Imatges de pàgina
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King. [Reads.] 'Great deputy, the welkin's vicegerent, and sole dominator of Navarre, my soul's 220 earth's God, and body's fostering patron,

Cost. Not a word of Costard yet.

King. [Reads.] 'So it is,'

Cost. It may be so; but if he say it is so, he 224

is, in telling true, but so.

King. Peace!

Cost. Be to me and every man that dares not

fight.

King. No words!

228

Cost. Of other men's secrets, I beseech you. King. [Reads.] 'So it is, besieged with sable-coloured melancholy, I did commend the black-op- 232 pressing humour to the most wholesome physic of thy health-giving air; and, as I am a gentleman, betook myself to walk. The time when? About the sixth hour; when beasts most graze, 236 birds best peek, and men sit down to that nourishment which is called supper: so much for the time when. Now for the ground which; which, I mean, I walked upon: it is ycleped 240 thy park. Then for the place where; where, I mean, I did encounter that most obscene and preposterous event, that draweth from my snowwhite pen the ebon-coloured ink, which here thou 244 viewest, beholdest, surveyest, or seest. But to the place where, it standeth north-north-east and by east from the west corner of thy curiousknotted garden. There did I see that low-spirited 248 swain, that base minnow of thy mirth,' Cost. Me?

240 ycleped: called

247 curious-knotted: fancifully laid ~ut in intricate beds

King. [Reads.] that unlettered small-knowing

soul,—'

Cost. Me?

King. [Reads.] 'that shallow vessel,—'

Cost. Still me?

King. [Reads.] 'which, as I remember, hight Costard,-'

Cost. O me!

252

256

King. [Reads.] 'sorted and consorted, contrary to thy established proclaimed edict and continent canon, with—with,-O! with—but with this I 260 passion to say wherewith,—'

Cost. With a wench.

King. [Reads.] 'with a child of our grandmother Eve, a female; or, for thy more sweet under- 264 standing, a woman. Him I,-as my everesteemed duty pricks me on,—have sent to thee, to receive the meed of punishment, by thy sweet Grace's officer, Anthony Dull; a man of good 268 repute, carriage, bearing, and estimation.'

Dull. Me, an 't shall please you; I am Anthony Dull.

King. [Reads.] 'For Jaquenetta,—so is the weaker vessel called which I apprehended with the 272 aforesaid swain, I keep her as a vessel of thy law's fury; and shall, at the least of thy sweet notice, bring her to trial. Thine, in all compliments of devoted and heart-burning heat of duty,

Don Adriano de Armado.' Ber. This is not so well as I looked for, but the best that ever I heard

258 sorted: associated

259 continent: i.e. containing a summary of offenses

261 passion: grieve

276

King. Ay, the best for the worst. But, sirrah, what say you to this?

Cost. Sir, I confess the wench.

King. Did you hear the proclamation?

Cost. I do confess much of the hearing it, but little of the marking of it.

King. It was proclaimed a year's imprisonment to be taken with a wench.

Cost. I was taken with none, sir: I was taken with a damsel.

King. Well, it was proclaimed 'damsel.'

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Cost. This was no damsel neither, sir: she was a virgin.

King. It is so varied too; for it was proclaimed 'virgin.'

Cost. If it were, I deny her virginity: I was taken with a maid.

280

284

288

293

King. This maid will not serve your turn, sir. 296
Cost. This maid will serve my turn, sir.

King. Sir, I will pronounce your sentence: you shall fast a week with bran and water.

Cost. I had rather pray a month with mutton 300 and porridge.

King. And Don Armado shall be your keeper.
My Lord Berowne, see him deliver'd o'er:
And go we, lords, to put in practice that

Which each to other hath so strongly sworn.

304

[Exeunt King, Longaville, and Dumaine.]

Ber. I'll lay my head to any good man's hat,
These oaths and laws will prove an idle scorn.
Sirrah, come on.

Cost. I suffer for the truth, sir: for true it is

284 marking of: paying attention to

288 damsel: a young unmarried woman of good birth 300 mutton: slang for 'loose woman'

308

306 lay: wager

I was taken with Jaquenetta, and Jaquenetta is
a true girl; and therefore welcome the sour cup of
prosperity! Affliction may one day smile again; 312
and till then, sit thee down, sorrow!

Exeunt.

Scene Two

[The Same]

Enter Armado and Moth his Page.

Arm. Boy, what sign is it when a man of great spirit grows melancholy?

Boy. A great sign, sir, that he will look sad.

Arm. Why, sadness is one and the self-same 4 thing, dear imp.

Boy. No, no; O Lord, sir, no.

Arm. How canst thou part sadness and melancholy, my tender juvenal?

Boy. By a familiar demonstration of the working, my tough senior.

8

Arm. Why tough senior? why tough senior? Boy. Why tender juvenal? why tender juve- 12 nal?

Arm. I spoke it, tender juvenal, as a congruent epitheton appertaining to thy young days, which we may nominate tender.

Boy. And I, tough senior, as an appertinent title to your old time, which we may name tough. Arm. Pretty, and apt.

16

Boy. How mean you, sir? I pretty, and my 20 saying apt? or I apt, and my saying pretty? Arm. Thou pretty, because little.

5 imp: child
16 nominate: call

14 congruent epitheton: suitable epithet
17 appertinent: appropriate

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Boy. Little pretty, because little. Wherefore apt?

Arm. And therefore apt, because quick.

Boy. Speak you this in my praise, master?
Arm. In thy condign praise. Cl

24

Boy. I will praise an eel with the same 28 praise.

Arm. What! that an eel is ingenious?

Boy. That an eel is quick.

Arm. I do say thou art quick in answers: 32 thou heat'st my blood. 1

Boy. I am answered, sir.

Arm. I love not to be crossed.

Boy. [Aside.] He speaks the mere contrary: 36 crosses love not him.

Arm. I have promised to study three years with the duke.

Boy. You may do it in an hour, sir.

Arm. Impossible.

Boy. How many is one thrice told?

Arm. I am ill at reckoning; it fitteth the spirit of a tapster.

Boy. You are a gentleman and a gamester, sir.

Arm. I confess both; they are both the varnish of a complete man.

Boy. Then, I am sure you know how much the gross sum of deuce-ace amounts to.

Arm. It doth amount to one more than two.
Boy. Which the base vulgar do call three.
Arm. True.

Boy. Why, sir, is this such a piece of study? Now, here is three studied, ere ye'll thrice wink;

37 crosses: coins (which had crosses on them)

40

44

48

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