the rest of the Members, and there∣fore it becomes not a man, to shew his Teeth, except hee laugh, nor much to scratch the Beard, or to rubbe one Hand against another, nor to sigh much, or to seeme much discontented, and to com∣plaine of his misfortune as ma∣ny doe, more out of a custome they have gotten, then for any just oc∣casion they have to doe it. Or to stand stretching, or rowsing up himselfe: nor to cry out, woe, woe unto mee, as I have seene some to doe. Nor is it good to make a noyse with the mouth, in token, that wee wonder at, or dis∣like any thing: or to counterfeit a foule matter, for things counter∣feit are not very farre differing from truth. One ought not to laugh sleepily making ugly Faces, or to laugh more for custome then necessity. Nor must thou bee much taken with thine owne speech, or gestures, which is to commend thy selfe, for laughter belongs to him that is a hearer, and not a speaker. Thou must then take care

of the cariage of thy body, especially when thou speakest, for it falls out, that some are so besotted upon their owne discourse, that they regard nothing else. And some there are, that wag their Heades, or turne their eyes or shrinke up their eye browes, to the midle of their foreheads, or else let them (skowlingly) hang downe over their eyes. And some there are, that make wry mouthes, others that spit, and even sprinkle their Faces, with whom they dis∣course; you may finde others, that use such action, and quick motion with their Hands, as they talke that you would thinke, they were driving Flyes away, all which customes, are very offensive. And as Pindar saith, every thing that is done sweet∣ly and relisheth well, is performed in a free, and conformable way. What then may I say of him, that goes into company, with a Pen in his Eare, or a ruler in his Mouth, or of him, that layes one legge upon the Table, or that spits betweene his Fingers? and of innumerable o∣ther sottish cricks, which men may by observation finde to bee used?

concerning which I heere intend not to enlarge my selfe, because I know there be many, will say, I have sayd farre too much. And so I con∣clude, giving thee to understand, that thou must not thinke that of these little things one can make but a small fault, but that by many lit∣tle ones, a great one may at last bee committed. And that the lesse they are, the more care thou hadst neede to take to leave them, because they are so hardly discerned, nor doth he that doth them consider, that like as small Ʋnthrifty expences, which by their continuance doe consume our estates before we are aware of them; Even so doe these little faults, by their great number, spoile our good behaviour. Therefore they be∣ing of so great moment, wee ought not to make sport of them.

FINIS.