where her shoe, which is baser, guided by her foot, Between lord Perigort and the beauteous heir which is basest, doth tread. I shall be forsworn Of Jacques Falconbridge solemnized, (which is a great argument of falsehood,) if I love: In Normandy saw I this Longaville: and how can that be true love, which is falsely at-A man of sovereign parts he is esteem'd; tempted? Love is a familiar; love is a devil: there Well fitted in the arts, glorious in arms: is no evil angel but love. Yet Samson was so Nothing becomes him ill, that he would well. tempted: and he had an excellent strength: yet The only soil of his fair virtue's gloss, was Solomon so seduced; and he had a very good (If virtue's gloss will stain with any soil,) wit. Cupid's butt-shaft is too hard for Hercules' Is a sharp wit match'd with too blunt a will; club, and therefore too much odds for a Spaniard's Whose edge hath power to cut, whose will still rapier. The first and second cause will not serve wills my turn; the passado he respects not, the duello It should none spare that come within his power. Prin. Some merry mocking lord, belike; is't so? Mar. They say so most, that most his humours know. he regards not: his disgrace is to be called boy; ACT II. [Exit. Prin. Such short-liv'd wits do wither as they grow. Kath. The young Dumain, a well-accomplish'd Of all that virtue love for virtue lov'd: SCENE I-Another part of the same. A pavi- I saw hin: at the duke Alençon's once; Boyet. Now, madam, summon up your dearest Consider who the king your father sends; Of all perfections that a man may owe, Prin. Good lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean, Needs not the painted flourish of your praise; Tell him, the daughter of the king of France, [Exit. (1) Arrow to shoot at butts with. (2) Best. Ros. Another of these students at that time Prin. God bless my ladies! are they all in love; come, Where that and other specialities are bound, 1 Prin. Why, will shall break it; will, and nothing| Boyet. So please your grace, the packet is not else. King. Your ladyship is ignorant what it is. Prin. Were my lord so, his ignorance were wise. Where' now his knowledge must prove ignorance. I hear, your grace hath sworn out house-keeping: "Tis deadly sin to keep that oath, my lord, And sin to break it: But pardon me, I am too sudden-bold; [Gives a paper. King. Madam, I will, if suddenly I may. Prin. You will the sooner, that I were away; For you'll prove perjur'd, if you make me stay. Biron. Did not I dance with you in Brabant once? Ros. Did not I dance with you in Brabant once? To ask the question! How needless was it then Biron. You must not be so quick. Ros. Not till it leaves the rider in the mire. Biron. What time o' day? Ros. The hour that fools should ask. Biron. Now fair befall your mask! Ros. Fair fall the face it covers! King. Madam, your father here doth intimate, The payment of a hundred thousand crowns; Being but the one half of an entire sum, Disbursed by my father in his wars. But say, that he, or we (as neither have,) A hundred thousand more; in surety of the which, A hundred thousand crowns; and not demands, Which we much rather had depart withal, Prin. You do the king my father too much wrong, Prin. We arrest your word: Boyet, you can produce acquittances, For such a sum, from special officers King. It shall suffice me: at which interview All liberal reason I will yield unto. Meantime, receive such welcome at my hand, As honour, without breach of honour, may Make tender of to thy true worthiness: You may not come, fair princess, in my gates; But here without you shall be so receiv'd, As you shall deem yourself lodg'd in my heart, Though so denied fair harbour in my house. Your own good thoughts excuse me, and farewell; To-morrow shall we visit you again. Prin. Sweet health and fair desires consort your grace! King. Thy own wish wish I thee in every place! [Exeunt King and his Train. Biron. Lady, I will commend you to my own heart. Ros. 'Pray you, do my commendations; I would be glad to see it. Biron. I would, you heard it groan? Ros. Is the fool sick? Biron. Sick at heart. Ros. Alack, let it blood. Biron. Would that do it good? Ros. My physic says, 1.3 Biron. Will you prick't with your eye? Ros. No poynt, with my knife. Biron. Now, God save thy life! Ros. And yours from long living! Biron. I cannot stay thanksgiving. [Retiring. Dum. Sir, I pray you, a word: What lady is that same? [Exit Long. Biron. What's her name, in the cap? Boyet. Katharine, by good hap. Biron. Is she wedded, or no? Boyet. To her will, sir, or so. Biron. You are welcome, sir; adieu! Boyet. Farewell to me, sír, and welcome to you. [Exit Biron.-Ladies unmask. Mar. That last is Biron, the merry mad-cap lord; Not a word with him but a jest. Boyet. And every jest but a word. Prin. It was well done of you to take him at his word. Boyet. I was as willing to grapple, as he was to board. Mar. Two hot sheeps, marry! Of Charles his father. Boyet. And wherefore not ships? (1) Whereas. (2) Part. (3) Aye, yes. (4) A French particle of negation. No sheep, sweet lamb, unless we feed on your lips. Mar. You sheep, and I pasture; Shall that finish the jest? Boyet. So you grant pasture for me. Arm. How means't thou? brawling in French? Moth. No, my complete master: but to jig off a tune at the tongue's end, canary to it with your feet, humour it with turning up your eyelids; sigh [Offering to kiss her. a note, and sing a note; sometime through the Mar. Not so, gentle beast; throat, as if you swallowed love with singing love; My lips are no common, though several' they be. sometime through the nose, as if you snuffed up Boyet. Belonging to whom? love by smelling love; with your hat penthouseMar. To my fortunes and me. like, o'er the shop of your eyes; with your arms Prin. Good wits will be jangling: but, genties, crossed on your thin belly-doublet, like a rabbit on a spit; or your hands in your pocket, like a man after the old painting; and keep not too long in one tune, but a snip and away: These are complements, these are humours; these betray nice wenches-that would be betrayed without these; and make them men of note (do you note, men?) that are most affected to these. agree: The civil war of wits were much better used By the heart's still rhetoric, disclosed with eyes, Prin. With what? Boyet. With that which we lovers entitle, affected. "Prin. Your reason? Boyet. Why, all his behaviours did make their To the court of his eye, peeping thorough desire: Methought, all his senses were lock'd in his eye, Did point you to buy them, along as you pass'd. I only have made a mouth of his eye, By adding a tongue which I know will not lie. Mar. He is Cupid's grandfather, and learns Ros. Then was Venus like her mother; for her Boyet. Do you hear, my mad wenches? No. Boyet. What then, do you see? Ros. Ay, our way to be gone. Boyet. You are too hard for me. Arm. How hast thou purchased this experience? Moth. the hobby-horse is forgot. Arm. Callest thou my love, hobby-horse? Moth. No, master; the hobby-horse is but a colt, and your love, perhaps, a hackney. But have you forgot your love? Arm. Almost I had. Moth. Negligent student! learn her by heart. Moth. And out of heart, master: all those three Arm. What wilt thou prove? Moth. A man, if I live: and this, by, in, and without, upon the instant: By heart you love her, because your heart cannot come by her; in heart you love her, because your heart is in love with her; and out of heart you love her, being out of heart that you cannot enjoy her. Arm. I am all these three. Moth. And three times as much more, and yet nothing at all! Arm. Fetch hither the swain; he must carry me a letter. Moth. A message well sympathised; a horse to be ambassador for an ass! Arm. Ha, ha! what sayest thou? Moth. Marry, sir, you must send the ass upon the horse, for he is very slow-gaited: But I go. Arm. The way is but short; away. Moth. As swift as lead, sir. Arm. Thy meaning, pretty ingenious? Is not lead a metal heavy, dull, and slow? Arm. I say, lead is slow. Moth. You are too swift, sir, to say so; He reputes me a cannon; and the bullet, that's he: [Singing. By thy favour, sweet welkin, I must sigh in thy face; Most rude melancholy, valour gives thee place. My herald is return'd.' Moth. ConcolinelArm. Sweet air!-Go, tenderness of years; take this key, give enlargement to the swain, bring him festinately hither; I must employ him in a letter to my love. Moth. Master, will you win your love with a French brawl? Re-enter Moth and Costard. Moth. A wonder, master; here's a Costard® broken in a shin. (1) A quibble, several signified unenclosed lands. (4) Canary was the name of a sprightly dance. (2) Hastily, (3) A kind of dance. (5) Quick, ready, (6) A head. Arm. Some enigma, some riddle: come,-thy rance; and, in lieu thereof, impose on thee nothing l'envoy;-begin. but this: Bear this significant to the country-maid Cost. No egma, no riddle, no l'envoy; no salve Jaquenetta: there is remuneration; [Giving him in the mail, sir: Ó, sir, plantain, a plain plantain; money.] for the best ward of mine honour, is, reno l'envoy, no l'envoy, no salve, sir, but a plantain ! warding my dependents. Moth, follow. Arm. By virtue, thou enforcest laughter; thy Moth. Like the sequel, I.-Signior Costard, silly thought, my spleen; the heaving of my lungs adieu. provokes me to ridiculous smiling: Ŏ, pardon me, my stars! Doth the inconsiderate take salve for l'envoy, and the word, l'envog, for a salve? Moth. Do the wise think them other? is not P'envoy a salve? Arm. No, page; it is an epilogue or discourse to make plain Some obscure precedence that hath tofore been sain. I will example it: The fox, the ape, and the humble-bee, Were still at odds, being but three. There's the moral: Now the l'envoy. Moth. I will add the l'envoy: Say the moral again. Arm. The fox, the ape, and the humble-bee, Now will I begin your moral, and do you follow The fox, the ape, and the humble-bee, Were still at odds, being but three: Arm. Until the goose came out of door, Staying the odds by adding four. Moth. A good l'enroy, ending in the goose; Would you desire more? Cost. The boy hath sold him a bargain, a goose, that's flat: Sir, your pennyworth is good, an your goose be fat. To sell a bargain well, is as cunning as fast and loose: Let me see a fat l'envoy; ay, that's a fat goose. Arm. Come hither, come hither: How did this argument begin? Moth. By saying that a Costard was broken a shin. Then call'd you for the l'envoy. in Cost. True, and I for a plantain; Thus came your argument in; Then the boy's fat l'envoy, the goose that you bought; And he ended the market. Arm. But tell me; how was there a Costard broken in a shin? Moth. I will tell you sensibly. Cost. Thou hast no feeling of it, Moth; I will speak that l'envoy : I, Costard, running out, that was safely within, Arm. We will talk no more of this matter. Arm. By my sweet soul, I mean, setting thee at liberty, enfreedoming thy person; thou wert immured, restrained, captivated, bound. [Exit. Cost. My sweet ounce of man's flesh! my incony❜ Jew![Exit Moth. Now will I look to his remuneration. Remuneration! O, that's the Latin word for three farthings: three farthings-remuneration.-What's the price of this inkle? a penny:-No, I'll give you a remuneration: why, it carries it.-Remuneration!— why, it is a fairer name than French crown. I will never buy and sell out of this word. Enter Biron. Biron. O, my good knave Costard! exceedingly well met. Cost. Pray you, sir, how much carnation ribbon Cost. Marry, sir, half-penny farthing. Cost. When would you have it done, sir? Cost. Well, I will do it, sir: Fare you well. Biron. It must be done this afternoon. Hark, slave, it is but this ; The princess comes to hunt here in the park, name, And Rosaline they call her: ask for her; Cost. Guerdon,-O sweet guerdon! better than Biron. O! And I, forsooth, in love! I, that have been love's whip; A very beadle to a humourous sigh; Cost. True, true; and now you will be my pur-And wear his colours like a tumbler's hoop! Arm. I give thee thy liberty, set thee from du- A woman, that is like a German clock, (1) An old French term for concluding verses, which served either to convey the moral, or to address the poem to some person. (2) Delightful. (3) Reward. (4) With the utmost exactness. (5) Hooded, veiled. (6) Petticoats. (7) The officers of the spiritual courts who serve citations. Still a repairing; ever out of frame; so hard ACT IV. Against the steep uprising of the hill? Boyet. I know not; but, I think, it was not he. Well, lords, to-day we shall have our despatch; Enter Costard. Prin. Here comes a member of the commonwealth. Cost. God dig-you-den' all! Pray you, which is the head lady? Prin. Thou shalt know her, fellow, by the rest that have no heads. Cost. Which is the greatest lady, the highest? Cost. The thickest, and the tallest! it is so; truth An your waist, mistress, were as slender as my wit, here. Prin. What's your will, sir? what's your will? Cost. I have a letter from monsieur Biron, to one lady Rosaline.. Prin. O, thy letter, thy letter; he's a good friend of mine: Stand aside, good bearer.—Boyet, you can carve ; this capon.2 Break up SCENE I-Another part of the same. Enter the Princess, Rosaline, Maria, Katharine, Boyet, Boyet. Lords, attendants, and a Forester. I am bound to serve.This letter is mistook, it importeth none here; Prin. Was that the king, that spurr'd his horse It is writ to Jaquenetta. Prin. We will read it, I swear: Break the neck of the wax, and every one give ear. Boyet. [Reads.] By heaven, that thou art fair, is most infallible; true, that thou art beauteous; truth itself, that thou art lovely: More fairer than fair, beautiful than beauteous; truer than truth itself, have commiseration on thy heroical vassal! The magnanimous and most illustrate king Cophetua set eye upon the pernicious and indubitate beggar Zenélophon; and he it was that might rightly say, veni, vidi, vici; which to anatomize in the vulgar (O base and obscure vulgar!) videlicet, he came, saw, and overcame: he came, one; saw, iwo; overcame, three. Who came? the king; Why did he come? to see; Why did he see? to overcome: To whom came he? to the beggar; O short-lived pride! Not fair? alack for wo! What saw he? the beggar; Who overcame he? For. Yea, madam, fair. the beggar: The conclusion is victory; On whose Prin. Nay, never paint me now; side? the king's: the captive is enriched; On whose Where fair is not, praise cannot mend the brow. side? the beggar's; The catastrophe is a nuptial; Here, good my glass, take this for telling true; On whose side? the king's-no, on both in one, or [Giving him money, one in both. I am the king; for so stands the comFair payment for foul words is more than due. parison: thou the beggar; for so witnesseth thy For. Nothing but fair is that which you inherit. lowliness. Shall I command thy love? I may: Prin. See, see, my beauty will be sav'd by merit. Shall I enforce thy love? I could: Shall I entreat O heresy in fair, fit for these days! thy love? I will. What shalt thou exchange for A giving hand, though foul, shall have fair praise.-rags? robes; For tittles, titles: For thyself, me. But come, the bow:-Now mercy goes to kill, A shooting well is then accounted ill. Thus will I save my credit in the shoot: Not wounding, pity would not let me do't; If wounding, then it was to show my skill,' Thus, expecting thy reply, I profane my lips on thy Thine, in the dearest design of industry, That more for praise, than purpose, meant to kill. Thus dost thou hear the Nemean lion roar And, out of question, so it is sometimes; The poor deer's blood, that my heart means no ill. Only for praise' sake, when they strive to be Prin. Only for praise: and praise we may afford God give you good even. (2) Open this letter. (3) Illustrious. 'Gainst thee, thou lamb, that standest as his prey; Submissive fall his princely feet before, And he from forage will incline to play: Prin. What plume of feathers is he, that indited this letter? What vane? what weathercock? did you ever hear better? Boyet. I am much deceived, but I remember the style. Prin. Else your memory is bad, going o'er it erewhile." (4) Just now. |