Arm. A most acute juvenal: voluble and free of grace! By thy favour, sweet welkin, I must sigh in thy face: Most rude melancholy, valour gives thee place. Re-enter MOTH and COSTArd. Moth. A wonder, master; here's a Costard 2 broken in a shin. Arm. Some enigma, some riddle: come,- thy l'envoy3;-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 ! Arm. By virtue, thou enforcest laughter; thy silly thought, my spleen; the heaving of my lungs provokes me to ridiculous smiling; Ŏ, 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 been sain. I will example it: The fox, the ape, and the humble-bee, There's the moral: Now the l'envoy. Moth. I will add the l'envoy: Say the moral again. 2 A head. 3 An old French term for concluding verses, which served either to convey the moral, or to address the poem to some person. Arm. The fox, the ape, and the humble-bee, Now will I begin your moral, and do you follow with my l'envoy. 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: : Sir, your pennyworth is good, an your goose be fat. 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? Moth. By saying that a Costard was broken in a shin. Then call'd you for the l'envoy. Cost. True, and I for a plantain; Thus came your argument in; Then the boy's fat l'envoy, the goose that you bought; And he ended the market. 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: I, Costard, running out, that was safely within, 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 remuneration; [Giving him money.] for the best ward of mine honour, is, rewarding my dependents. Moth fol[Exit. low. Moth. Like the sequel, I.—Signior Costard, adieu. Cost. My sweet ounce of man's flesh! my incony 4 4 Jew [Exit MOTH. Now will I look to his remuneration. Remuneration! 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. - Remuneration! 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! exceedingly well met. Cost. Pray you, sir, how much carnation ribbon may a man buy for a remuneration? 4 Delightful. 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. I will come to your worship to-morrow morning. Biron. It must be done this afternoon. Hark, slave, it is but this ; The princess comes to hunt here in the park, 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 seal'd up counsel. There's thy guerdon5; go. [Gives him money. Cost. Guerdon, -O sweet guerden! better than remuneration; eleven-pence farthing better: Most sweet guerdon! I will do it, sir, in print. 6Guerdon remuneration. [Exit. Biron. O!And I, forsooth, in love! I that have been love's whip; A very beadle to a humorous sigh; A critick; nay, a night-watch constable; 5 Reward. With the utmost exactness. A domineering pedant o'er the boy, This wimpled 7, whining, purblind, wayward boy; O my little heart! And I to be a corporal of his field, And wear his colours like a tumbler's hoop! Well, I will love, write, sigh, pray, sue, and groan; 7 Hooded, veiled. [Exit. 8 Petticoats. 9 The officers of the spiritual courts who serve citations. |