King. Ay, that there is; our court, you know, is

haunted

With a refined traveller of Spain,

A man in all the world's new fashion planted,
That hath a mint of phrafes in his brain :
"One, whom the mufic of his own vain tongue
"Doth ravish, like inchanting harmony:
"A man of compliments, whom right and wrong
"Have chofe as umpire of their mutiny.
"This child of fancy, that Armado hight,

"For interim to our ftudies, fhall relate "In high-born words the worth of many a knight "From tawny Spain, loft in the world's debate. How you delight, my Lords, I know not, I; But, I protest, I love to hear him lye; And I will ufe him for my minstrelfy.

Biron. Armado is a moft illuftrious wight, A man of fire-new words, fashion's own knight. Long. Coftard the fwain, and he, fhall be our sport; And, fo to study, three years are but short.

SCENE II. Enter Dull and Coftard with a letter,

Dull. Which is the King's own perfon?
Biron. This, fellow; what would's ?

Dull. I myself reprehend his own perfon, for I am his Grace's Tharborough: but I would fee his own perfon in flesh and blood.

Biron. This is he.

Dull. Signior Arme,--Arme-commends you. There's villany abroad; this letter will tell you more. Coft. Sir, the contempts thereof are as touching

me.

King. A letter from the magnificent Armado.

Biron. How low foever the matter, I hope in God for high words.

Long. A high hope for a low having; God grant us patience!

Biron. To hear, or forbear hearing?

Long. To hear meekly, Sir, to laugh moderately, or to forbear both.

Biron. Well, Sir, be it as the ftyle fhall give us caufe to climb in the merrinefs.

Coft. The matter is to me, Sir, as concerning Jaquenetta.

The manner of it is, I was taken in the manner.
Biron. In what manner?

Coft. In manner and form, following, Sir; all thofe three. I was feen with her in the manor-house, fitting with her upon the form, and taken following her into the park; which, put together, is, in manner and form following. Now, Sir, for the manner: it is the manner of a man to speak to a woman; for the form, in fome form.

Biron. For the following, Sir?

Coft. As it fhall follow in my correction; and God defend the right!

King. Will you hear the letter with attention?
Biron. As we would hear an oracle.

Goft. Such is the fimplicity of man to hearken after the flesh.

King. [reads.] Great deputy, the welkin's vicegerent, and fole dominator of Navarre, my foul's earth's God, and body's foftering patron

Coft. Not a word of Coftard yet.
King. So it is-

Coft. It may be fo; but if he fay it is fo, he is, in telling true, but, so, so.

King. Peace

Coft. Be to me, and every man that dares not fight!
King. No words-

Coft. Of other mens fecrets, I beseech you.

King. So it is, befieged with fable-coloured melancholy, I did commend the black oppressing humour to the moft wholesome phyfic of thy health-giving air; and as I am a gentleman, betook myself to walk. The time, when? about the fixth hour, when beafis moft graze, birds beft peck, and men fit down to that nourishment which is call'd fupper: so much for the time, when. Now for the ground, which? which, I mean, I walk'd upon; it is ycleped, thy park. Then for the place, where? where, I mean, I did encounter that obscene and most prepofterous event, that draweth from my fnow-white pen the ebon-colour'd ink, which here thou vieweft, beholdeft, furveyeft, or feeft. But to the place, where? it ftandeth north-north-eaft and by eaft from

the weft corner of thy curious-knotted garden. There did I fee that low-fpirited fwain, that bafe minow of thy mirth, (Coft. Me?), that unletter'd fmall-knowing foul, (Coft. Me?), that shallow vassal, (Cost. Still me?) which, as I remember, hight Coftard, (Coft. O me!), forted and conforted, contrary to thy eftablished proclaimed edit and continent canon, with, with,O with, but with this I paffion to fay wherewith: Coft. With a wench.

King. With a child of our grandmother Eve, a female; or for thy more understanding, a woman; him, I(as my ever-esteem'd duty pricks me on) have fent to thee, to receive the need of punishment, by thy fweet Grace's officer, Anthony Dull, a man of good repute, carriage, bearing, and eftimation.

Dull. Me, an't fhall please you: I am Anthony Dull.

King. For Jaquenetta, (fo is the weaker vessel call'd), which I apprehended with the aforefaid fwain, I keep her as a vaffal of thy law's fury, and fhall at the leaft of thy fweet notice bring her to trial. Thine in all compliments of devoted and heart-burning heat of duty, Don Adriano de Armado.

Biron. This is not fo well as I look'd for, but the best that ever I heard.

King. Ay; the beft for the worft. But, firrah, what say you to this?

Coft. Sir, I confefs the wench.

King. Did you hear the proclamation?

Coft. I do confefs much of the hearing it, but little of the marking of it.

King. It was proclaim'd a year's imprisonment to be

taken with a wench.

Coft. I was taken with none, Sir, I was taken with a damofel.

King. Well, it was proclaimed damofel.

Coft. This was no damofel neither, Sir, fhe was a virgin.

King. It is fo varied too, for it was proclaim'd virgin,

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

King. This maid will not ferve your turn, Sir.

Coft. This maid will ferve my turn, Sir.

King. Sir, I will pronounce fentence; you fhall faft a week with bran and water.

Coft. I had rather pray a month with mutton and porridge.

King. And Don Armado fhall be your keeper. My Lord Biron, fee him deliver'd o'er.

And go we, Lords, to put in practice that,

Which each to other hath fo ftrongly fworn.
[Exeunt.

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

Coft. I fuffer for the truth, Sir: for true it is, I was taken with Jaquenetta, and Jaquenetta is a true girl; and therefore welcome the four cup of profperity: affliction may one day smile again, and until then, fit thee down, forrow. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

Changes to Armado's house.

Enter Armado, and Moth.

Arm. Boy, what fign is it, when a man of great fpirit grows melancholy?

Moth. A great fign, Sir, that he will look fad.

Arm. Why, fadnefs is one and the felf-fame thing, dear imp.

Moth. No, no; O Lord, Sir, no.

Arm. How can't thou part fadness and melancholy, my tender juvenile ?

Moth. By a familiar demonftration of the working, my to h Signior.

Arm. Why tough Signior? why tough Signior? Moth. Why tender juvenile ? why tender juvenile ?

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

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

Moth. How mean you, Sir? I pretty, and my saying apt? or I apt, and my faying pretty?

Arm. Thou pretty, because little.

Moth. Little! pretty, because little; wherefore apt? Arm. And therefore apt, becaufe quick.

Moth. Speak you this in my praise, Master?

Arm. In thy condign praise.

Moth. I will praise an eel with the fame praise.
Arm. What? that an eel is ingenious.

Moth. That an eel is quick.

Arm. I do fay, thou art quick in anfwers. Thou

heat'ft my blood.

Moth. I am answer'd, Sir.

Arm. I love not to be crofs'd.

Moth. He speaks the clean contrary, croffes* love not him.

Arm. I have promis'd to study three years with the King.

Moth. You may do it in an hour, Sir.
Arm. Impoffible.

Moth. How many is one thrice told?

Arm. I am ill at reckoning, it fits the fpirit of a tapfter.

Moth. You are a gentleman, and a gamefter.

Arm. I confefs both; they are both the varnish of a compleat man.

Moth. Then, I am fure, you know how much the grofs fum of deuce-ace amounts to.

Arm. It doth amount to one more than two.

Moth. Which the bafe vulgar call three.

Arm. True.

Moth. Why, Sir, is this fuch a piece of ftudy? Now here's three ftudied ere you'll thrice wink; and how eafy is it to put years to the word three, and study three years in two words, the dancing-horfe will tell you. Arm. A most fine figure.

Moth. To prove you a cypher.

Arm. I will hereupon confefs, I am in love; and, as

* meaning, money.