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. Enter BOYET. Prin. Here comes Boyet, and mirth is in his face. Boyet. O, I am stabb'd with laughter! Where's her grace? Prin. Thy news, Boyet? Boyet. Prepare, madam, prepare !— Arm, wenches, arm! encounters mounted are That well by heart hath conn'd his embassage : I should have fear'd her, had she been a devil. [2] Johnson censures the Princess for invoking with so much levity the pa ron of her country, to oppose his power to that of Cupid; but that was not her intention. Being determined to engage the King and his followers, she gives for the word of battle St Dennis, as the King, when he was determined to attack her, had given for the word of battle St. Cupid: "Saint Cupid then, and, soldiers, to the field." M. MASON: One rubb'd his elbow, thus: and fleer'd, and swore, Cry'd, Via! we will do't, come what will come : 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 gallant shall be task❜d: -Hold, Rosaline, this favour thou shalt wear; And change you favours too; so shall your loves Ros. Come on then; wear the favours most in sight. Kath. But, in this changing, what is your intent? 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. [3] The spleen was anciently supposed to be the cause of laughter. STEE. [4] A mask of Muscovites was no uncommon recreation at court long be fore our author's time. In the first year of King Henry the Eighth, at a banquet made for the foreign embassadors in the parliament-chamber at Westminster: "came the lorde Henry, Earl of Wiltshire, and the lorde Fitzwater, in twoo long gounes of yellowe satin travarsed with white satin, and in every ben of white was a bend of crimosen satin after the fashion of Russia or Ruslande, with furred hattes of grey on their hedes, either of them havyng au hatchet in their handes, and bootes with pykes turned up.' Hall. Henry VIII. p. 6. This extract may serve to convey an idea of the dress used upon the present occasion by the King and his Lords at the performance of the play. RITSON. 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. Boy. 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'erthrown ; To make theirs ours, and ours none but our own: So shall we stay, mocking intended game; And they, well mock'd, depart away with shame. [Trumpets sound within. Boyet. The trumpet sounds; be mask'd, the maskers [The ladies mask. come. Enter the King, BIRON, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAIN, in Rus- [The ladies turn their backs to him. That ever turn'd their-backs-to mortal views! Biron. Their eyes, villain, their eyes. Moth. That ever turn'd their eyes to mortal views ! Out Boyet. True; out, indeed. Moth. Out of your favours,heavenly spirits,vouchsafe Not to behold Biron. Once to behold, rogue. Moth. Once to behold with your sun-beamed eyes, -with your sun-beamed eyes Boyet. They will not answer to that epithet; Moth. They do not mark me, and that brings me out. If they do speak our language, 'tis our will Boyet. What would you with the princess? [5] i. e. the taffata masks they wore to conceal themselves. THEO. Biron. Nothing but peace, and gentle visitation. Boyet. Nothing, but peace, and gentle visitation. Boy. They say, that they have measur'd many a mile, To tread a measure with you on this grass.6 Ros. It is not so: ask them, how many inches Is in one mile if they have measured many, The measure then of one is easily told. Boyet. If, to come hither, you have measur'd miles, And many miles; the princess bids you tell, How many inches do fill up one mile. Biron. Tell her, we measure them by weary steps. Boyet. She hears herself. Ros. How many weary steps, Of many weary miles you have o'ergone, Biron. We number nothing that we spend for you; Our duty is so rich, so infinite, That we may do it still without accompt. Ros. My face is but a moon, and clouded too. Ros. O vain petitioner! beg a greater matter; Thou now request'st but moon shine in the water. King. Then, in our measure do but vouchsafe one change: 'Thou bid'st me beg; this begging is not strange. Ros. Play, music, then: nay, you must do it soon. [Music plays. Not yet:-no dance :-thus change I like the moon. [6] The measures were dances solemn and slow. They were performed at court, and at public entertainments of the societies of law and equity, at their halls, on particular occasions. It was formerly not deemed inconsistent with propriety even for the gravest persons to join in them; and ac cordingly at the revels which were celebrated at the inns of court, it has not been unusual for the first characters in the law to become performers in treading the measures. See Dugdale's Origines Juridiciales. REED. [7] When Queen Elizabeth asked an embassador how he liked her ladies, It is hard,' said he, to judge of stars in the presence of the un.' JOH. King. Will you not dance? How come you thus estrang d? Ros. You took the moon at full ; but now she's chang'd. King. Yet still she is the moon, and I the man. The music plays; vouchsafe some motion to it. Ros. Our ears vouchsafe it. King. But your legs should do it. Ros. Since you are strangers, and come here by chance, We'll not be nice: take hands;-we will not dance. King. Why take we hands then? Ros. Only to part friends : Court'sy, sweet hearts; and so the measure ends. King. Prize you yourselves; What buys your company? Ros. Your absence only. King That can never be. Ros. Then cannot we be bought and so adieu ; Twice to your visor, and half once to you! King. If you deny to dance, let's hold more chat. King. I am best pleas'd with that. [They converse apart. Bir. White-handed mistress, one sweet word with thee. Prin. Honey, and milk, and sugar; there is three. Biron. Nay then, two treys, (an if you grow so nice) Metheglin, wort, and malmsey ;-Well run, dice! There's half a dozen sweets. Prin. Seventh sweet, adieu ! Since you can cog, I'll play no more with you. Prin. Let it not be sweet. Biron. Thou griev'st my gall. Prin. Gall? bitter. Biron. Therefore meet. [They converse apart. Dum. Will you vouchsafe with me to change a word? Mar. Name it. Dum. Fair lady, Mar. Say you so? Fair lord, Take that for your fair lady. Dum. Please it you, [8] To cog, signifies to falsify the dice, and to falsify a narrative, or to lie. 35 VOL. II. JOHNSON. |