Biron. This jeft is dry to me.-Fair, gentle, fweet,
Your wit makes wife things foolish: when we greet
With eyes best seeing heaven's fiery eye,

By light we lofe light: Your capacity
Is of that nature, that to your huge ftore

poor.

Wife things feem foolish, and rich things but
Rof. This proves you wife and rich; for in my eye,-—
Biron. I am a fool, and full of poverty.

Rof. But that you take what doth to you belong,
It were a fault to fnatch words from my tongue.

Biron. O, I am yours, and all that I poffefs.
Rof. All the fool mine?

Biron. I cannot give you lefs.

Rof. Which of the vizors was it, that

you wore? Biron. Where? when? what vizor? why demand you

this?

Rof. There, then, that vizor; that fuperfluous cafe, That hid the worfe, and fhew'd the better face.

King. We are defcry'd; they'll mock us now downright. Dum. Let us confefs, and turn it to a jest.

Prin. Amaz'd, my lord? Why looks your highness fad? Rof. Help, hold his brows! he'll fwoon! Why look you pale ?

Sea-fick, I think, coming from Muscovy.

Biron. Thus pour the stars down plagues for perjury. Can any face of brafs hold longer out!

Here stand I, lady; dart thy skill at me;

Bruise me with fcorn, confound me with a flout;
Thrust thy fharp wit quite through my ignorance;
Cut me to pieces with thy keen conceit;

And I will with thee never more to dance,
Nor never more in Ruffian habit wait.
O! never will I truft to fpeeches penn'd,

Nor to the motion of a school-boy's tongue;
Nor never come in vizor to my friend:
Rr

Nor

Nor woo in rhime, like a blind harper's fong: Taffata phrafes, filken terms precife,

'Three-pil'd hyperboles, fpruce affectation, Figures pedantical; thefe fummer-flies

Have blown me full of maggot oftentation: I do forfwear them: and I here protest,

By this white glove, (how white the hand, God knows!) Henceforth my wooing mind fhall be exprefs'd

In ruffet yeas, and honeft kerfey noes:

And to begin, wench,-fo God help me, la !-
My love to thee is found, fans crack or flaw.

u

Rof. Sans SANS, I pray you.

Biron. Yet I have a trick

Of the old rage:-bear with me, I am fick;

I'll leave it by degrees. Soft, let us see ;—

W

Write, Lord have mercy on us, on those three;

They are infected, in their hearts it lies;

They have the plague, and caught it of your eyes:
These lords are vifited; you are not free,

X

For the Lord's tokens on you do I fee.

Prin. No, they are free, that gave these tokens to us. Biron. Our states are forfeit, feek not to undo us. Rof. It is not fo; For how can this be true, That you ftand forfeit, being thofe that fue? Biron. Peace; for I will not have to do with you. Rof. Nor fhall not, if I do as I intend.

Biron. Speak for yourselves, my wit is at an end. King. Teach us, fwe:t madam, for our rude tranfgreffion Some fair excufe.

• Three-pil'd]—(quibble) pile of velvet, and mounted one upon another. "Sans Jans,]-A truce with your French then.

va trick &c.]-a difpofition towards the old fport.

w Write,]-As on the door of infected houses.

* Lord's tokens]-Purple spots, the first fymptoms of the plague. Y Jue](quibble) petition and profecute.

Prin. The faireft is confeffion.

Were you not here, but even now, difguis'd?

King. Madam, I was.

*

Prin. And were you well advis'd?

King. I was, fair madam.

Prin. When you then were here,

What did you whifper in your lady's ear?

King. That more than all the world I did refpect her. Prin. When she fhall challenge this, you will reject her. King. Upon mine honour, no.

Prin. Peace, peace, forbear;

Your oath broke once, you force not to forfwear.
King. Defpife me, when I break this oath of mine.
Prin. I will; and therefore keep it :-Rofaline,
What did the Ruffian whifper in your ear?

Rof. Madam, he swore, that he did hold me dear
As precious eye-fight; and did value me
Above this world: adding thereto, moreover,
That he would wed me, or else die my lover.
Prin. God give thee joy of him! the noble lord
Most honourably doth uphold his word.

King. What mean you, madam? by my life, my troth, I never fwore this lady fuch an oath.

Rof. By heaven, you did; and to confirm it plain, You gave me this: but take it, fir, again.

King. My faith, and this, the princess I did give;

I knew her by this jewel on her sleeve.

Prin. Pardon me, fir, this jewel fhe did wear;
And lord Biron, I thank him, is my dear :-
What; will you have me, or your pearl again?
Biron. Neither of either; I remit both twain.
I fee the trick on't;-Here was a confent,
(Knowing aforehand of our merriment)

well advis'd]-fenfible of what you were about.

you force not to forfwear]-fcruple not to repeat your perjury.

a

a confent]-a confpiracy.

To dash it like a Christmas comedy :

Some carry-tale, fome pleafe-man, fome flight 'zany,
Some mumble-news, fome trencher-knight, fome Dick,-
That fmiles his cheek in years; and knows the trick
To make my lady laugh, when she's difpos'd,-
Told our intents before. which once disclos'd,
The ladies did change favours; and then we,
Following the figns, woo'd but the fign of fhe.
Now, to our perjury to add more terror,
We are again forfworn; in will and error.
Boyet. Much upon this it is :-

Biron. And might not you

Foreftal our sport, to make us thus untrue?

[To Boyet.

Do not you know my lady's foot by the fquier,
And laugh upon the apple of her eye?

And stand between her back, fir, and the fire,
Holding a trencher, jefting merrily?

You put our page out: Go, you are allow'd;
Die when you will, a fmock fhall be your shrowd.
You leer upon me, do you? there's an eye,
Wounds like a leaden fword.

Boyet. Full merrily

Hath this brave "manage, this career, been run.

Biron. Lo, he is tilting straight! Peace; I have done.

bzany,]-mimic, buffoon.

e That fmiles his cheek in years ;]—into wrinkles.

d

"He does fmile his face into more lines than is in the new map." TWELFTH NIGHT, A& III, S. 2.

in will, and error.]-firft in will, now in error.

• Much upon this it is :]-You are pretty near the mark.

f Do not you

Mar.

know my lady's foot by the fquier, &c.]-Have you not gotten the length of it, do you not ftand high in her favour, and catch her fmiles.-fquier from the French word efquierre, a rule, or fquare. g you are allow'd ;]-to fay any thing, like a licenfed jester.

"There's no flander in an allow'd fool."

TWELFTH NIGHT, A&t I, S. 5. Oli.

h

manage,]-feat of horfemanfhip.

Enter

Enter Coftard.

Welcome, pure wit! thou partest a fair fray.
Coft. O Lord, fir, they would know,
Whether the three worthies fhall come in, or no.

Biron. What, are there but three?
Coft. No, fir; but it is very fine,
For every one pursents three.

Biron. And three times thrice is nine.

Coft. Not fo, fir; under correction, fir; I hope, it is not fo:

You cannot beg us, fir, I can affure you, fir: we know what we know:

I hope, fir, three times thrice, fir,

Biron. Is not nine.

Coft. Under correction, fir, we know whereuntil it doth

amount.

Biron. By Jove, I always took three threes for nine. Coft. O Lord, fir, it were pity you should get your living by reckoning, fir.

Biron. How much is it?

Coft. O Lord, fir, the parties themselves, the actors, fir, will fhew whereuntil it doth amount: for my own part, I am, as they fay, but to parfect one man in one poor man; Pompion the great, fir.

Biron. Art thou one of the worthies?

Coft. 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 ftand for him.

Biron. Go, bid them prepare.

Cost. We will turn it finely off, fir; we will take fome care. King. Biron, they will fhame us, let them not approach. [Exit Coftard.

i beg us,]-for fools, we can number. the degree]-descent, hiftory.