Arm. Anointed, I implore so much expense of thy royal sweet breath as will utter a brace of words.

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

Prin. Doth this man serve God?

Biron. Why ask you?

Prin. He speaks not like a man of God's making.
Arm. That is all one, my fair, sweet honey 530
monarch; for, I protest, the schoolmaster is
exceeding fantastical; too too vain, too too
vain: but we will put it, as they say, to for-
tuna de la guerra. I wish you the peace of
mind, most royal couplement!
[Exit.
King. Here is like to be a good presence of

Worthies. He presents Hector of Troy;
the swain, Pompey the Great; the parish
curate, Alexander; Armado's page, Hercu-
les; the pedant, Judas Maccabæus:

540

And if these four Worthies in their first show

thrive,

These four will change habits, and present the other five.

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

546. "Throw at novum"; a game at dice, properly called novem quinque, from the principal throws being nine and five. Abate obviously means, leave out or except.-H, N, H.

Cannot pick out five such, take each one in his vein.

King. The ship is under sail, and here she comes amain.

Enter Costard, for Pompey.

Cost. I Pompey am,

Boyet.

You lie, you are not he.

With libbard's head on knee. 550

Cost. I Pompey am,

Boyet.

Biron. Well said, old mocker: I must needs be

friends with thee.

Cost. I Pompey am, Pompey surnamed the Big,Dum. The Great.

Pompey surnamed the Great; That oft in field, with targe and shield, did make my foe to sweat:

And traveling along this coast, I here am come by chance,

And lay my arms before the legs of this sweet lass of France.

If

your ladyship would say, "Thanks, Pompey,' I had done.

Prin. Great thanks, Great Pompey.

Cost. "Tis not so much worth, but I hope I was 560 perfect: I made a little fault in 'Great.' Biron. My hat to a halfpenny, Pompey proves the best Worthy.

550. This alludes to the old heroic habits, which, on the knees and shoulders, had sometimes by way of ornament the resemblance of a leopard's or lion's head.-H. N. H.

Enter Sir Nathaniel, for Alexander.

Nath. When in the world I lived, I was the world's commander;

By east, west, north, and south, I spread my conquering might;

My scutcheon plain declares that I am Alisander,

Boyet. Your nose says, no, you are not; for it stands too right.

Biron. Your nose smells 'no' in this, most tendersmelling knight.

Prin. The conqueror is dismayed. Proceed, good Alexander.

Nath. When in the world I lived, I was the world's

commander,

570

Boyet. Most true, 'tis right; you were so, Alisan

der.

Biron. Pompey the Great,

Cost. Your servant, and Costard.

Biron. Take away the conqueror, take away
Alisander.

Cost. [To Sir Nath.] O, sir, you have over-
thrown Alisander the conqueror! You will
be scraped out of the painted cloth for this:
your lion, that holds his poll-axe sitting on
568-569. According to Plutarch, Alexander's head had a twist
towards the left; he states also that Alexander's skin had “a mar-
vellous good savor."—I. G.

"Lion. close-stool"; this alludes to the arms given, in the old history of the Nine Worthies, to Alexander, "the which did bear geules a lion or, seiante in a chayer, holding a battle-axe argent." There is a conceit of Ajax and a jackes, by no means uncommon at the time.-H. N. H.