COST. When would you have it done, Sir? BIRON. O, this afternoon. COST. Well, I will do it, Sir. Fare you well. COST. I fhall know, Sir, when I have done it. BIRON. Why, villain, thou must know first. COST. I will come to your worship to-morrow morning, BIRON. It must be done this afternoon. Hark, flave, it is but this: The princess comes to hunt here in the park : And in her train there is a gentle lady; When tongues fpeak sweetly, then they name her name, And Rofaline they call her; afk for her, And to her fweet hand fee thou do commend This feal'd-up counsel. There's thy guerdon; go. [Gives him a fhilling. COST. Guerdon,-O fweet guerdon! better than remuneration, eleven-pence farthing better: most sweet guerdon! I will do it, Sir, in print. Guerdon, remuneration. BIRON. O and I, forfooth, in love! İ, that have been love's whip; A very beadle to a humorous figh": A critic; nay, a night-watch conftable; This whimpled, whining, purblind, wayward boy, [Exit. Sole imperator, and great general Of trotting paritors: (O my little heart!) And wear his colours! like a tumbler's hoop! Well, I will love, write, figh, pray, fue and groan: ACT IV. [Exit. SCENE I A pavilion in the park near the palace. Enter the Princess, Rofaline, Maria, Catharine, lords, at W tendants, and a forester. PRINCESS. AS that the king, that spurr'd his horse so hard BOYET. I know not; but, I think, it was not he. PRIN. Who e'er he was, he shew'd a mounting mind. Well, lords, to-day we shall have our dispatch; FOR. Here by, upon the edge of yonder coppice; FOR. Pardon me, madam: for I meant not fo. PRIN. What, what? first praise me, then again say, no? O fhort-liv'd pride! not fair? alack, for wo! FOR. Yes, madam, fair. PRIN. Nay, never paint me now; Where fair is not, praise cannot mend the brow. [Giving him money. Fair payment for foul words is more than due. A giving hand, though foul, shall have fair praise. And shooting well is then accounted ill. Not wounding, pity would not let me do't: When for fame's fake, for praise, an outward part, As I for praise alone now seek to fpill The poor deer's blood, that my heart means no ill. PRIN. Only for praife; and praife we may afford Enter Coftard. PRIN. Here comes a member of the commonwealth. COST. Good dig-you-den all; pray you, which is the head lady? PRIN. Thou shalt know her, fellow, by the rest that have no heads. COST. Which is the greatest lady, the highest? PRIN. The thickeft and the tallest.. COST. The thickest and the tallest? it is fo, truth is truth. An' your wafte, miftrefs, were as flender as my wit, One o' these maids girdles for your waste should be fit. Are not you the chief woman? you are the thickest here. PRIN. What's your will, Sir, what's your will? COST. I have a letter from monfieur Biron, to one lady Rofaline. PRIN. O thy letter, thy letter: he's a good friend of mine. Stand afide, good bearer.Boyet, you can carve; Break up this capon. BOYET. I am bound to ferve. This letter is miftook, it importeth none here; It is writ to Jaquenetta. PRIN. We will read it, I fwear. Break the neck of the wax, and every one give ear. 66 Boyet reads. "BY heaven, that thou art fair, is most infallible; true, "that thou art beauteous; truth itself, that thou art lovely. "More fairer than fair, beautiful than beauteous, truer than "truth itself, have commiferation on thy heroical vaffal. "The magnanimous and most illuftrate king Cophetua fet eye upon the pernicious and indubitate beggar Zenelo"phon; and he it was that might rightly say, veni, vidi, "vici; which to anatomize in the vulgar (O base and ob"fcure vulgar!) videlicet, he came, faw, and overcame; "he came, one; faw, two; overcame, three. Who came ? "the king. Why did he come? to fee. Why did he see? "to overcome. To whom came he? to the beggar. What "faw he? the beggar. Whom overcame he? the beggar. "The conclufion is victory: on whofe fide? the king's; "the captive is enrich'd: on whofe fide? the beggar's. "The catastrophe is a nuptial: on whose fide? the king's? 66 no, both in one, or one in both. I am the king (for fo "stands the comparison) thou the beggar, for fo witnesseth "thy lowlinefs. Shall I command thy love? I may. Shall "I enforce thy love? I could. Shall I entreat thy love? "I will. What fhalt thou exchange for rags ? robes; for "tittles? titles: for thyfelf? me. Thus expecting thy re"ply, I prophane my lips on thy foot, my eyes on thy pic"ture, and my heart on thy every part. "Thine in the deareft defign of industry, DON ADRIANDO DE ARMADO." Thus doft thou hear the Nemean lion roar 'Gainft thee, thou lamb, that ftandeft as his prey; Submiffive fall his princely feet before, And he from forage will incline to play. |