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For the Pleasantness of the tongue; the general consent of all gives it the truest Melos, and restrains all musical organs from the worth and praise of it: Eccles. 40.¹ The pipe and the Psaltery make sweet melody: but a pleasant tongue is above them both. No instruments are so ravishing, or prevail over mans heart with so powerful complacency, as the Tongue and voice of man.

For the Pleasantnesse of the tongue; the generall consent of all giues it the truest Melos, and restraines all musicall organs from the worth and praise of it: Eccles. 40.¹ The pipe and the Psalterie make sweete melodie: but a pleasant tongue is aboue them both. No instruments are so rauishing, or preuaile ouer mans heart with so powerfull complacencie, as the Tongue and voyce of man.

1. 1Eccl. 40. 21

If the Tongue be so excellent, how then doth this Text censure it for so evil? I take the Philosophers old and trite answer. Linguanihil est, vel bona melius, vel mala peius. Then a good Tongue, there is nothing better; then an evil,¹ nothing worse. Nihil habet medium: aut grande bonum est, aut grande malum. It hath no mean; it is either exceedingly good, or excessively evil. It knows nothing but extremes: and is or good best of all, or bad worst of all. If it be good, it is a walking garden, that scatters in every place a sweet flower, an herb of grace to the hearers. If it be evil, it is a wild Bedlam, full of gadding and madding mischiefs. So the Tongue is every mans best, or worst moveable.

If the Tongue be so excellent, how then doth this Text censure it for so euill? I take the Philosophers old and trite answere. Linguanihil est, vel bona melius, vel mala peius. Then a good Tongue, there is nothing better; then an euill,