Cost. Well, sir, I hope, when I do it, I shall do it on a full stomach. Arm. Thou shalt be heavily purished. Cost. I am more bound to you, than your fellows, for they are but lightly rewarded. Arm. Take away this villain; shut him up. Moth. Come, you transgressing slave; away. Cost. Let me not be pent up. sir; I will fast, being loose. Moth. No, sir; that were fast and loose: thou shalt to prison. Cost. Well, if ever I do see the merry days of desolation that I have seen, some shall see Moth. What shall some see? Cost. Nay nothing, master Moth, but what they look upon. It is not for prisoners to be too silent in their words; and, therefore, I will say nothing I thank God, I have as little patience as another man; and, therefore I can be quiet. [Exeunt MоTH and COSTARD. Arm. I do affect the very ground, which is base, where her shoe, which is baser, guidea by her foot, which is basest, doth tread. I shall be forsworn, (which is a great argument of falschood,) if I love: And how can that be true love, which is falsely attempted? Love is a familiar; love is a devil: there is no evil angel but love. Yet Sampson was sc tempted; and he had an excellent strength: yet was Solomon so seduced; and he had a very good wit. Cupid's butt-shaft is too hard for Hercules' club, and therefore too much odds for a Spaniard's rapier. The first and second cause will not serve my turn; the passado he respects not, the duello he regards not his disgrace is to be called boy; but his glory is, to subdue men. Adieu, valour! rust rapier! be still, drum! for your manager is in love; yea, he loveth. Assist me some extemporal god of rhyme, for, I am sure, I shall turn sonneteer. Devise wit; write pen; for I am for whole volumes in folio. [Exit. ACT II. SCENE I.- Another part of the same. A Pavilion and Tents at a distance. Enter the PRINCESS OF FRANCE, ROSALINE, MARIA, Consider who the king your father sends; Of all perfections that a man may owe, Prin. Good lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean, Needs not the painted flourish of your praise; Doth noise abroad, Navarre hath made a vow, Tell him, the daughter of the king of France, Who are the votaries, my loving lords, Prin. Such short-liv'd wits do wither as they grow Who are the rest? Kath. The young Dumain, a well-accomplish'd youth, Of all that virtue love for virtue lov'd: Ros. Another of these students at that time Prin. God bless my ladies! are they all in love: That every one her own hath garnished With such bedecking ornaments of praise? Mar. Here comes Boyet. Prin. Re-enter BoYET. Now, what admittance, lord? Like one that comes here to besiege his court,) [The Ladies mask. Enter KING, LONGAVILLE, DUMAIN, BIRON, and Attendants. 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. Prin. I will be welcome then; conduct me thither. King. Hear me, dear lady; I have sworn an oath. Prin. Our lady help my lord! he'll be forsworn. King. Not for the world, fair madam, by my will. Prin. Why, will shall break it; will, and nothing else. King. Your ladyship is ignorant what it is. Prin. Were my lord so, his ignorance were wise, But pardon me, I am too sudden-bold; To ask the question! Biron. How needless was it then You must not be so quick. Ros. 'Tis 'long of you that spur me with such questions. Biron. Your wit's too hot, it speeds too fast, 'twill tire. Ros. Not till it leave the rider in the mire. Biron. What time o' day? Ros. The hour that fools should ask. Biron. Now fair befall your mask! Ros. Fair fall the face it covers ! Biron. And send you many lovers! King. Madam, your father here doth intimate But say, that he, or we, (as neither have,) A hundred thousand more; in surety of the which, Although not valued to the money's worth. Which we much rather had depart withal, A yielding, 'gainst some reason, in my breast, Prin. You do the king my father too much Where that and other specialties are bound; King. It shall suffice me: at which interview, 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. Ros. Is the fool sick? Biron. Sick at heart. Ros. Alack, let it blood. Biron. Would that do it good? Ros. My physick says, I. Biron. Will you prick't with your eye? Ros. And yours from long living! [Retiring. Dum. Sir, I pray you, a word: What lady is Long. I beseech you a word; What is she in the | The civil war of wits were much better used white? Boyet. A woman sometimes, an you saw her in the light. Long. Perchance, light in the light: I desire her name. Boyet. She hath but one for herself; to desire that, were a shame. Long. Pray you, sir, whose daughter? Long. God's blessing on your beard! Long. Nay, my choler is ended. Boyet. Not unlike, sir; that may be. [Exit LONG. Biron. What's her name, in the cap? Biron. You are welcome, sir; adieu! Boyet. Farewell to me, sir, and welcome to you. [Exit BIRON. · Ladies unmask. Mar. That last is Biron, the merry mad-cap lord; Not a word with him but a jest. Boyet. Boyet. I was as willing to grapple, as he was to board. Mar. Two hot sheeps, marry! And wherefore not ships? No sheep, sweet lamb, unless we feed on your lips. Mar. You sheep, and I pasture; Shall that finish the jest? Boyet. So you grant pasture for me. Mar. [Offering to kiss her. Not so, gentle beast; My lips are no common, though several they be. Boyet. Belonging to whom? Mar. To my fortunes and me. Prin. Good wits will be jangling: but, gentles, agree: On Navarre and his book-men; for here 'tis abused. Boyet. If my observation, (which very seldom lies,) By the heart's still rhetorick, disclosed with eyes, Deceive me not now, Navarre is infected. Prin. With what? Boyet. With that which we lovers entitle, affected. Prin. Your reason. Boyet. Why, all his behaviours did make their retire To the court of his eye, peeping thorough desire: Did point you to buy them, along as you pass'd. I only have made a mouth of his eye, Ros. Thou art an old love-monger, and speak'st ACT III. SCENE I. Another part of the same. Arm. Warble, child; make passionate my sense of hearing. Moth. Concolinel [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 brawl? Arm. How mean'st thou? brawling in 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 eye-lids; 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 penthouselike, 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 betrayed 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? -the hobby-horse is forgot. Arm. Callest thou my love, hobby-horse? Moth. No, master; the hobby-horse is but a colt, and your love, perhaps, a hackney. But have you forgot your love? Arm. Almost I had. Moth. Negligent student! learn her by heart. Moth. And out of heart, master: all those three I will prove. Arn. What wilt hou preve? 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 carry me a letter. Moth. A message well sympathized; a horse to be embassador for an ass! Arm. Ha, ha! what sayest thou? Moth. Marry, sir, you must send the ass upon the horse, for he is very slow-gaited: But I go. Arm. The way is but short; away. Moth. As swift as lead, sir. Arm. Thy meaning, pretty ingenious? Is not lead a metal heavy, dull, and slow? Moth. Minimè, honest master; or rather, master, no. 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? 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: 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 been sain. 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. Arm. The fox, the ape, and the humble-bee, Were still at odds, being but three: Moth. Until the goose came out of door, And stay'd the odds by adding four. 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, encing in the gorse; Would you desire more? Cost. The boy hath sold ar 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. Cust. True, and I for a plantain: Thus came your argument in ; Then the boy's fat l'envoy, the goose that you 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. I, Costard, running out, that was safely within. Arm. We will talk no more of this matter. 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, follow. [Exit. Moth. Like the sequel, I. Signior Costard, adieu. Biron. O, my good knave Costard! exceedingly well met. Cost. Pray you, sir, how much carnation ribbon may a man buy for a remuneration? Biron. What is a remuneration? Cost. When would you have it done, sir? Cost. Well, I will do it, sir: Fare you well. Liege of all loiterers and malcontents, Of trotting paritors, O my little heart! Well, I will love, write, sigh, pray, sue, and groan; Some men must love my lady, and some Joan. [Exit. Well, lords, to-day we shall have our despatch; For. Pardon me, madam, for I meant not so. Prin. What, what? first praise me, and again say, no? O short-liv'd pride! Not fair? alack for woe! A giving hand, though foul, shall have fair praise.— And shooting well is then accounted ill. Thus will I save my credit in the shoot: Not wounding, pity would not let me do't; If wounding, then it was to show my skill, That more for praise, than purpose, meant to kill. When, for fame's sake, for praise, an outward part, reignty Only for praise' sake, when they strive to be Prin. Only for praise and praise we may afford To any lady that subdues a lord. Enter COSTARD. Prin. Here comes a member of the commonwealth. Cost. God 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 highest? Cost. The thickest, and the tallest! it is so; truth is truth. An your waist, mistress, were as slender as my wit, One of these maids' girdles for your waist should be fit. Are not you the chief woman? you are the thickest |