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That hid the worfe, and fhew'd the better face.
King. We are defcried; they'll mock us now downright.
Dum. Let us confefs, and turn it to a jeft.

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.
I'll leave it by degrees: foft, let us fee;
Write, Lord have mercy on us, on thofe three;
They are infected, in their hearts it lies
They have the plague, and caught it of your eyes:
Thefe Lords are vifited, you are not free;
For the Lord's tokens on you both I fee.

;

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.
I fee the trick on't; here was a confent,
(Knowing af rehand of our merriment)
To dah it like a Chrijimas comedy.

Some carry-tale, some pleafe-man, fome flight zany,
Some mumble-news, fonie trencher-knight, fome Dick,
That miles his cheek in jeers, and knows the trick (48)
To make my Lady laugh, when the's difpos'd,
Told our intents before; which once difclos'd,
The Ladies did change favours, and then we,
Following the figns, woo'd but the fign of fhe:
Now to our perjury to add more terror,
We are again forfworn, in will and error.
Much upon this it is. And might not you [To Boyet.
Foreftal our fport, to make us thus untrue?
Do not you know my Lady's foot by th' fquier,
And laugh upon the apple of her eye,
And ftand between her back, Sir, and the fire,
Holding a trencher, jefting merrily?
You put our page out: go, you are allow'd;
Die when you will, a fmock fhall be your shroud.
You leer upon me, do you? there's an eye
Wounds like a leaden fword.

Boyet. Full merrily

Hath this brave manage, this career been run.
Biron. Lo, he is tilting ftrait. Peace, I have done.
Enter Coftard.

Welcome, pure wit, thou parteft a fair fray.
Coft. O Lord, Sir, they would know
Whether the three worthies fhall come in, or no.
Biron. What, are there but three ?
Coft.. No, Sir, but it is vara fine?

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

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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?

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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,
Thefe four will change habits, and prefent the other five.
Biron. There are five in the firft fhow.

King. You are deceiv'd, 'tis not fo.

Diron. The pedant, the braggart, the hedge-priest,
the fool, and the boy.

A bare throw at Novum, and the whole world again
Cannot prick out five fuch, take each one in's vein.
King. The fhip is under fail, and here fhe comes amain.
Enter Coftard for Pompey.

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.
Dum. The Great.

Coft. It is Great, Sir; Pompey, furnam'd the Great ;
That oft in field, with targe and fhield,

Did make my foe to fweat:

And travelling along this coaft, I bere am come by chance;
And lay my arms before the legs of this fweet lafs of France.
If your Lady fhip would fay, "thanks Pompey, I had done.

(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.

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