1

Prin. But what was fent to you from fair Dumaine? Cath. Madam, this glove.

Prin. Did he not fend you twain ?

Cath. Yes, madam; and moreover, Some thousand verses of a faithful lover. A huge tranflation of hypocrify,

Vildly compil'd, profound fimplicity.

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

Prin. I think no lefs; doft thou not wish in heart, The chain were longer, and the letter short?

Mar. Ay, or I would thefe hands might never part. Prin. We are wife girls, to mock our lovers for❜t. Rofa. They are worfe fools to purchafe mocking fo. That fame Biron I'll torture, ere I go. I

O, that I knew he were but in by th' week,

How I would make him fawn, and beg, and feek,
And wait the season, and observe the times,
And spend his prodigal wits in bootlefs rhimes,
And fhape his fervice all to my behests,

And make him proud to make me proud with jefts:
So pedant-like would I o'erfway his state, (42)
That he should be my fool, and I his fate.

Prin. None are fo furely caught,when they are catch'd,' As wit turn'd fool; folly in wifdom hatch'd,

Hath wisdom's warrant, and the help of school;
And wit's own grace to grace a learned fool..

Rofa. The blood of youth burns not in fuch excess, As gravities revolt to wantonnefs.

another without referve; and to Catharine this first line certainly be long'd, and therefore I have ventur'd once more to put her in poffeffion of it.

(42) So pertaunt like would I o'erfway bis fate.] If the editors are acquainted with this word, and can account for the meaning of it, their industry has been more fuccessful than mine, for I can no where trace it. So pedant like, as I have ventur'd to replace in the text, makes very good fenfe, i. e. in such lordly, controlling, manner would I bear myfelf over him, &c. What Biron fays of a pedant, towards the conclufion of the 2d Act, countenances this conjecture.

A domineering pedant o'er the boy,
Than whom no mortal more magnificent.

Mar.

Mar. Folly in fools bears not fo ftrong a note,
As fool'ry in the wife, when wit doth dote :
Since all the power thereof it doth apply,
To prove, by wit, worth in fimplicity.

Enter Boyet.

Prin. Here comes Boyet, and mirth is in his face. Boyet. O, I am ftab'd with laughter; where's herGrace? 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 furpriz'd.
Mufter your wits, ftand in your own defence,
Or hide your heads like cowards, and fly hence.
Prin. Saint Dennis, to faint Cupid! what are they,
That charge their breath against us? fay, fcout, fay.
Boyet. Under the cool fhade of a fycamore,
I thought to clofe mine eyes fome half an hour;
When, lo! to interrupt my purpos'd reft,
Toward that fhade, I might behold,, addrest
The King and his companions; warily
I ftole into a neighbour thicket by;

And over-heard, what you fhall over-hear:
That, by and by, difguis'd they will be here.
Their herald is a pretty knavish page,

That well by heart hath conn'd his embaffage.
Action and accent did they teach him there;
Thus must thou fpeak, 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 fhalt thou fee;
Yet fear not thou, but speak audaciously.
The boy reply'd, an angel is not evil;

I fhould have fear'd her, had fhe been a devil.-
With that all laugh'd, and clap'd him on the shoulder,
'Making the bold wag by their praifes 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,

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, (43)
That in this fpleen ridiculous appears,

To check their folly, paffion's folemn tears.

Prin. But what, but what, come they to visit us? Boyet. They do, they do; and are apparel'd thus, Like Mufcovites, or Ruffians, as I guefs.

Their purpose is to parley, court and dance;"
And every one his love-feat will advance
Unto his feveral miftrefs; which they'll know
By favours fev'ral, which they did bestow.

Prin. And will they fo? the gallants fhall be tafkt;
For, ladies, we will every one be maskt:
And not a man of them fhall have the grace,
Defpight of fuite, to fee a Lady's face.
Hold, Rofaline; this favour thou fhalt wear,
And then the King will court thee for his dear:
Hold, take thou this, my fweet, and give me thine;
So fhall Biron take me for Rosaline.

And change your favours too; fo fhall your loves
Woo contrary, deceiv'd by these removes.

Rofa. Come on then, wear the favours most in fight.
Cath. 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 councils they unbosom shall

(43) With fuch a zealous laughter, fo profound, That in this fpleen ridiculous appears,

To check their folly, paffions, folemn tears.]

As Mr. Rowe and Mr. Pope have writ and ftop'd this passage, 'tis plain, they gave themselves no pains to understand the author's meaning. Tho' for the rhyme-fake, we have a verb fingular following a fubflantive plural, yet this is what Shakespeare would fay; "They "cry'd as heartily with laughing, as if the deepest grief had been the "motive." So before, in Midsummer Night's Dream.

Made mine eyes water, but more merry tears
The paffion of loud laughter never fhed.

Το

To loves mistook, and fo be mockt withal,
Upon the next occafion that we meet
With visages difplay'd to talk and greet.

Rofa. But fhall we dance, if they defire us to't? Prin. No; to the death, we will not move a foot; Nor to their pen'd fpeech render we no grace: But while 'tis fpoke, 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 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; So fhall we stay, mocking intended game; And they, well mockt, depart away with fhame. [Sound. Boyet. The trumpet founds; be maskt, the maskers come.

Enter the King, Biron, Longaville, Dumain, and Attendants, difguis'd like Mufcovites; Moth, with Mufick, as for a masquerade.

Moth. All hail, the richest beauties on the earth!
Boyet. Beauties, no richer than rich taffata. (44)
Moth. A holy parcel of the fairest dames,
That ever turn'd their backs to mortal views.

[The Ladies turn their backs to him.

Biron. Their eyes, villain, their eyes.

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

Biron. True; out, indeed.

Moth Out of your favours, heav'nly spirits, vouchsafe Not to behold.

Biron. Once to behold, rogue.

(44) Biron Beauties, no richer than rich taffata.] All the editors concur to give this line to Biron; but, furely, very abfurdly : for he's one of the zealous admirers, and hardly would make fuch an inference. Boyet is fneering at the parade of their address, is in the fecret of the Ladies ftratagem, and makes himself sport at the abfurdity of their proëm, in complimenting their beauty, when they were mask'd. It therefore comes from him with the utmoft propriety.

Moth.

Moth. Once to behold with your fun-beamed eyes With your fun-beamed eyes·

Boyet. They will not answer to that epithet; You were beft call it daughter-beamed eyes.

Moth. They do not mark me, and that brings me out.
Biron. Is this your perfecnefs? be gone, you rogue.
Rofa. What would these strangers? know their minds,
If they do speak our language, is our will [Boyet.
That fome plain men recount their purposes.
Know, what they would.

Boyet. What would you with the Princess?
Biron. Nothing, but peace and gentle vifitation.
Rofa. What would they, fay they?

Boyet. Nothing, but peace and gentle vifitation.
Rofa. Why, that they have; and bid them so be gore.
Boyet. She fays, you have it; and you may be gone
King. Say to her, we have meafur'd many miles,
To tread a measure with her on the grafs.

Boyet. They fay, that they have meafur'd many a mile, To tread a measure with you on this grafs,

Rofa. It is not fo. Aik them, how many inches
Is in one mile: if they have measur'd many,
The measure then of one is easily told.

Boyet. If to come hither you have measur'd miles,
-And many miles; the Princefs bids
tell,

you

How many inches doth fill up one mile?

Biron. Tell her, we meafure them by weary fteps,
Boyet. She hears herself.

Rofa. 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," so infinite,

That we may do it ftill without accompt.

Vouchfafe to thew the funshine of your face,
That we (like favages) may worship it.

Rofa. My face it but a moon and clouded too.
King. Bleffed are clouds, to do as fuch clouds do.
Vouchfafe, bright moon, and these thy ftars, to shine
(Those clouds remov'd) upon our watery eyne.

Rofa.