[Kath.] The young Dumain, a well-accomplish'd youth,

Of all that virtue love for virtue loved;
Most power to do most harm, least knowing ill;
For he hath wit to make an ill shape good,
And shape to win grace though he had no wit.
I saw him at the Duke Alençon's once;
And much too little of that good I saw
Is my report to his great worthiness.

61

[Ros.] Another of these students at that time Was there with him, if I have heard a truth. 6 Biron they call him; but a merrier man, Within the limit of becoming mirth, I never spent an hour's talk withal. His eye begets occasion for his wit, For every object that the one doth catch The other turns to a mirth-moving jest, Which his fair tongue, conceit's expositor, Delivers in such apt and gracious words That aged ears play truant at his tales, And younger hearings are quite ravished; So sweet and voluble is his discourse.

70

75

Before I came. Marry, thus much I have learnt:
He rather means to lodge you in the field,
Like one that comes here to besiege his court,
Than seek a dispensation for his oath,
To let you enter his unpeopled house.
Enter KING, LONGAVILLE, DUMAIN, BIRON
[and Attendants].

Here comes Navarre. [The ladies mask.]
King. Fair Princess, welcome to the court of
Navarre.

Prin. "Fair" I give you back again; and "welcome" I have not yet. The roof of this court is too high to be yours, and welcome to the wide fields too base to be mine.

King. You shall be welcome, madam, to my

court.

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,
Receiv'd that sum, yet there remains unpaid
A hundred thousand more; in surety of the
which

One part of Aquitaine is bound to us,
Although not valued to the money's worth.
If then the King your father will restore
Eat that one half which is unsatisfied,
We will give up our right in Aquitaine,
And hold fair friendship with his majesty.
But that, it seems, he little purposeth,
For here he doth demand to have repaid

135

140

A hundred thousand crowns; and not demands, O payment of a hundred thousand crowns, 145

7 have his title live in Aquitaine;

Which we much rather had depart withal
And have the money by our father lent

an Aquitaine, so gelded as it is.

150

Dear Princess, were not his request so far
From reason's yielding, your fair self should
make

Arielding 'gainst some reason in my breast
Asd go well satisfi'd to France again.

Pr. You do the King my father too much

Dum. A gallant lady. Monsieur, fare you well. [Exit.] Long. I beseech you a word. What is she in the white?

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. Her mother's, I have heard.
Long. God's blessing on your beard!
Boyet. Good sir, be not offended.
She is an heir of Falconbridge.
Long. Nay, my choler is ended.
She is a most sweet lady.

Boyet. Not unlike, sir; that may be.

Re-enter BIRON.

200

205

[Exit Long.

161

We arrest your word. ret. you can produce acquittances sch a sum from special officers Charles his father.

Satisfy me so.

Bt. So please your grace, the packet is not

Boyet. To her will, sir, or so. Bir. You are welcome, sir; adieu. Boyet. Farewell to me, sir, and welcome to [Exit Biron. Mar. That last is Biron, the merry mad-cap lord.

you.

215

Kath.
My lips are no common, though several they be.
Boyet. Belonging to whom?

Kath.
To my fortunes and me.
Prin. Good wits will be jangling; but, gen-

tles, agree.

225

This civil war of wits were much better used On Navarre and his book-men; for here 't is

nose, as if you snuff'd up love by smelling love; with your hat penthouse-like o'er the shop of your eyes; with your arms crossed on your thinbelly 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 ?- [ss men that most are affected to these.

Arm. How hast thou purchased this experience?

Moth. By my penny of observation.
Arm. But O, but 0,

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.

33

Moth. Negligent student! learn her by heart. Arm. By heart and in heart, boy. Moth. And out of heart, master; all those three I will prove.

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 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. The meaning, pretty ingenious?
Is not lead a metal heavy, dull, and slow?
Moth. Minime, honest master;
or rather,

master, no.

Arm. I say lead is slow.

Moth.

You are too swift, sir, to say so. Is that lead slow which is fir'd from a gun? Arm. Sweet smoke of rhetoric!

He reputes me a cannon; and the bullet, that's he;

I shoot thee at the swain.

Moth. Thump then and I flee. [Erit.] Arm. A most acute juvenal; voluble and free of grace!

By thy favour, sweet welkin, I must sigh in thy face.

Most rude melancholy, valour gives thee place. My herald is return'd.

Re-enter Page MоTH] with Clown [COSTARD, Moth. A wonder, master! Here's a costard broken in a shin.

Cost. O, marry me to one Frances! I smell some l'envoy, some goose, in this.

Arm. By my sweet soul, I mean setting thee at liberty, enfreedoming thy person. Thou wert immured, restrained, captivated, [125 bound.

Cost. True, true; and now you will be my purgation and let me loose.

Arm. I give thee thy liberty, set thee from durance; and, in lieu thereof, impose on thee nothing but this: bear this significant [130 [giving a letter] to the country maid Jaquenetta. There is remuneration; for the best ward of mine honour is rewarding my dependents. Moth, follow. [Exit.]

Moth. Like the sequel, I. Signior Costard,

adieu.

[Exit. 135

Cost. Pray you, sir, how much carnation ribbon may a man buy for a remuneration? Bir. What is a remuneration?

149

Cost. Marry, sir, halfpenny farthing. Bir. Why, then, three-farthing worth of silk. Cost. I thank your worship; God be wi' you! Bir. Stay, slave; I must employ thee. As thou wilt win my favour, good my knave, Do one thing for me that I shall entreat.

Cost. When would you have it done, sir? 155 Bir. This afternoon.

Cost. Well, I will do it, sir; fare you well. Bir. Thou knowest not what it is.

Cost. I shall know, sir, when I have done it. Bir. Why, villain, thou must know first. 168 Cost. I will come to your worship to-morrow morning.

Bir. It must be done this afternoon. Hark, slave, it is but this:

The Princess comes to hunt here in the park, 165
And in her train there is a gentle lady.
When tongues speak sweetly, then they name

And wear his colours like a tumbler's hoop! 190
What! I love! I sue! I seek a wife!
A woman, that is like a German clock,
Still a-repairing, ever out of frame,
And never going aright, being a watch,

But being watch'd that it may still go right! 195
Nay, to be perjur'd, which is worst of all;
And, among three, to love the worst of all,
A whitely wanton with a velvet brow,
With two pitch-balls stuck in her face for eyes;
Ay, and, by heaven, one that will do the deed'
Though Argus were her eunuch and her guard.
And I to sigh for her! to watch for her!
To pray for her! Go to; it is a plague
That Cupid will impose for my neglect
Of his almighty dreadful little might.

202

205

Well, I will love, write, sigh, pray, sue, groan: Some men must love my lady, and some Joan.

ACT IV

[SCENE I. The same.]

[Exit.]

Against the steep uprising of the hill?

For. I know not, but I think it was not he. Prin. Whoe'er 'a was, 'a show'd a mounting mind.

Well, lords, to-day we shall have our dispatch; 5 On Saturday we will return to France.

Then, forester, my friend, where is the bush That we must stand and play the murderer in? For. Hereby, upon the edge of yonder coppice;

A stand where you may make the fairest shoot. 10 Prin. I thank my beauty, I am fair that shoot.

And thereupon thou speak'st the fairest shoot. For. Pardon me, madam, for I meant not so. Prin. What, what? First praise me, and again say no?

O short-liv'd pride! Not fair? Alack for woe!

15

Boyet. 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? Prin. The thickest and the tallest.

Cost. The thickest and the tallest! It is so;

truth is true.

An your waist, mistress, were as slender as my wit,

One o' these maids' girdles for your waist

should be fit.

This letter is mistook; it importeth none here. 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 ar 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 o thy heroical vassal! The magnanimous at most illustrate king Cophetua set eye upon [ the pernicious and indubitate beggar Zenek phon; and he it was that might rightly say