Sociable Letters 231 



with vanity, and on time's heels is experience; yet 

 although time runs from you, wisdom will stay with 

 you, for wisdom is the son of time, and became wise 

 by his father's follies, which are written upon his 

 father's back; for wisdom waits alwayes behind his 

 father, and neither wisdom the son, nor time the 

 father, do meet face to face; and you will find more 

 happiness in wisdom's company than in time's court- 

 ships. For wisdom's conversation is comfortable and 

 pleasing, it speaks with the tongue of an oratour, 

 the wit of a poet, and the advice of a friend; then 

 who would be troubled with the fantastical humours, 

 apish actions, flattering speeches, and subtil deceits 

 of time ? But lest this letter should be as tedious to 

 you as fonnerly time was, I'll stop here, and rest, 

 Madam, 



Your Ladiship's faithful fr. and s. 



THE TALKING LADIES 



Madam, — ^The Lady P. R. was to visit the Lady 

 S. I. and other ladies with her, whose conversation 

 and discourse was according to their female capacities 

 and understandings, and when they were all gone the 

 Lady S. I.'s husband asked his wife, why she did not 

 talk as the rest of the ladies did, especially the Lady P. 

 R. so loud and impertinently ? She answered, she had 

 neither the humour, breath, voice, nor wit, to speak 

 so long, so loud, and so much of nothing: He said, 

 her answer liked him well, for he would not have his 

 wife so bold, so rude, and so talking a fool. Thus, 

 Madam, we may perceive how discourse in conversa- 

 tion is judged of, and for the most part condemned by 

 the hearers, when perchance the ladies imagine that 



