Bir. O, I am yours, and all that I possess.
Ros. All the fool mine?

Bir.

I cannot give you less.

Ros. Which of the visors was it, that you

wore ?

Bir. Where? when? what visor? why demand you this?

Ros. There, then, that visor; that superfluous

case,

That hid the worse, and show'd the better face. King. We are descried: they'll mock us now downright.

Dum. Let us confess, and turn it to a jest. Prin. Amazed, my lord? Why looks your highness sad?

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

Sea-sick, I think, coming from Muscovy.

Bir. Thus pour the stars down plagues for perjury.

Can any face of brass hold longer out ?Here stand I, lady; dart thy skill at me ;

Bruise me with scorn, confound me with a
flout;

Thrust thy sharp wit quite through my ignorance;
Cut me to pieces with thy keen conceit;
And I will wish thee never more to dance,
Nor never more in Russian habit wait.

O! never will I trust to speeches penn'd,

Nor to the motion of a school-boy's tongue;

Nor never come in visor to my friend; 1

Nor woo in rhyme, like a blind harper's song: Taffeta phrases, silken terms precise,

Three-piled hyperboles, spruce affection, Figures pedantical; these summer-flies

Have blown me full of maggot ostentation.

I do forswear them: and I here protest

By this white glove, (how white the hand, God
knows!)

Henceforth my wooing mind shall be express'd
In russet yeas, and honest kersey noes:
And, to begin, wench,-so God help me, la !—
My love to thee is sound, sans crack or flaw.
Ros. Sans sans, I pray you.

Yet I have a trick

Bir.
Of the old rage:-bear with me; I am sick;
I'll leave it by degrees. Soft, let us see ;—
Write, Lord have mercy on us!'3 on those three.
They are infected; in their hearts it lies;

They have the plague, and caught it of your eyes:
These lords are visited; you are not free,
For the Lord's tokens on you do I see.

Prin. No, they are free, that gave these tokens

to us.

Bir. Our states are forfeit; seek not to undo ùs.

3 In allusion to the inscription set on houses infected with the plague.

Ros. It is not so; for how can this be true, That you stand forfeit, being those that sue? 1 Bir. Peace; for I will not have to do with you. Ros. Nor shall not, if I do as I intend.

Bir. Speak for yourselves; my wit is at an end. King. Teach us, sweet madam, for our rude transgression

Some fair excuse.

Prin.

The fairest is confession.

Were you not here but even now, disguised?

What did you whisper in your lady's ear?

King. That more than all the world I did respect

her.

Prin. When she shall challenge this, you will reject her.

King. Upon mine honor, no.

Prin.

Peace, peace, forbear;

Your oath once broke, you force not to forswear. King. Despise me, when I break this oath of

mine.

Prin. I will; and therefore keep it :—

:-Rosaline, What did the Russian whisper in your ear?

Ros. Madam, he swore that he did hold me dear

1 How can those be liable to forfeiture that commence the process? 2 Make no difficulty.

As precious eye-sight; and did value me
Above this world: adding thereto, moreover,
That he would wed me, or else die my lover.
Prin. God give thee joy of him! the noble lord
Most honorably doth uphold his word.

King. What mean you, madam? By my life, my troth,

I never swore this lady such an oath.

Ros. By heaven, you did; and to confirm it plain, You gave me this: but take it, sir, again.

King. My faith, and this, the princess I did give : I knew her by this jewel on her sleeve.

Prin. Pardon me, sir; this jewel did she wear; And lord Biron, I thank him, is my dear.What; will you have me, or your pearl again? Bir. Neither of either; I remit both twain.— I see the trick on 't.-Here was a consent,1 (Knowing aforehand of our merriment)

To dash it like a Christmas comedy:

Some carry-tale, some please-man, some slight zany,2

Some mumble-news, some trencher-knight, some

That smiles his cheek in jeers; and knows the trick
To make my lady laugh, when she's disposed,
Told our intents before; which once disclosed,
The ladies did change favors; and then we,
Following the signs, woo'd but the sign of she.

Now, to our perjury to add more terror,
We are again forsworn; in will and error.1
Much upon this it is :-and might not you

[to Boyet.

Forestal our sport, to make us thus untrue?
Do not you know my lady's foot by the squire,

3

And laugh upon the apple of her eye? And stand between her back, sir, and the fire, Holding a trencher, jesting merrily? You put our page out: go, you are allow'd; 3 Die when you will, a smock shall be your shroud. You leer upon me, do you? there's an eye, Wounds like a leaden sword.

Boy.

Full merrily

Hath this brave manage, this career, been run. Bir. Lo, he is tilting straight! Peace; I have done.

Enter COSTARD.

Welcome, pure wit! thou partest a fair fray.
Cos. O Lord, sir, they would know,

Whether the three worthies shall come in, or no.
Bir. What, are there but three ?

* Square, rule.

You may say what you will; you are a licensed fool.