(Like one that comes here to besiege his court,) King. Fair princess, welcome to the court of Navarre. Prin. Fair, I give you back again; and, welcome I have not yet: the roof of this court is too high to be yours; and welcome to the wild fields too base to be mine. King. You shall be welcome, madam, to my court. [me thither. Prin. I will be welcome then; conduct King. Hear me, dear lady; I have sworn an oath. [forsworn. Prin. Our Lady help my lord! he'll be King. Not for the world, fair madam, by my will. [nothing else. Prin. Why, will shall break it; will, and King. Your ladyship is ignorant what it is. Prin. Were my lord so, his ignorance were wise. [norance. Where i now his knowledge must prove ig. I hear, your grace hath sworn-out housekeeping: [is't so?'Tis deadly sin to keep that oath, my lord, And sin to break it: It should none spare that come within his power. Prin. Some merry mocking lord, belike; Mar. They say so most, that most his humours know. [they grow. Prin. Such short-liv'd wits do wither as Who are the rest? [plish'd youth, Kath. The young Dumain, a well accomOf all that virtue love for virtue lov'd: fill; Most power to do most harm, least knowing For he hath wit to make an ill shape good, And shape to win grace though he had no wit. I saw him at the duke Alençon's once; And much too little of that good I saw, Is my report, to his great worthiness. Ros. Another of these students at that time Was there with him: if I have heard a truth, Biron they call him; but a merrier man Within the limit of becoming mirth, I never spent an hour's talk withal: His eye begets occasion for his wit; For every object that the one doth catch, The other turns to a mirth-moving jest; Which his fair tongue (conceit's expositor,) Delivers in such apt and gracious words, That aged ears play truant at his tales, And younger hearings are quite ravished; So sweet and voluble is his discourse. Prin. God bless my ladies! are they all in That every one her own hath garnished [love; With such bedecking ornaments of praise ? Mar. Here comes Boyet. Re-enter BOYET. But pardon me, I am too sudden-bold; [Gives a paper. King. Madam, I will, if suddenly I may. Prin. You will the sooner, that I were Biron. Ros. 'Tis 'long of you that spur me with such questions. ['twill tire. Biron. Your wit's too hot, it speeds too fast, Ros. Not till it leave the rider in the mire. Biron. What time o' day? You must not be so quick. [mate Ros. The hour that fools should ask. Now, what admittance, lord? Boyet. Navarre had notice of your fair approach; And he, and his competitors in oath, Confederates. + Whereas. But that one half which is unsatisfied, On payment of a hundred thousand crowns, Dear princess, were not his requests so far From reason's yielding, your fair self should make A yielding, 'gainst some reason, in my breast, Satisfy me so. [come, King. Boyet. So please your grace, the packet is not Where that and other specialties are bound; To-morrow you shall have a sight of them. King. It shall suffice me: at which interAll liberal reason I will yield unto. [view, Mean time, receive such welcome at my hand, As honour, without breach of honour, may Make tender of to thy true worthiness: You may not come, fair princess, in my gates; But here without you shall be so receiv'd, As you shall deem yourself lodg'd in my heart, Though so denied fair harbour in my house. Your own good thoughts excuse me, and fareTo-morrow shall we visit you again. [well: Prin. Sweet health and fair desires consort your grace! King. Thy own wish wish I thee in every place! [Exeunt KING and his Train. Biron. Lady, I will commend you to my own heart. Ros. 'Pray you, do my commendations; I would be glad to see it. Biron. I would, you heard it groan. Biron. Will you prick't with your eye? * Part. Dum. A gallant lady! Monsieur, fare you well. [Exit. Long. I beseech you a word; What is she [in the light. in the white? Boyet. A woman sometimes, an you saw her Long. Perchance, light in the light: I desire her name. [that, were a shame. Boyet. She hath but one for herself; to desire Long. Pray you, sir, whose daughter? Boyet. Her mother's, I have heard. Long. God's blessing on your beard! Boyet. Good sir, be not offended: She is an heir of Falconbridge. Long. Nay, my choler is ended. She is a most sweet lady. Boyet. Not unlike, sir; that may be. [Exit LONG. Biron. What's her name, in the cap? Boyet. Katharine, by good hap. Biron. Is she wedded, or no? Boyet. To her will, sir, or so. Biron. You are welcome, sir; adieu! Boyet. Farewell to me, sir, and welcome to you. [Exit BIR.-Ladies unmask. Mar. That last is Biron, the merry mad-cap Not a word with him but a jest. [lord; Boyet. And every jest but a word. Prin. It was well done of you to take him [to board. Boyet. I was as willing to grapple, as he was Mar. Two hot sheeps, marry! Boyet. at his word. And wherefore not ships? No sheep, sweet lamb, unless we feed on your lips. [finish the jest? Mar. You sheep, and I pasture; Shall that Boyet. So you grant pasture for me. [Offering to kiss her. Not so, gentle beast; Mar. My lips are no common, though severaly they Boyet. Belonging to whom? Mar. [be. To my fortunes and me. Prin. Good wits will be jangling; but, gen tles agree: The civil war of wits were much better used On Navarre and his book-men; for here 'tis abused. Boyet. If my observation, (which very sel dom lies,) [eyes, By the heart's still rhetoric, disclosed with Deceive me not now, Navarre is infected. Prin. With what? Boyet. With that which we lovers entitle, Prin. Your reason? [affected. [sire: Boyet. Why all his behaviours did make their retire To the court of his eye, peeping thorough de- Proud with his form, in his eye pride expressed: + Ay, yes. SCENE I. Another part of the same. Enter ARMADO and MoTH. Arm. Warble, child; make passionate my [Singing. Arm. Sweet air !-Go, tenderness of years; take this key, give enlargement to the swain, bring him festinately hither; I must employ him in a letter to my love. Moth. Master, will you win your love with a French brawlt? Arm. What wilt thou prove? Moth. A man, if I live; and this, by, in, and without, upon the instant: By heart you love her, because your heart cannot come by her in heart you love her, because your heart is in love with her; and out of heart you love her, being out of heart that you cannot enjoy her. Arm. I am all these three. Moth. And three times as much more, and yet nothing at all. Arm. Fetch hither the swain; he must car Arm. How mean'st thou? brawling inry me a letter. French? Moth. No, my complete master; but to jig off a tune at the tongue's end, canary to it with your feet, humour it with turning up your eyelids; sigh a note, and sing a note; sometime through the throat, as if you swallowed love with singing love; sometime through the nose, as if you snuffed up love by smelling love; with your hat penthouse-like, o'er the shop of your eyes; with your arms crossed on your thin belly-doublet, like a rabbit on a spit; or your hands in your pocket, like a man after the old painting; and keep not too long in one tune, but a snip and away: These are complements, these are humours; these betray nice wenches-that would be be trayed without these; and make them men of note, (do you note, men?) that most are affected to these. Arm. How hast thou purchased this experience? Moth. By my penny of observation. Moth. -the hobby-horse is forgot. Arm. Almost I had. Moth. Negligent student! learn her by heart. Hastily. A kind of dance. Moth. A message well sympathized; a horse to be ambassador for an ass! Arm. Ha, ha! what sayest thou? Arm. The way is but short; away. Moth. As swift as lead, sir. Arm. Thy meaning, pretty ingenious? Arm. I say, lead is slow. Moth. You are too swift, sir, to say so: Is that lead slow which is fir'd from a gun? Arm. Sweet smoke of rhetoric! He reputes me a cannon; and the bullet, that's free of grace! Re-enter MоTH and COSTARD. Moth. A wonder, master; here's a Costard broken in a shin. Arm. Some enigma, some riddle: come,thy l'envoy ;-begin. Cost. No egma, no riddle, no l'envoy; no salve in the mail, sir: O, sir, plantain, a plain plantain; no l'envoy, no l'envoy, no salve, sir, but a plantain! Canary was the name of a sprightly dance. An old French term for concluding verses, which served either to convey the moral, or to address the poem to some person. Quick, ready. A head. Arm. By virtue, thou enforcest laughter; thy silly thought, my spleen; the heaving of my lungs provokes me to ridiculous smiling: O, pardon me, my stars! Doth the inconsiderate take salve for l'envoy, and the word, l'envoy, for a salve? Moth. Do the wise think them other? is not l'envoy a salve? Arm. No, page: it is an epilogue or discourse, to make plain Some obscure precedence that hath tofore Arm. The fox, the ape, and the humble-bee, The fox, the ape, and the humble-bee, Were still at odds, being but three: Arm. Until the goose came out of door, Staying the odds by adding four. Moth. A good l'envoy, ending in the goose; Would you desire more? Cost. The boy hath sold him a bargain, a goose, that's flat:[be fat.Sir, your pennyworth is good, an your goose To sell a bargain well, is as cunning as fast and loose: Let me see a fat l'envoy; ay, that's a fat goose. Arm. Come hither, come hither: How did this argument begin? [in a shin. Moth. By saying that a Costard was broken Then call'd you for the l'envoy. Cost. True, and 1 for a plantain; Thus came your argument in; Then the boy's fat l'envoy, the goose that you And he ended the market. [bought; Arm. But tell me; how was there a Costard broken in a shin? Moth. I will tell you sensibly. Cost. Thou hast no feeling of it, Moth; I will speak that l'envoy: 1, Costard, running out, that was safely within, Fell over the threshold, and broke my shin. Arm. We will talk no more of this matter. Cost. Till there be more matter in the shin. Arm. Sirrah Costard, I will enfranchise thee. Cost. O, marry me to one Frances:-I smell some l'envoy, some goose, in this. Arm. By my sweet soul, I mean, setting thee at liberty, enfreedoming thy person; thou wert immured, restrained, captivated, bound. Cost. True, true; and now you will be my purgation, and let me loose. Arm. I give thee thy liberty, set thee from durance; and, in lieu thereof, impose on thee nothing but this: Bear this significant to the country maid Jaquenetta: there is renumeration; [Giving him money,] for the best ward * Delightful. + Reward. of mine honour, is, rewarding my dependants. Moth, follow. [Exit Moth. Like the sequel, I.-Signior Costard adieu. Cost. My sweet ounce of man's flesh! my incony Jew![Exit MOTH Now will I look to his remuneration. Remu neration! O, that's the Latin word for three farthings: three farthings-remuneration.What's the price of this inkle? a penny:No, I'll give you a remuneration: why, it carries it.-Remur:eration !-why, it is a fairer name than French crown. I will never buy and sell out of this word. Enter BIRON. Biron. O, my good knave Costard! exceed ingly well met. Cost. Pray you, sir, how much carnation ribbon may a inan buy for a remuneration? Biron. What is a remuneration? Cost. Marry, sir, half-penny farthing. Biron. O, why then, three-farthings'-worth of silk. Cost. I thank your worship: God be with you! Biron. O, stay, slave, I must employ thee: As thou wilt win my favour, good my knave, Do one thing for me that I shall entreat. Cost. When would you have it done, sir? Biron. O, this afternoon. Cost. Well, I will do it, sir: Fare you well. Biron. O, thou knowest not what it is. Cost. I shall know, sir, when I have done it. Biron. Why, villain, thou must know first. Cost. 1 will come to your worship to-mor row morning. Biron. It must be done this afternoon. Hark, slave, it is but this;The princess comes to hunt here in the park, And in her train there is a gentle lady; When tongues speak sweetly, then they name her name, And Rosaline they call her: ask for her; And to her white hand see thou do commend This scal'd-up counsel. There's thy guerdon; [Gives him money. go. Cost. Guerdon,-O sweet guerdon! better than remuneration; eleven-pence farthing bet ter: Most sweet guerdon:--I will do it, sir, in print t.-Guerdon-remuneration. [Exit Biron. O! And I, forsooth, in love! I, that have been love's whip; A very beadle to a humorous sigh; With the utmost exactness. What? I! I love! I sue! I seek a wife! Ay, and, by heaven, one that will do the deed, SCENE I. ACT IV. Prin. Was that the king, that spurr'd his horse so hard Against the steep uprising of the hill? Boyet. I know not; but, I think, it was not he. [ing mind. Prin. Whoe'er he was, he show'd a mountWell, lords, to-day we shall have our despatch; On Saturday we will return to France.Then, forester, my friend, where is the bush, That we must stand and play the murderer in? For. Here by, upon the edge of yonder coppice; [shoot. A stand where you may make the fairest Prin. I thank my beauty, I am fair that [shoot. And thereupon thou speak'st, the fairest For. Pardon me, madam, for I meant not so. shoot, Prin. What, what? first praise me, and again say, no? O short-liv'd pride! Not fair? alack for woe! For. Yes, madam, fair. Prin. Nay, never paint me now; Where fair is not, praise cannot mend the brow. [true; Here, good my glass, take this for telling [Giving him money. Fair payment for foul words is more than due. [inherit. For. Nothing but fair is that which you Prin. See, see, my beauty will be sav'd by merit. O heresy in fair, fit for these days! kill. And, out of question, so it is sometimes; Glory grows guilty of detested crimes; God give you good even. When, for fame's sake, for praise, an outward part, no ill. We bend to that the working of the heart: Prin. Here comes a member of the com- Cost. Cod dig-you-den* all! Pray you, which is the head lady? Prin. Thou shalt know her, fellow, by the rest that have no heads. Cost. Which is the greatest lady, the high- An your waist, mistress, were as slender as will? Prin. What's your will, sir? what's your [to one lady Rosaline. Cost. I have a letter from monsieur Biron, Prin. O, thy letter, thy letter; he's a good friend of mine: [carve; Stand aside, good bearer.-Boyet, you can Break up this capon t. Boyet. I am bound to serve-This letter is mistook, it importeth none It is writ to Jaquenetta. [here; Prin. We will read it, swear: Break the neck of the wax, and every one give ear. Boyet. [Reads.] By heaven, that thou art fair, is most infallible; true, that thou art beauteous; truth itself, that thou art lovely: More fairer than fair, beautiful than beauteous; truer than truth itself, have commiseration on thy heroical vassal! The magnanimous and most illustrate king Cophetua set eye upon the pernicious and indubitate beggar Zenelophon; and he it was that might rightly say, veni, vidi, vici; which to anatomize in the vul ↑ Illustrious. * Open this letter. R |