Biron. Greater than great, great, great, great Pompey! Pompey the huge! Dum. Hector trembles. Biron. Pompey is mov'd; more Atès, moré Atès ftir them on, ftir them on. Dum. Hector will challenge him. Biron. Ay, if he have no more man's blood in's belly than will fup a flea. Armi. By the north pole, I do challenge thee. Goft. I will not fight with a pole, like a northern man: I'll flash; I'll do't by the sword: I pray you, let me borrow my arms again. Dum. Room for the incenfed worthies. Coft. I'll do it in my fhirt. Dum. Moft refolute Pompey! Moth. Mafter, let me take you a button-hole lower. Do ye not fee, Pompey is uncafing for the combat? What mean you? you will lofe your reputation. Arm. Gentlemen, and foldiers, pardon me; I will not combat in my fhirt. Dum. You may not deny it, Pompey hath made the challenge. Arm. Sweet bloods, I both may and will. Biron. What reafon have you for't? Arm. The naked truth of it is, I have no fhirt; I go woolward for penance. Boyet. "True, and it was injoin'd him in Rome for 66 want of linen; 'fince when, I'll be fworn, he wore "none but a difh-clout of Jaquenetta's, and that he wears next his heart for a favour." SCENE X. Enter Macard. Mac. God fave you, Madam! Prin. Welcome, Macard, but that thou interrupte our merriment. Mac. I'm forry, Madam, for the news I bring Is heavy in my tongue. The King your fatherPrin. Dead! for my life. Mac. Even fo, my tale is told. Biron. Worthies, away; the feene begins to cloud. Arm. Formy own part, Tbreathe free breath; I have feen feen the day of right through the little hole of difcretion, and I will right myself like a foldier. King. How fares your Majefty ? [Exeunt worthies. Prin. Boyet, prepare; I will away to-night. King. Madam, not fo; I do befeech you, ftay, Prin. Prepare, I fay.-I thank you, gracious Lords, For all your fair endeavours; and intreat, Out of a new-fad foul, that you youchsafe In your rich wifdom to excufe, or hide, The liberal oppofition of our fpirits; If over-boldly we have borne ourselves In the converfe of breath, your gentleness Was guilty of it. Farewel, worthy Lord; An heavy heart bears not a nimble tongue: Excufe me fo, coming fo fhort of thanks, For my great fuit fo eafily obtain'd. King. The extreme part of time extremely forms, That which long process could not arbitrate. foot, The holy fuit which fain it would convince; From what it purpos'd: fince to wail friends loft, As to rejoice at friends but newly found. Prin. I understand you not, my griefs are double. Biron. Honeft plain words beft pierce the ear of grief; And by thefe badges underftand the King, For your fair fakes have we neglected time, 'Play'd foul play with our oaths: your beauty, Ladies, D d 2 Varying Varying in fubjects as the eye doth rowl, To thofe that makes us both; fair Ladies, you: Thus purifies itself, and turns to grace. Prin. We have receiv'd your letters, full of love; But more devout than this, (fave our refpects), Dum. Our letters, Madam, fhew'd much more than jeft. Long. So did our looks. Rof. We did not quote them fo. King. Now at the latest minute of the hour, Grant us your loves. Prin. A time, methinks, too fhort, To make a world-without-end bargain in ; Change not your offer made in heat of blood; But But that it bear this trial, and last love; Then, at the expiration of the year, Come challenge me; challenge me, by these deferts; I will be thine; and till that inftant fhut For the remembrance of my father's death. King. If this, or more than this, I would deny, Hence, ever then, my heart is in thy breaft. Therefore if you my favour mean to get, Dum. But what to me, my love? but what to me? Gath. A wife!- a beard, fair health, and honesty; With three-fold love I wish you all these three. Dum. O, fhall I fay, I thank you, gentle wife ? Cath. Not fo, my Lord, a twelvemonth and a day, I'll mark no words that smooth-face'd wooers say. Come, when the King doth to my Lady come; Then if I have much love, I'll give you fome. Dum. I'll ferve thee true and faithfully till then. Cath. Yet fwear not, left ye be forfworn again. Long. What fays Maria? Mar. At the twelvemonth's end, I'll change my black gown for a faithful friend. *Thefe fix lines are misplaced, and ought to be expunged, as being the author's firft draught only, of what he afterwards improved and made more perfe&. Mr. Warburton, Rof. Rof. Oft have I heard of you, my Lord Biron, Before I faw you; and the world's large tongue Proclaims you for a man replete with mocks; Full of comparifons and wounding flouts; Which you on all eftates will execute, That lie within the mercy of your wit: To weed this wormwood from your fruitful brain And therewithal to win me, if you please, (Without the which I am not to be won); You shall this twelve-month term from day to day Vifit the fpeechlefs fick, and fill converfe With groaning wretches; and your task fhall be, With all the fierce endeavour of your wit, T'enforce the pained impotent to unile. Biron. To move wild laughter in the throat of death? It cannot be, it is impoffible: Mirth cannot move a foul in agony. Rof. Why, that's the way to choak a gibing fpirit, Of him that hears it, never in the tongue Deaft with the clamours of their own dear groans, Biron. A twelvemonth? well; befal, what will befal, leave. I'll jeft a twelvemonth in an hofpital. way. Biron. Our wooing doth not end like an old play; Jack hath not Jill; thefe ladies' courtesy Might well have made our fport a comedy. King. Come, Sir, it wants a twelvemonth and a day, And then 'twill end. Biron. That's too long for a play. Enter. |