Hol. I will overglance the superscript. To the snowwhite 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, accidentally, 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. [Exeunt CoST. and JAQ Nath. Sir, you have done this in the fear of God, very religiously; and, as a certain father saith 6 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 unlearned, 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, certes7 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. 6 colourable colours.] i. e. specious appearances. 7 -- certes,] i. e. certainly, in truth. 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: Well proved again on my side! I will not love: if I do, hang me; i'faith, I will not. O, but her eye, by this light, but for her eye, I would not love her; yes, for her two eyes. Well, I do nothing in the world but lie, and lie in my throat. By heaven, I do love; and it hath taught me to rhyme, and to be melancholy; and here is part of my rhyme, and here my melancholy. Well, she hath one o' my sonnets already; the clown bore it, the fool sent it, and the lady hath it: sweet clown, sweeter fool, sweetest lady! By the world, I would not care a pin if the other three were in: Here comes one with a paper; God give him grace to groan! [Gets up into a tree. Enter the King with a paper. King. Ah me! Biron. [aside.] Shot, by heaven!- Proceed, sweet Cupid; thou hast thump'd him with thy bird-bolt under the left pap: -I'faith secrets. King [reads.] So sweet a kiss the golden sun gives not As thy eye-beams, when their fresh rays have smote 8 I am toiling in a pitch;] Alluding to lady Rosaline's complexion, who is through the whole play represented as a black beauty. Nor shines the silver moon one half so bright So ridest thou triumphing in my woe; And they thy glory through my grief will show: paper; How shall she know my griefs? I'll drop the Enter LONGAVILLE, with a paper. What, Longaville! and reading! listen, ear. [Steps aside. Biron. Now in thy likeness, one more fool, appear! [Aside. Long. Ah me! I am forsworn. Biron. Why he comes in like a perjure, wearing papers. [Aside. King. In love, I hope; Sweet fellowship in shame! [Aside. Biron. One drunkard loves another of the name. [Aside. Long. Am I the first that have been perjur'd so? Biron [aside.] I could put thee in comfort; not by two, that I know: Thou mak'st the triumviry, the corner cap of society, The shape of Love's Tyburn that hangs up simplicity. Long. I fear, these stubborn lines lack power to move: O sweet Maria, empress of my love! 9 - he comes in like a perjure,] The punishment of perjury is to wear on the breast a paper expressing the crime. These numbers will I tear, and write in prose. Biron. [aside.] O, rhymes are guards on wanton Cupid's hose: Disfigure not his slop.1 Long. This same shall go [He reads the sonnet. Did not the heavenly rhetorick of thine eye Vows, for thee broke, deserve not punishment. Thou being a goddess, I forswore not thee: My vow was earthly, thou a heavenly love; Thy grace being gain'd, cures all disgrace in me. Vows are but breath, and breath a vapour is: Then thou, fair sun, which on my earth dost shine, Exhal'st this vapour vow; in thee it is: If broken then, it is no fault of mine; If by me broke. What fool is not so wise, Biron. [aside.] This is the liver vein, which makes flesh a deity: A green goose, a goddess: pure, pure idolatry. God amend us, God amend! we are much out o'the way. Enter DUMAIN, with a paper. Long. By whom shall I send this?-Company! stay. [Stepping aside. Biron. [aside.] All hid, all hid3, an old infant play: Like a demi-god here sit I in the sky, And wretched fools' secrets heedfully o'er-eye. 1 Disfigure not his slop.] This alludes to the usual tawdry dress of Cupid, when he appeared on the stage. 2 the liver vein,] The liver was anciently supposed to be the seat of love. 3 All hid, all hid,] The children's cry at hide and seek. More sacks to the mill! O heavens, I have my wish; Dum. O most divine Kate! O most profane coxcomb. [Aside. Dum. By heaven, the wonder of a mortal eye! Biron. By earth she is but corporal: there you lie. [Aside. Dum. Her amber hairs for foul have amber coted.4 Biron. An amber-colour'd raven was well noted. [Aside. Dum. As upright as the cedar. Stoop, I say; Dum. Her shoulder is with child. Biron. Ay, as some days; but then no sun must shine. [Aside. As fair as day. [Aside. Dum. O that I had my wish! And I had mine! [Aside. [Aside. King. And I mine too, good lord! Biron. Amen, so I had mine: Is not that a good word? Dum. I would forget her; but a fever she Reigns in my blood, and will remember'd be. [Aside. Biron. A fever in your blood, why, then incision Would let her out in saucers 5; Sweet misprision! [Aside. Dum. Once more I'll read the ode that I have writ. Biron. Once more I'll mark how love can vary wit. 4 [Aside. amber coted.] The word here intended, though mispelled, is quoted, which signifies observed or regarded, both here and in every place where it occurs in these plays; and the meaning is, that amber itself is regarded as foul, when compared with her hair. 5 why, then incision Would let her out in saucers;] It was the fashion among the young gallants of that age, to stab themselves in the arms, or elsewhere, in order to drink their mistress's health, or write her name in their blood, as a proof of their passion. |