In this quarrelling figure we once plaid this merry Epigrame of an
importune and shrewd wife, thus: 
  My neighbour hath a wife, not fit to make him thriue,
  But good to kill a quicke man, or make a dead reuiue. 
  So shrewd she is for God, so cunning and so wise,
  To counter with her goodman, and all by contraries. 
  For when he is merry, she lurcheth and she loures,
  When he is sad she singes, or laughes it out by houres. 
  Bid her be still her tongue to talke shall neuer cease,
  When she should speake and please, for spight she holds her peace,
  Bid spare and she will spend, bid spend she spares as fast,
  What first ye would haue done, be sure it shalbe last. 
  Say go, she comes, say come, she goes, and leaues him all alone,
  Her husband (as I thinke) calles her ouerthwart Ione.

  [Sidenote:  Erotema, or the Questioner.]
There is a kinde of figuratiue speach when we aske many questions and looke for none answere, speaking indeed by interrogation, which we might as well say by affirmation.  This figure I call the Questioner or inquisitiue, as when Medea excusing her great crueltie vsed in the murder of her owne children which she had by Iason, said: 
  Was I able to make them I praie you tell,
  And am I not able to marre them all aswell?

Or as another wrote very commendably.
  Why strive I with the streame, or hoppe against the hill,
  On search that neuer can be found, and loose my labour still?

Cato vnderstanding that the Senate had appointed three citizens of Rome for embassadours to the king of Bithinia, whereof one had the Gowte, another the Meigrim, the third very little courage or discretion to be employd in any such businesse, said by way of skoffe in this figure.
  Must not (trowe ye) this message be well sped,
  That hath neither heart, nor heeles, nor hed?

And as a great Princesse aunswered her seruitour, who distrusting in her
fauours toward him, praised his owne constancie in these verses.
  No fortune base or frayle can alter me:

To whome she in this figure repeting his words: 
  No fortune base or frayle can alter thee. 
  And can so blind a witch so conquere mee?

  [Sidenote:  Ecphonisis, or the Outcry.]
The figure of exclamation, I call him [the outcrie] because it vtters our minde by all such words as do shew any extreme passion, whether it be by way of exclamation or crying out, admiration or wondering, imprecation or cursing, obtestation or taking God and the world to witnes, or any such like as declare an impotent affection, as Chaucer of the Lady Cresseida by exclamation.
  O soppe of sorrow soonken into care,
  O caytife Cresseid, for now and evermare.