Chapter XXVI: Act III: Scene II

_Enter_ SIR WILLIAM SAGE _and his lady_.

_Sir William Sage._ I wonder that Mimick is not here! for his company is very delightful, to pass away idle time; for idle time is only free for fool’s company.

_Lady._ He is rather a knave than a fool, but here he comes.

_Enter_ MIMICK.

_Sir W. Sage._ Mimick, have you chosen a profession yet?

_Mimick._ Yes, marry have I, for I intend to be an orator.

_Sir W. Sage._ If you be a professed orator, I suppose you have studied a speech.

_Mimick._ Yes, I have studied, as orators use to do, in making an oration: for I have rackt my brain, stretched my wit, strapadoed my memory, tortured my thoughts, and kept my sences awake.

_Sir W. Sage._ Certainly, it is a very eloquent and wise oration, since you have taken so much pains.

_Mimick._ Labour and study is not a certain rule for wise, witty or eloquent orations or speeches, for many studied speeches are very foolish, but you will hear my speech?

_Sir W. Sage._ I will.

_Mimick._ But then Master, you must stand for, signifie, or represent a multitude or an assembly.

_Sir W. Sage._ That is impossible, being but a single person.

_Mimick._ Why doth not a single figure stand for a number, as the figure of five, eight or nine, and joining ciphers to them, they stand for so many hundreds or thousands: and here be two joint-stools, one of which stools and you lady shall serve for two ciphers and my master for the figure nine and so you and the joint-stool make nine hundred.

In our third and last quotation, we have a specimen of what she considered wit. It is from “The Wit’s Cabal”.