Enter ATEUKIN.

Ateu. Why, so, Ateukin, this becomes thee best, Wealth, honour, ease, and angels in thy chest: Now may I say, as many often sing,

"No fishing to the sea, nor service to a king." Unto this high promotion + doth belong Means to be talk'd of in the thickest throng. And first, to fit the humours of my lord, Sweet lays and lines of love I must record; And such sweet lines and love-lays I'll indite, As men may wish for, and my liege ‡ delight: And next a train of gallants at my heels, That men may say, the world doth run on wheels; For men of art, that rise by indirection To honour and the favour of their king, Must use all means to save what they have got, And win their favours whom they§ never knew. If any frown to see my fortunes such, A man must bear a little, not too much. But, in good time, these bills portend, I think, That some good fellows do for service seek. [Reads. If any gentleman, spiritual or temporal, will entertain out of his service a young stripling of the age of thirty years, that can sleep with the soundest, eat with the hungriest, work with the sickest,|| lie with the loudest, face with the proudest, &c., that can wait in a gentleman's chamber when his master is a mile off, keep his stable when 'tis empty, and his purse when 'tis full, and hath many qualities worse than all these,-let him write his name and go his way, and attendance shall be given. By my faith, a good servant: which is he? Slip. Truly, sir, that am I.

Ateu. And why dost thou write such a bill? are all these qualities in thee?

Slip. O Lord, ay, sir, and a great many more. some better, some woree, some richer, some poorer. Why, sir, do you look so? do they not please you?

Ateu. Truly, no, for they are naught, and so art thou: if thou hast no better qualities, stand by.

Slip. O, sir, I tell the worst first; but, an you lack a man, I am for you: I'll tell you the best qualities I have.

Slip. Why, there you kill me, there am I,* and turn me to a horse and a wench, and I have no peer.

Ateu. Art thou so good in keeping a horse? I pray thee tell me how many good qualities hath a horse?

Slip. Why, so, sir: a horse hath two properties of a man, that is, a proud heart and a hardy stomach; four properties of a lion, a broad breast, a stiff docket,-hold your nose, master,a wild countenance, and four good 'legs; nine properties of a fox, nine of a hare, nine of an ass, and ten of a woman.

Ateu. A woman! why, what properties of a woman hath a horse?

Slip. O, master, know you not that? draw your tables, and write what wise I speak. First, a merry countenance; second, a soft pace; third, a broad forehead; fourth, broad buttocks; fifth, hard of ward; sixth, easy to leap upon; seventh, good at long journey; eighth, moving under a man; ninth, alway busy with the mouth; tenth, ever chewing on the bridle.

Ateu. Thou art a man for me: what's thy name? Slip. An ancient name, sir, belonging to the chamber and the night-gown: guess you that. Ateu. What's that? Slipper?

Slip. By my faith, well guessed; and so 'tis indeed. You'll be my master?

Ateu. I mean so.

Slip. Read this first.

Ateu. [reads.] Pleaseth it any gentleman to entertain a servant of more wit than stature, let them subscribe, and attendance shall be given. What of this?

Slip. He is my brother, sir; and we two were born together, must serve together, and will die together, though we be both hanged.

Ateu. What's thy name?

Nano. Nano.

Ateu. The etymology of which word is a dwarf. Art not thou the old stoic's son that dwells in his tomb?

|

Sir Bar. Why, man, our country's blithe, our
king is well,

Our queen so-so, the nobles well and worse,
And weel are they that are* about the king,
But better are the country gentlemen:
And I may tell thee, Eustace, in our lives
We old men never saw so wondrous change.
But leave this trattle, and tell me what news
In lovely England with our honest friends?

Eust. The king, the court, and all our noble
friends

Are well; and God in mercy keep them so !
The northern lords and ladies hereabouts,
That know I comet to see your queen and court,
Commend them to my honest friend Sir Bartram,
| And many others that I have not seen.
Amongst the rest, the Countess Elinor,

From Carlisle, where we merry oft have been,
Greets well my lord, and hath directed me
By message this fair lady's face to see.

[Shows a portrait.

Sir Bar. I tell thee, Eustace, 'less mine old eyes daze,

This is our Scottish moon and evening's pride;
This is the blemish of your English bride.
Who sail by her are sure of wind at will;
Her face is dangerous, her sight is ill;
And yet, in sooth, sweet Dick, it may be said,
The king hath folly, there's virtue in the maid.
Eust. But knows my friend this portrait? be
advis'd.

Sir Bar. Is it not Ida, the Countess of Arran's daughter's?

Eust. So was I told by Elinor of Carlisle : But tell me, lovely Bartram, is the maid Evil-inclin'd, misled, or concubine

Unto the king or any other lord?

Sir Bar. Should I be brief and true, then thus, my Dick.

All England's grounds yield not a blither lass,
Nor Europe can surpass § her for her gifts
Of virtue, honour, beauty, and the rest:
But our fond king, not knowing sin in lust,
Makes love by endless means and precious gifts;
And men that see it dare not say't, my friend,
But we may wish that it were otherwise.
But I rid thee to view the picture still,

For by the person's sight ¶ there hangs some ill.

Eust. O, good Sir Bartram,* you suspect I love
(Then were I mad) her† whom I never saw.
But howsoe'er, I fear not enticings;
Desire will give no place unto a king:

I'll see her whom the world admires so much,
That I may say with them, "There lives none
such."
[with her;
Sir Bar. Be gad, and sall‡ both see and talk
And when thou'st done, whate'er her beauty be,
I'll warrant thee her virtues may compare
With the proudest she that waits upon your queen.

Live thou this life,++ exil'd from world and men, And I will show thee wonders ere we part.

Boh. Then mark my story,‡‡ and the strange doubts §§

That follow flatterers, lust, and lawless will,
And then say I have reason to forsake

*0, good Sir Bartram, &c.] The 4to. gives these six lines to Sir Bartram.

ther] The 4to. "hee."

Be gad, and sall) i. e. By God, and shalt.

§ My lady, &c.] The 4to. gives this line to Eustace, and does not mark the entrance of the Servant.

|| lewely] i e., I suppose, lovely.-The Rev. J. Mitford (Gent. Mag. for March, 1833, p. 218), speaking of the present passage, says; "This word [lewely] we find in the old romance of Havelok, ed. Madden, v. 2921;

* pride] Qy. "prize" (i. e. reward)?-The whole of what follows, till the beginning of the next act, is a mass of confusion and corruption.

twhat] The 4to. "which for."

Semiramis] Here the 4to. "Simi Ranus", and afterwards "Simeranus."

§ Stabrobates] Here the 4to. "Staurobates", and afterwards "S. Taurobates."

lery] The 4to. "tene."

¶ allureth A quadrisyllable: see Walker's Shakespeare's Versification, &c., p. 146.

** Olive Pat] I cannot even conjecture what the author wrote here.

tt Am Cyrus of Persia, &c.] The 4to.; "I am Cirus of Persia,

And I prithee leave me not thus," &c. But all this is stark nonsense. See the inscription on the tomb of Cyrus in Plutarch, Alex. 69.

Enter the King in great pomp, who reads it, and issueth, crying" Ver meum."*

Boh. What meaneth this?

Ober. Cyrus of Persia,

Mighty in life, within a marble grave

Was laid to rot; whom Alexander once
Beheld entomb'd, and weeping did confess,
Nothing in life could scape from wretchedness:
Why, then, boast men?

Boh. What reck I, then, of life,

Who make the grave my home, the earth my wife?

Ober. But mark me more.§

Boh.* Sike is the werld; but whilk is he I saw? Ober. Sesostris, who was conqueror of the world, Slain at the last and stamp'd on by his slaves. Boh. How blest are peur men, then, that know their graves!+

Now mark the sequel of my jig;

An he weel meet ends. The mirk and sable night
Doth leave the peering morn to pry abroad;
Thou nill me stay: hail, then, thou pride of kings!
I ken the world, and wot well worldly things.
Mark thou my jig, in mirkest terms that tells
The loath of sins and where corruption dwells.
Hail me ne mere with shows of guidly sights;
My grave is mine, that rids me from despites;
Accept my jig, guid king, and let me rest;
The grave with guid men is a gay-built nest.

Ober. The rising sun doth call me hence away;
Thanks for thy jig, I may no longer stay:
But if my train did wake thee from thy rest,
So shall they sing thy lullaby to nest.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I.

The COUNTESS OF ARRAN and IDA discovered in their porch, sitting at work: a Servant attending. A Song.**

Count. of A. Fair Ida, might you choose the greatest good,

Midst all the world in blessings that abound, Wherein, my daughter, should your liking be? Ida. Not in delights, or pomp, or majesty. Count. of A. And why?

Ida. Since these are means to draw the mind From perfect good, and make true judgment blind.

"Ver meum"] The 4to. "vermeum ": qy. if a mis print for "vermium", the first word of some Latin sentence on the vanity of earthly grandeur?-"We think with him the editor of the present volume] that it is an introduction to a moral reflection; but that it is Ver meum', my spring hath passed away, &c. The king probably quoted the two first words of some moral sentence, and Vermium was not likely to be the common by-word." Rev. J. Mitford,-Gent. Mag. for March 1833, p. 217.

tmak] The 4to. "makes."

thome] The 4to. "tomb." Corrected by Mr. Collier, Introd to The Tempest, p. 11, Shakespeare, ed. 1858. § But mark me more] The 4to. gives this to Bohan.

I flatterers] The 4to. "flatteries."

Potentate] The 4to. "Potentates.'

** A Song] In the printed copies of our early plays the "Songs" are frequently omitted.

Count. of A. Might you have wealth and Fortune's richest store?

Ida. Yet would I, might I choose, be honestpoor;

For she that sits at Fortune's feet a-low
Is sure she shall not taste a further woe,
But those that prank on top of Fortune's ball
Still fear a change, and, fearing, catch a fall.
Count. of A. Tut, foolish maid, each one con-
temneth need.

Ida. Good reason why, they know not good indeed.

Count. of A. Many, marry, then, on whom distress doth lour.

Ida. Yes, they that virtue deem an honest dower.

Madam, by right this world I may compare
Unto my work, wherein with heedful care
The heavenly workman plants with curious hand,
As I with needle draw each thing on land,
Even as he list: some men like to the rose
Are fashion'd fresh; some in their stalks do close,
And, born, do sudden die; some are but weeds,
And yet from them a secret good proceeds:

*Boh.] Not in the 4to. ↑ graves] The 4to. "graue."

Enter EUSTACE with letters.

Eust. Madam, God speed!

Count. of A. I thank you, gentle squire. Eust. The country Countess of Northumberland Doth greet you well, and hath requested me To bring these letters to your ladyship.

[Delivers the letters. Count. of A. I thank her honour, and yourself, my friend. [Peruses them. I see she means you good, brave gentleman.Daughter, the Lady Elinor salutes Yourself as well as me: then for her sake 'Twere good you entertain'd that courtier well. Ida. As much salute as may become my sex, And he in virtue can vouchsafe to think, I yield him for the courteous countess' sake.Good sir, sit down: my mother here and I Count time misspent an endless vanity.

Eust. [aside.] Beyond report, the wit, the fair,+ the shape!

What work you here, fair mistress? may I see it? Ida. Good sir, look on how like you this compact?

Eust. Methinks in this I see true love in act: The woodbines with their leaves do sweetly spread, The roses blushing prank them in their red; No flower but boasts the beauties of the spring; This bird hath life indeed, if it could sing. What means, fair mistress, had you in this work? Ida. My needle, sir.

Eust. In needles, then, there lurk§ Some hidden grace, I deem, beyond my reach. Ida. Not grace in them, good sir, but those that teach.

Eust. Say that your needle now were Cupid's

sting,

[Aside] But, ah, her eye must be no less, In which is heaven and heavenliness,

rich] The 4to. " earth."

lour] i. e. frown.-The 4to. "louer."-The Rev. J. Mitford (Gent. Mag. for March 1833, p. 217) strangely enough would read "flower."

fair] i. e. beauty.

8 lurk] The 4to. "lurkes," which destroys the rhyme. The construction is-"I deem there lurk "=lurks.)

In which the food of God is shut,
Whose powers the purest minds do glut!
Ida. What if it were?

Eust. Then see a wondrous thing;

I fear me you would paint in Tereus'* heart
Affection in his power and chiefest part.+
Ida. Good Lord, sir, no! for hearts but prickèd
soft

Are wounded sore, for so I hear it oft.

Eust. What recks the wound,‡ where but your

happy eye

May make him live whom Jove hath judg'd to die? Ida. Should life and death within this needle lurk,

I'll prick no hearts, I'll prick upon my work. Count. of A. Peace, Ida, I perceive the fox at hand.

Eust. The fox! why, fetch your hounds, and chase him hence.

Count. of A. O, sir, these great men bark at small offence.

Come,§ will it please you to enter, gentle sir? [They offer to go out.

Enter ATEUKIN and SLIPPER.

Ateu. Stay, courteous ladies; favour me so much

As to discourse a word or two apart.

Count. of A. Good sir, my daughter learns this

rule of me,

To shun resort and strangers' company;
For some are shifting mates that carry letters,
Some, such as you, too good because our betters.
Slip. Now, I pray you, sir, what akin are you
to a pickerel ?||

Ateu. Why, knave?

Slip. By my troth, sir, because I never knew a proper situation fellow of your pitch fitter to swallow a gudgeon.

Ateu. What meanest thou by this?

Slip. Shifting fellow, sir,-these be thy words; shifting fellow: this gentlewoman, I fear me, knew your bringing up.

Ateu. How so?

Slip. Why, sir, your father was a miller, that could shift for a peck of grist in a bushel, and you['re] a fair-spoken gentleman, that can get more

* Tereus'] The 4to. "Teneus."

+ part] The 4to. "parts."

wound] The 4to. "second."

§ Come, &c.] The 4to. gives to Ateukin this line; in which "to" seems to be an interpolation.

pickerel A small or young pike.

¶thy words] i. e. the words which describe you.