That hid the worfe, and fhew'd the better face. Prin. Amaz'd, my Lord? why looks your Highnefs fad? Refa. Help, hold his brows, he'll fwoon: why look you pale? Sea-fick, I think, coming from Muscovy. Biron. Thus pour the ftars down plagues for perjury. Can any face of brafs hold longer out? Here ftand I, Lady, dart thy fkill at me; Bruife me with fcorn, confound me with a flout, Thru thy fharp wit quite through my ignorance; Cut me to pieces with thy keen conceit; And I will with thee never more to dance, Nor never more in Rufian habit wait. O! never will I truft to fpeeches pen'd, Nor to the motion of a fchool-boy's tongue; Nor never come in vizor to my friend, Nor woo in rhime like a blind harper's fong; Taffata-phrafes, filken terms precife, Three-pil'd hyperboles, fpruce affectation. Figures pedantical, thefe fummer-flies, Have blown me full of maggot oftentation, I do forfwear them; and I here proteft, By this white glove, (how white the hand, God knows!) Henceforth my wooing mind fhall be expreft In ruffet peas, and honeft kerfy noes: And to begin, wench, fo God help me, law, My love to thee is found, fans crack or flaw. Rofa. Sans, fans, I pray you. Biron. Yet I have a trick Of the old rage: bear with me, I am fick. ; Prin. No, they are free, that gave thefe tokens to us. Biron. Our ftates are forfeit, feek not to undo us. Rofa. It is not fo; for how can this be true, That you ftand forfeit, being thofe that fue? Biron. Peace, for I will not have to do with you. Rofa. Nor fhall not, if I do as I intend. Biron.. Speak for yourfelves, my wit is at an end. King. Teach us,fweet Madam, for our rude tranfgreffion Some fair excufe. Prin. The fairest is confeffion. Were you not here, but even now, difguis'd? King. Madam, I was. Prin. And were you well advis'd? King. I was, fair Madam. Prin. When you then were here, What did you whifper in your Lady's ear? King. That more than all the world I did refpe&t her. Prin. When fhe fhall challenge this, you will reject her, King. Upon mine honour, no. Prin. Peace, peace, forbear: Your oath once broke, you force not to forfwear. King. Defpife me when I break this oath of mine. Prin. I will, and therefore keep it. Refaline, What did the Ruffian whifper in your ear? Rofa. Madam, he fwore, that he did hold me dear As precious eye-fight; and did value me Above this world; adding thereto moreover, That he would wed me, or elfe die my lover. Prin. God give thee joy of him! the noble Lord Moft honourably doth uphold his word, King. What mean you, Madam? by my life, my troth, I never fwore this Lady fuch an oath. Rofa. By heav'n, you did; and to confirm it plain, You gave me this: but take it, Sir, again. King. My faith, and this, to th' Princess I did give; I knew her by this jewel on her sleeve. Prin. Pardon me, Sir, this jewel did she wear: And Lord Biron, I thank him, is my dear, What? will you have me? or your pearl again? L 5 Biron Biren. Neither of either I remit both twain. Some carry-tale, some pleafe-man, fome flight zany, Boyet. Full merrily Hath this brave manage, this career been run. Welcome, pure wit, thou parteft a fair fray. For every one purfents three. Biron. And three times thrice is nine? (48) That fmiles kis check in years,] Thus the whole fet of impreffions: but I cannot for my heart comprehend the fenfe of this phrafe. I am perfuaded, I have reftor'd the poets word and meaning. Boyer's `character was that of a fleerer, jeerer, mocker, carping blade. Coft. Coft. Not fo, Sir, under correction, Sir; I hope, it it is not fo. You cannot beg us, Sir; I can affure you, Sir, we know what we know: I hope, three times thrice, Sir Çoft. Under correction, Sir; we know whereuntil it doth amount. Biron. By Jove, I always took three threes for nine. Coft. O Lord, Sir, it were pity you should get your living by reckoning, Sir. Biron. How much is it? Coft. O Lord, Sir, the parties themselves, the actors, Sir, will fhew whereuntil it doth amount; for my own part, I am, as they fay, but to perfect one man in one poor man, Pompion the Great, Sir. Biron. Art thou one of the worthies? Coft. It pleafed them to think me worthy of Pompion the great: : for mine own part, I know not the degree of the worthy; but I am to ftand for him. Biron. Go bid them prepare. Coft. We will turn it finely off, Sir, we will take fome care. King. Biron, they will fhame us; let them not approach. [Exit Colt. Biron. We are fhame-proof, my Lord; and 'tis fome policy To have one how worfe than the King's and his company. King. I fay, they fhall not come. Prin. Nay, my good Lord, let me o'er-rule you now; That fport beft pleafes, that doth leaft know how. Where zeal ftrives to content, and the contents Dies in the zeal of that which it prefents; Their form, confounded, makes moft form in mirth; When great things, labouring, perish in their birth. Biron. A right defcription of our fport, my Lord. Enter Armado. Arm. Anointed, I implore fo much expence of thy royal fweet breath, as will utter a brace of words. Prin. Doth this man ferve God? Biron. Why afk you? Prin. He fpeaks not like a man of God's making. Arm. That's all one, my fair fweet honey monarch; for, I proteft, the fchoolmafter is exceeding fantastical; too, too vain; too, tco vain: but we will put it, as they fay, to fortuna de la guerra. I wish you the peace of mind, moft royal cupplement. King. Here is like to be a good presence of worthies he prefents Hector of Troy, the fwain Pompey the Great, the parifh-curate Alexander, Armado's page Her cules, the pedant Judas Machabeus. And if thefe four worthies in their firft fhow thrive, King. You are deceiv'd, 'tis not fo. Diron. The pedant, the braggart, the hedge-priest, A bare throw at Novum, and the whole world again Ceft. I Pompey am—→ Boyet. You lye, you are not he. Coft. I Pompey am Boyet. With Libbard's head on knee. (49) Biron. Well faid, old mocker: I muft needs be friends with thee. Cot. I Pompey am, Pompey furnam'd the Big. Coft. It is Great, Sir; Pompey, furnam'd the Great ; Did make my foe to fweat: And travelling along this coaft, I bere am come by chance; (49)- with Libbard's head on knee.] This alludes to thofe oldfashion'd garments, upon the knees and elbows of which it was frequent to have, by way of ornament, a Leopard's, or Lion's head. This accoutrement the French call'd une mafquine. |