small trifle, not past sixteene shillings matter which he had taken:  quoth the king againe, but I warrant you the fellow was sorrie it had not bene sixteene pound:  meaning how the malefactors intent was as euill in that trifle, as if it had bene a greater summe of money.  In these examples if ye marke there is no griefe or offence ministred as in those other before, and yet are very wittie, and spoken in plaine derision.

The Emperor Charles the fift was a man of very few words, and delighted little in talke.  His brother king Ferdinando being a man of more pleasant discourse, sitting at the table with him, said, I pray your Maiestie be not so silent, but let vs talke a little.  What neede that brother, quoth the Emperor, since you haue words enough for vs both.

[Sidenote:  Micterismus, or the Fleering frumpe.] Or when we giue a mocke with a scornefull countenance as in some smiling sort looking aside or by drawing the lippe awry, or shrinking vp the nose; the Greeks called it Micterismus, we may terme it a fleering frumpe, as he that said to one whose wordes he beleued not, no doubt Sir of that.  This fleering frumpe is one of the Courtly graces of hicke the scorner.

[Sidenote:  Antiphrasis, or the Broad floute.] Or when we deride by plaine and flat contradiction, as he that saw a dwarfe go in the streete said to his companion that walked with him:  See yonder gyant:  and to a Negro or woman blackemoore, in good sooth ye are a faire one, we may call it the broad floute.

[Sidenote:  Charientismus, or the Priuy nippe.] Or when ye giue a mocke vnder smooth and lowly wordes as he that hard one call him all to nought and say, thou art sure to be hanged ere thou dye:  quoth th’other very soberly, Sir I know your maistership speakes but in iest, the Greeks call it (charientismus) we may call it the priuy nippe, or a myld and appealing mockery:  all these be souldiers to the figure allegoria and fight vnder the banner of dissimulation.

  [Sidenote:  Hiperbole, or the Ouer reacher,
        otherwise called the loud lyer.]
Neuerthelesse ye haue yet two or three other figures that smatch a spice of the same false semblant, but in another sort and maner of phrase, whereof one is when we speake in the superlatiue and beyond the limites of credit, that is by the figure which the Greeks call Hiperbole, Latines Demenitiens or the lying figure.  I for his immoderate excesse cal him the ouer reacher right with his originall or [lowd lyar] & me thinks not amisse:  now when I speake that which neither I my selfe thinke to be true, nor would haue any other body beleeue, it must needs be a great dissimulation, because I meane nothing lesse then that I speake, and this maner of speech is vsed, when either we would greatly aduaunce or greatly abase the reputation of any thing or person, and must be vsed very discreetly, or els it will seeme