gling a fnake; and I will have an apology for that purpose.

Moth. An excellent device: for if any of the audience hifs, you may cry; "Well done, Hercules, now "thou crufheft the fnake;" that is the way to make. an offence gracious, tho' few have the grace to do it. Arm. For the rest of the worthies,

Hol. I will play three myself.
Moth. Thrice-worthy gentleman!
Arm. Shall I tell you a thing?
Hol. We attend.

Arm. We will have, if this fadge not, an antic. I befeech you, follow.

Hol. Via! good-man Dull thou hast spoken no word all this while.

Dull. Nor understood none neither, Sir.

Hol. Allons; we will employ thee.

Dull. I'll make one in a dance, or fo: or I will play on the tabor to the worthies, and let them dance the hay.

Hol. Moft dull, honeft Dull, to our fport away.

[Exeunt. SCENE III. Before the Princess's pavilion. Enter Princess and Ladies.

Prin. Sweet hearts, we shall be rich ere we depart, If fairings come thus plentifully in.

A lady wall'd about with diamonds!.

Look you what I have from the loving King.

Rof. Madam, came nothing else along with that? Prin. Nothing but this? yes, as much love in rhime As would be cramm'd up in a fheet of paper, Writ on both fides the leaf, margent and all; That he was fain to feal on Cupid's name.

Ref. That was the way to make his godhead wax, For he hath been five thousand years a boy. Cath. Ay, and a fhrewd unhappy gallows too. Rof. You'll ne'er be friends with him; he kill'd your fifter.

Cath. He made her melancholy, fad, and heavy, And fo fhe died; had fhe been light, like you,

Of

Of fuch a merry, nimble, ftirring fpirit,

She might have been a grandam ere the dy'd.
And fo may you; for a light heart lives long.

.

Rof. What's your dark meaning, mouse, of this light word?

Cath. A light condition, in a beauty dark.

Rof. We need more light to find your meaning out. Cath. You'll mar the light by taking it in fnuff : Therefore I'll darkly end the argument.

Rof. Look, what you do; and do it still i' th' dark. Cath. So do not you, for you are a light wench, Rof. Indeed, I weigh not you; and therefore light. Cath. You weigh me not; O, that's you care not for me.

Rof. Great reafon; for paft cure is still past care. Prin. Well bandied both; a fet of wit well play'd, But, Rofaline, you have a favour too. Who fent it? and what is it?

Ref. I would you knew.

And if my face were but as fair as your's,
My favour were as great; be witness this.
Nay, I have verfes too, I thank Biron.

The numbers true, and were the numb'ring too,
I were the faireft 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?

Rof. Much in the letters, nothing in the praise.
Prin. Beauteous as ink; a good conclufion.
Cath. Fair as a text B in a copy-book.

Rof. Ware pencils*. How? let me not die your debtor,

My red dominical, my golden letter.

O, that your face were not fo full of Oes!

Cath. Pox of that jest, and I befhrew all fhrews. Prin. But what was fent to you from fair Dumain? Cath. Madam, this glove.

Prin. Did he not fend you twain?

Cath. Yes, Madam; and moreover,

Some thousand verfes of a faithful lover.

*Meaning to check Catharine for her painting, pencil being a

painting brush.

A

A huge tranflation of hypocrify,

Vildly compil'd, profound fimplicity.

Mar. This, and thefe pearls, to me fent Longaville; The letter is too long by half a mile.

Prin. I think no lefs; doft thou not wifh in heart, The chain were longer, and the letter short?

Mar. Ay, or I would thefe hands might never part.
Prin. We are wife girls to mock our lovers for't.
Rof. They are worfe fools to purchase mocking fo.
That fame Biron I'll torture ere I
go.

O, that I knew he were but in by th' week!
How I would make him fawn, and beg, and seek,
And wait the feafon, and obferve the times,
And spend his prodigal wits in bootlefs rhimes,
And fhape his fervice all to my behefts,

And make him proud to make me proud with jefts:
So portent-like would I o'erfway his ftate,

*

That he should be my fool, and I his fate +.

Prin. None are fo furely caught, when they are catch'd.

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

Ref. The blood of youth burns not in fuch excefs,
As gravity's revolt to wantonnefs.

Mar. Folly in fools bears not so strong a note,
As fool'ry in the wife, when wit doth doat:
Since all the power thereof it doth apply,
To prove, by wit, worth in fimplicity.

SCENE IV. 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

Againft your peace; love doth approach disguis'd,
Armed in arguments; you'll be surpris'd.

*Portents have been always look'd upon not only as the tokens and fignals, but the inftruments alfo of destiny.

† See vol. 1. p. 287. note 2.

2

Mufter

Mufter your wits, ftand 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 fay, scout, say.
Boyet. Under the cool fhade of a fycamore,
I thought to clofe mine eyes fome half an hour;
When, lo! to interrupt my purpos'd rest,
Toward that shade, I might behold, addreft
The King and his companions; warily
I ftole into a neighbour thicket by,
And overheard what you shall overhear;
That, by and by, difguis'd they will be here.
Their herald is a pretty knavish page,
That well by heart hath conn'd his embaffage.
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,
Prefence majestical would put him out :
For, quoth the king, an angel fhalt thou fee;
Yet fear not thou, but fpeak audaciously.
The boy reply'd, An angel is not evil;

r;

I fhould have fear'd her, had she been a devil.-
With that all laugh'd, and clapp'd him on the thoulder,
Making the bold wag by their praifes bolder.

One rubb'd his elbow thus, and fleer'd, and fwore,
A better speech was never spoke before.
Another with his finger and his thumb,
Cry'd, Via! we will do't, come what will come.
The third he caper'd, and cry'd, All goes well.
The fourth turn'd on the toe, and down he fell.
With that they all did tumble on the ground,
With fuch a zealous laughter, fo profound,
That in this fpleen ridiculous appears,
To check their folly, paffion's folemn tears.

Prin. But what, but what, come they to vifit us?
Boyet. They do, they do; and are apparell'd thus,
Like Mufcovites, or Ruffians, as I guess.
Their purpose is to parley, court, and dance;
And every one his love-feat will advance

Unto his fev'ral miftrefs; which they'll know,
By favours fev'ral, which they did beftow,
B b

VOL. II.

Prin

Prin. And will they fo? the gallants fhall be tafk'd;
For, Ladies, we will every one be mask'd:
And not a man of them fhall have the grace,
Defpight of fuit, to fee a Lady's face.

Hold, Rofaline; this favour thou fhalt wear,
And then the King will court thee for his dear:
Hold, take you this, my fweet, and give me thine;
So fhall Biron take me for Rofaline,

And change your favours too; fo fhall your loves
Woo contrary, deceiv'd by these removes.

Rof. Come on then, wear the favours most in fight.
Cath. But in this changing, what is your intent?
Prin. Th' effect of my intent is to cross theirs ;
They do it but in mocking merriment,
And mock for mock is only my intent.
Their feveral councils they unbofom shall
To loves mistook, and fo be mock'd withal,
Upon the next occafion that we meet,
With vifages display'd, to talk and greet.

Rof. But fhall we dance, if they defire 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 fpoke, 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 reft will ne'er come in, if he be out. There's no fuch sport, as fport by sport o'erthrown, To make theirs ours, and ours none but our own; So fhall we stay, mocking intended game;

And they, we'll mock'd, depart away with fhame. [Sound. Boyet. The trumpet founds; be mafk'd, the mafkers

Enter the King, Biron, Longaville, Dumain, and attendants, difguis'd like Mufcovites; Moth with mufic, as for a mafquerade.

Moth. All hail, the richest beauties on the earth!

Boyet.