Nay, I have verses foo, I thank Birón: [too, | I thought to close mine eyes some half an hour:

The numbers true; and, were the numb'ring
I were the fairest goddess on the ground:
I am compar'd to twenty thousand fairs.

O, he hath drawn my picture in his letter!

Prin. Any thing like?

Ros. Much, in the letters; nothing in the
praise.
Prin. Beauteous as ink; a good conclusion.
Kath. Fair as a text B in a copy-book.
Ros. 'Ware pencils! How? let me not die
your debtor,

My red dominical, my golden letter:

O, that your face were not so full of O's!

Kath. A pox of that jest! and beshrew all
shrows !

Prin. But what was sent to you from fair
Dumain?

Kath. Madam, this glove.

Prin. Did he not send you twain?

Kath. Yes, madam; and moreover, Some thousand verses of a faithful lover: A huge translation of hypocrisy.

Vilely compil'd, profound simplicity.

Mar. This, and these pearls, to me sent Lon

gaville;

The letter is too long by half a mile.

When, lo! to interrupt my purpos'd rest,
Toward that shade I might belhold address'd
The king and his companions: warily
I stole into a neighbour thicket by,
And overheard what you shall overhear;
That, by and by, disguis'd they will be here.
Their herald is a pretty knavish page,
That well by heart hath conn'd his embassage:
Action, and accent, did they teach him there;
Thus must thou speak, and thus thy body bear:
And ever and anon they made a doubt,
Presence majestical would put him out:
For, quoth the king, an angel shalt thou see ;
Yet fear not thou, but speak audaciously.
The boy replied, An angel is not evil;
I should have fear'd her, had she been a devil.
With that all laugh'd, and clapp'd him on the

shoulder;

One rubb'd his elbow, thus; and fleer'd, and

Making the bold wag by their praises bolder.

swore,

A better speech was never spoke before:
Another, with his finger and his thumb,
Cried, Viu! we will do't, come what will come:
The third he caper'd, and cried, All goes well:
The fourth turn'd on the toe, and down he fell.

Prin. I think no less: Dost thou not wish in With that, they all did tumble on the ground,

heart, The chain were longer, and the letter short? Mur. Ay, or I would these hands might never part.

Prin. We are wise girls, to mock ourloversso. Ros. They are worse fools to purchase mocking so.

That same Birón I'll torture ere I go.

O, that I knew he were but in by the week!
How I would make him fawn, and beg, and
seek;

And wait the season, and observe the times,
And spend his prodigal wits in bootless rhymes;
And shape his service wholly to my behests;
And make him proud to make me proud that
jests!

So portent-like would I o'ersway his state,
That he should be my fool, and I his fate.
Prin. None are so surely caught, when they
are catch'd,

As wit turn'd fool: folly, in wisdom hatch'd,
Hath wisdom's warrant, and the help of school;
And wit's own grace to grace a learned fool.

Ros. The blood of youth burns not with such
excess,

As gravity's revolt to wantonness.
Mar. Folly in fools bears not so strong a note,
As foolery in the wise, when wit doth dote;
Since all the power thereof it doth apply,
To prove, by wit, worth in simplicity.

Armed in arguments; you'll be surpris'd:
Muster your wits; stand in your own defence;
Or hide your heads like cowards, and fly hence.
Prin. Saint Dennis to saint Cupid! What
are they,

That charge their breath against us? say, scout,
Boyet. Under the cool shade of a sycamore,

With such a zealous laughter, so profound,
That in this spleen ridiculous appears,
To check their folly, passion's solemn tears.
Prin. But what, but what, come they to visit
us?

Boyet. They do, they do; and are apparel'd
thus,-

Like Muscovites, or Russians: as I guess,
Their purpose is, to parle, to court, and dance:
And every one his love-feat will advance
Unto his several mistress; which they'll know
By favours several, which they did bestow.

Prin. And will they so? the gallants shall
be task'd:

For, ladies, we will every one be mask'd;
And not a man of them shall have the grace
Despite of suit, to see a lady's face.-
Hold, Rosaline, this favour thou shalt wear;
And then the king will court thee for his dear;
Hold, take thou this, my sweet, and give me
thine;

So shall Birón take me for Rosaline.-
And change you favours too; so shall your loves
Woo contrary, deceiv'd by these removes.
Ros. Come on then; wear the favours most
in sight.

Kath. But, in this changing, what is your in

tent?

Prin. The effect of my intent is, to cross theirs:
They do it but in mocking merriment;
And mock for mock is only my intent.
Their several counsels they unbosom shall
To loves mistook; and so be mock'd withal,
Upon the next occasion that we meet,
With visages display'd, to talk, and greet.
Ros. But shall we dance, if they desire us to't?
Prin. No; to the death, we will not move a

foot:
Nor to their penn'd speech render we no grace;
But, while 'tis spoke, each turn away her face.
Boyet. Why, that contempt will kill the
speaker's heart,

And quite divorce his memory from his part.
Prin. Therefore I do it; and, I make no
doubt,
The rest will ne'er come in, if he be out.
There's no such sport, as sport by sport o'er-
thrown;
To make theirs ours, and ours none but our own:

Long. Look, how you butt yourself in these | Ros. Good madam, if by me you'll be advis'd, sharp mocks!

Will you give horns, chaste lady? do not so. Kath. Then die a calf, before your horns do grow.

Long. One word in private with you, ere I die. Kath. Bleat softly then, the butcher hears [They converse apart.

Boyet. The tongues of mocking wenches are
as keen

As is the razor's edge invisible,
Cutting a smaller hair than may be seen;
Above the sense of sense: so sensible
Seemeth their conference; their conceits have

Fleeter than arrows, bullets, wind, thought,
swifter things.
Ros. Not one word more, my maids; break
off, break off.

Biron. By heaven, all dry-beaten with pure Command me any service to her thither? [ty,

King. Farewell, mad wenches; you have

Prin.Twenty adieus, my frozen MuscovitesAre these the breed of wits so wonder'd at?

Boyet. Tapers they are, with your sweet breaths puff'd out.

Ros. Well-liking wits they have; gross, gross; fat, fat. Prin. O poverty in wit, kingly-poor flout! Will they not, think you, hang themselves tonight?

Or ever, but in visors, show their faces? This pert Bírón was out of countenance quite. Ros. O! they were all in lamentable cases! The king was weeping-ripe for a good word. Prin. Birón did swear himself out of all suit. Mar. Dumain was at my service, and his No point, *quoth I; and my servant straight was mute.

Mar. Dumain is mine, as sure as bark on tree. Till this what were thee? and what art how Kath. And Longaville was for myservice born.

Now, by my maiden honour, yet as pure
As the unsullied lily, I protest,

A world of torments though I should endure,
I would not yield to be your house's guest:

So much I hate a breaking-cause to be
Of heavenly oaths, vow'd with integrity.
King. O, you have liv'd in desolation here,
Unseen, unvisited, much to our shame.
Prin. Not so, my lord; it is not so, I swear;
We have had pastimes here, and pleasant
game;

A mess of Russians left us but of late.
King. How, madam? Russians?
Prin. Ay, in truth, my lord;

Trim gallants, full of courtship, and of state.
Ros. Madam, speak true:- It is not so, my
My lady, (to the manner of the days,*) [lord;
In courtesy, gives undeserving praise.
We four, indeed, confronted here with four
In Russian habit: here they stay'd an hour,
And talk'd apace; and in that hour, my lord,
They did not bless us with one happy word.
I dare not call them fools; but this I think,
When they are thirsty, fools would fain have
drink.

Biron. This jest is dry to me-Fair, gentle
sweet,
[greet
Your wit makes wise things foolish; when we
With eyes best seeing heaven's fiery eye,
By light we lose light: Your capacity
Is of that nature, that to your huge store
Wise things seem foolish, and rich things but
poor.

Ros. This proves you wise and rich; for in
my eye,-
Biron. I am a fool, and full of poverty.

Ros. But that you take what doth to you be

long,

It were a fault to snatch words from my tongue.
Biron. O, I am yours, and all that I possess.
Ros. All the fool mine?

I do forswear them: and I here protest,

By this white glove, (how white the hand,
God knows!)

Henceforth my wooing mind shall be express'd
In russet yeas, and honest kersey noes:
And, to begin wench, -so God help me, la!--
My love to thee is sound, sans crack or flaw.
Ros. Sans SANS, I pray you.
Biron. Yet I have a trick

Of the old rage:-bear with me, I am sick;
I'll leave it by degrees. Soft, let us see ;-
Write, Lord have mercy on us, on those three;
They are infected, in their hearts it lies;
They have the plague, and caught it of your

eyes:
These lords are visited; you are not free,
For the Lord's tokens on you do I see.
Prin. No, they are free, that gave these
tokens to us.

Biron. Our states are forfeit, seek not to undo us.

Ros. It is not so; For how can this be true, That you stand forfeit, being those that sue? Biron. Peace; for I will not have to do with you.

Ros. Nor shall not, if I do as I intend. Biron. Speak for yourselves, my wit is at an end.

King. Teach us, sweet madam, for our rude transgression

Some fair excuse.

That hid the worse, and show'd the better face. King. We are descried: they'll mock us now downright.

Prin. Amaz'd, my lord? Why looks your

Dum. Let us confess, and turn it to a jest.

highness sad?

Ros. Help, hold his brows! he'll swoon!
Why look you pale?-

Sea-sick, I think, coming from Muscovy.

Biron. Thus pour the stars down plagues for

perjury.

King. Upon mine honour, no.
Prin. Peace, peace, forbear;
[swear.
Your oath once broke, you force* not to for-
King. Despise me, when I break this oath of

mine.

As precious eye-sight; and did value me
Above this world: adding thereto, moreover,
That he would wed me, or else die my lover.
Prin. God give thee joy of him! the noble lord
Most honourably doth uphold his word.
King. What mean you, madam? by my life,
my troth,

Can any face of brass hold longer out? - I never swore this lady such an oath.

Here stand I, lady; dart thy skill at me;

Bruise me with scorn, confound me with
a flout;
[rance;
Thrust thy sharp wit quite through my igno-
Cut me to pieces with thy keen conceit;
And I will wish thee never more to dance,
Nor never more in Russian habit wait.
O! never will I trust to speeches penn'd,
Nor to the motion of a school-boy's tongue;
Nor never come in visor to my friend;t

Nor woo in rhyme, like a blind harper's
Taffata phrases, silken terms precise, [song:
Three-pil'd hyperboles, spruce affectation,
Figures pedantical; these summer-flies
Have blown me full of maggot ostentation:

• After the fashion of the times.

+ Mistress.

Ros. By heaven, you did; and to confirm it plain, You gave me this: but take it, Sir, again. King. My faith, and this, the princess I did give; I knew her by this jewel on her sleeve. Prin. Pardon me, Sir, this jewel did she

wear;

And lord Birón, I thank him, is my dear :-
What; will you have me, or your pearl again?
Biron. Neither of either; I remit both twain.
I see the trick on't;-Here was a consent,t
(Knowing aforehand of our merriment,)
To dash it like a Christmas comedy: (zany,
Some carry-tale, some please-man, some slight

* Make no difficulty. + Conspiracy.

Buffoon.