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Writ on both sides the leaf, margent and all;
That he was fain to seal on Cupid's name.

Ros. That was the way to make his god-head wax ;
For he hath been five thousand years a boy.

Kath. Ay, and a shrewd unhappy gallows too.

Ros. You'll ne'er be friends with him; he kill'd your sister.

Kath. He made her melancholy, sad, and heavy;
And so she died: had she been light, like you,
Of such a merry, nimble, stirring spirit,

She might have been a grandam ere she died:
And so may you; for a light heart lives long.

Ros. What's your dark meaning, mouse, of this light word?

Kath. A light condition in a beauty dark.

Ros. We need more light to find your meaning out Kath. You'll mar the light, by taking it in snuff; Therefore, I'll darkly end the argument.

Ros. Look, what you do, you do it still i' th' dark. Kath. So do not you; for you are a light wench. Ros. Indeed, I weigh not you; and therefore light. Kath. You weigh me not,-O, that's you care not for me, Ros. Great reason; for, Past cure is still past care. Prin. Well bandied both; a set of wit well play'd. But Rosaline, you have a favour too :

Who sent it? and what is it?

Ros. 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 verses too, I thank Birón:

The numbers true; and, were the numb'ring too,
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?

Ros. Much, in the letters; nothing in the praise.
Prin. Beauteous as ink; a good conclusion.
Kath. Fair as a text B in a copy book.

Ros. 'Ware pencils! How? let me not die your debtor,

[5] To war anciently signified to grow. It is yet said of the moon, that she wates and wanes.

STEEVENS.

STEEVENS.

[6] A term from tennis

[7] Rosaline, a black beauty, reproaches the fair Katharine for painting.

JOHNSON.

My red dominical, my golden letter:

O, that your face were not so full of O's!

Kath. A pox of that jest! and beshrew all shrows!
Prin. But what was sent to you from fair Dumain?
Kath. Madam, this glove.

Prin. Did he not send you twain?

Kath. Yes, madam; and moreover,

Some thousand verses of a faithful lover:

A huge translation of hypocrisy.

Vilely compil'd, profound simplicity.

Mar. This, and these pearls, to me sent Longaville; The letter is too long by half a mile.

Prin. I think no less: Dost thou not wish in heart, The chain were longer, and the letter short?

Mar. Ay, or I would these hands might never part.
Prin. We are wise girls, to mock our lovers so.
Ros. They are worse fools to purchase mocking so.
That same Birón I'll torture ere I go.

O, that I knew he were but in by th' week!
How I would make him fawn, and beg, and seek;
And wait the season, and observe the times,
And spend his prodigal wits in bootless rhymes,
And shape his service wholly to my behests;
And make him proud to make me proud that jests!"
So portent-like would I o'ersway his state,
That he should be my fool, and I his fate."

Prin. None are so surely caught, when they are catch'd,
As wit turn'd fool :' folly, in wisdom hatch'd,
Hath wisdom's warrant, and the help of school;
And wit's own grace to grace a learned fool.

[8] The meaning of this obscure line seems to be, "I would make him proud to fatter me who make a mock of his flattery Edin. Mag. STEEVENS.

[9] In old farces, to show, the inevitable approaches of death and destiny, the Fool of the farce is made to employ all his stratagems to avoid Death or Fate; which very stratagems as they are ordered. bring the Fool, at every turn, into the very jaws of Fate. To this Shakespeare alludes again in Measure for Measure:

"merely thou art Death's fool.

For him thou labour'st by thy flight to shus, "And yet runn'st towards him still."-

WARBURTON.

Until some proof be brought of the existence of such characters as Death and the Fool, in old farces, (for the mere assertion of Dr. Warburton is not to be relied on,) thus passage must be literally understood, independently of any particular allusion. The old reading might probably mean so scuffingly would I o'ersway." &c. DOUCE.

[1] These are observations worthy of a man who has surveyed human nature with the closest attention. JOHNSON.

Ros. The blood of youth burns not with such excess, As gravity's revolt to wantonness.

Mar. Folly in fools bears not so strong a note, As foolery in the wise, when wit doth dote; Since all the power thereof it doth apply,

To prove, by wit, worth in simplicity.

Enter BOYET.

Prin. Here comes Boyet, and mirth is in his face. Boyet. O, I am stabb'd with laughter? Where's her grace?

Prin. Thy news, Boyet?

Boyet. Prepare, madam, prepare!

Arm, wenches, arm! encounters mounted are
Against your peace: Love doth approach disguis'd,
Armed in arguments; you'll be surpris'd:
Muster your wits; stand in your own defence;
Or hide your heads like cowards, and fly hence.
Prin. Saint Dennis to saint Cupid! What are they
That charge their breath against us? say, scout, say.
Boyet. Under the cool shade of a sycamore,

I thought to close mine eyes some half an hour:
When, lo! to interrupt my purpos'd rest,
Toward that shade I might behold addrest
The king and his companions: warily

I stole into a neighbour thicket by,
And overheard what you shall overhear;
That, by and by, disguis'd they will be here.
Their herald is a pretty knavish page,

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,
Presence majestical would put him out;
For, quoth the king, an angel shalt thou see;
Yet fear not thou, but speak audaciously.
The boy reply'd, An angel is not evil;
I should have fear'd her, had she been a devil.
With that all laugh'd, and clapp'd him on the shoulder;
Making the bold wag by their praises bolder.

[2] Johnson censures the Princess for invoking with so much levity the patron of her country, to oppose his power to that of Cupid; but that was not her intention. Being determined to engage the King and his followers, she gives for the word of battle St. Dennis, as the King, when he was determined to attack her, had given for the word of battle St. Cupid :

"Saint Cupid then, and, soldiers, to the field." M. MASON

One rubb'd his elbow, thus: and fleer'd, and swore,
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 cried, All goes well:
The fourth turn'd on the toe, and down he fell.
With that, they all did tumble on the ground,
With such a zealous laughter, so profound,
That in this spleen ridiculous appears,3

To check their folly, passion's solemn tears.

Prin. But what, but what, come they to visit us? Boyet. They do, they do; and are apparel'd thus,Like Muscovites, or Russians: as I guess,*

Their purpose is, to parle, to court, and dance :
And every one his love-feat will advance

Unto his several mistress; which they'll know
By favours several, which they did bestow.

Prin. And will they so? the gallant shall be task'd :
For, ladies, we will every one be mask'd;
And not a man of them shall have the grace,
Despite of suit, to see a lady's face.

-Hold, Rosaline, 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 shall Birón take me for Rosaline.-

And change you favours too; so shall your loves
Woo contrary, deceiv'd by these removes.

Ros. Come on then; wear the favours most in sight. Kath. But, in this changing, what is your intent ? Prin. Th' 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 counsels they unbosom shall
To loves mistook; and so be mock'd withal,
Upon the next occasion that we meet,

STEEV.

[3] The spleen was anciently supposed to be the cause of laughter. [4] A mask of Muscovites was no uncommon recreation at court long before our author's time. In the first year of King Henry the Eighth, at a banquet made for the foreign embassadors in the parliament-chamber at Westminster: "came the Jorde Henry, Earl of Wiltshire, and the lorde Fitzwater, in twoo long gounes of yellowe satin traversed with white satin, and in every ben of white was a bend of crimson satin after the fashion of Russia or Ruslande, with furred hattes of grey on their hedes, either of them havyng an hatchet in their handes, and bootes with pykes turned up" Hall. Henry VIII. p 6. This extract may serve to convey an idea of the dress used upon the present occasion by the King and his Lords at the performance of the play. RITSON.

With visages display'd, to talk, and greet.

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

Boyet. Why, that contempt will kill the speaker's heart, And quite divorce his memory from his part.

Prin. Therefore I do it; and, I make no doubt,

The rest will ne'er come in, if he be out.

There's no such sport, as sport by sport o'erthrown;
To make theirs ours, and ours none but our own:
So shall we stay, mocking intended game;
And they, well mock'd, depart away with shame.

come.

[Trumpets sound withis. Boyet. The trumpet sounds; be mask'd, the maskers [The ladies mask. Enter the King, BIRON, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAIN, in Kussian habits, and masked; MOTH, Musicians, and Attendants. Moth. All hail, the richest beauties on the earth! Boyet. Beauties, no richer than rich taffata."

1 Moth. A holy parcel of the fairest dames,

[The ladies turn their backs to him.

That ever turn'd their-backs—to mortal views!

Biron. Their eyes, villain, their eyes.

Moth. That ever turn'd their eyes to mortal views! Out

Boyet. True; out, indeed.

Moth. Out of your favours, heavenly spirits, vouchsafe Not to behold

Biron. Once to behold, rogue.

Moth. Once to behold with your sun-beamed eyes,—with your sun-beamed eyes

Boyet. They will not answer to that epithet;

You were best call it, daughter-beamed eyes.

Moth. They do not mark me, and that brings me out.
Biron. Is this your perfectness? begone, you rogue.
Ros. What would these strangers? know their minds,
Boyet :

If they do speak our language, 'tis our will
That some plain man recount their purposes:
Know what they would.

Boyet. What would you with the princess?

[5] i. e. the taiata masks they wore to conceal themselves.

THEOBALD.

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