Dum. Ay, marry, there ;-some flattery for this evil. Long. O, some authority how to proceed; Some tricks, some quillets, how to cheat the devil. Dum. Some salve for perjury. Biron, And where that you have vow'd to study, lords, From women's eyes this doctrine I derive: ... As motion, and long during action, tires King. Saint Cupid, then! and, soldiers, to the field! [lords, Biron. Advance your standards, and upon them, Pell-mell, down with them! but be first advis'd, In conflict that you get the sun of them. Long. Now to plain-dealing; lay these glozes by Then, homeward, every man attach the hand We will with some strange pastime solace them, SCENE I.-Another part of the same. Enter Holofernes, Sir Nathaniel, and Dull. Hol. Satis quod sufficit. Nath. I praise God for you, sir: your reasons at dinner have been sharp and sententious; pleasant without scurrility, witty without affection, audacious without impudency, learned without opinion,, and strange without heresy. I did converse this quondam day with a companion of the king's, who is intituled, nominated, or called, Don Adriano de Armado. Hol. Novi hominem tanquam te; His humour is lofty, his discourse peremptory, his tongue filed, his eye ambitious, his gait majestical, and his general behaviour vain, ridiculous, and thrasonical. He is too picked, too spruce, too affected, too odd, as it were, too peregrinate, as I may call it. Nath. A most singular and choice epithet. [Takes out his table book. Hol. He draweth out the thread of his verbosity finer than the staple of his argument. I abhor such fanatical phantasms, such insociable and point-de vise companions; such rackers of orthography, as to speak, dout, fine, when he should say, doubt; det, when he should pronounce debt; d, e, b, t; not d, e, t: he clepeth a calf, cauf; half, hauf; neigh Love's tongue proves dainty Bacchus gross in taste: bour, vocatur, nebour; neigh, abbreviated, ne: For valour, is not love a Hercules, Still climbing trees in the Hesperides? Subtle as sphinx; as sweet, and musical, A As bright Apollo's lute, strung with his hair; Until his ink were temper'd with love's sighs; This is abhominable, (which he would call abomin able,) it insinuateth me of insanie; Ne intelligis do mine to make frantick, lunatick. Nath. Laus Dev, bone intelligo. Hol. Bone?bone, for bene: Priscian a little scratch'd; 'twill serve. Enter Armado, Moth, and Costard, Nath. Videsne quis venit? Hol. Video, et gaudeo. Arm. Chirra! Hol. Quare Chirra, not sirrah ? Arm. Men of peace, well encounter'd. Hol. Most military sir, salutation. [To Moth, Moth. They have been at a great feast of languages, and stolen the scraps. [To Costard aside, Cost. O, they have lived long in the alms-basket of words! I marvel, thy master hath not eaten thee for a word; for thou art not so long by the head as honorificabilitudinitatibus: thou art easier swallowed than a flap-dragon. Moth. Peace; the peal begins. Arm. Monsieur, [to Hol.] are you not letter'd? Moth. Yes, yes; he teaches boys the horn-book;What is a, b, spelt backward with a horn on his head? Hol. Ba, pueritia, with a horn added.. Moth. Ba, most silly sheep, with a horn-You hear his learning. Hol. Quis, quis, thou consonant? for that worthy's thumb: he is not so big as the end of his club. Hol. Shall I have audience? he shall present Hercules in minority: his enter and exit shall be Moth. The third of the five vowels, if you repeat strangling a snake; and I will have an apology them; or the fifth, if I. for that purpose. Hol. I will repeat them, a, e, i. Moth. The sheep: the other two concludes it; o, u. Arm. Now, by the salt wave of the Mediterraneum, a sweet touch, a quick venew of wit: snip, snap, quick and home! it rejoiceth my intellect: true wit. Moth. Offer'd by a child to an old man; which is wit-old. Hol. What is the figure? what is the figure ? . Moth. Horns. Hol. Thou disputest like an infant: go, whip thy gig. Moth. Lend me your horn to make one, and I will whip about your infamy circum cirea; A gig of a cuckold's horn! Cost. An I had but one penny in the world, thou shouldst have it to buy ginger-bread: hold, there is the very remuneration I had of thy master, thou half-penny purse of wit, thou pigeon-egg of discretion. O, an the heavens were so pleased, that thou wert but my bastard! what a joyful father wouldst thou make me! Go to, thou hast it ad dunghill, at the fingers' ends, as they say. Hol. O, I smell false Latin; dunghill for unguem. Arm. Arts-man, præambula; we will be singled from the barbarous. Do you not educate youth at the charge-house on the top of the mountain ? Hol. Or, mons, the hill. Arm. At your sweet pleasure, for the mountain. Hol. I do, sans question. Arm. Sir, it is the king's most sweet pleasure and affection, to congratulate the princess at her pavilion, in the posteriors of this day; which the rude multitude call, the afternoon. Hol. The posterior of the day, most generous sir, is liable, congruent, and measurable for the afternoon the word is well cull'd, chose; sweet and apt, I do assure you, sir, I do assure. Arm. Sir, the king is a noble gentleman; and my familiar, 1 do assure you, very good friend :For what is inward between us, let it pass :-I do beseech thee, remember thy courtesy-I beseech thee, apparel thy head;-and among other importunate and most serious designs,-and of great import indeed, too;-but let that pass-for I must tell thee, it will please his grace (by the world) sometime to lean upon my poor shoulder; and with his royal finger, thus, daily with my excrement, with my mustachio: but, sweet heart, let that pass. By the world, I recount no fable; some certain special honours it pleaseth his greatness to impart to Armado, a soldier, a man of travel, that hath seen the world: but let that pass.-The very all of all is, but, sweet heart, I do implore secrecy, that the king would have me present the princess, sweet chuck, with some delightful ostentation, or show, or pageant, or antick, or fire-work. Now, understanding that the curate and your sweet self, are good at such eruptions, and sudden breaking out of mirth, as it were, I have acquainted you withal, to the end to crave your assistance. Moth. An excellent device! so, if any of the audience hiss, you may cry well done, Hercules! now thou crushest the snake! that is the way to make an offence gracious; though few have the grace to do it. Arm. For the rest of the worthies ? Hol. I will play three myself. Moth. Thrice-worthy gentleman! Arm. Shall I tell you a thing? Hol. We attend. Arm. We will have, if this fadge not, an antick. I beseech you, follow. Hol. Via, goodman Dull! thou hast spoken no word all this while. Dull. Nor understood none neither, sir. Hol. Allons! we will employ thee. Dull. I'll make one in a dance, or so; or I will play on the tabor to the worthies, and let them dance the hay. Hol. Most dull, honest Dull, to our sport, away. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Another part of the same. Before the Princess's Pavilion. Enter the Princess, Katharine, Rosaline, and Maria. Prin. Sweet hearts, we shall be rich ere we depart, If fairings come thus plentifully in: A lady wall'd about with diamonds! Look you, what I have from the loving king. Ros. Madam, came nothing else along with that? Prin. Nothing, but this? yes, as much love in rhyme, As would be cramm'd up in a sheet of paper, Writ on both sides the leaf, margent and all; That he was fain to seal on Cupid's name. Ros. That was the way to make his god-head wax; For he hath been five thousand years a boy. Kath. Ay, and a shrewd unhappy gallows too. Ros. You'll ne'er be friends with him; he kill'd your sister. Kath. He made her melancholy, sad, and heavy; Kath. A light condition in a beauty dark. out. Kath. You'll mar the light, by taking it in snuff; Therefore, I'll darkly end the argument. Ros. Look, what you do, you do it still i' the dark. Kath. So do not you; for you are a light wench. Ros. Indeed, I weigh not you; and therefore light. [for me. Kath. You weigh me not,-O, that's you care not Ros. Great reason; for, Past cure is still past care. Prin. Well bandied both; a set of wit well play'd. But Rosaline, you have a favour too: Who sent it? and what is it? Hol. Sir, you shall present before her the nine worthies. Sir Nathaniel, as concerning some en-1 Ros. I would, you knew? tertainment of time, some show in the posterior of An if my face were but as fair as yours, this day, to be rendered by our assistance, the My favour were as great; be witness this. king's command, and this most gallant, illustrate, Nay, I have verses too, I thank Biron : and learned gentleman,-before the princess; I The numbers true; and, were the numb'ring too, say, none so fit as to present the nine worthies. I were the fairest goddess on the ground: Nath. Where will you find men worthy enough I am compar'd to twenty thousand fairs. to present them? O, he hath drawn my picture in his letter! Prin. Any thing like? Hol. Joshua, yourself; myself, or this gallant gentleman, Judas Maccabeus; this swain, because of his great limb or joint, shall pass Pompey the great; the page, Hercules. Arm. Pardon, sir, error: he is not quantity enough Ros. Much, in the letters; nothing in the praise Prin. Beauteous as ink; a good conclusion. Kath. Fair as a text B in a copy-book. [debtor, Ros. 'Ware pencils! How? let me not die your My red dominical, my golden letter: Did he not send you twain? Mar. This, and these pearls, to me sent LongaThe letter is too long by half a mile. [ville; Prin, I think no less: Dost thou not wish in heart, The chain were longer, and the letter short? Mar. Ay, or I would these hands might never part. Prin. We are wise girls, to mock our lovers so. Rot. They are worse fools to purchase mocking so. That same Biron I'll torture ere I go. O, that I knew he were but in by the week! As wit turn'd fool: folly, in wisdom hatch'd, *, Prin. Here comes Boyet, and mirth is in his face. Boyet. O, I am stabb'd with laughter! Where's her grace? Prin. Thy news, Boyet? Boyet. Prepare, madam, prepare !— Arm, wenches, arm! encounters mounted are Against your peace: Love doth approach disguis'd, Armed in arguments; you'll be surpris'd Muster your wits; stand in your own defence; Or hide your heads like cowards, and fly hence. Prin Saint Dennis to Saint Cupid! What are they, That charge their breath against us? say, scont, say. I stole into a neighbour thicket by, i Making the bold wag by their praises bolder. With that, they all did tumble on the ground, A Like Muscovites, or Russians: as I guess, For, ladies, we will every one be mask'd; Hold, Rosaline, this favour thou shalt wear; Ros. Come on then; wear the favours most in sight. Kath. But, in this changing, what is your intent? Prin. The effect of my intent is, to cross theirs: They do it but in mocking merriment; And mock for mock is only my intent. Their several counsels they unbosom shall To loves mistook; and so be mock'd withal, Upon the next occasion that we meet, With visages display'd, to talk and greet. Ros. But shall we dance, if they desire us to't? Prin. No; to the death, we will not move a foot: Nor to their penn'd speech render we no grace: But, while 'tis spoke, each turn away her face. Boyet. Why, that contempt will kill the speaker's heart, And quite divorce his memory from his part. Prin. Therefore I do it; and, I make no doubt, The rest will ne'er come in, if he be out. There's no such sport, as sport by sport o'erthrown; To make theirs ours, and ours none but our own: 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 Dumain, in Russian habits, and masked; Moth, Musicians, and Attendants. Moth. All hail the richest beauties on the earth! [The ladies turn their backs to him. Boyel. True; out, indeed. Moth. Out of your favours, heavenly spirits vouchNot to behold Biron. Once to behold, rogue. [safe Moth. Once to behold with your sun-beamed eyes, 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 Boyet. What would you with the princess? 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 Boyet. If, to come hither you have measur'd And many miles; the princess bids you tell, Biron. Tell her, we measure them by weary steps. How many weary steps, [you; Ros. My face is but a moon, and clouded too. King. Blessed are clouds, to do as such clouds do! 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 bid'st me beg; this begging is not strange. soon. moon. King. Will you not dance? How come you! Ros. You took the moon at full; but now she's 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, [dance. We'll not be nice take hands ;-we will not King. Why take we hands then ? Only to part friends:Court'sy, sweet hearts; and so the measure ends. King. More measure of this measure; be not nice. Ros. Ros Ros. We can afford no more at such a price. I am best pleas'd with that. Seventh sweet, adieu! Since you can cóg, I'll play no more with you. Biron. One word in secret. Prin. Let it not be sweet. As much in private, and I'll bid adiel. [They converse apart. Kath. What, was your visor made without a tongue ? Long. I know the reason, lady, why you ask. Kath. No, a fair lord calf. No, I'll not be your half: Will you give horns, chaste lady ? do not so. Cutting a smaller hair than may be seen; Above the sense of sense: so sensible [wings, Ros. Not one word more, my maids; break off, [Exeunt King, Lords, Moth, Musick, and Attend. ants. Prin. Twenty adieus, my frozen Muscovites.- puff'd out. [fat, fat. Qualm, perhaps. Kath. Yes, in good faith. But will you hear? the king is my love sworn. Prin. How blow? how blow? speak to be under Biron. Thou griev'st my gall. Prin. And wonder, what they were; and to what end Boyet. Ladies, withdraw: the gallants are at hand. Prin. Whip to our tents, as roes run over land. [Exeunt Princess, Ros. Kath. and Maria. Enter the King, Biron, Longaville, and Dumain, in their proper habits. King. Fair sir, God save you! Where is the princess? Boyet. Gone to her tent: Please it your majesty, Command me any service to her thither? King. That she vouchsafe me audience for one word. Boyet. I will; and so will she, I know, my lord. [Exit. Biron. This fellow pecks up wit, as pigeons peas; And utters it again when God doth please: He is wit's pedler; and retails his wares At wakes, and wassels, meetings, markets, fairs; And we that sell by gross, the Lord doth know, Have not the grace to grace it with such show. This gallant pins the wenches on his sleeve; Had he been Adam, he had tempted Eve: He can carve too, and lisp: Why, this is he, That kiss'd away his hand in courtesy ; This is the ape of form, monsieur the nice, That, when he plays at tables, chides the dice In honourable terms; nay, he can sing A mean most meanly; and, in ushering, Mend him who can the ladies call him, sweet; The stairs, as he treads on them, kiss his feet: This is the flower that smiles on every one, To show his teeth as white as whales bone: And consciences, that will not die in debt, Pay him the due of honey-tongued Boyet. King. A blister on his sweet tongue, with my That put Armado's page out of his part! [heart, Enter the Princess, ushered by Boyet; Rosaline, Maria, Katharine, and Attendants. Biron. See where it comes!-Behaviour, what wert thou, Till this man show'd thee? and what art thou now? King. All hail, sweet madam, and fair time of day! Prin, Fair, in all hail, is foul, as I conceive. King. Construe my speeches better, if you may. Prin. Then wish me better, I will give you leave. King. We came to visit you; and purpose now To lead you to our court: vouchsafe it then. Prin. This field shall hold me; and so hold your VOW: Nor God, nor I, delight in perjur'd men, For virtue's office never breaks men's troth. A world of torments though I should endure, Ay, in truth, my lord; And talk'd apace; and in that hour, my lord, They did not bless us with one happy word. - I cannot give you less. Ros. Which of the visors was it, that you wore ? Biron. Where? when? what visor why demand you this? Ros. There, then, that visor; that superfluous case, That hid the worse, and show'd the better face. King. We are descried; they'll mock us now downright. ness sad? Dum. Let us confess, and turn it to a jest. Prin. Amaz'd, my lord? Why looks your high[look you pale? Ros. Help, hold his brows! he'll swoon? Why Sea-sick, I think, coming from Muscovy. Biron. Thus pour the stars down plagues for perjury, Can any face of brass hold longer out?— Here stand I, lady; dart thy skill at me; Bruise me with scorn, confound me with a flout; Thrust thy sharp wit quite through my ignorance; Cut me to pieces with thy keen conceit; And I will wish thee never more to dance, Nor never more in Russian habit wait. O! never will I trust to speeches penn'd, Nor to the motion of a school-boy's tongue; Nor never come in visor to my friend; Taffata phrases, silken terms precise, Nor woo in rhyme, like a blind harper's song; Three-pil'd hyperboles, spruce affectation, Figures pedantical; these summer-flies Have blown me full of maggot ostentation: I do forswear them: and I here protest, By this white glove, (how white the hand, God knows!) Henceforth my wooing mind shall be express'd In russet yeas, and honest kersey noes: And, to begin, wench,-so God help me, la !--My love to thee is sound, sans crack or flaw. Ros. Sans sans, I pray you. Biron. Yet I have a trick Of the old rage:-bear with me, I am sick; I'll leave it by degrees. Soft, let us see;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 visited; you are not free, For the Lord's tokens on you do I see. [to us. Prin, No, they are free, that gave these tokens Biron. Our states are forfeit, seek not to undo us. Ros. It is not so; For how can this be true, That you stand forfeit, being those that sue? Biron. Peace; for I will not have to do with you. Ros. Nor shall not, if I do as I intend. Biron. Speak for yourselves, my wit is at an end. King. Teach us, sweet madam, for our rude transgression Some fair excuse. Prin. The fairest is confession. Were you not here, but even now, disguis'd? King. Madam, I was. Prin. And were you well advis'd King, I was, fair madam. When you then were here, What did you whisper in your lady's ear? [her. King. That more than all the world I did respect Prin. When she shall challenge this, you will reject her. |