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She might have been a grandam ere she dy❜d.
And fo may you; for a light heart lives long.
Rof. What's your dark meaning, moufe, of this
light word?

Cath. A light condition, in a beauty dark.

Rof. We need more light to find your meaning out. Cath. You'll marr the light, by taking it in fnuff: Therefore I'll darkly end the argument.

Rof. Look, what you do; and do it ftill i'th'
dark.

Cath. So do not you, for you are a light wench.
Rof. Indeed, I weigh not you; and therefore light.
Cath. You weigh me not; O, that's, you care not
for me.

Rof. Great reafon; for (a) paft Cure is ftill paft
Care.

Prin. Well bandied both; a fet of wit well play'd.
But, Rofaline, you have a Favour too:
Who fent it? and what is it?

Rof. I would, you knew.

And if my face were but as fair as yours,
My favour were as great; be witness this.
Nay, I have Verfes too, I thank Biron.
The numbers true, and were the numbring too,
I were the fairest Goddess on the ground.
I am compar'd to twenty thoufand fairs.
O, he hath drawn my picture in his letter.
Prin. Any thing like?

Rof. Much in the letters, nothing in the praise.
Prin. Beauteous as ink; a good conclufion.
Cath. Fair as a text B in a copy-book.

Rof. Ware pencils. How? let me not die your

debter,

My red dominical, my golden letter.
O, that your face were not fo full of Oes!

[(a)-paft Cure is fill paft Care. Dr. Thirlby,Vulg. past Care is fill paft Cure.】

Cath.

Cath. Pox of that jest, and I befhrew all fhrews:
Prin. But what was fent to you from fair Dumaine?
Cath. Madam, this glove.

Prin. Did he not fend you twain?
Cath. Yes, Madam; and moreover,
Some thousand verses of a faithful lover.
A huge tranflation of hypocrifie,
Vildly compil'd, profound fimplicity.

Mar. This, and thefe pearls, to me fent Longaville; The letter is too long by half a mile.

Prin. I think no lefs; doft thou not wish in heart, The chain were longer, and the letter short?

Mar. Ay, or I would thefe hands might never part. Prin. We are wife girls, to mock our lovers for't. Rof. They are worse fools to purchase mocking so. That fame Biron I'll torture, ere I go.

O, that I knew he were but in by th' week!
How I would make him fawn, and beg, and feek,
And wait the feason, and obferve the times,
And spend his prodigal wits in bootlefs rhimes,
And fhape his fervice all to my behests,

And make him proud to make me proud with jests:
+ So portent-like would I o'er-fway his ftate,
That he should be my Fool, and I his Fate.

4 So PERTAUN T-like would I o'er fway his ftate,

That he should be my Fool, and I his Fate.] In old farces, to fhew the inevitable approaches of death and destiny, the Fool of the farce is made to employ all his ftratagems to avoid Death or Fate: Which very ftratagems, as they are ordered, bring the Fool, at every turn, into the very jaws of Fate. To this Shakespear alludes again in Measure for Measure,

-merely thou art Death's Fool;

For him thou labour'ft by thy flight to shun,
And yet runs towards him fill-

It is plain from all this, that the nonfenfe of pertaunt-like should be read PORT EN T-like, i. e. I would be his fate or deftiny, and like a portent hang over, and influence his fortunes. For portents were not only thought to forebode, but to influence. So the Latins called a perfon destined to bring mischief, fatale por

tentum.

Prin. None are fo furely caught, when they are

catch'd,

As wit turn'd fool; folly, in wifdom hatch'd,
Hath wisdom's warrant, and the help of school;
And wit's own grace to grace a learned fool.

Rof. The blood of youth burns not in fuch excess, As gravity's revolt to wantonnefs.

Mar. Folly in fools bears not fo ftrong a note,
As fool'ry in the wife, when wit doth dote:
Since all the power thereof it doth apply,
To prove, by wit, worth in fimplicity.

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Prin. Here comes Boyet, and mirth is in his face. Boyet. O, I am ftab'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 furpriz'd.
Mufter your wits, ftand in your own defence,
Or hide your heads like cowards, and fly hence.
Prin. Saint Dennis, to faint Cupid! what are they,
That charge their breath against us? fay, fcout, fay.
Boyet. Under the cool fhade of a fycamore,
I thought to close mine eyes fome half an hour;
When, lo! to interrupt my purpos'd Reft,
Toward that fhade, I might behold, addrest
The King and his companions; warily
I ftole into a neighbour thicket by;
And over-heard, what you fhall over-hear:
That, by and by, difguis'd they will be here.
Their Herald is a pretty knavifh Page,
That well by heart hath conn'd his embaffage.
VOL. II.

S

Action

Action and accent did they teach him there;
Thus must thou fpeak, and thus thy body bear;
And ever and anon they made a doubt,
Prefence majeftical would put him out:
For, quoth the King, an Angel fhalt thou fee;
Yet fear not thou, but fpeak audaciously.
The boy reply'd, an Angel is not evil;

I should have fear'd her, had the been a Devil.
With that all laugh'd, and clap'd him on the shoulder,
Making the bold wag by their praises bolder.
One rubb'd his elbow thus, and fleer'd, and swore,
A better fpeech was never spoke before.
Another with his finger and his thumb,

Cry'd, via! we will do't, come what will come.
The third he caper'd and cry'd, all goes well:
The fourth turn'd on the toe, and down he fell. “
With that they all did tumble on the ground,
With fuch a zealous laughter, fo profound,
That in this fpleen ridiculous appears,
To check their folly, paffion's folemn tears.
Prin. But what, but what, come they to vifit us?
Boyet. They do, they do; and are apparell'd thus,
Like Mofcovites, or Ruffians, as I guess.
Their purpofe is to parley, court and dance;
And every one his love-feat will advance
Unto his fev'ral miftrefs; which they'll know,
By Favours fev'ral, which they did beftow.

Prin. And will they fo? the gallants fhall be taskt;
For, ladies, we will every one be maskt:
And not a man of them fhall have the grace,
Defpight of fuite, to fee a lady's face.

5 Like Mofcovites, or Ruffians, as I guess.] The fettling commerce in Ruffia was, at that time, a matter that much ingroffed the concern and converfation of the publick. There had been feveral embaffies employed thither on that occafion; and several tracts of the manners and ftate of that nation written: So that a mask of Muscovites was as good an entertainment to the audience of that time, as a coronation has been fince.

Hold,

Hold, Rofaline; this Favour thou fhalt wear,
And then the King will court thee for his Dear:
Hold, take you this, my fweet, and give me thine;
So fhall Biron take me for Rofaline,

And change your Favours too; fo fhall
your Loves
Woo contrary, deceiv'd by these removes.

Rof. Come on then, wear the Favours moft in fight. Cath. But in this changing, what is your intent? Prin. Th' 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 councils they unbosom shall To loves miftook, and fo be mockt withal, Upon the next occafion that we meet, With visages difplay'd, to talk and greet. Rof. But fhall we dance, if they defire us to't? Prin. No; to the death, we will not move a foot; Nor to their pen'd speech render we no grace: But while 'tis fpoke, 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 reft will ne'er come in, if he be out.

There's no fuch Sport, as Sport by Sport o'erthrown,
To make theirs ours, and ours none but our own;
So fhall we stay, mocking intended game;

And they, well mockt, depart away with fhame.[Sound.
Boyet. The trumpet founds; be maskt, the maskers

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Enter the King, Biron, Longaville, Dumain, and Attendants, difguis'd like Mofcovites; Moth with Mufick, as for a masquerade.

Moth. All hail, the richest beauties on the earth!
Boyet. Beauties, no richer than rich taffata.

S 2

Moth.

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