*

up of unconfider'd trifles with die and drab I purchas'd this caparison; and my revenue is the filly cheat. Gallows, and knock, are too powerful on the high-way; beating and hanging are terrors to me: for the life to come, I fleep out the thought of it. -A prize! a prize!

SCENE

III.

Enter Clown.

Clo. Let me fee,-every eleven weather tods, every tod yields pound and odd fhilling; fifteen hundred fhorn, what comes the wool too?

Aut. If the fprindge hold, the cock's mine.

[Afide. Clo. I cannot do 't without compters. Let me fee, what am I to buy for our sheep-fhearing feaft, three pound of fugar, five pound of currants, ricewhat will this fifter of mine do with rice? but my father hath made her miftrefs of the feaft, and fhe lays it on. She hath made me four and twenty nofegays for the fhearers; three-man fong-men tall, and very good ones, but they are most of them means and bafes; but one Puritan among them, and he fings pfalms to hornpipes. I must have faffron to colour the warden-pies, mace -dates- -none-that's out of my note: nutmegs, seven; a race or two of ginger, but that I may beg; four pound of prunes, and as many raisins o' th' fun.

Aut. Oh, that ever I was born!

Clo. I' th' name of me

[Groveling on the ground.

Aut. Oh, help me, help me: pluck but off these rags, and then death, death

Clo. Alack, poor foul, thou haft need of more rags to lay on thee, rather than have these off.

་

Aut. Oh, Sir, the lothfomness of them offends me, more than the ftripes I have receiv'd, which are mighty ones, and millions.

*Silly is used by the writers of our author's time, for simple, low, mean; and in this the humour of the fpeech confifts.

+ Meaning those who sing catches, which are generally in three parts.

Clo. Alás, poor man ! a million of beating may

come to a great matter.

t

Aut. I am robb'd, Sir, and beaten; my money and apparel ta'en from me, and thefe deteftable things put upon me

Clo. What, by a horfeman, or a footman?

Aut. A footman, fweet Sir, a footman.

Clo. Indeed, he fhould be a footman, by the garments he hath left with thee; if this be a horfeman's coat, it hath feen very hot service. Lend me thy hand, I'll help thee. Come, lend me thy hand.

[Helping him up. Aut. Oh! good Sir, tenderly, oh!

Clo. Alas, poor foul.

Aut. O good Sir, foftly, good Sir: I fear, Sir, my fhoulder-blade is out.

Clo. How now? canft ftand?

Aut. Softly, dear Sir; good Sir, foftly; you ha' done me a charitable office.

Clo. Doft lack any money? I have a little thee.

money for Aut. No, good sweet Sir; no, I befeech you, Sir; I have a kinfman not paft three quarters of a mile hence, unto whom I was going, I fhall there have money, or any thing I want: offer me no money, I pray you; that kills my heart.

Clo. What manner of fellow was he that robb'd you?

Aut. "A fellow, Sir, that I have known to go "about with trol-my-dames *; I knew him once a "fervant of the Prince; I cannot tell, good Sir, for "which of his virtues it was, but he was certainly whipp'd out of the court.

Clo. His vices, you would fay; there's no virtue "whipp'd out of the court; they cherish it to make it "ftay there, and yet it will no more but abide.

Aut. Vices I would fay, Sir. I know this man well; " he hath been fince an ape-bearer, then a procefs" ferver, a bailiff; then he compafs'd a motion † of the

Trou-madame, French. The game of nine-holes.

ti. e. the puppet-fhew, then called motions. A term frequently eccurring in our author.

prodigal fon, and married a tinker's wife within "mile where my land and living lies; and, having "flown over many knavish profeffions, he fettled only "in a rogue;" fome call him Autolicus.

Clo. Out upon him, prig! for my life, prig; he haunts wakes, fairs, and bear-baitings.

Aut. Very true, Sir; he, Sir, he; that's the rogue that put me into this apparel.

Clo. Not a more cowardly rogue in all Bithynia; if you had but look'd big, and spit at him, he'd have run. Aut. I must confefs to you, Sir, I am no fighter; I am false of heart that way, and that he knew, I warrant him.

Clo. How do you now?

Aut. Sweet Sir, much better than I was; I can ftand and walk; I will even take my leave of you, and pace foftly towards my kinfman's.

Clo. Shall I bring thee on thy way?

Aut. No, good-fac'd Sir; no, fweet Sir.

Clo. Then, farewel, I must go to buy fpices for our heep-fhearing.

[Exit Aut. Profper you, fweet Sir! Your purfe is not hot enough to purchase your fpice. I'll be with you at your fheep-fhearing too: if I make not this cheat bring out another, and the fhearers prove fheep, let me be unroll'd, and my name put into the book of virtue + !

SONG.

Fog on, jog on, the foot-path way,
And merrily hent the ftyle-a.
merry heart goes all the day,

A

Flo.

Your fad tires in a mile-a.

SCENE IV.

The profpect of a shepherd's cote.

Enter Florizel and Perdita.

[Exir,

Thefe unufual weeds to each part of you

your

Do give a life: no fhepherdefs, but Flora

+ Begging gipfies, in the time of our author, were in gangs and companies, that had something of the shew of an incorporated body.

This your sheep-fhearing

Peering in April's front.
Is as a meeting of the petty gods,
And you the Queen on 't.

Per. Sir, my gracious Lord,

To chide at your extremes it not becomes me:
Oh pardon that I name them! your high self,
The gracious mark o' th' land, you have obfcur'd
With a fwain's wearing; and me, poor lowly maid,
Moft goddess-like prank'd up. But that our feafs
In every mefs have folly, and the feeders
Digeft it with a custom, I should blush
To fee you fo attired; fworn, I think,
To fhew myself a glass.

Flo. I blefs the time

When my good falcon made her flight across
Thy father's ground.

Per. Now, Jove afford you cause !

To me the difference forges dread, your greatness
Hath not been us'd to fear; even now I tremble
To think your father, by fome accident,

Should pass this way, as you did: oh, the fates!
How would he look to fee his work fo noble,
Vildly bound up! what would he fay! or how
Should I in these my borrow'd flaunts behold
The fternness of his prefence !

Flo. Apprehend

Nothing but jollity: the gods themselves,
Humbling their deities to love, have taken
The fhapes of beafts upon them. Jupiter
Became a bull, and bellow'd; the green Neptune
A ram, and bleated; and the fire-rob'd God,
Golden Apollo, a poor humble fwain,
As I feem now. Their transformations
Were never for a piece of beauty rarer,
Nor in a way fo chafte: fince my defires
Run not before mine honour, nor my lufts
Burn hotter than my faith.

Per. O but, dear Sir,

Your refolution cannot hold, when 'tis
Oppos'd, as it must be, by th' power o' th' King.
One of thefe two must be neceffities,

Which then will speak, that you must change this pur Or I my life.

Flo. Thou dearest Perdita,

[pofe

With thefe forc'd thoughts, I pr'ythee, darken not
The mirth o' th' feaft. Or I'll be thine, my fair,
Or not my father's.
For I cannot be

Mine own, nor any thing to any, if

I be not thine. To this I am most conftant,
Though deftiny fay No. Be merry, (Gentle),
Strangle fuch thoughts as thefe with any thing
That you behold the while. Your guests are coming:
Lift up your countenance, as 'twere the day
Of celebration of that nuptial which
We two have fworn fhall come.

Per. O Lady Fortune,

Stand you aufpicious!

SCENE

Enter Shepherd, Clown, Mopfa, Dorcas, Servants with Polixenes and Camillo difguis'd.

Flo. See, your guefts approach;

Address yourself to entertain them fprightly,
And let's be red with mirth.

Shep." Fie, daughter; when my old wife liv'd, upon "This day fhe was both pantler, butler, cook,

Both dame and fervant; welcom'd all, ferv'd all; "Would fing her fong, and dance her turn; now here "At upper end o' th' table, now i' th' middle; On his fhoulder, and his; her face o' fire "With labour; and the thing.fhe took to quench it, "She would to each one fip." You are retired, As if you were a feasted one, and not The hoftefs of the meeting: pray you, bid Thefe unknown friends to's welcome; for it is A way to make us better friends, more known. Come, quench your blushes, and prefent yourself, That which you are, mistress o' th' feaft. Come on, And bid us welcome to your fheep-fhearing,

As your good flock fhall profper.

Per. Sirs, welcome.

[To Pol, and Cam.

It is my father's will I fhould take on me

VOL. III.

Y