[340] This story is applied by Richard Johnson, editor of the _Pleasant
Conceits of Old Hobson the Merry Londoner_, 1607, 4to, to his own
purposes. Johnson was an unscrupulous appropriator.
+ _What an Italyan fryer dyd in his preachyng._ cxl.
+ Robert Lyciense, a fryer of Italye (of whome we spake before),
preachyng on a tyme with great vehemencye of wordes and gesture,
exhorted the prynces and people to make warre agaynste the Turkes and
other the enemies of chrystendome: and whan he came to the very effect,
and [was] moste hotte and earnest in his tale, he began to wepe, that
there were none, that wold to so godly a purpose offer them selfe to be
capitains. If this be the let[341] of the mattier, beholde me here,
whiche will be nothynge abasshed to cast aside this grey friers coate,
and to take vpon mee to be a souldiour, or your capitaine. And euen with
that woorde he caste of his vpper coate; and vnderneth he was a playne
souldiour, arraied in a skarlet cloke, and a long rapier hangeyng by his
side. And in this warlyke apparell, in the personage of a Capitan, he
stode and preached halfe an houre. Being sente for of the Cardinals
with whom he was familiar, hee was asked what was the pretence of that
new example. He answered, that he did it for his wenches pleasure, who
familiarly confessed that nothynge in the sayd Robert displeased hir,
saue his friers coate. Then saide he to hir:
In what apparell shal I best plese you? In a
man of warres, quoth shee? Than se
that you be at my sermon to
morow, quoth he.[342]