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Dull.

SCENE

II.

Enter Dull and Coftard with a letter.

WHIC

7HICH is the King's own perfon? Biron. This, fellow; what would'ft? Dull. I myself reprehend his own perfon, for I am his Grace's Tharborough: but I would fee his own. person in flesh and blood.

Biron. This is he.

Dull. Signior Arme,

Armecommends you. There's villany abroad; this letter will tell you more. Coft. Sir, the Contempts thereof are as touching

me.

King. A letter from the magnificent Armado.

Biron. How low foever the matter, I hope in God for high words.

Long. A high hope for a low having; God grant us patience!

Biron. To hear, or forbear hearing?

Long. To hear meekly, Sir, to laugh moderately, or to forbear both.

Biron. Well, Sir, be it as the Stile fhall give us cause to climb in the merrinefs.

Coft. The matter is to me, Sir, as concerning Jaquenetta.

The manner of it is, I was taken in the manner.
Biron. In what manner?

Coft. In manner and form, following, Sir; all those three. I was feen with her in the Manor-house, fitting with her upon the Form, and taken following her into the park; which, put together, is, in manner and form following. Now, Sir, for the manner : it is the manner of a man to speak to a woman; for the form, in fome form.

Biron. For the following, Sir?

Coft. As it fhall follow in my correction; and God defend the right!

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King. Will you hear the letter with attention?
Biron. As we would hear an oracle.

Coft. Such is the fimplicity of man to hearken after the flesh.

King reads. GREAT deputy, the welkin's vice-gerent, and fole dominator of Navarre, my foul's

earth's God, and body's fofiring patron

Coft. Not a word of Goftard yet.

King. So it is

Coft. It may be fo; but if he say it is fo, he is, in telling true, but so, fo.

King. Peace

Coft. Be to me. and every man that dares not fight! King. No words—

Coft. Of other men's fecrets, I beseech you.

King. So it is, Befieged with fable-coloured melancholy, I did commend the black oppreffing humour to the most wholeJome phyfic of thy health-giving air; and as I am a gentleman, betook myself to walk: The time, when? about the fixth hour, when beasts most graze, birds beft peck, and men fit down to that nourishment which is call'd fupper : So much for the time, when. Now for the ground, which: which, I mean, I walkt upon; it is ycleped, thy park. Then for the place, where; where, I mean, I did encounter that obfcene and most prepofterous event, that draweth from my fnow-white pen the ebon-colour'd ink, which here thou vieweft, beholdeft, furveyest, or feeft. But to the place, where; It flandeth north-north-east and by east from the weft corner of thy curious-knotted garden. There did I fee that low-fpirited fwain, that bafe minow of thy mirth, (Coft. Me?) that unletter'd small-knowing foul, (Coft. Me?) that fhallow vaffal, (Coft. Still me?) which, as I remember, hight Collard; (Coft. O me !) forted and conforted, contrary to thy established proclaimed edict and continent canon, with, with, O with,but with this I paffion

to say wherewith:

Coft. With a wench.

King. With a child of our grandmother Eve, a female;

ΟΥ

or for thy more understanding, a woman; him, I (as my ever-esteem'd duty pricks me on) have fent to thee, to receive the meed of punishment, by thy fweet Grace's officer, Anthony Dull, a man of good repute, carriage, bearing and eftimation.

Dull. Me, an't fhall please you: I am Anthony

Dull.

King. For Jaquenetta, (fo is the weaker veffel call'd) which I apprehended with the aforefaid fwain, I keep her as a vaffal of thy law's fury, and shall at the leaft of thy fweet notice bring her to trial. Thine in all compliments of devoted and heart-burning heat of duty,

Don Adriano de Armado.

Biron. This is not fo well as I look'd for, but the beft that ever I heard.

King. Ay; the beft for the worst. But, firrah, what fay you to this?

Coft. Sir, I confess the wench.

King. Did you hear the proclamation?

Coft. I do confess much of the hearing it, but little of the marking of it.

King. It was proclaim'd a year's imprisonment to be taken with a wench.

Coft. I was taken with none, Sir, I was taken with a damofel.

King. Well, it was proclaimed damofel.

Coft. This was no damosel neither, Sir, fhe was a virgin.

King. It is fo varied too, for it was proclam'd virgin. Coft. If it were, I deny her virginity: I was taken with a maid.

King. This maid will not serve your turn, Sir.
Coft. This maid will ferve my turn, Sir.

King. Sir, I will pronounce fentence; you shall faft a week with bran and water.

Cost. I had rather pray a month with mutton and porridge.

N 5

King.

King And Don Armado fhall be your keeper. My lord Biron, fee him deliver'd o'er.

And go we, lords, to put in practice that,

Which each to other hath fo ftrongly fworn.

[Exeunt. Biron. I'll lay my head to any good man's hat, These oaths and laws will prove an idle fcorn. Sirrah, come on.

Coft. I fuffer for the truth, Sir: for true it is, I was taken with Jaquenetta, and Jaquenetta is a true girl; and therefore welcome the four cup of profperity: affliction may one day fmile again, and until then, fit thee down, forrow.

Arm. Bo

SCENE III.

Changes to Armado's Houfe.

Enter Armado, and Moth.

[Exeunt.

OY, what fign is it, when a man of great fpirit grows melancholy?

Moth. A great fign, Sir, that he will look fad. Arm. Why, sadness is one and the self-same thing,

dear imp.

Moth. No, no; O lord, Sir, no.

Arm. How can't thou part sadness and melancholy, my tender Juvenile ?

Moth. By a familiar demonftration of the working, my tough Signior.

Arm. Why, tough Signior? why, tough Signior? Moth. Why, tender Juvenile? why, tender Juvenile? Arm. I fpoke it, tender Juvenile, as a congruent epitheton, appertaining to thy young days, which we may nominate tender.

Moth. And I tough Signior, as an appertinent title to your old time, which we may name tough. Arm. Pretty and apt.

Moth.

Moth. How mean you, Sir, I pretty, and my saying apt? or I apt, and my faying pretty?

Arm. Thou pretty, because little.

Moth. Little pretty, becaufe little; wherefore apt?
Arm. And therefore apt, because quick.

Moth. Speak you this in my praise, master?
Arm. In thy condign praife.

Moth. I will praise an eel with the same praise.
Arm. What? that an eel is ingenious.

Moth. That an eel is quick.

Arm. I do fay, thou are quick in anfwers. Thou heat'ft my blood.

Moth. I am answer'd, Sir.

Arm. I love not to be croft.

Moth. He fpeaks the clean contrary, crosses love not him.

Arm. I have promis'd to ftudy three years with the King.

Moth. You may do it in an hour, Sir.
Arm. Impoffible.

Moth. How many is one thrice told?

Arm. I am ill at reckoning, it fits the fpirit of a tapfter.

Moth. You are a gentleman, and a gamefter.

Arm. I confefs both; they are both the varnifh of a complete man.

Moth. Then, I am fure, you know how much the grofs fum of deuce-ace amounts to.

Arm. It doth amount to one more than two.
Moth. Which the bafe vulgar call, three.

Arm. True.

Moth. Why, Sir, is this fuch a piece of ftudy? now here's three ftudied ere you'll thrice wink; and how eafy is it to put years to the word three, and study three years in two words, the dancing-horse will tell you.

Arm. A moft fine figure.

Moth. To prove you a cypher.
N 6

Arm.

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