Vow: Prin. Amaz’d, my lord ? Why looks your highEnter the PRINCESS, ushered by BoYET; ROSALINE, ness sad ? MARIA, KATHARINE, and Attendants. Ros. Help, hold his brows! be'll swoon? Why look you pale ?Biron. See where it comes !-Bebaviour, wbat Sea-sick, I think, coming from Muscovy. wert thou, Biron. Thus pour the stars down plagues for Till this man show'd thee? and what art thou now? perjury. King. All hail, sw madam, and fair time of Can any face of brass hold longer out ?day! Here stand Í, lady; dart thy skill at me ; Prin. Fair, in all bail, is foul, as I conceive. Bruise me with scorn, confound me with a King. Construe my speeches better, if you may. flout; Prin. Then wish me better, I will give you leave. Thrust tby sharp wit quite through my ignorance ; King. We came to visit you ; and purpose now Cut me to pieces with thy keen conceit; To lead you to our court : vouchsafe it iben. And I will wish' tbee never more to dance, Prin. This field shall hold me; and so hold your Nor never more in Russian habit wait. O! never will I trust to speeches penn'd, Nor God, nor I, delight in perjur'd men. Nor to the motion of a school-boy's tongue ; King. Rebuke me not for tbat which you pro- Nor never come in visor to my friend ; voke; Nor woo in rhyme, like a blind barper's song: The virtue of your eye must break my oath. Taff, ta phrases, silken terms precise, Prin. You nickname virtue : vice you should Three-pil'd byperboles, spruce affectation, bave spoke ; Figures pedantical; these summer-flies For virtue's office never breaks men's trotb. Have blown me full of maggot ostentation : Now, by my maiden bonour, yet as pure I do forswear them : and I here protest, As the unsullied lily, I protest, By this white glove, (how white the band, A world of torments though I should endure, God knows!) I would not yield to be your house's guest : Henceforth my wooing mind shall be express'd So mucb I bate a breaking-cause to be In russet yeas, and honest kersey noes ; no heavenly oaths, vow'd with integrity. And, to begin, wench,—so God help me, la !~ King. 0, you have liv'd in desolation here, My love to thee is sound, sans crack or flaw. Unseen, unvisited, much to our shame. Ros. Sans SANS, I pray you. Prin. Not so, my lord, it is not so, I swear ; Biron. Yet I have a trick We bave had pastimes bere, and pleasant of the old rage :- bear with me, I am sick; game; I'll leave it by degrees. Soft, let us see ;A mess of Russians left us but of late. Write, Lord have mercy on us, on those three; They are infected, in their hearts it lies; Tbey bave the plague, and caught it of your eyes : Trim gallants, full of courtship, and of state. These lords are visited; you are not free, Ros. Madam, sper k true :- is not so, my lord; For the Lord's tokens on you do I see. Aly lady (to the manner of the days), Prin. No, they are free, that gave these tokens. In courtesy, gives undeserving praise. We four, indeed, confronted here with four Biron. Our states are forfeit, seek not to undo us. In Russian babit ; bere they stayed an hour, Ros. It is not so; For bow can tbis be true, And talk'd apace; and in that hour, my lord, That you stand forfeit, being tbose that sue? They did not bless us with one happy word. Biron. Peace ; for I will not bave to do with I dare not call them fools; but ibis I think, you. When they are thirsty, fools would fain have drink. Ros. Nor shall not, if I do as I intend. Biron. Ibis jest is dry to me. – Fair, gentle Biron. Speak for yourselves, my wit is at an end. sweet, King. Teach us, sweet madam, for our rude Your wit inakes wise things foolish; when we greet transgression With eyes best seeing heaven's fiery eye, Some fair excuse. B- light we lose light: Your capacity Prin. The fairest is confession. Were you not here, but even now, disguis'd ? And were you well advis'd : eye, King. I was, fair madam. Biron. I am a fool, and full of poverty. Prin. When you then were here, Ros. But that you take what doth to you be. What did you whisper in your lady's ear? long, King. That more than all the world I did respect It were a fault to snatch words from my tongue. her. Birm. 0, I am yours, and all that I possess. Prin. When she shall challenge this, you will ??os. All the fool mine? reject her. Biron. I cannot give you less. King Upon mine bonour, no. Ros. Which of the visors was it, that you wore ? Prın. Peace, peace, forbear; biron. Where? when? what visor ? why demand Your oath once broke, you force not to forswear. King. Despise me, when I break this oath of mine. Ros. There, then, that visor ; that superfluous Prin. I will: and therefore keep it :- Rosaline, What did the Russian whisper in your ear? That bid the worse, and show'd the better face. Ros. Madam, he swore that he did hold me dear King. We are descried: they'll mock us row As precious eye-sight; and did value me downright. Above this world : adding thereto, moreover, um. Let us confess, and turn it to a jest. That he would wed me, or else die my lover. to us. Prin. you this? case, now: him a paper. Prin. God give thee joy of bim ! the noble lord not the degree of the worthy; but I am to stand Most bonourably doth uphold his word. for him. King. What mean you, madam? by my life, my Biron. Go, bid them prepare. troth, Cost. We will turn it finely off, sir; we will I never swore this lady such an oath. take some care. (Exit CostaRD. Ros. By Heaven you did; and to confirm it plain, King. Birou, they will shame us, let them not You gave me this : but take it, sir, again. approach. King. My faith, and this, the princess I did give ; Biron. We are shame-proof, my lord : and 'tis I knew her by this jewel on her sleeve. some policy Prin. Pardon me, sir, this jewel did she wear; To bave one show worse than the king's and his And Lord Birón, I thank him, is my dear : company. What ; will you have me, or your pearl again? King. I say, they shall n it come. Biron. Neither of either; I remit both twain.- Prin. Nay, my good lord, let me o'er-rule you I see the trick on't ;-Here was a consent, (Knowing aforehand of our merriment,) That sport best pleases, that doth least know bow: ìo dash it like a Christmas comedy. Where zeal strives to content, and the contents Some carry-tale, some please-man, some slight zany, Die in the zeal of them which it presents, Some mumble-news, some trencber-knight, some Their form confounded makes most form in mirih; Dick, When great things labouring perish in their birth. Enter ARMADU. Arm. Anointed, I implore so much expense of Now, to our perjury to add more terror, thy royal sweet breath, as will utter a brace of words. We are again forsworn : in will, and error. (ARMADO converses with the King, and delivers Much upon this it is : And might not you, Prin. Dorb this man serve God? [To Boyet. Forestall our sport, to make us thus untrue ? Biron. Why ask you? Do not you know my ledy's foot by the squire, Prin. He speaks not like a man of God's making. And laugh upon the apple of her eye? Arm. That's all on", my fair, sweet, honey moAnd stand between her back, sir, and the fire, narch : for, I protest, the schoolmaster is exceedHolding a trencher, jesting merrily? ing fantastical; too, too vain; too, too vain ; But You put our page out: Go, you are allow'd; we will put it, as they say, to fortuna della guerra. Die when you will, a smock shall be your shroud. I wish you the peace of mind, most royal couple. You leer upon me, do you? there's an eye, ment ! [Eait ARMADO. Wounds like a leaden sword. King. Here is like to be a good presence of worBoyet. Full merrily thies : He presents Hector of Troy ; the swain, Hath this brave manage, this career, been run. Pompey the great; the parish curate, Alexander; Biron. Lo, be is tilting straight! Peace ; 1 have Armado's page, Hercules ; che pedant, Judas Macdone. cabæus. These four will change babits, and present the other five. Biron. There is five in the first show. King. You are deceiv'd, 'tis not so. Biron. The pedant, the braggart, the hedgeBiron. What, are there but three? priest, the fool and the boy :Cost. No, sir; but it is vara fine, Abaie a throw at novum; and the whole world i'or every one pursents three. again, Biron. And tbree times thrice is nine. Cannot prick out five such, take each one in bis vein. Cost. Not so, sir; under correction, sir; I hope, it is not so: King. The ship is under sail, and bere she comes amain. You cannot beg us, sir, I can assure you, sir; we know what we know : (Seats brought for the King, PRINCESS, 8c. hope, sir, three times thrice, sir,– Biron. Is not nine. Pageant of the Nine Worthies. Cost. Under correction, sir, we know whereuntil it doth amount. Enter Costard armed, for Pompoy. Biron. By Jove, I always took three threes for Cost. I Pompey am, — nine. Boyet. You lie, you are not he. Cost. O Lord, sir, it were pity you should get Cost. I Pompey am, — your living by reckoning, sir. Boyet. With libbard's head on knee. Biron. How much is it? Biron. Well said, old mocker; I must needs be Cost. O Lord, sir, the parties themselves, the friends with thee. actors, sir, will show whereuntil it doth amount: Cost. I Pompey am, Pompey surnam'd the big, for my own part, I am, as they say, but to parfect Dum. The great. one man,-o'en one poor man; Pompion the great, Cost. It is great, sir ;-Pompey surnam'd the great ; That oft in field, with tarye and shield, did make my Biron. Art thou one of the wortbies? fue to sweat ; Cost. It pleased them, to think me worthy of And travelling along this coast, I here am come by Poupion the great: for mine own part, I know chance ; sir. And lay my arms before the legs of this sweet lass of Dum. The head of a bodkin. Biron. A death's face in a ring. If your ladyship would say, Thanks, Pompey, I bad Long. The face of an old Roman coin, scarce seen, done. Boyet. The pummel of Cæsar's falchion. Prin. Great thanks, great Pompey. Dum. The carv'd-bone face on a flask. Cost. 'Tis not so much worth; but, I hope, I Biron. St. George's half-cheek in a brooch. was perfect : I made a little fault in, great. Dum. Ay, and in a brooch of lead. Biron. My bat to a balfpenny, Pompey proves Biron. Ay, and worn in the cap of a tooththe best worthy. drawer: Enler Nathan.Eu ai med, for Alexander. And now, forward ; for we bave put thee in coun tenance. Nath. When in the world I liv'd, I was the world's Hol. You have put me out of countenance. commander ; Biron. False : we have given thee faces. By east, west, north, and south, I spread my con Hol. But you have out-fac'd them all. quering might : Biron. An thou wert a lion, we would do so. My 'scutcheon plain declares, that I am Alisander. Boyet. Therefore, as he is, an ass, let him go. Boyet. Your nose says, no, you are not; for it And so adieu, sweet Jude! day, why dost thou stay? stands too right. Dum. For the latter end of his name. Biron. Your nose smells, no, in this, most ten. Biron. For the ass to the Jude ; give it him :der-smelling knight. Jud-as, away. Prin. The conqueror is dismay'd : Proceed, good Hol. This is not generous, not gentle, not humble. Alexander. Boyet. A light for Monsieur Judas: it grows Nath. When in the world I liv'd, I was the dark, he may stumble. world's commander ; Prin. Alas, poor Maccabæus, how hath he been Boyet. Most true, 'tis right; you were so, Ali baited! sander. Biron. Pompey the great, Enter ARMADO armed, for Hector. Your servant, and Costard. Biron. Hide thy head, Achilles ; here comes sander. Cost. 0, sir, [to Nath.) you have overthrown will now be merry. Dum. Though my mocks come bome by me, I Alisander the conqueror! You will be scraped out King. Hector was but a Trojan in respect of this. of the painted cloth for this: your lion, that holds Boyet. But is this Hector ? his poll-as sitting on a close stool, will be given to Dum. I think, Hector was not so clean-timbered. A-jax: he wil be the ninth worthy. A conqueror, Long. His leg is too big for Hector. and afеard to speak ! run away for shame, Ali Dum. More calf, certain. sander. (Nath. retires.] There, an't shall please Boyet. No; he is best endued in the small. you ; a foolish mild man; an honest man, look you, Biron. This cannot be Hector. and soon dash'd! He is a marvellous good neigh Dum. He's a god or a painter; for be makes bour, insooth ; and a very good bowler : but, for faces. Alisander, alas, you see, how 'tis ;-a little o'erparted : But there are worthies a coming will, Gave Hector a gift, Arm. The armipotent Mars, of lances the almighty, speak their mind in some other sort. Dum. A gilt nutmeg. Prin. Stand aside, good Pompey. Biron. A lemon. Enter HOLOFERNES armed, for Judas ; and MOTH Long. Stuck with cloves. armed, for Hercules. Dum. No, cloven, Hol. Great Hercules is presented by this imp, Arm. Peace! Whose club kill'd Cerberus, that three-headed The armipotent Mars, of lunces the almighty, canus; Gave Hector a gift, the heir of Ilion; And, when he was a babe, a child, a shrimp, A man so breath'd, that certain he would fight, yea Thus did he strangle serpents in his manus : From morn till night, out of his pavilion. Quoniam, he seemeth in minority; I am that flower,Ergo, I come with this apology. Dum. That mint. That columbine. Keep some state in thy erit, and vanish. [Exit Moth. Hol. Judas, I am, Arm. Sweet Loid Longaville, reiu thy tongue. Dum. A Judas ! Long. I must rather give it the rein, for it runs llol. Noi, Iscariot, sir, against Hector. Judas I am, ycleped Maccabæus. Dum. Ay, and Hector's a greyhound. Dum. Judas Maccabæus clipt, is plain Judas. Arm. The sweet war man is dead and rotten; Biron. A kissing traitor :-How art thou prov'd, sweet chucks, beat not the bones of the buried Judas? when he breath'd, he was a man—But I will for. Hol. Judas, I am, ward with my device: Sweet royalty [to the Dum. The more shame for you, PRINCESS), bestow on me the sense of hearing. Hol. Wbat mean you, sir ? [Biron whispers COSTARD. Boyet. To make Judas bang himself. Prin. Speak, brave Hector: we are much de. Hol. Begin, sir; you are my elder. lighted. Biron. Well follow'd: Judas was hang'd on an Arm. I do adore thy sweet grace's slipper. elder. Boyet. Loves her by the foot. H. I will not be put out of countenanco Dim. He may not by the yard. Biron. Because thou hast no face. Arm. This Hector far surmounted Hannibal,-Hei. What is this? Cost. The party is gone, fellow Hector, she is Boyer. A cittern head. gone ; sbe is two months on her way. Long. Arm. What meanest thou ? All causes to the purpose of his speed; Cost. Faith, unless you play the honest Trojan, And often, at his very loose, decides the poor wench is cast away: she's quick; the That which long process could not arbitrato child brags in her belly already; tis yours. Aud though the mourning brow of progeny Arm. Dost thou infamonize me among poten- Forbid the smiling courtesy of love, tatse ? thou shalt die. 'The holy suit which fain it would convince; Cost. Then shall Hector be whipp'd, for Jaque. Yet, since love's argument was first on foot, netta that is quick by him; and bang'd, for Pompey Let not the cloud of sorrow justle it that is dead by him. From what it purpos'd; since, to wail friends lost, Dum. Most rare Pompey' Is not by much so wholesome, profitable, Boyet. Renowned Pompey! As to rejoice at friends but newly found. Biron. Geater than great, great, great, great Prin. I understand you not; my griefs are double. Pompey! Pompey, the buge ! Biron. Honest plain words best pierce the ear of Dum. Hector trembles. grief ;- For fair sakes have we neglected time, Dum. Hector will challenge him. Play'd foul play with our oaths; your beauty, ladies, Biron. Ay, if he have no more man's blood in's Hath much deform’d us, fashioning our humours belly than will sup a flea. Even to the opposed end of our intents : Arm. By the north pole, I do challenge thee. And wbat in us hath seem'd ridiculous, Cost. I will not fighi with a pole, like a northern As love is full of unbefitting strains ; man; I'll slash ; I'll do it by the sword :--) pray All wanton as a child, skipping, and vain; you, let me borrow my arms again. Form'd by the eye, and, therefore, like the eye Dum. Room for tbe incensed worthies. Full of strange shapes, of habits, and of forms, Cost. I'll do it in my shirt. Varying in subjects as the eye doth roll Dum. Most resolute Pompey! To every varied object in his glance : Moth. Master, let me take you a button-hole Which party-coated presence of loose loro lower. Do you not see, Pompey is uncasing for Put on by us, if, in your heavenly eyes, the combat ? What mean you ? you will lose your Have misbecom'd our oatbs and gravities, reputation. Those heavenly eyes, that look into these faults, Arm. Gentlemen, and soldiers, pardon me; I Suggested us to make : Therefore, ladies, will not combat in my shirt. Our love being yours, the error that love makes Dum. You may not deny it; Pompey hath made Is likewise yours : we to ourselves prove faise, the challenge. By being once false for ever to be true Arm. Sweet bloods, I both may and will. To those that make us both,-fair ladies, you: Biron. What reason bave you for't ? And even that falsehood, in itself a sin, Arm. The naked truth of it is, I have no sbirt; Tbus purifies itself, and turns to grace. I go woolward for penance. Prin. We have receiv'd your letters, full of love Boyet. True, and it was enjoin'd him in Rome Your favours, the embassadors of love ; for want of lioen: since when, I'll be sworn, he And, in our maiden council, rated them wore none, but a dish-clout of Jaquenetta's; and At courtship, pleasant jest, and courtesy, that 'a wears next his heart, for a favour. As bombast, and as lining to the time : But more devout than this, in our respects, Have we not been; and therefore met your loves Mer. God save you, madam! In their own fashion, like a merriment. Prin. Welcome, Mercade; Dum. Our letters, madam, show'd much more But that thou interrupt'st our merriment. than jest. Mer. I am sorry, madam; for the news I bring, Long. So did our looks. Is heavy in my tongue. The king your father We did not quote them so. Prin. Dead, for my life. King. Now, at the latest minute of the hour, Mer. Even so; my tale is told. Grant us your loves. Biron. Worthies, away; the scene begins to cloud. Prin. A time, metbinks, too short Arm. For mine own part, I breathe free breath : To make a world-without-end bargain in : I have seen the day of wrong through the little bole No, no, my lord, your grace is perjur'd much, of discretion, and I will right myself like a soldier. Full of dear guiltiness; and, therefore this, [Exeunt Worthies. If for my love (as there is no such cause) King. How fares your majesty ? You will do augbt, this shall you do for me : Prin. Boyet, prepare, I will away to-night. Your oaih I will not trust; but go with speed King. Madam, not 80; 1 do beseech you, stay. To some forlorn and naked hermitage, Prin. Prepare, I say.-I thank you, gracious Remote from all the pleasures of the world; lords, There stay, until the twelve celestial signs For all your fair endeavours; and entreat, Have brought about tbeir annual reckoning: Out of a new-sad soul, that you vouchsafe If this austere insociable life In your rich wisdom, to excuse, or hide, Cbange not your offer made in heat of blood; The liberal opposition of our spirits: If frosts, and fasts, hard lodging, and thin weeds, If over-boldly we have borne ourselves Nip not the gaudy blossoms of your love, In the converse of breath, your gentleness But that it bear this trial, and last love; Was guilty of it.-Farewell, worthy lord ! Then, at the expiration of the year, A heavy heart bears not an humble tongue : Come challenge, challenge me by these deserts, Excuse me so, coming so short of thanks And, by this virgin palm, now kissing thine, For my great suit so easily obtain'd. I will be thine; and, till that instant, shut King. The extreme parts of time extremely form My woful self up in a mourning house; Ros. Kaining the tears of lamentation, Biron. Our wooing doth not end like an old play; For the remembrance of my father's deatbi Jack hath not Jill : these ladies' courtesy If this thou do deny, let our hands part; Might well have made our sport a comedy. Neitber entitled in the other's beart. King. Come, sir, it wants a twelvemontlı and a King. If this, or more than this, I would deny, day, To flatter up these powers of mine with rest, And then 'twill end. The sudden hand of death close up mine eye! Biron. That's too long for a play. Hence ever then my heart is in thy breast. Enter ARMADO. Biron. Aod what to me, my love ? and what to Arm. Sweet majesty, vouchsafe me,me? Prin. Was not that Hector ? Dum. The wortby knight of Troy. Arm. I will kiss thy royal finger, and take leave . A twelvemonth shall you spend, and never rest, I am a votary; I have vowed to Jaquenetta to hold But seek the weary beds of people sick. the plough for her sweet love three years. But, Dum. But what to me, my love ? but what to me? most esteemed greatness, will you hear the diaKath. A wife!-A beard, fair health, and bo: logue that the two learned men have compiled, in praise of the owl and the cuckoo ? it should have nesty ; followed in the end of our show, With three-fold love I wish you all these three. King. Call them forth quickly, we will do so. Dum. 0, shall I say, I thank you, gentle wife? Arm. Holla! approach. Kath. Not so, my lord ;-atwelvemozth and a day I'll mark no words that smooth-fac'd wooers say: Enter HOLOFERNES, NATHANIEL, Moru, CoSTARD, Come when the king doth to my lady come, and others. SONG. 1. I'll change my black gown for a faithful friend. Long. I'll siay with patience ; but the time is long. Spring. When daisies pied, and violets blue, And lady-smocks all silver-white, A::d cuckoo-buds of yellow hue, Behold the window of my heart, mine eye, Do paint the meadows with delight, What bumble suit attends thy answer there ; The cuckoo then, on every tree, Mocks married men, for thus sings he, Cuckoo; , 11. Which you on all estates will execute, When shepherds pipe on oaten straws, That lie within the mercy of your wit: And merry larks are ploughmen's clocks, To weed this wormwood from your fruitful brain ; When turtles tread, and rooks, and duws, And, therewithal, to win me, if you please, And maidens bleach their summer smocks, (Witbout the which I am not to be won,) The cuckoo then, on every tree, You shall this twelvemonth term from day to day Mocks married men, for thus sings he, Visit the speechless sick, and still converse Cuckoo ; With groaning wretches; and your task shall be, Cuckoo, cuckoo,-0 word of fear, With all the fierce endeavour of your wit, Unpleasing to a married ear 1 To enforce the pained impotent to smile. III. Biron. To move wild laughter in the throat of Winter. When icicles hang by the wall, deatb? And Dick the shepherd blows his nail, It cannot be ; it is impossible : And Tom bears logs into the hall, Mirth cannot move a soul in agony. And milk comes frozen home in pair, Ros. Why, tbat's the way to choke a gibing spirit, When blood is nipp d, and ways be fowl. Whose influence is begot of that loose grace, Then nightly sings the staring own, Which sballow laughing hearers give to fools : To-who; A jest's prosperity lies in the ear Tu-whit, to-who, a merry note, of him that bears it, Deverin the tongue While gréasy Joan doth keel the pot. Of him that makes it: then, if sickly ears, IV. When all aloud the wind doth blowo, And coughing drowns the parson's saro, But, if they will not, throw away that spirit, And birds sit brooding in the snow, And Marian's nose looks red and raw, And I sball find you empty of that fault, When Toasted crabs hiss in the bowl, Then nightly sings the staring owl, To-who; (11 jest a twelvemoutb in an hospital . Tu-whit, to-who, a merry note, Prin. Ay, sweet my lord ; and so I take my While greusy Joan doth keel the pot. leave. [To the King. Arm. The words of Mercury are barsh after King. No, madam : we will bring you on your songs of Apollo. You, that way; we, this way. way. [Errunt Unpleasing to a married out of fear, |