King. This maid will not serve your turn, sir. King. Sir, I will pronounce your sentence: you shall fast a week with bran and water. Cost. I had rather pray a month with mutton and porridge. King. And Don Armado shall be your keeper.- And go we, lords, to put in practice that [Exeunt KING, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAINE. Cost. I suffer for the truth, sir: for true it is, I was taken with Jaquenetta, and Jaquenetta is a true girl; and, therefore, welcome the sour cup of prosperity! Affliction may one day smile again, and till then, set thee down, sorrow! [Exeunt. Arm. Boy, what sign is it', when a man of great spirit grows melancholy? Moth. A great sign, sir, that he will look sad. Arm. Why? sadness is one and the self-same thing, dear imp. 5 PROSPERITY!] The 4to. has prosperie, a syllable having dropped out. 6 set THEE down, sorrow!] So the 4to the folio omits "thee." See p. 331, "Well set thee down, sorrow! for so, they say, the fool said.” 7 ARM. Boy, what sign is it, &c.] The stage-direction in the 4to. and folio is as in the text, and the first speech is assigned in both to "Armado ;" but subsequently, in the folio, instead of Armado, " Brag " (for Braggart) is the prefix to what belongs to Armado in the dialogue. The 4to. has it invariably “Armado." Moth. No, no; O lord! sir, no. Arm. How canst thou part sadness and melancholy, my tender juvenal? Moth. By a familiar demonstration of the working, my tough senior. Arm. Why tough senior? why tough senior? Moth. Why tender juvenal? why tender juvenal ? Arm. I spoke it, tender juvenal, as a congruent epitheton appertaining to thy young days, which we may nominate tender. Moth. And I, tough senior, 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 saying pretty? Arm. Thou pretty, because little. Moth. Little pretty, because little. Wherefore apt? Arm. And therefore apt, because quick. Moth. Speak you this in my praise, master? Arm. In thy condign praise. Moth. I will praise an eel with the same praise. Arm. What, that an eel is ingenious? Moth. That an eel is quick. Arm. I do say, thou art quick in answers. Thou heatest my blood. Moth. I am answered, sir. Arm. I love not to be crossed. Moth. [Aside.] He speaks the mere contrary: crosses love not him"? Arm. I have promised to study three years with the duke. Moth. You may do it in an hour, sir. Arm. Impossible. 8 What, that an eel is INGENIOUS ?] " Ingenious," 4to, 1598: ingenuous, folio, 1623. The words were often used indifferently of old. In A. iii. sc. 1, the folio has "ingenious," as well as the 4to. 9 CROSSES love not him?] By crosses Moth means money. So called, because it was stamped with a cross, Moth. How many is one thrice told? Arm. I am ill at reckoning: it fitteth the spirit of a tapster. Moth. You are a gentleman, and a gamester, sir. Arm. I confess both: they are both the varnish of a complete man. Moth. Then, I am sure, you know how much the gross sum of deuce-ace amounts to. Arm. It doth amount to one more than two. Moth. Which the base vulgar do call three. Moth. Why, sir, is this such a piece of study? Now, here is three studied ere you'll thrice wink; and how easy it is to put years to the word three, and study three years in two words, the dancing horse will tell you '. Arm. A most fine figure! Moth. [Aside.] To prove you a cypher. Arm. I will hereupon confess I am in love; and, as it is base for a soldier to love, so am I in love with a base wench. If drawing my sword against the humour of affection would deliver me from the reprobate thought of it, I would take desire prisoner, and ransom him to any French courtier for a new devised courtesy. I think scorn to sigh: methinks, I should out-swear Cupid. Comfort me, boy. What great men have been in love? 1 Moth. Hercules, master. the dancing horse will tell you.] The dancing horse was named Marocco, and was the property of a person of the name of Bankes. It had been taught to dance, to count, and to perform a number of feats, for the exhibition of which its owner carried it about the country, and it obtained so much notoriety, that it is over and over again mentioned in old writers. In 1595, a humorous and satirical tract was published, purporting to be a dialogue between Bankes and his horse it is called, "Maroccus Extaticus, or Bankes's bay horse in a Trance," and on the title-page is a wood-cut representing the man and his beast, the latter dancing with a stick in his mouth. Bankes visited the continent with his wonderful horse; and according to the evidence of the author of "Don Zara del Fogo," 8vo, 1656, both were burned at Rome for witchcraft. See Preface to the Percy Society's Reprint of Rowley's "Search for Money," 1609. Arm. Most sweet Hercules!-More authority, dear boy, name more; and, sweet my child, let them be men of good repute and carriage. Moth. Samson, master: he was a man of good carriage, great carriage; for he carried the town-gates on his back, like a porter, and he was in love. Arm. O well-knit Samson! strong-jointed Samson! I do excel thee in my rapier, as much as thou didst me in carrying gates. I am in love too. was Samson's love, my dear Moth? Moth. A woman, master. Arm. Of what complexion? Who Moth. Of all the four, or the three, or the two, or one of the four. Arm. Tell me precisely of what complexion. Arm. Is that one of the four complexions? Moth. As I have read, sir; and the best of them too. Arm. Green, indeed, is the colour of lovers; but to have a love of that colour, methinks, Samson had small reason for it. He, surely, affected her for her wit. Moth. It was so, sir, for she had a green wit. Arm. My love is most immaculate white and red. Moth. Most maculate thoughts 2, master, are masked under such colours. Arm. Define, define, well-educated infant. Moth. My father's wit, and my mother's tongue, assist me! Arm. Sweet invocation of a child; most pretty, and pathetical! Moth. If she be made of white and red, Her faults will ne'er be known; 2 Most MACULATE thoughts,] So the first quarto, 1598, rightly; but the folio has immaculate. 3 For blushing cheeks by faults are bred, Then, if she fear, or be to blame, For still her cheeks possess the same, A dangerous rhyme, master, against the reason of white and red. Arm. Is there not a ballad, boy, of the King and the Beggar 5? Moth. The world was very guilty of such a ballad some three ages since, but, I think, now 'tis not to be found; or, if it were, it would neither serve for the writing, nor the tune. Arm. I will have that subject newly writ o'er, that I may example my digression by some mighty precedent. Boy, I do love that country girl, that I took in the park with the rational hind Costard: she deserves well. Moth. [Aside.] To be whipped; and yet a better love than my master. Arm. Sing, boy: my spirit grows heavy in love. Moth. And that's great marvel, loving a light wench. Arm. I say, sing. Moth. Forbear till this company be past. Enter DULL, COSTARD, and JAQUENETTA. For Dull. Sir, the duke's pleasure is, that you keep Costard safe and you must let him take no delight, nor no penance; but a' must fast three days a week. this damsel, I must keep her at the park; she is allowed for the day-woman". Fare you well. 3 For BLUSHING] The original 4to. and first folio have blush-in. The emendation was made by the editor of the second folio. Which NATIVE she doth owe.] i. e. Of which she is naturally possessed.—See note 1. p. 45, and note 4. p. 136. the King and the Beggar ?] See Percy's Reliques, vol. i. p. 202, edit. 1812. What Moth says shows that the ballad was older than Shakespeare's time. for the day-woman.] A day-woman " is a dairy-woman, or milk-wo 6 66 |