our whetstone; for always the dulness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! whither wander you? Touch. Mistress, you must come away to your father. Cel. Were you made the messenger? 55 Touch. No, by mine honor, but I was bid to come for you. Ros. Where learned you that oath, fool? 58 Touch. Of a certain knight that swore by his honor they were good pancakes and swore by his honor the mustard was naught: now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. Cel. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? 65 Ros. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. Touch. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. 69 Cel. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. Touch. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were; but if you swear by that that is not, you are not forsworn: no more was this knight, swearing by his honor, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancakes or that mustard. Cel. Prithee, who is't that thou meanest ? 75 Touch. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. Cel. My father's love is enough to honor him: enough! speak no more of him; you'll be whipped for taxation one of these days. Touch. The more pity, that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. 81 Ce. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Ros. With his mouth full of news. 85 Cel. Which he will put on us, as pigeons feed their young. Ros. Then shall we be news-crammed. Cel. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. 91 Enter Le Beau. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau: what's the news? Le Beau. Fair princess, you have lost much good sport. Cel. Sport! of what color? 95 Le Beau. What color, madam! how shall I answer you? Ros. As wit and fortune will. Touch. Or as the Destinies decree. Cel. . Well said : that was laid on with a trowel. 100 Touch. Nay, if I keep not my rank, Ros. Thou losest thy old smell. Le Beau. You amaze me, ladies: I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. Ros. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. 105 Le Beau. I will tell you the beginning; and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. Cel. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. Le Beau. There comes an old man and his three Cel. I could match this beginning with an old tale. Le Beau. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence. 116 Ros. With bills on their necks, "Be it known unto all men by these presents." Le Beau. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him: so he served the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. 125 Touch. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? Le Beau. Why, this that I speak of. Touch. Thus men may grow wiser every day: it is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. Cel. Or I, I promise thee. 132 Ros. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? is there yet another dotes upon ribbreaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? 136 Le Beau. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. Cel. Yonder, sure, they are coming: let us now stay and see it. 141 |