Ar't asleepe husband? A boulster lecture; stored with all variety of witty jeasts, merry tales, and other pleasant passages; extracted, from the choicest flowers of philosophy, poesy, antient and moderne history. Illustrated with examples of incomparable constancy, in the excellent history of Philocles and Doriclea. By Philogenes Panedonius.

SILENCE.

AS Speech occasions Distaste by spea∣king too much; so does Silence in speaking too little: This might bee instanced in the discontent which a Sociable good fellow tooke in his wifes Silence: Who had intended, it seemes, to requite her Hus∣bands unthriftinesse, with an humour of sul∣lennesse. He, as it was usuall with him, com∣ming home at an unseasonable houre; asked of his Wife many questions, but received no answer to any. Having tryed many Conclusions to receive one comfortable tone from her, but all in vaine; at last hee resolv'd of a course to bring her to her tongue againe, and it was this: He gets the key of the Sexton, and goes into the Church: where he towls the Bell, as is u∣sually done for such as are dying. Some of the inhabitants come in, purposely to in∣quire for whom it was that the Bell was towlling? It was answered by this Con∣ceipted youth, that it was for his Wife, who was lately laid speechlesse.

Which report, no doubt, would in time loosen the strings of her tongue, and make her Husband know that she was recovered: and cause him confesse as much to his tor∣ment.

Albeit, in many questions Silence de∣serves to be approved and preferred: especi∣ally in such where the resolution of those questions propounded, may trench highly upon the Speakers credit: This, that for∣ward answer of a witty wench little consi∣dered; who had been long knowne to be no Niggard of her flesh, to One, and that a fa∣miliar One; who asked her the reason how it came to passe that all her children should bee so like their father, when all the World knew that they had many fathers?

O quoth she, I never take in any Stranger, till I find my vessell full fraughted!