BIRON. I know, you did.
Ros.

How needless was it then
To ask the question!
BIRON

You must not be so quick.
Ros. 'Tis 'long of you that fpur me with such

questions.
BIRON, Your wit's too hot, it speeds too fast,

'twill tire.
Ros. Not till it leave the rider in the mire.
BIRON. What time o'day ?.
Ros. The hour that fools should ask.
BIRON. Now fair befal your mask!
Ros. Fair fall the face it covers !
BIRON. And send you many lovers!
Ros. Amen, so

you

be none. Biron. Nay, then will I be gone.

KING. Madam, your father here doth intimate
The payment of a hundred thousand crowns;
Being but the one half of an entire fum,
Disbursed by my father in his wars.
But say, that he, or we, (as neither have,)
Receiv'd that fum; yet there remains unpaid
A hundred thousand more; in surety of the which,
One part of Aquitain is bound to us,
Although not valued to the money's worth.
If then the king your father will restore
But that one half which is unsatisfied,
We will give up our right in Aquitain,
And hold fair friendship with his majesty,
But that, it seems, he little purposeth,
For here he doth demand to have repaid
An hundred thousand crowns; and not demands,

On payment' of a hundred thousand crowns,
To have his title live in Aquitain ;
Which we much rather bad ciepart withal,'
And have the money by our father lent,
Tnan Aquitain so gelded' as it is.
Dear princess, were not his requelis so far
Froin reason's yielding, your fuir self ihould make
A yielding, 'gains some reason, in my breast,
And go well satisfied to France again.
· Prin. You do the king my father too much

wrong,
And wrong the reputation of your name,

$

crowns.

and not demands,
On payment; &c.] The former editions read:

and not demands
" One fayment of a hundred thousand crowns,

" To have his tille live in Aquitain. ' I have restored, I believe, the genuine sense of the passage. Aquitain was pledged, it seems, 10 Navarre's father, for 200,000

The French kiug pretends to have paid one moiety of this debi, (which Navane knows nothing of) but demands this moiety back again: instead whereof (says Ravarre! he should rather pay the remaining moiety, and wemand lo have Aquitain re-delivered up to him. This is plain and easy reasoning upon the fag suppos'd; and Navarre declares, he had rather receive the residue of his debt, than detain the province mortgaged for security of it.

THEOBALD. The two words are frequently confounded in the books. of our author's age. See a noie on King John, Ad III. sc. iii. Malone. 6

depart withal, ] To depart and to part were anciently synonymous. So, in K. John:

" Hath willingly departed with a part." Again, in Every Man out of his Humour: - Faith, sir, I can hardly depart with ready, money.'

STEEVENS. gelded ] To this phrase Shakspeare is peculiarly attached. It occurs in The Winter's Tale, King Richard 11. King Henry IV. King Henry VI. &c. &c. but never less properly than in the present formal speech, addressed by a king to a maiden princess.

ŞTEEYENS.

7

In so unseeming to confess receipt
Of that which hath so faithfully been paid,

KING. I do protest, I never heard of it;
And, if

you prove it, I'll repay it back, Or yield up Aquitain. PRIN

We arrest your word:-Boyet, you can produce acquittances, For such a sum, from special officers Of Charles his father. KING.

Satisfy me so. Boret. So please your grace, the packet is not

come,
Where that and other specialities are bound;
Tomorrow you shall have a sight of them.

KING. It shall suffice me: at which interview,
All liberal reason I will yield unto.
Mean time, receive such welcome at my hand,
As honour, without breach of honour, .may
Make tender of to thy true worthiness:
You may not come, fair princess, in my gates ;
But here without you shall be so receivd,
As

you shall deem yourself lodg'd in my heart, Though so denied fair harbour in my house. Your own good thoughts excuse me, and farewel : To-morrow shall we visit you again.

Pkin. Sweet health and fair desires confort your

grace!

King. Thy own wish wish I thee in every place!

[Exeunt King and his train. BIRON. Lady, I will commend you to my own.

heart. Ros. ’Pray you,

do

iny commendations; I would be glad to see it. BIRON. I would, you

heard it groan.

Ros. Is the fool fick? $
BIRON. Sick at the heart.
Ros. Alack, let it blood.
BIRON. Would that do it good ?
Ros. My physiek says, I. ?
Biron. Will you prick’t with your eye?
Ros. No poynt, with my

knife.
BIRON. Now, God save thy life!
Ros. And yours from long living !
Biron. I cannot stay thanksgiving. [ Retiring.
DUM. Sir, I pray you, a word: What lady is that

'fame? 3 Boyet. The heir of Alençon, Rosaline her name.

8 Is the fool fick ? ] She means perhaps his heart. So, in Much ado about Nothing;

“ D. Pedro. In faith, lady, you have a merry heart."

“ Beat. Yes, my lord; I thank it, poor fool, it keeps on the windy side of care." MALONE.

My phyfick says, I. ] She means to say, ay. The old spelling of the aifirmative particle has been retained here for the sake of the rhime, MALONE. 2 No poynt, ] So, in The Shoemaker's Holliday, 1600 :

tell me where he is. " No point.

Shall I betray my brother ?” STEEVENS. No point was a negation borrowed from the French. See the note on the same words, A& V. sc. ii. MALONE.

3 What lady is that same?] It is odd that Shakspeare should make Dumain enquire after Rosaline, who was the mistress of Biron, and negled Katharine, who was his own. Biron behaves in the same

No advantage would be gained by an exchange of names, because the last speech is determined to Biron by Maria, who gives a chara&er of him after he has made his exit. Perhaps all the ladies wore masks but the princess. STEEVENS. They certainly did. See p. 215, where Biron says to Rosaline

Dum. A gallant lady! Monsieur, fare you well.

[ Exit. Long. I beseech you, a word; What is she in

the white ? Boyet. A woman sometimes, an you saw her in

the light. LONG. Perchance, light in the light: I desire

her name. Boyet. She hath but one for herself; to desire

that, were a shame.
Long. Pray you, sir, whose daughter?
BOYET. Her mother's, I have heard.
Long. God's blessing on your beard ! *

BOYET. Good fir, be not offended :
She is an heir of Falconbridge.

Long. Nay, my choler is ended.
She is a most sweet lady.
BOYET. Not unlike, fir; that

may

be.

[ Exit. ' LONG. Biron. What's her name, in the cap? Boyet. Katharine, by good hap. BIRON. Is she wedded, or no? Boyet. To her will, fir, or so. BIRON. You are welcome, fir; adieu ! Boyet. Farewell to me, sir, and welcome to you.

Exit Biron. Ladies unmask. Mar. That last is Biron, the merry mad-cap

lord ;

4 God's blessing on your beard ! ] That is, may'ft thou have sense and seriousness more proportionate to thy beard,' the length of which suits ill with such idle catches of wit. JOHNS

I doubt whether so much meaning was intended to be conveyed by these words. MALONE.

NSON.