"January 25.- Safe at Venice.A place whose strange and passing beauty is well known to thee by report of our mariners.Dost mind too how Peter would oft fill our ears withal, we handed beneath the table, and he still discoursing of this sea-enthroned and peerless city, in shape a bow, and its great canal and palaces on piles, and its watery ways plied by scores of gilded boats; and that market-place of nations, orbis, non urbis, forum, St.Mark, his place? And his statue with the peerless jewels in his eyes, and the lion at his gate? But I, lying at my window in pain, may see none of these beauties as yet, but only a street, fairly paved, which is dull, and houses with oiled paper and linen, in lieu of glass, which is rude; and the passers-by, their habits and their, gestures, wherein they are superfluous.Therefore, not to miss my daily comfort of whispering to thee, I will e'en turn mine eyes inward, and bind my sheaves of wisdom reaped by travel.For Ilove thee so, that no treasure pleases me not shared with thee;and what treasure so good and enduring as knowledge? This then have I, Sir Footsore, learned, that each nation hath its proper wisdom, and its proper folly; and methinks, could a great king, or duke, tramp like me, and see with his own eyes, he might pick the flowers, and eschew the weeds of nations, and go home and set his own folk on Wisdom's hill.The Germans in the north were churlish, but frank and honest; in the south, kindly and honest too.Their general blot is drunkenness, the which they carry even to mislike and contempt of sober men.They say commonly, 'Kanstu niecht sauffen und fressen so kanstu kienem hern wol dienen.' In England, the vulgar sort drink as deep, but the worshipful hold excess in this a reproach, and drink a health or two for courtesy, not gluttony, and still sugar the wine.In their cups the Germans use little mirth or discourse, but ply the business sadly, crying 'Seyte frolich!' The best of their drunken sport is 'Kurlemurlehuff,' a way of drinking with touching deftly of the glass, the beard, the table, in due turn, intermixed with whistlings and snappings of the finger so curiously ordered as 'tis a labour of Hercules, but to the beholder right pleasant and mirthful.Their topers, by advice of German leeches, sleep with pebbles in their mouths.For, as of a boiling pot the lid must be set ajar, so with these fleshy wine-pots, to vent the heat of their inward parts: spite of which many die suddenly from drink;but 'tis a matter of religion to slur it, and gloze it, and charge some innocent disease therewith.Yet 'tis more a custom than very nature, for their women come among the tipplers, and do but stand a moment, and as it were, kiss the wine-cup; and are indeed most temperate in eating and drinking, and of all women, modest and virtuous, and true spouses and friends to their mates; far before our Holland lasses, that being maids, put the question to the men, and being wived, do lord it over them.Why, there is a wife in Tergou, not far from our door.One came to the house and sought her man.Says she, 'You'll not find him: he asked my leave to go abroad this afternoon, and I did give it him.'"Catherine."'Tis sooth! 'tis sooth! 'Twas Beck Hulse, Jonah's wife.This comes of a woman wedding a boy.""In the south where wine is, the gentry drink themselves bare; but not in the north: for with beer a noble shall sooner burst his body than melt his lands.They are quarrelsome, but 'tis the liquor, not the mind; for they are none revengeful.And when they have made a bad bargain drunk, they stand to it sober.They keep their windows bright; and judge a man by his clothes.Whatever fruit or grain or herb grows by the roadside, gather and eat.The owner seeing you shall say, 'Art welcome, honest man.' But an, ye pluck a wayside grape, your very life is in jeopardy.'Tis eating of that Heaven gave to be drunken.The French are much fairer spoken, and not nigh so true-hearted.Sweet words cost them nought.They call it payer en blanche."Denys."Les coquins! ha! ha!"
"Natheless, courtesy is in their hearts, ay, in their very blood.
They say commonly, 'Give yourself the trouble of sitting down.'
And such straws of speech show how blows the wind.Also at a public show, if you would leave your seat, yet not lose it, tie but your napkin round the bench, and no French man or woman will sit here; but rather keep the place for you."Catherine."Gramercy! that is manners.France for me!"Denys rose and placed his hand gracefully to his breastplate.
"Natheless, they say things in sport which are not courteous, but shocking.'Le diable t'emporte!' 'Allez au diable!' and so forth.
But I trow they mean not such dreadful wishes: custom belike.
Moderate in drinking, and mix water with their wine, and sing and dance over their cups, and are then enchanting company.They are curious not to drink in another man's cup.In war the English gain the better of them in the field; but the French are their masters in attack and defence of cities; witness Orleans, where they besieged their besiegers and hashed them sore with their double and treble culverines; and many other sieges in this our century.
More than all nations they flatter their women, and despise them.