Sociable Letters 285 



actions, words, and course of life, is as witty, wise, 

 judicious, ingenious, and observing, as to write and 

 express the expressions, phrases, garbs, manners, 

 actions, words and course of life, of kings and princes; 

 and to express naturally, to the life, a mean country 

 wench, as a great lady, a courtesan, as a chast 

 woman, a mad man, as a man in his right reason 

 and senses, a drunkard, as a sober man, a knave, as 

 an honest man, and so a clown, as a well-bred man, 

 and a fool, as a wise man; nay, it expresses and de- 

 clares a greater wit, to express, and deliver to pos- 

 terity the extravagancies of madness, the subtilty of 

 knaves, the ignorance of clowns, and the simpHcity 

 of naturals, or the craft of feigned fools, than to 

 express regularities, plain honesty, courtly garbs, or 

 sensible discourses, for 'tis harder to express nonsense 

 than sense, and ordinary conversations, than that 

 which is unusual; and 'tis harder, and requires more 

 wit to express a jester, than a grave statesman; yet 

 Shakespear did not want wit, to express to the hfe 

 all sorts of persons, of what quality, profession, 

 degree, breeding, or birth soever; nor did he want wit 

 to express the divers, and different humours, or 

 natures, or several passions in mankind; and so well 

 he hath expressed in his playes all sorts of persons, 

 as one would think he had been transformed into 

 every one of those persons he hath described; and 

 as sometimes one would think he was really himself 

 the clown or jester he feigns, so one would think, he 

 was also the king, and privy counsellor; also as one 

 would think he were really the coward he feigns, so 

 one would think he were the most valiant and 

 experienced souldier; who would not think he had 

 been such a man as his Sir John Falstaff ? and who 

 would not think he had been Harry the Fifth ? and 



