Arm. Chirra!

Hol. Quare Chirra, not sirrah ?

Arm. Men of peace, well encounter'd.
Hol. Moft military fir, falutation.

Inoon: the word is well cull'd, chofe; fweet and apt, I do affure you, fir, I do affure,

Arm. Sir, the king is a noble gentleman; and my familiar, I do affure you, very good friend :For what is inward between us, let it pass :-I do befeech thee, remember thy courtesy;-I befeech thee, apparel thy head :-and among other importunate and moft ferious defigns, and of great import indeed, too;-but let that pafs :-for I must ro tell thee, it will please his grace (by the world)

Moth. They have been at a great feast of lan- 5 guages, and ftain the fcraps. [To Coftard afide. Caft. O, they have liv'd long on the alms-basket of words '! I marvel, thy master hath not eaten thee for a word; for thou art not fo long by the head as bonorificabilitudinitatibus: thou art eafier swallowed than a flap-dragon 2.

Math. Peace; the peal begins.

Arm. Monfieur, are you not letter'd?

Motb. Yes, yes; he teaches boys the horn-book: What is a, b, fpelt backward with a horn on his 15 head?

Hal. Ba, pueritia, with a horn added.

Moth. Ba, moft filly sheep, with a horn:-You hear his learning.

Hol. Quis, quis, thou consonant?

Moth. The third of the five vowels, if you repeat them; or the fifth, if I.

Hol. I will repeat them, a, e, i.—

Math. The sheep: the other two concludes it; 9, 43.

Arm. Now, by the falt wave of the Mediterraneum, a sweet touch, a quick venew 4 of wit: nip, fnap, quick and home; it rejoiceth my intellect: true wit.

Meth. Offer'd by a child to an old man; which is wit-old.

Hol. What is the figure? what is the figure?
Meth. Horns.

Hol. Thou difputeft like an infant: go, whip thy gigg.

Moth. Lend me your horn to make one, and will whip about your infamy circùm circà; A gigg of a cuckold's horn!

I

fometime to lean upon my poor fhoulder; and with his royal finger, thus, dally with my excrement 6, with my muftachio; but, fweet heart, let that pafs. By the world, I recount no fable; fome certain fpecial honours it pleaseth his greatness to impart to Armado, a foldier, a man of travel, that hath feen the world: but let that pafs.-The very all of all is,-but, fweet heart, I do implore fecrefy, that the king would have me prefent 20 the princefs, fweet chuck, with fome delightful oftentation, or fhow, or pageant, or antick, or firework. Now, understanding that the curate, and your fweet felf, are good at such eruptions, and fudden breakings out of mirth, as it were, I have 25 acquainted you withal, to the end to crave your affiftance.

30

Hol. Sir, you fhall present before her the nine worthies.-Sir Nathaniel, as concerning some entertainment of time, some show in the pofterior of this day, to be render'd by our affiftance,—at the king's command; and this moft gallant, illuftrate, and learned gentleman,-before the princess; I fay, none fo fit as to prefent the nine worthies.

Nath. Where will you find men worthy enough 35 to prefent them?

Hol. Joshua, yourself; myself, or this gallant gentleman, Judas Maccabæus; this fwain, because of his great limb or joint, fhall país Pompey the great; the page, Hercules.

Arm. Pardon, fir, error; he is not quantity enough for that worthy's thumb: he is not fo big as the end of his club,

Coft. An I had but one penny in the world, thou fhould ft have it to buy ginger-bread: hold, there is 40 the very remuneration I had of thy master, thou half-penny purse of wit, thou pigeon-egg of difcretion. O, an the heavens were fo pleafed, that thou wert but my bastard! what a joyful father wouldft thou make me? Go to; thou haft it ad dunghill, at 45 gling a snake; and I will have an apology for that the fingers' ends, as they say.

Hal. Oh, I fmell falfe Latin; dunghill for un

guem.

Arm. Arts-man, præambula; we will be fingled

Hol. Shall I have audience? he shall present Hercules in minority: his enter and exit shall be stran

purpofe.

Moth. An excellent device! fo, if any of the au. dience hifs, you may cry, Well done, Hercules! now thou crufheft the Snake! that is the way to make an

from the barbarous. Do you not educate youth at 50 offence gracious; though few have the grace to

the charge-house 5 on the top of the mountain?

Hol. Or, mons the hill.

Arm. At your sweet pleasure, for the mountain.
Hal. I do, fans question.

Arm. Sir, it is the king's moft fweet pleasure and 55 affection, to congratulate the princess at her pavilion, in the pofteriors of this day; which the rude multitude call, the afternoon.

do it.

Arm. For the reft of the worthies?-
Hal. I will play three myself.
Moth. Thrice-worthy gentleman!
Arm. Shall I tell you a thing?
Hol. We attend.

Arm. We will have, if this fadge 7 not, an antick.

I befeech you, follow.

Hol. The pofterior of the day, moft generous fir, Hol. Via, goodman Dull! thou haft spoken nọ is liable, congruent, and measurable for the after-6olword all this while.

That is, the very offal, or refufe of words. 2 A flap-dragon is a small inflammable substance, which topers swallow in a glass of wine, By o, u, Moth would mean-Oh, you-i. e. You are the 4 A venew is the technical term a the sheep ftill, either way; no matter which of us repeats them. fencing-school for a bout. 5 Mr. Steevens fuppofes the charge-boufe to mean the free-school. bis beard. That is, suit not. 8 An Italian exclamation, fignifying, Courage! come on!

• Meaning

Dull.

Kath. A light condition in a beauty dark. [out.
Rof. We need more light to find your meaning
Kath, You'll mar the light, by taking it in fnuff2; 35
Therefore, I'll darkly end the argument.

Rof. Look, what you do, you do it ftill i' the dark.
Kath. So do not you; for you are a light wench.
Rof. Indeed, I weigh not you; and therefore light.
Kath. You weigh me not,-O, that's, you care 40
not for me.

Ref. Great reafon; for, Paft cure is still paft care.
Prin. Well bandied both; a set of wit well play'd.
But, Rofaline, you have a favour too:
Who fent it? and what is it?

Rof. I would, you knew:

An if my face were but as fair as yours,
My favour were as great, be witness this.

Nay, I have verfes too, I thank Biron:

The numbers true; and, were the numb'ring too, 50
I were the fairest goddess on the ground:

I am compar'd to twenty thousand fairs.

O, he hath drawn my picture in his letter!
Prin. Any thing like?

Rof. Much, in the letters; nothing, in the praife.
Prin. Beauteous as ink; a good conclufion.
Kath. Fair as a text B in a copy-book.

2 Snuff is here used equivocally for anger, and the fnuff of a candle. 3 Meaning, "Ware painting." 4 Alluding, perhaps, to the pits in her face, occafioned by the smallpox. 5 This expreffion probably alludes to the practice of hiring fervants or artificers by the week; and the meaning of the paffage may be, I wish I was as fure of his fervice for any time limited, aş if I had hired him. See note 4, p. 87, in Measure for Measure. The meaning is, I would be his fate or destiny, and, like a portent, hang over and influence his fortunes. For portents were not only thought to forebode, but to influence.

Their herald is a pretty knavish page,

[der;

That well by heart hath conn'd his embassage:
Action, and accent, did they teach him there;
Thus must thou speak, and thus thy body bear:
And ever and anon they made a doubt,
Prefence majestical would put him out;
For, quoth the king, an angel shalt thou fee;
Yet fear not thou, but speak audaciously:
The boy reply'd, An angel is not evil;
I fold bave fear'd her, bad she been a devil.
With that all laugh'd, and clapp'd him on the fhoul-
Making the bold wag by their praises bolder.
One rubb'd his elbow, thus; and fleer'd, and fwore,
A better speech was never spoke before:
Another, with his finger and his thumb,
Cry'd, Via! we will do't, come what will come :
The third he caper'd, and cry'd, All goes well:
The fourth turn'd on the toe, and down he fell.
With that, they all did tumble on the ground,
With fuch a zealous laughter, fo profound,
That in this fpleen ridiculous appears,
To check their folly, paffion's folemn tears.
Prin. But what, but what, come they to vifit us?
Beyer. They do, they do; and are apparel'd thus,
Like Mufcovites, or Ruffians: as I guess,
Their purpose is, to parle, to court, and dance:
And every one his love-feat will advance

Unto his feveral miftrefs; which they'll know

By favours feveral, which they did bestow.

minds, Boyet:

If they do fpeak our language, 'tis our will
That fome plain man recount their purposes:

Prin. And will they fo? the gallants fhall be 30 Know what they would.

tafk'd:

For, ladies, we will every one be mask'd;

And not a man of them shall have the grace,
Defpight of fuit, to fee a lady's face.-
Hold, Rofaline, this favour thou shalt wear;
And then the king will court thee for his dear:
Hold, take thou this, my sweet, and give me thine:
So fhall Biron take me for Rosaline.-
And change your favours too; so shall your loves
Woo contrary, deceiv'd by these removes.

Boyet. What would you with the princess?
Biren. Nothing but peace and gentle visitation.
Rof. What would they, fay they?

Boyer. Nothing but peace and gentle vifitation.

35 Roj. Why, that they have; and bid them so be

[fight. 40

Ref. Come on then; wear the favours moft in
Kath. But, in this changing, what is your intent?
Prin. The effect of my intent is, to cross theirs:
They do it but in mocking merriment;
And mock for mock is only my intent.
Their several counfels they unbofom shall
To loves miftook; and fo be mock'd withal,
Upon the next occafion that we meet,
With vifages difplay'd, to talk, and greet.

gone.

[gone. Boyet. She fays, you have it, and you may be King. Say to her, we have measur'd many miles, To tread a measure with her on this grass. Boyet. They say, that they have measur'd many a mile,

To tread a measure with you on this grafs.

Rof. It is not fo: Afk them, how many inches
Is in one mile: if they have measur'd many,
45 The measure then of one is easily told. [miles,
Boyet. If, to come hither you have measur'd
And many miles; the princess bids you tell,
How many inches do fill up one mile.

Ref. But fhall we dance, if they defire us to't? 50
Prin. No; to the death, we will not move a foot:
Nor to their penn'd speech render we no grace;
But, while 'tis fpoke, each turn away her face.

Beyet. Why, that contempt will kill the speaker's

heart,

55

And quite divorce his memory from his part.
Prin. Therefore I do it; and, I make no doubt,
The reft will ne'er come in, if he be out.
There's no fuch sport, as sport by sport o'erthrown;
To make theirs ours, and ours none but our own: 60
So fhall we stay, mocking intended game;
And they, well mock'd, depart away with fhame.

[Sound.

[steps.

Biron. Tell her, we measure them by weary
Boyer. She hears herself.

Ref. How many weary steps,

Of many weary miles you have o'ergone,
Are number'd in the travel of one mile?

Biron. We number nothing that we spend for you; Our duty is fo rich, fo infinite,

That we may do it ftill without accompt.
Vouchsafe to fhew the funshine of your face,
That we, like favages, may worship it,

Rof. My face is but a moon, and clouded too.
King. Bleffed are clouds, to do as fuch clouds do!
Vouchfafe, bright moon, and these thy stars, to
shine

(Thofe clouds remov'd) upon our watery eyne.

Spleen ridiculous is, a ridiculous fit. i. e. the taffata masks they wore to conceal themfelves.

Ref. O vain petitioner! beg a greater matter;
Thou now request'ft but moon-fhine in the water.
King. Then in our measure do but vouchfafe one
change:

Thou bid'ft me beg; this begging is not strange.
Ref. Play, mufick, then: Nay, you must do it
foon.

5

Not yet, no dance:thus change I like the moon.
King. Will you not dance? How come you thus
eftrang'd?
[chang'd. to

Ref. You took the moon at full; but now she's
King. Yet ftill fhe is the moon, and I the man.
The mufick plays; vouchfafe fome motion to it.
Ref. Our ears vouchsafe it.

King. But your legs fhould do it.

Rof. Since you are strangers, and come here by
chance,

We'll not be nice: take hands;-we will not dance.
King. Why take you hands then?
Rof. Only to part friends :-

Court'fy, fweet hearts; and fo the measure ends.
King. More measure of this measure; be not
nice.

Long. A calf, fair lady?
Kath. No, a fair lord calf.

Long. Let's part the word.

Kath. No, I'll not be your half:

Take all, and wean it; it may prove an ox.
Long. Look, how you butt yourself in thefe
sharp mocks!

Will you give horns, chafte lady? do not fo.
Kath. Then die a calf before your horns do grow.
Long. One word in private with you, ere I die.
Kath.Bleat foftly then, the butcher hears you cry.
Boyet. The tongues of mocking wenches are as
keen

As is the razor's edge invifible,

15 Cutting a smaller hair than may be feen;
Above the fenfe of fenfe; fo fenfible
Seemeth their conference; their conceits have
[things.

20

Ref. We can afford no more at fuch a price.
King. Prize yourselves then; What buys your 25
company
Rof. Your abfence only.

?

King. That can never be.

Rf. Then cannot we be bought: And fo adieu;
Twice to your vifor, and half once to you!
King. If you deny to dance, let's hold more chat.
Kof. In private then.

King. I am beft pleas'd with that.

Biron. White-handed-miftrefs, one fweet word

with thee.

30

[three. 35

Prin. Honey, and milk, and fugar; there is
Biron. Nay, then, two treys, (an if you grow
fo nice,)

Metheglin, wort, and malmfey:-Well run, dice!
There's half a dozen fweets.

Prin. Seventh sweet, adieu!

Since you can cog 1, I'll play no more with you.

Biron. One word in fecret.

Prin. Let it not be fweet.

Biron. Thou griev'ft my gall.

Prin. Gall? bitter.

Biron. Therefore meet.

4

45

[word?

Dum. Will you vouchfafe with me to change a
Mar. Name it.

Dum. Fair lady,

Mar. Say you fo?-Fair lord,

Take that for your fair lady.

Dum. Pleafe it you,

As much in private, and I'll bid adieu.

[tongue?

50

Kath. What, was your vifor made without a 55
Long. I know the reason, lady, why you ask.
Kath. O, for your reafon! quickly, fir; I long.
Long. You have a double tongue within your
mark,

And would afford my fpeechlefs vifor half. [a calf? 60
Kath. Veal, quoth the Dutchman;-Is not veal

Biron. By heaven, all dry-beaten with pure fcoff!
King. Farewel, mad wenches; you have fimple
wits.
[Exeunt king, and lords.
Prin. Twenty adieus, my frozen Mufcovites.-
Are these the breed of wits fo wondred at?
Boyet. Tapers they are, with your sweet breaths
puff'd out.
Ref. Well-liking wits they have; gross, gross;
[fat, fat.
Prin. O poverty in wit, kingly-poor flout!
Will they not, think you, hang themselves to-night?
Or ever, but in vizors, fhew their faces ?
This pert Biron was out of countenance quite.
Rof. O! they were all in lamentable cafes!
The king was weeping-ripe for a good word.

Prin. Biron did fwear himself out of all fuit.
Mar. Dumain was at my service, and his fword:
No, peint, quoth I; my servant strait was mute.
Kath. Lord Longaville faid, I came o'er his heart,
And trow you, what he call'd me?

But will you hear? the king is my love fworn.
Prin. And quick Biron hath plighted faith to me.
Kath. And Longaville was for my fervice born.
Mar. Dumain is mine, as fure as bark on tree.
Boyer. Madam, and pretty miftreffes, give car:
Immediately they will again be here

In their own fhapes; for it can never be,
They will digeft this harsh indignity.
Prin. Will they return?

Boyet. They will, they will, God knows;
And leap for joy, though they are lame with blows:
Therefore, change favours; and, when they repair,
Blow like fweet roses in this fummer air.

Prin. How, blow? how, blow? fpeak to be
understood.

Boyet. Fair ladies, mask'd, are roses in their bud;

2 Woollen caps were enjoined

To cog, fignifies to falfify the dice, and metaphorically, to lye. by act of parliament, in the year 1571, the 13th of queen Elizabeth.-Probably the meaning is, Better wits may be found among men of inferior or more humble rank.”

Difmafk'd,

Prin. Avaunt perplexity! What shall we do,
If they return in their own shapes to woo?

Ref. Good madam, if by me you'll be advis'd, 5
Let's mock them ftill, as well known, as difguis'd:
Let us complain to them what fools were here,
Difguis'd like Mufcovites, in fhapeless 2 gear;
And wonder, what they were; and to what end
Their fhallow shows, and prologue vilely penn'd,
And their rough carriage fo ridiculous,
Should be prefented at our tent to us.

10

Beyet. Ladies, withdraw; the gallants are at hand. Prin. Whip to our tents, as roes run o'er the land. [Exeunt ladies. 15 Enter the King, Biron, Longaville, and Dumain, in their own babits.

King. Fair fir, God fave you! Where's the princefs?

Beyet. Gone to her tent: Please it your majefty, Command me any fervice to her?

[word.

King. That the vouchfafe me audience for one Boyet. I will and fo will fhe, I know, my lord.

[Exit.
Biren. This fellow picks up wit, as pigeons peas ; 25
And utters it again, when Jove doth please:
He is wit's pedlar! and retails his wares

30

King. Rebuke me not for that which you provoke;

The virtue of your eye must break my oath. Prin. You nick-name virtue; vice you should have spoke ;

For virtue's office never breaks men's troth. Now, by my maiden honour, yet as pure

As the unfully'd lily, I protest,

A world of torments though I should endure,
I would not yield to be your house's guest:
So much I hate a breaking cause to be
Of heavenly oaths, vow'd with integrity.
King. O, you have liv'd in defolation here,
Unfeen, unvifited, much to our shame.
Prin. Not fo, my lord; it is not so, I swear;
We have had paftimes here, and pleasant games
A mefs of Ruffians left us but of late.
King. How, madam? Ruffians?
Prin. Ay, in truth, my lord;

Trim gallants, full of courtship, and of state.
Rof. Madam, fpeak true:-It is not fo, my lord;
My lady, (to the manner of these days)
In courtefy, gives undeferving praise.
We four, indeed, confronted were with four
In Ruffian habit: here they stay'd an hour,
And talk'd apace; and in that hour, my lord,
They did not blefs us with one happy word.
I dare not call them fools; but this I think,
When they are thirsty, fools would fain have drink
Biron. This jeft is dry to me.-Fair, gentle,
sweet,

Your wit makes wife things foolish: when we
greet

With eyes beft feeing heaven's fiery eye, 35 By light we lofe light: Your capacity

At wakes, and waffels 3, meetings, markets, fairs;
And we that fell by grofs, the Lord doth know,
Have not the grace to grace it with such show.
This gallant pins the wenches on his fleeve;
Had he been Adam, he had tempted Eve:
He can carve too, and lifp: Why, this is he,
That kifs'd away his hand in courtefy;
This is the ape of form, monfieur the nice,
That, when he plays at tables, chides the dice
In honourable terms; nay, he can fing
A mean + most meanly; and, in ushering,
Mend him who can: the ladies call him sweet;
The stairs, as he treads on them, kiss his feet:
This is the flower that smiles on every one,
To fhew his teeth as white as whale his bone:
And confciences, that will not die in debt,
Pay him the due of honey-tongued Boyet. [heart,
King. A blifter on his fweet tongue, with my 45
That put Armado's page out of his part!
Enter the Princefs, Rofaline, Maria, Katharine,
Boyet, and attendants.

40

Is of that nature, that to your huge store
Wife things feem foolish, and rich things but poor.
Rof. This proves you wife and rich; for in my

Rof. There, then, that vizor; that superfluous [now? 50 That hid the worse, and shew'd the better face. King. We are descry'd: they'll mock us now

Biren. See, where it comes!-Behaviour, what
wert thou,
'Till this mad man shew'd thee? and what art thou
King. All hail, fweet madam, and fair time of day!
Prin. Fair, in all hail, is foul, as I conceive.
King. Conftrue my speeches better, if you may.
Prin. Then with me better, I will give you leave. 55
King. We came to vifit you; and purpose now

To lead you to our court: vouchfafe it then.
Prin. This field fhall hold me; and so hold your

VOW:

Nor God, nor I, delight in perjur'd men. 60

downright.

Dum. Let us confess, and turn it to a jest.
Prin. Amaz'd, my lord! Why looks your high-
nefs fad ?

Rof. Help, hold his brows! he'll swoon! Why
look you pale?—

Sea-fick, I think, coming from Muscovy.
Biron. Thus pour the stars down plagues for
perjury.

That is, letting those clouds which obfcured their brightness fink from before them. uncouth.

tenor.

2 i. e.

3 Waffels were meetings of rural mirth and intemperance. 4 The mean, in mufic, is the

5 That is, the flower or pink of courtesy. As white as whale's bone is a proverbial comparison

in our ancient poets.

Can