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.
Biron.
Yet I have a trick
Of the old rage:-bear with me, I am sick :
Ill leave it by degrees. Soft, let us see :-
Write, Lord have mercy on us on those
three:

They are infected, in their hearts it lies;
They have the plague and caught it of your

eves:

These lords are visited; you are not free,
For the Lord's tokens on you do I see.
Prix. No, they are free that gave these
tokens to us.
[undo us.
Biron. Our states are forfeit, seek not to
Ros. It is not so; for how can this be true,
That you stand forfeit, being those that sue?
Biron. Peace! for I will not have to do with
Ras. Nor shall not, if I do as I intend. [you.
Biron. Speak for yourselves; my wit is at
an end.

King. Teach us, sweet madam, for our
Some fair excuse.
[rude transgression
Prin.
The fairest is confession.
Were you not here but even now, disguis'd?

King. Madam, I was.
Prin.

And were you well advis'd?
King. I was, fair madam.
Prin.
When you then were here,
What did you whisper in your lady's ear?
King. That more than all the world I did
respect her.
[will reject her.
Prin. When she shall challenge this, you
King. Upon mine honour, no.
Prin.
Peace, peace! forbear;
Your oath once broke, you force not to for-
[of mine.
King. Despise me, when I break this oath
Prin. I will: and therefore keep it.—Rosa-

swear.

line,

What did the Russian whisper in your ear?

Rer. Madam, he swore that he did hold me
As precious eye-sight, and did value me [dear
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
Most honourably doth uphold his word. [lord
King. What mean you, madam? by my
life, my troth,

I never swore this lady such an oath. [plain,
Ros. By heaven you did; and to confirm it
You gave me this: but take it, sir, again.

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

not you

Forestall our sport, to make us thus untrue?
Do not you know my lady's foot by the squire,
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:
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.
Boyet.
Full merrily
Hath this brave manage, this career, been run.
Biron. Lo, he is tilting straight! Peace, I
Enter Costard. [have done.
Welcome, pure wit! thou partest a fair fray.
Cost. O Lord, sir, they would know [no.
Whether the three Worthies shall come in or
Biron. What, are there but three?
Cost.

No, sir; but it is vara fine,
For every one pursents three.
Biron.

And three times thrice is nine. Cost. Not so, sir; under correction, sir; I hope, it is not so.

You cannot beg us, sir, I can assure you, sir,
we know what we know:
hope, sir, three times thrice, sir,—
Biron.

I

Is not nine. Cost. Under correction, sir, we know whereuntil it doth amount. [for nine. Biron. By Jove, I always took three threes Cost. O Lord, sir, it were pity you should get your living by reckoning, sir.

Biron. How much is it?

Cost. O Lord, sir, the parties themselves, the actors, sir, will show whereuntil it doth amount: for mine own part, I am, as they say, but to parfect one man in one poor man,-Pompion the Great, sir.

Biron. Art thou one of the Worthies?

Cost. It pleased them to think me worthy of Pompion the Great: for mine own part, I know not the degree of the Worthy; but I am to stand for him.

Biron. Go, bid them prepare.

Cost. We will turn it finely off, sir, we will
take some care.
[Exit.

King. Biron, they will shame us: let them
not approach.
['tis some policy
Biron. We are shame-proof, my lord: and
To have one show worse than the king's and
his company.

King. I say, they shall not come.
Prin. Nay, my good lord, let me o'er-rule
you now:
[how,

That sport best pleases that doth least know
Where zeal strives to content, and the contents
Die in the zeal of those which it presents:
Their form confounded makes most form in
mirth;
[birth.
When great things labouring perish in their
Biron. A right description of our sport, my
Enter Armado.
[lord.
Arm. Anointed, I implore so much expense
of thy royal sweet breath, as will utter a brace
of words.

[Converses with the King, and delivers a
paper to him.

Prin. Doth this man serve God?
Biron. Why ask you?

[making.

Prin. Great thanks, great Pompey. Cost. 'Tis not so much worth; but I hope I was perfect. I made a little fault in "great." Biron. My hat to a halfpenny, Pompey proves the best Worthy.

Enter Sir Nathaniel armed, for Alexander. Nath. "When in the world I liv'd, I was the world's commander;

By east, west, north, and south, I spread my conquering might: [sander, My 'scutcheon plain declares, that I am AliBoyet. Your nose says, no, you are not : for it stands too right.

Biron. Your nose smells, no, in this, most tender-smelling knight.

Prin. The conqueror is dismay'd. Proceed,
good Alexander.

Nath. "When in the world I liv'd, I was
the world's commander ;-"
Boyet. Most true, 'tis right; you were so,
Biron. Pompey the Great,- [Alisander.
Cost. Your servant, and Costard.
Biron. Take away the conqueror, take
away Alisander.

Prin. He speaks not like a man of God's Arm. That's all one, my fair, sweet, honey Cost. [To Nath.] O sir, you have overmonarch; for, I protest, the schoolmaster is thrown Alisander the conqueror! You will exceeding fantastical; too too vain too too be scraped out of the painted cloth for this : vain but we will put it, as they say, to for-your lion, that holds his poll-axe sitting on a tuna della guerra. I wish you the peace of close-stool, will be given to A-jax: he will be mind, most royal couplement. [Exit. the ninth Worthy. A conqueror, and afeard King. Here is like to be a good presence of to speak! run away for shame, Alisander. Worthies. He presents Hector of Troy; the [Nath. retires.] There, an't shall please you; a swain, Pompey the Great; the parish curate, foolish mild man; an honest man, look you, Alexander; Armado's page, Hercules; the and soon dashed. He is a marvellous good pedant, Judas Maccabeus; neighbour, faith, and a very good bowler : but, for Alisander, alas, you see how 'tis, -a little o'erparted.—But there are Worthies a coming will speak their mind in some other Prin. Stand aside, good Pompey. Enter Holofernes armed, for Judas; and Moth armed, for Hercules. Hol. Great Hercules is presented by this imp, [headed canus ; Whose club kill'd Cerberus, that threeAnd, when he was a babe, a child, a shrimp, Thus did he strangle serpents in his manus: Quoniam, he seemeth in minority. Ergo, I come with this apology."

And if these four Worthies in their first show
thrive,
[other five.
These four will change habits, and present the
Biron. There is five in the first show.
King. You are deceived; 'tis not so.
Biron. The pedant, the braggart, the
hedge-priest, the fool, and the boy :-
Abate throw at novum, and the whole world
again,
[his vein.
Cannot prick out five such, take each one in
King. The ship is under sail, and here she
comes amain.

Enter Costard armed, for Pompey.
Cost. "I Pompey am,-'

Boyet.

་་

You lie, you are not he.

Cost. "I Pompey am,

Boyet.

་་

With libbard's head on knee.

Biron. Well said, old mocker; I must needs be friends with thee. [the big,-" Cost. "I Pompey am, Pompey surnam'd Dum. "The great." [nam'd the Great; Cost. It is great," sir" Pompey surThat oft in field, with targe and shield, did

make my foe to sweat :

And travelling along this coast, I here am come by chance, (lass of France."' And lay my arms before the legs of this sweet If your ladyship would say, "Thanks, Pompey," I had done.

sort.

to cloud.

Arm. For my own part, I breathe free breath. I have seen the day of wrong through the little hole of discretion, and I will right myself like a soldier. [Exeunt Worthies. King. How fares your majesty ?

Prin.

Biron. Worthies, away! The scene begins At courtship, pleasant jest, and courtesy,
As bombast, and as lining to the time:
But more devout than this in our respects,
Have we not been; and therefore met your
In their own fashion, like a merriment. [loves
Dum. Our letters, madam, show'd much
Long. So did our looks. [more than jest.
Ros.
We did not quote them so.
King. Now, at the latest minute of the hour,
Grant us your loves.
A time, methinks, too short
To make a world-without-end bargain in.
No, no, my lord, your grace is perjur'd much,
Full of dear guiltiness; and therefore this :-
If for my love (as there is no such cause)
You will do aught, this shall you do for me :
Your oath I will not trust; but go with speed
To some forlorn and naked hermitage,
Remote from all the pleasures of the world;
There stay, until the twelve celestial signs
Have brought about their annual reckoning.
If this austere insociable life

Prin. Boyet, prepare; I will away to-night.
King. Madam, not so; I do beseech you,
stay.
[lords,
Prin. Prepare, I say. I thank you, gracious
For all your fair endeavours; and entreat,
Out of a new-sad soul, that you vouchsafe
In your rich wisdom to excuse, or hide,
The liberal opposition of our spirits:
If over-boldly we have borne ourselves
In the converse of breath, your gentleness
Was guilty of it.-Farewell, worthy lord!
A heavy heart bears but a humble tongue :
Excuse me so, coming so short of thanks
For my great suit so easily obtain'd. [forms
King. The extreme part of time extremely
All causes to the purpose of his speed;
And often, at his very loose, decides
That which long process could not arbitrate:
And though the mourning brow of progeny
Forbid the smiling courtesy of love,
The holy suit which fain it would convince;
Yet, since love's argument was first on foot,
Let not the cloud of sorrow justle it [lost,
From what it purpos'd; since, to wail friends
Is not by much so wholesome profitable,
As to rejoice at friends but newly found.
Prin. I understand you not: my griefs are
double.
[ear of grief;-
Biron. Honest plain words best pierce the
And by these badges understand the king.
For your fair sakes have we neglected time,
Play'd foul play with our oaths: your beauty,
ladies,
[humours

Hath much deform'd us, fashioning our
Even to the opposed end of our intents:
And what in us hath seem'd ridiculous,-
As love is full of unbefitting strains;
All wanton as a child, skipping, and vain ;
Form'd by the eye, and, therefore, like the eye,
Full of stray shapes, of habits, and of forms,
Varying in subjects, as the eye doth roll
To every varied object in his glance:
Which party-coated presence of loose love
Put on by us, if, in your heavenly eyes,
Have misbecome our oaths and gravities,
Those heavenly eyes, that look into these
faults,

Suggested us to make. Therefore, ladies,
Our love being yours, the error that love makes
Is likewise yours: we to ourselves prove false,
By being once false for ever to be true
To those that make us both,-fair ladies, you:
And even that falsehood, in itself a sin,
Thus purifies itself, and turns to grace. [love;
Prin. We have receiv'd your letters, full of
Your favours, the embassadors of love;
And, in our maiden council, rated them

Change not your offer made in heat of blood;
If frosts, and fasts, hard lodging, and thin
weeds,

Nip not the gaudy blossoms of your love,
But that it bear this trial, and last love;
Then, at the expiration of the year, [deserts,
Come challenge me, challenge me by these
And, by this virgin palm, now kissing thine,
I will be thine; and, till that instant, shut
My woeful self up in a mourning house,
Raining the tears of lamentation
For the remembrance of my father's death.
If this thou do deny, let our hands part;
Neither intitled in the other's heart.

[deny,

King. If this, or more than this, I would To flatter up these powers of mine with rest, The sudden hand of death close up mine eye! Hence ever, then, my heart is in thy breast. Biron. And what to me, my love? and what to me? [rank: Ros. You must be purged too, your sins are You are attaint with faults and perjury; Therefore, if you my favour mean to get, Atwelvemonth shall you spend, and never rest, But seek the weary beds of people sick. Dum. But what to me, my love? but what to me? [honesty; Kath. A wife!-A beard, fair health, and With three-fold love I wish you all these three. Dum. O, shall I say, I thank you, gentle wife? [a day

Kath. Not so, my lord; a twelvemonth and I'll mark no words that smooth-fac'd wooers say:

Come when the king doth to my lady come;
Then, if I have much love, I'll give you some.
Dum. I'll serve thee true and faithfully till

then.
[again.
Kath. Yet swear not, lest you be forsworn
Long. What says Maria?
Mar.
At the twelvemonths end,
I'll change my black gown for a faithful friend.