The ladies did change favours; and then we,
Following the signs, woo'd but the sign of she.
Now, to our perjury to add more terror,

28

We are again forsworn,-in wiil and error.
Much upon this it is:-[To BOYET.] And might
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?

30

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.

Boy.

Full merrily

Hath this brave manage, this career, been run.
Bir. Lo, he is tilting straight! Peace! I have

done.

Enter COSTARD.

Welcome, pure wit! thou partest a fair fray.
Cost. O Lord! sir, they would know,

Whether the three Worthies shall come in, or no.
Bir. What are there but three?

Cost.

No, sir; but it is vara fine,

And three times thrice is nine.

For every one pursents three.

Bir.

Cost. Not so, sir; under correction, sir, I hope

it is not so:

31

You cannot beg us, sir, I can assure you, sir; we know what we know:

I hope, sir, three times thrice, sir,

28 That is, first in will, and afterwards in error.

29 From esquierre, Fr., a rule or square.

30 That is, you are an allowed or a licensed fool or jester. 31 In the old common law was a writ de idiota inquirendo, under

Bir.

Is not nine. Cost. Under correction, sir, we know whereuntil 't do amount.

Bir. By Jove, I always took three threes for nine. Cost. O Lord! sır, it were pity you should get your living by reckoning, sir.

Bir. How much is it?

Cost. O Lord! sir, the parties themselves, the actors, sir, will show whereuntil it doth amount: for my own part, I am, as they say, but to pursent one man, -e'en one poor man; Pompion the Great, sir.

Bir. 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.

Bir. Go, bid them prepare.

Cost. We will turn it finely off, sir; we will take

some care.

[Exit COST. King. Biron, they will shame us; let them not

approach.

Bir. We are shame-proof, my lord; and 'tis some policy

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'errule you

now;

That sport best pleases, that doth least know how:

which, if a man was legally proved an idiot, the profits of his lands and the custody of his person might be granted by the king to any subject. Such a person, when this grant was asked, was said to be begged for a fool. One of the legal tests appears to have been, to try whether the party could answe a simple arithmetical question.

Where zeal strives to content, and the contents
Lie in the fail of them which it presents:
Their form confounded makes most form in mirth
When great things labouring perish in their birth.
Bir. A right description of our sport, my lord.

Enter ARMADO.

Arm. Anointed, I implore so much expense of thy royal sweet breath, as will utter a brace of [ARMADO converses with the KING, and delivers him a paper.

words.

Prin. Doth this man serve God?

Bir. Why ask you?

Prin. A' speaks not like a man of God's making. Arm. That's all one, my fair, sweet, honey monarch: for, I protest, the schoolmaster is exceeding fantastical; too too vain; too too vain: But we will put it, as they say, to fortuna della guerra. wish you the peace of mind, most royal couple[Exit ARMADO.

ment.

1

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, Hercules; the pedant, Judas Maccabeus.

And if these four Worthies in their first show thrive, These four will change habits, and present the other five.

Bir. There is five in the first show.

King. You are deceived; 'tis not so.

Bir. The pedant, the braggart, the hedge-priest, the fool, and the boy:

Abate throw at novum,32 and the whole world again

32 A game at dice, properly called novem quinque, from the principal throws being nine and five. Abate obviously means, leave out or except.

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

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

Enter COSTARD armed, for Pompey.

Cost. "I Pompey am,"

Boy.

Cost. "I Pompey am,'

Boy.

You lie, you are not he.

With libbard's head on knee.3 33

Bir. Well said, old mocker: I must needs be friends with thee.

Cost. "I Pompey am, Pompey surnam'd the

That oft in field, with targe and shield, did make my foe to sweat:

And travelling 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 perfect: I made a little fault in “great.”

Bir. 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;

33 This alludes to the old hic habits which, on the knees

By east, west, north, and south, I spread my con quering might:

My 'scutcheon plain declares that I am Alisander." Boy. Your nose says, no, you are not; for it stands too right.34

Bir. Your nose smells, no, in this, most tendersmelling knight.35

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

Nath. "When in the world I liv'd, I was the world's commander; 99

Boy. Most true; 'tis right: you were so, Ali

Cost. Your servant, and Costard. Bir. Take away the conqueror; sander.

Cost. [To NATH.] O! sir, you have overthrown Alisander the conqueror! You will be scrap'd out of the painted cloth for this: your lion, that holds his poll-ax sitting on a close-stool,36 will be given to Ajax he will be the ninth Worthy. A conqueror, and afeard to speak! run away for shame, Alisander. [NATH. retires.] There, an't shall please you; a foolish mild man; an honest man, look you, and soon dash'd! He is a marvellous good neighbour,

and shoulders, had sometimes by way of ornament the resemblance of a leopard's or lion's head.

34 It should be remembered, to relish this joke, that the head of Alexander was obliquely placed on his shoulders.

35" Alexander's body had so sweet a smell of itselfe that all the apparell he wore next unto his body tooke thereof a passing delightful savour, as if it had been perfumed." North's Plutarch.

36 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 'onceit of Ajax and a jakes, by no means uncommon at the time.