Oignez vilain il vous poindra,
Poignez vilain il vous oindra

If you treat a clown with mildness and civility he will fancy you are afraid of him, and will return your kindness with rudeness or insult; but if preserving your dignity, you treat him as your inferior or with some degree of authority, he will crouch to and fawn upon you:

« A base unthankful clownish brood,
Return ill offices for good,
But if you should them harshly treat,
Then spaniel-like they'll lick your feet».

El ruyn, mientras mas le ruegan, mas se estiende, a low and base man, the more you entreat him, the more insolent he becomes.