answers that the quarrel ended “upon a lie seven times removed” (64). Jacques then proceeds to name the seven stages of a quarrel:
Jacques is presenting a parody of the rules regarding dueling. In Jacques’ comic quarrel, he criticized the way a courtier had cut his beard. The courtier responded that his beard was cut well (this is the Retort Courteous). Jacques responded by repeating his insult, and the courtier again responded with slightly stronger, but still polite, language (the Quip Modest). Thus the argument goes back and forth with the language getting slightly stronger but always restrained on each occasion. Touchstone comments that his quarrel never reached the seventh cause, the Lie Direct. He means that the courtier never directly accused Jacques of lying, and thus the argument never resulted in a duel.
Touchstone is implying that the rules regarding dueling – as well as the rules of proper behavior or etiquette more generally – are complex, nonsensical, and foolish. The entire argument regarding the courtier’s beard is entirely imaginary. Touchstone is thus proving himself to be a witty fool