The Works of William Shakespeare

Whiles a wedlock-hymn we sing,
Feed yourselves with questioning;
That reason wonder may diminish,
How thus we met, and these things finish.

SONG.

Wedding is great Juno's crown :

O blessed bond of board and bed!
'Tis Hymen peoples every town;
High wedlock, then, be honoured:
Honour, high honour and renown,
To Hymen, god of every town!

Duke S. O my dear niece, welcome thou art to me! Even daughter, welcome in no less degree.

Phe. [To SILVIUS.] I will not eat my word, now thou art mine;

Thy faith my fancy to thee doth combine.

Enter JAQUES De Bois.

Jaq. de B. Let me have audience for a word or two: I am the second son of old Sir Rowland,

That bring these tidings to this fair assembly.-
Duke Frederick, hearing how that every day
Men of great worth resorted to this forest,
Address'd a mighty power; which were on foot,
In his own conduct, purposely to take
His brother here, and put him to the sword:
And to the skirts of this wild wood he came;
Where, meeting with an old religious man,
After some question with him, was converted
Both from his enterprise and from the world;
His crown bequeathing to his banish'd brother,
And all their lands restor❜d to them again,
That were with him exil'd. This to be true,
I do engage my life.

Duke S.

Welcome, young man ;
Thou offer'st fairly to thy brothers' wedding:
To one, his lands withheld; and to the other,
A land itself at large, a potent dukedom.
First, in this forest, let us do those ends
That here were well begun, and well begot :

And after, every of this happy number,

That have endur'd shrewd days and nights with us, Shall share the good of our returned fortune,

According to the measure of their states.
Meantime, forget this new-fall'n dignity,
And fall into our rustic revelry.—

Play, music!—and you, brides and bridegrooms all,
With measure heap'd in joy, to the measures fall.
Jaq. Sir, by your patience.-If I heard you rightly,
The duke hath put on a religious life,

And thrown into neglect the pompous court?

Jaq. de B. He hath.

Jaq. To him will I out of these convertites

There is much matter to be heard and learn'd.

[To DUKE S.] You to your former honour I bequeath;
Your patience, and your virtue, well deserve it :-

[To ORLANDO.] You to a love, that your true faith doth
merit :-

[To OLIVER.] You to your land, and love, and great allies:-
[To SILVIUS.] You to a long and well-deserved bed :--
[To TOUCHSTONE.] And you to wrangling; for thy loving
voyage

Is but for two months victuall'd.—So, to your pleasures :
I am for other than for dancing measures.

Duke S. Stay, Jaques, stay.

Jaq. To see no pastime, I :—what you would have,
I'll stay to know at your abandon'd cave.

Duke S. Proceed, proceed: we will begin these rites,
As we do trust they'll end, in true delights.

[Exit.

EPILOGUE.

Ros. It is not the fashion to see the lady the epilogue; but it is no more unhandsome, than to see the lord the prologue. If it be true that good wine needs no bush, 'tis true that a good play needs no epilogue: yet to good wine they do use good bushes; and good plays prove the better by the help of good epilogues. What a case am I in, then, that am neither a good epilogue, nor cannot insinuate with you in the behalf of a good play! I am not furnished like a beggar, therefore to beg will not become me : my way is, to conjure you; and I'll begin with the women. I charge you, O women, for the love you bear to men, to like as much of this play as please you: and I charge you, O men, for the love you bear to women, (as I perceive by your simpering none of you hates them,) that between you

and the women, the play may please. If I were a woman, I would kiss as many of you as had beards that pleased me, complexions that liked me, and breaths that I defied not; and, I am sure, as many as have good beards, or good faces, or sweet breaths, will, for my kind offer, when I make court'sy, bid me farewell. [Exeunt.

TAMING OF THE SHREW.