A Schole of wise conceytes wherein as euery conceyte hath wit, so the most haue much mirth : set forth in common places by order of the alphabet / translated out of diuers Greeke and Latine wryters by Thomas Blage ...

Abundance somtime perillous.

4 Of the Spider, and the Goute.

A Spider nighe wéeried with continuall la∣bour, ceassed off hys woorke and walked abroade for disporte: whome the Goute mette, and accompanyed as faste as he coulde, thoughe it were with muche payne: when that dayes iourney was nighe at a poynte, they ap∣proched néere to a lyttle Towne called T••che, where they determined to séeke fitte logding for their purpose. The Spider tooke little héede but turned into the house of an excéeding ryche man, where on euery side he sette vp his streamers. Then were straight at hande, those like Diuels in a play, which cast downe his webbes, and as faste as he set them vp in any part of the house,

they were swept downe: he could not worke so closely, but it was founde out: suche was his mi∣serie, that in a house of so muche wealth and abundaunce, he onely wanted and was thrust downe. But the Goute wente lyke a begger, (which caused him to be the longer without lod∣ging) at length he gotte him to the cottage of a poore man, where when he had laide him downe to rest, it is not to be tolde what miserie he en∣dured: his supper was coorse bread, and a Cup of colde water to drinke, when he was dry: his bed to rest his wéerie bones vppon, was a harde boorde strewed without either boughs or grasse, but thinly with a little strawe. I néed not shew, howe ill agréed so harde a bedde and so rude an hoste, to so tender limbes, and to his skin as soft as silke. When the day starre was scarse risen, the Goute and the Spider mette agayne. Then the Spider first declared his nightes ill rest, and how oft he shifted his place: sometime vpbray∣ding the Maister with too muche nicenesse, some∣time with the double diligence of the swéepers. Ah (quod the Goute) the pouertie of mine hoste is incredible: for if I had leisure, I could shewe thée spottes blacke and blew, that my bedde as hard as the Adamant, hath imprinted in my soft skin. Then they tooke counsel thus once agayne, That the Spider should goe to the poore mans

cottage, and the Goute to the riche mans house, where vnto they bothe agréed. When it waxed darke, they came néere to a Citie, and the Goute remembring well his appoyntment, faire and softely went into an excéeding rich mans house, where he hid him selfe: whom when the Mai∣ster had scarse séene, Iesu God with what harty good wil, what kindnesse, and with what names dyd he entertayne him: strayghtway he was layde vppon beds of Doune, his bolsters stuf∣fed with soft Partrich feathers. I wil not speake of the wines, as swéete and darke wines, wines of Lesbus and Campania, birdes that féede on grapes, Phesants, and party coloured birdes: to conclude, there was no kinde of pleasure that his fantasie lacked. The Spider wente into a poore mans cottage and began his webs on eue∣ry side, from wall to wall he hanged them vp, he followed his businesse with hande and féete, he brake it downe and set it vp agayne, and that he began he ended: and to tell you at a worde, he was Lorde and King alone, crafte and polli∣cie he feared none, for his buylding was so high, that he was without the reache of a broome. Not long after the Goute spake with the Spider, to whom he magnified his plesures, his happinesse and riches: The Spider likewise wonderfully praysed his kingdome and libertie in buylding:

They concluded therefore, that whyther so euer they iorneyed, the Goute should lodge at the rich mans house, and the Spider at the poore mans cottage.

MOR. Some sorte of men spéede better in some place than others, and riche mens houses are a mansion place for disseases: but where least riches are, there is most libertie.