reportes of their neighbours. Contrariwise, when the North winde which is drie and impetuous, bloweth, the cloudes are scattered, and yeelde no raine: euen so when a personage which is in prehemi∣nence sheweth himselfe rude and seuere, rough and rigorous, as though hee were alwayes angrie, the flatterers which desire to di∣stil raine of lyes and backbitinges, dare not approch to him, but ab∣sent themselues away: for although they seek stil to cloke their say∣ing, for to hide their falsehood, yet neuerthelesse a vertuous iudge can wel discouer it, and confound them, so that they dare not ap∣peare before him: and when he hath caught them, hee wil scatter them, as the dry Northerne wind bringeth the cloudes to nothing. Heere Solomon sheweth wel to kinges and rulers of the earth that they ought not to laugh, reioyce, and take pastimes at flatterers & backbiters, but rather to be bitterly angry against thē, & in anger to take reuenge vpon them, executing that which Dauid purposed to doe, saying, Hee that priuily slaundeth his neighbour, him wil I de∣stroy. He that hath a proude looke and high heart, I cannot suffer: and hee teacheth vs that to shunne the fury of our Princes, and to bee in their grace and fauour, wee ought to abstaine from lying de∣traction and falshood, for heere aboue it is saide that the iust mans lippes doe please kinges, &c. And so one may see that al is out of or∣der, when kings giue entertainement rather to flatterers and back∣biters then to men of trueth, and also men seeke to please them ra∣ther by lyes then by trueth. Let vs learne also euery one of vs not to fauour in any case, lyars and backbiters, but rather shewe them an angry countenance to giue them to vnderstand that wee haue them in horrour and detestation, to the end that they withdrawe them∣selues from vs, and bee mute and dumbe before vs, if so be it, they wil not speake trueth. Otherwise wee are giltie of lying and detra∣ction, seeing we take pleasure in hearing them.