So shall we stay, mocking intended game; And they, well mock'd, depart away with shame. [Trumpets sound within. Boyet. The trumpet sounds; be mask'd, the maskers come. [The ladies mask.

Enter the King, BIRON, LONGAVILLE, and Du-
MAIN, in Russian habits and masked; MoTH,
Musicians, and Attendants.

Moth. All hail the richest beauties on the earth!
Boyet. Beauties no richer than rich taffata.
Moth. A holy parcel of the fairest dames,

The ladies turn their backs to him. That ever turn'd their-backs-to mortal views! Biron. Their eyes villain, their eyes.

Moth. That ever turn'd their eyes to mortal views! Out

Boyet. True; out, indeed.

Moth. Out of your favours, heavenly spirits, vouchsafe

Not to behold

Biron. Once to behold, rogue.

sun-beamed eyes,

Moth. Once to behold with your sun-beamed

-with your sun-beamed eyes—

Boyet. They will not answer to that epithet; You were best call it, daughter-beamed eyes. Moth. They do not mark me, and that brings me

out.

Biron. Is this your perfectness? be gone, you

rogue.

Ros. What would these strangers? know their
minds, Boyet:

If they do speak our language, 'tis our will
That some plain man recount their purposes:
Know what they would.

• Beauties no richer than rich taffata.] i. e. the taffata masks they wore to conceal themselves.

Boyet. What would you with the princess?
Biron. Nothing but peace, and gentle visitation.
Ros. What would they, say they?

Boyet. Nothing but peace, and gentle visitation.
Ros. Why, that they have; and bid them so be

gone.

Boyet. She says you have it, and you may be gone.

King. Say to her, we have measur'd many miles, To tread a measure with her on this grass.

Boyet. They say, that they have measur'd many a mile,

To tread a measure with you on this grass.

Ros. It is not so: ask them, how many inches Is in one mile: if they have measur'd many, The measure then of one is easily told.

Boyet. If, to come hither you have measur'd
miles,

And many miles; the princess bids you tell,
How many inches do fill up one mile.

Biron. Tell her, we measure them by weary

steps.

Boyet. She hears herself.

Ros.

How many weary steps,

Of many weary miles you have o'ergone,

Are number'd in the travel of one mile?

Biron. We number nothing that we spend for you;

Our duty is so rich, so infinite,

That we may do it still without accompt.
Vouchsafe to show the sunshine of your face,
That we, like savages, may worship it.

Ros. My face is but a moon, and clouded too.
King. Blessed are clouds, to do as such clouds

do!

To tread a measure-] The measures were dances solemn and slow.

Vouchsafe, bright moon, and these thy stars, to

shine

(Those clouds remov'd,) upon our wat'ry eyne.

Ros. O vain petitioner! beg a greater matter; Thou now request'st but moonshine in the water. King. Then, in our measure do but vouchsafe one change:

Thou bid'st me beg; this begging is not strange. Ros. Play, musick, then: nay, you must do it [Musick plays. Not yet;-no dance:-thus change I like the moon. King. Will you not dance? How come you thus

soon.

estrang'd?

Ros. You took the moon at full; but now she's

chang'd.

King. Yet still she is the moon, and I the man. The musick plays; vouchsafe some motion to it. Ros. Our ears vouchsafe it.

King.

But your legs should do it. Ros. Since you are strangers, and come here by

chance,

We'll not be nice: take hands ;-we will not dance. King. Why take we hands then?

Ros. Only to part friends:Court'sy, sweet hearts; and so the measure ends. King. More measure of this measure; be not nice. Ros. We can afford no more at such a price. King Prize you yourselves; What buys your company ?

Ros.
King.

Your absence only.

That can never be.

Ros. Then cannot we be bought and so adieu; Twice to your visor, and half once to you!

King. If you deny to dance, let's hold more chat. kos. In private then.

King.

I am best pleas'd with that. [They converse apart.

Biron. White-handed mistress, one sweet word with thee.

Prin. Honey, and milk, and sugar; there is three.

Biron. Nay then, two treys, (an if you grow so

nice,)

Metheglin, wort, and malmsey ;-Well run, dice! There's half a dozen sweets.

Prin.

Seventh sweet, adieu!

Since you can cog,' I'll play no more with
Biron. One word in secret.

Prin.

Biron. Thou griev'st my gall.

Prin.

Biron.

you.

Let it not be sweet.

Gall? bitter.

Therefore meet.

[They converse apart.

Dum. Will you vouchsafe with me to change a

word?

As much in private, and I'll bid adieu.

[They converse apart. Kath. What, was your visor made without a

tongue?

Long. I know the reason, lady, why you ask. Kath. O, for your reason! quickly, sir; I long. Long. You have a double tongue within your mask,

And would afford my speechless visor half.

King. Veal, quoth the Dutchman ;-Is not veal

a calf?

Since you can cog,] To cog, signifies to falsify the dice, and to falsify a narrative, or to lye. JOHNSON.

Long. A calf, fair lady?
Kath.

Long. Let's part the word.

Kath.

No, a fair lord calf.

No, I'll not be your half:

Take all, and wean it; it may prove an ox.

Long. Look, how you butt yourself in these sharp mocks!

Will you give horns, chaste lady? do not so.
Kath. Then die a calf, before your horns do grow.
Long. One word in private with you, cre I die.
Kath. Bleat softly then, the butcher hears you
[They converse apart.

cry.

Boyet. The tongues of mocking wenches are as keen

As is the razor's edge invisible,

Cutting a smaller hair than may be seen;

Above the sense of sense: so sensible

Seemeth their conference; their conceits have

wings,

Fleeter than arrows, bullets, wind, thought, swifter

things.

Ros. Not one word more, my maids; break off, break off.

Biron. By heaven, all dry-beaten with pure scoff! King. Farewell, mad wenches; you have simple

wits.

[Exeunt King, Lords, MOTн, Musick, and Attendants.

Prin. Twenty adieus, my frozen Muscovites.Are these the breed of wits so wonder'd at? Boyet. Tapers they are, with your sweet breaths puff'd out.

Ros. Well-liking wits they have; gross, gross; fat, fat.

Prin. O poverty in wit, kingly-poor flout!

* Well-liking wits-] Well-liking is the same as embonpoint.