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

Meth. An excellent device for if any of the audience hiis, 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 sport away.

[Exeunt.

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

Prin. Sweet hearts, we fhall 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.

Ref. Madam, came nothing elfe 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.

Rof. 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. Ref. You'll ne'er be friends with him; he kill'd your fifter.

Gath. He made her melancholy, fad, and heavy, And fo the died; had he been light, like you,

Of

Of fuch a merry, nimble, stirring spirit,

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.

Ref. 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 ftill 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 goddefs 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 praife.
Prin. Beauteous as ink; a good conclufion.
Cath. Fair as a text B in a copy-book.

Rof. Ware pencils *. How

debtor,

let me not die your

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 thoufand 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 wish in heart, The chain were longer, and the letter fhort?

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 so. That fame Biron I'll torture ere I go.

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

And make him proud to make me proud with jefts:
So portent-like * would I o'ersway his state,
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 wisdom hatch'd,
Hath wisdom's warrant, and the help of school;
And wit's own grace to grace a learned fool.

Ref. The blood of youth burns not in fuch excess,
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
Against your peace; love doth approach difguis'd,
Armed in arguments; you'll be furpris'd.

Potents have been always look'd upen not only as the tokens and Fignals, but the inftruments also of destiny:

See vol. s. p. 287. note 2.

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, fcout, fay.
Boyet. Under the cool fhade of a fycamore,
I thought to close mine eyes fome half an hour;
When, lo! to interrupt my purpos'd reft,
Toward that fhade, I might behold, addreft
The King and his companions; warily
I ftole into a neighbour thicket by,
And overheard what you fhall overhear;
That, by and by, difguis'd they will be here.
Their herald is a pretty knavith page,

That well by heart hath conn'd his embaffage.
Action and accent did they teach him there;
Thus must thou fpeak, and thus thy body bear;
And ever and anon they made a doubt,
Prefence majeftical 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;

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

One rubb'd his elbow thus, and fleer'd, and swore,
A better fpeech 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?
Bojet. They do, they do; and are apparell'd thus,
Like Mufcovites, or Ruffians, as I guess.
Their purpofe 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. -
VOL. II.

R

Prin.

Prin. And will they fo? the gallants fhall be tafk'd;
For, Ladies, we will every one be mafk'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.

Ref. Come on then, wear the favours moft 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 fhall
To loves miflook, and fo be mock'd withal,
Upon the next occafion that we meet,
With vifages difplay'd, to talk and greet.

Ref. 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 fpecch render we no grace: But while 'tis fpoke, each turn away her face. Boyet. Why, that contempt will kill the fpeaker'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 fport, as sport by sport o'erthrown, To make theirs ours, and ours none but our own; So fhall we ftay, mocking intended game; And they, we'll mock'd, depart away with fhame.

[Sound. Boyet. The trumpet founds; be mafk'd, the maskers

Enter the King, Biron, Longaville, Dumain, and attendents, difguis'd like Mufcovites; Moth with mu fic, as for a masquerade.

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

Boyet.