tell thee, it will please his Grace, by the world, sometime to lean upon my poor shoulder, and with his royal finger, thus dally with my excre- 112 ment, with my mustachio: but, sweet heart, let that pass. By the world, I recount no fable: some certain special honours it pleaseth his greatness to impart to Armado, a soldier, a man 116 of travel, that hath seen the world: but let that pass. The very all of all is, but, sweet heart, I do implore secrecy, that the king would have me present the princess, sweet chuck, with some 120 delightful ostentation, or show, or pageant, or antick, or fire-work. Now, understanding that the curate and your sweet self are good at such eruptions and sudden breaking out of mirth, as 124 it were, I have acquainted you withal, to the end to crave your assistance. Hol. Sir, you shall present before her the Nine Worthies. Sir Nathaniel, as concerning128 some entertainment of time, some show in the posterior of this day, to be rendered by our assistants, the king's command, and this most gallant, illustrate, and learned gentleman, 132 before the princess; I say, none so fit as to present the Nine Worthies. Nath. Where will you find men worthy enough to present them? Hol. Joshua, yourself; myself, or this gallant gentleman, Judas Maccabæus; this swain, because of his great limb, or joint, shall pass Pompey the Great; the page, Hercules, Arm. Pardon, sir; error: he is not quantity 136 140 120 chuck: a pet name 139 pass: pass for (?), surpass (?) 112 excrement: excrescence, hair on lip 128 Nine Worthies; cf. n. enough for that Worthy's thumb: he is not so big as the end of his club. Hol. Shall I have audience? he shall present 144 Hercules in minority: his enter and exit shall be strangling a snake; and I will have an apology for that purpose. of 148 Moth. An excellent device! so, if any the audience hiss, you may cry, 'Well done, Hercules! now thou crushest the snake!' that is the way to make an offence gracious, though few have the grace to do it. Arm. For the rest of the Worthies?— Moth. Thrice-worthy gentleman! Hol. We attend. Arm. We will have, if this fadge not, an antick. I beseech you, follow. 152 156 Hol. Via, goodman Dull! thou hast spoken 160 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 so; or I 164 will play on the tabor to the Worthies, and let them dance the hay. Hol. Most dull, honest Dull, to our sport, away! 145 Hercules in minority; cf. n. Exeunt. 158 fadge: succeed 160 Via: On your way! Scene Two [The same. Before the Princess's Pavilion] Enter the Ladies [i.e. Princess, Katharine, 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. Ros. Madam, came nothing else along with that? Prin. Nothing but this! yes, as much love in rime As would be cramm'd up in a sheet of paper, Writ o' both sides the leaf, margent and all, That he was fain to seal on Cupid's name. Ros. That was the way to make his godhead wax; For he hath been five thousand year a boy. 8 Kath. Ay, and a shrewd unhappy gallows too. 12 Ros. You'll ne'er be friends with him: a' kill'd your sister. Kath. He made her melancholy, sad, and heavy; She might ha' been a grandam ere she died; 16 And so may you, for a light heart lives long. Ros. What's your dark meaning, mouse, of this light word? Kath. A light condition in a beauty dark. Ros. We need more light to find your meaning out. Kath. You'll mar the light by taking it in snuff; 166 hay: country dance 2 fairings: presents, originally such as were bought at a fair 9 That: so that (there being no blank space left) 10 wax: grow (with quibble on sealing-wax) 12 shrewd ... gallows: cunning, roguish knave 13 Cf. n. 20 20 condition: temperament 22 in snuff: in anger, ill (with pun on the snuff of a candle) Therefore, I'll darkly end the argument. Ros. Look, what you do, you do it still i' the dark. 24 Kath. So do not you, for you are a light wench. Ros. Indeed I weigh not you, and therefore light. Kath. You weigh me not. O! that's you care not for me. Ros. Great reason; for, past cure is still past care.' Prin. Well bandied both; a set of wit well play'd. But Rosaline, you have a favour too: Who sent it? and what is it? Ros. I am compar'd to twenty thousand fairs. O, he hath drawn my picture in his letter! Ros. Much in the letters, nothing in the praise. 28 32 Ros. 'Ware pencils, ho! let me not die your debtor, My red dominical, my golden letter: O, that your face were not so full of O's! 36 40 44 Prin. A pox of that jest! and I beshrew all shrows But, Katharine, what was sent to you from fair Kath. Yes, madam; and moreover, Some thousand verses of a faithful lover: Vilely compil'd, profound simplicity. 52 Mar. This, and these pearls to me sent Longaville: The letter is too long by half a mile. Prin. I think no less. Dost thou not wish in heart The chain were longer and the letter short? 56 Mar. Ay, or I would these hands might never part. Prin. We are wise girls to mock our lovers so. Ros. They are worse fools to purchase mocking so. That same Berowne I'll torture ere I go. 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 rimes, And shape his service wholly to my hests, And make him proud to make me proud that jests! So perttaunt-like would I o'ersway his state That he should be my fool, and I his fate. 60 64 68 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 72 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 Enter Boyet. 51 translation of hypocrisy; cf. n. 65 hests: behests; cf. n. 76 61 in... week; cf. n. 57 perttaunt-like; cf. n. |