Biron. Now fair befall your mask! Biron. Nay, then will I be gone. 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, Although not valued to the money's worth. If then the king your father will restore An hundred thousand crowns; and not demands, On payment of a hundred thousand crowns, To have his title live in Aquitain; Which we much rather had depart withal, And have the money by our father lent, Than Aquitain so gelded as it is. Dear princess, were not his requests so far From reason's yielding, your fair self should make Prin. You do the king my father too much wrong, And wrong the reputation of your name, Of that which hath so faithfully been paid. Prin. We arrest your word :Boyet, you can produce acquittances, For such a sum, from special officers Of Charles his father. King. Satisfy me so. [come, Boyet. So please your grace, the packet is not Where that and other specialties are bound; To-morrow you shall have a sight of them. King. It shall suffice me: at which interview, All liberal reason I will yield unto. Mean time, 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. [grace! Prin. Sweet health and fair desires consort your 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. Boyet. A woman sometimes, an you saw her in the light. Long. Perchance, light in the light: I desire her name. Boyet. She hath but one for herself; to desire that, were a shame. Long. Pray you, sir, whose daughter? Boyet. Not unlike, sir; that may be. [Exit Long. 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, sir, 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. [retire Boyet. Why, all his behaviours did make their 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. Ros. Thou art an old love-monger, and speak'st skilfully. Mar. He is Cupid's grandfather, and learns news of him. Ros. Then was Venus like her mother; for her Boyet. Re-enter Moth and Costard. Moth. A wonder, master; here's a Costard broken in a shin. Arm. Some enigma, some riddle: come,-thy l'envoy ;-begin. Cost. No egma, no riddle, no l'envoy; no salve in the mail, sir: O, sir, plantain, a plain plantain ; no l'envoy, no l'envoy, no salve, sir, but a plantain Arm. By virtue, thou enforcest laughter; thy silly thought, my spleen; the heaving of my lungs provokes me to ridiculous smiling: O, pardon me, my stars! Doth the inconsiderate take salve for l'envoy, and the word, l'envoy, for a salve? Moth. Do the wise think them other? is not l'envoy a salve? Arm. No, page: it is an epilogue or discourse, to make plain Some obscure precedence that hath tofore been sain. Arm. How mean'st thou ? brawling in French? 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 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 sympathized; 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? The fox, the ape, and the humble-bee, The fox, the ape, and the humble-bee, Cost. The boy hath sold him a bargain, a goose, that's flat: [fat.Sir, your penny worth is good, an your goose be 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 in a Then call'd you for the l'envoy. [shin. Cost. True, and I for a plantain: Thus came your argument; 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. 1, 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. Cost. True, true; and now you will be my pur Moth. Minime, honest master; or rather, mas- gation, and let me loose. ter, no. Arm. I give thee thy liberty, set thee from dur. ance; and, in lieu thereof, impose on thee nothing You are too swift, sir, to say so: but this: Bear this significant to the country maid Arm. I say, lead is slow. Jaquenetta: there is remuneration; [giving him [he-money.] for the best ward of mine honour, is, rewarding my dependents. Moth, follow. [Exit. Moth. Like the sequel, I.-Signior Costard, adieu. Is that lead slow which is fir'd from a gun? Thump then, and I flee. [Exit. Arm. A most acute juvenal; voluble and free of grace! By thy favour, sweet welkin, I must sigh in thy Most rude melancholy valour gives thee place. 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! K 2 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 may a man buy for a remuneration ? Biron. What is a remuneration? 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, When tongues speak sweetly, then they name her name, And Rosaline they call her ask for her; Guerdon-remuneration. Biron. O! And I, forsooth, in love! I, that have been love's whip; A very beadle to a humorous sigh; A critick; nay, a night-watch constable; This wimpled, whining, purblind, wayward boy; Of trotting paritors, Ŏ my little heart!- And wear his colours like a tumbler's hoop! ACT IV. groan ; [Exit. SCENE I.-Another part of the same. 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; O short-liv'd pride! Not fair? alack for woe! Fair payment for foul words is more than due. A giving hand, though foul, shall have fair praise.- is truth, An your waist, mistress, were as slender as my wit, One of these maids' girdles for your waist should be fit. [here. Are not you the chief woman? you are the thickest 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 Stand aside, good bearer.-Boyet, you can carve; Poyet. I am bound to serve.- This letter is mistook, it importeth none here; 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 fuirer 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 Zenelophon; and he it was that might rightly say, veni, vidi, vici; which to anatomize in the vulgar, (0 base and obscure vulgar!) videlicet, he came, saw, and overcame: he came, one; saw, two; 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: What saw he? the beggar; Who overcame he? the beggar: The conclusion is victory; On ruhose side? the king's the captive is enrich'd; On whose side? the beggar's: The catastrophe is a nuptial: On whose side? The king's -no, on both in one, or one in both. I am the king; for so stands the comparison: thou the beggar; for so witnesseth thy lowliness. Shall I command thy love? I may: Shall I enforce thy love? I could: Shall I entreat thy love? I will. What shalt thou exchange for rags? robes: For tittles, titles; For thyself, me. Thus, expecting thy reply, I profane my lips on thy foot, my eyes on thy picture, and my heart on thy every part. Thine, in the dearest design of industry, Don Adriano de Armado. Boyet. An if my hand be out, then, belike your hand is in. [the pin. Cost. Then will she get the upshot by cleaving Mar. Come, come, you talk greasily, your lips grow foul. [lenge her to bowl. Cost. She's too hard for you at pricks, sir; chalBoyet. I fear too much rubbing; Good night my good owl. [Exeunt Boyet and Maria, Cost. By my soul, a swain! a most simple clown! Lord, lord! how the ladies and I have put him [wit! O' my troth, most sweet jests! most incony vulgar When it comes so smoothly off, so obscenely, as it were, so fit. Armatho o' the one side,-0, a most dainty man! To see him walk before a lady, and to bear her fan! To see him kiss his hand! and how most sweetly a' will swear! down! Thus dost thou hear the Nemean lion roar And he from forage will incline to play : [better? A phantasm, a Monarcho, and one that makes sport Cost. Thou, fellow, a word: away. Here, sweet, put up this; 'twill be thine another day. Ros. Why, she that bears the bow. Ros. Well then, I am the shooter. Boyet. So I may answer thee with one as old, that was a woman when queen Guinever of Britain was a little wench, as touching the hit it. Ros. Thou canst not hit it, hit it, hit it, [Singing. An I cannot, another can. [Exeunt Ros. and Kath. Cost. By my troth, most pleasant! how both did fit it! [both did hit it. Mar. A mark marvellous well shot; for they Boyet. A mark! O, mark but that mark; Á¦ mark, says my lady! [be. Let the mark have a prick in't, to mete at. if it may Mar. Wide o' the bow hand! I'faith your hand is out. Cost. Indeed, a' must shoot nearer, or he'!! ne'er hit the clout. Sola, sola! [Shouting within. [Exit Costard, running SCENE II.-The same. Enter Holofernes, Sir Nathaniel, and Dull. Nath. Very reverent sport, truly; and done in the testimony of a good conscience. Hol. The deer was, as you know, in sanguis,blood; ripe as a pomewater, who now hangeth like a jewel in the ear of calo,-the sky, the welkin, the heaven; and anon falleth like a crab, on the face of terra,-the soil, the land, the earth. Nath. Truly, master Holofernes, the epithets are Dull. 'Twas not a haud credo; 'twas a pricket. Hol. Most barbarous intimation! yet a kind of insinuation, as it were, in via, in way, of explication; facere, as it were, replication, or, rather ostentare, to show, as it were, his inclination,-after his undressed, unpolished, uneducated, unpruned, untrained, or rather unlettered, or, ratherest, unconfirmed fashion,-to insert again my haud crede for a deer. Dull. I said, the deer was not a haud credo; 'twas a pricket. Hol. Twice sod simplicity, bis coctus!-0 thou monster ignorance, how deformed dost thou look! Nath. Sir, he hath never fed of the dainties that are bred in a book; he hath not eat paper, as it were; he hath not drunk ink: his intellect is not replenished; he is only an animal, only sensible in the duller parts; And such barren plants are set before us, that we (Which we of taste and feeling are) for those parts Dull. You two are book-men: Can you tell by your wit, What was a month old at Cain's birth, that's not five weeks old as yet? Hol. Dictynna, good man Dull; Dictynna, good man Dull. Dull. What is Dictynna ? Nath. A title to Phoebe, to Luna, to the moon. Hol. The moon was a month old, when Adam was no more ; And raught not to five weeks, when he came to fivescore. The allusion holds in the exchange. Dull. 'Tis true indeed; the collusion holds in the exchange. Hol. God comfort thy capacity! I say, the allusion holds in the exchange. Dull. And I say the pollusion holds in the ex change; for the moon is never but a month old :| and I say beside, that 'twas a pricket that the princess kill'd. Hol. Sir Nathaniel, will you hear an extemporal epitaph on the death of the deer? and, to humour the ignorant, I have called the deer the princess kill'd, a pricket. Nath. Perge, good master Holofernes, perge; so it shall please you to abrogate scurrility. Hol. I will something affect the letter; for it argues facility. The praiseful princess pierc'd and prick'd a pretty Dull. If a talent be a claw, look how he claws him with a talent. Hol. This is a gift that I have, simple, simple; a foolish extravagant spirit, full of forms, figures, shapes, objects, ideas, apprehensions, motions, revolutions these are begot in the ventricle of memory, nourished in the womb of pia mater; and deliver'd upon the mellowing of occasion: But the gift is good in those in whom it is acute, and I am thankful for it. Nath. Sir, I praise the Lord for you; and so may my parishioners; for their sons are well tutor'd by you, and their daughters profit very greatly under you: you are a good member of the commonwealth. Hol. Mehercle, if their sons be ingenious, they shall want no instruction: if their daughters be capable, I will put it to them: But, vir sapit, qui pauca loquitur: a soul feminine saluteth us. Enter Jaquenetta and Costard. Jaq. God give you good morrow, master person. Hol. Master person,-quasi pers-on. And if one should be pierced, which is the one? Cost. Marry, master schoolmaster, he that likest to a hogshead. is Hol. Of piercing a hogshead! a good lustre of conceit in a turf of earth; fire enough for a flint, pearl enough for a swine: 'tis pretty; it is well. Jaq. Good master parson, be so good as read me this letter; it was given me by Costard, and sent me from Don Armatho: I beseech you, read it. Hol. Fauste, precor gelida quando pecus omne sub umbra Ruminat, and so forth. Ah, good old Mantuan! Chi non te vede, ei non te pregia. Nath. Ay, sir, and very learned. Hol. Let me hear a staff, a stanza, a verse; Lege, domine. Nath. If love make me fors worn, how shall I swear to love? wrong, Thy eye Jove's lightning bears, thy voice his dreadful thunder, [fire. Which, not to anger bent, is musick, and sweet Celestial, as thou art, oh pardon, love, this [tongue! That sings heaven's praise with such an earthly Hol. You find not the apostrophes, and so miss the accent: let me supervise the canzonet. Here are only numbers ratified; but, for the elegancy, facility, and golden cadence of poesy, caret. Ovidious Naso was the man and why, indeed, Naso; but for smelling out the odoriferous flowers of fancy, the jerks of invention? Imitari, is nothing: so doth the hound his master, the ape his keeper, the tired horse his rider. But damosella virgin, was this directed to you? Jaq. Ay, sir, from one Monsieur Biron, one of the strange queen's lords. Hol. I will overglance the superscript. To the snow-white hand of the most beauteous Lady Rosaline. I will look again on the intellect of the letter, for the nomination of the party writing to the person written unto: Your Ladyship's in all desired employment, Biron. Sir Nathaniel, this Biron is one of the votaries with the king; and here he hath framed a letter to a sequent of the stranger queen's, which, acci dentally, or by the way of progression, hath miscarried.-Trip and go, my sweet; deliver this paper into the royal hand of the king; it may concern much: Stay not thy compliment; I forgive thy duty; adieu. Jaq. Good Costard, go with me.-Sir, God save your life! Cost. Have with thee, my girl. Nath. Sir, you have God, very religiously; saith [Exeunt Cost, and Jaq. done this in the fear of and, as a certain father Hol. Sir, tell not me of the father, I do fear colourable colours. But, to return to the verses; Did they please you, sir Nathaniel ? Nath. Marvellous well for the pen. Hol. I do dine to-day at the father's of a certain pupil of mine; where if, before repast, it shall please you to gratify the table with a grace, I will, on my privilege I have with the parents of the foresaid child or pupil, undertake your ben venuto where I will prove those verses to be very un learned, neither savouring of poetry, wit, nor invention: I beseech your society. Nath. And thank you too: for society, (saith the text,) is the happiness of life. Hol. And, certes, the text most infallibly concludes it.-Sir, [to Dull.] I do invite you too; you shall not say me, nay: pauca verba. Away; the gentles are at their game, and we will to our recreation. [Exeunt. SCENE III-Another part of the same. Enter Biron, with a paper. Biron. The king he is hunting the deer; I am coursing myself: they have pitch'd a toil; I am toiling in a pitch; pitch that defiles; defile! a foul word. Well, Set thee down, sorrow! for so they say, the fool said, and so say I, and I the fool. Well proved, wit! By the Lord, this love is as mad as Ajax: it kills sheep; it kills me, I a sheep: [vowed! Well proved again on my side! I will not love: if Ah, never faith could hold, if not to beauty I do, hang me; i'faith, I will not. O, but her Though to myself forsworn, to thee I'll faithful eye,-by this light, but for her eye, I would not prove; [osiers bowed. love her; yes, for her two eyes. Well, I do noThose thoughts to me were oaks, to thee like thing in the world but lie, and lie in my throat. By Study his bias leaves, and makes his book thine heaven, I do love: and it hath taught me to rhyme, eyes; [comprehend and to be melancholy; and here is part of my that art would rhyme, and here my melancholy. Well, she hath know thee shall one o' my sonnets already; the clown bore it, the [commend: fool sent it, and the lady hath it: sweet clown, Well learned is that tongue, that well can thee sweeter fool, sweetest lady! by the world, I would All ignorant that soul, that sees thee without not care a pin if the other three were in: Here wonder; [admire ;) comes one with a paper; God give him grace to (Which is to me some praise, that I thy parts groan. [Gets up into a tree. Where all those pleasures live, If knowledge be the mark, to suffice; |