yea, he loveth. Affift me, fome extemporal God of rhime, for, I am fure, I fhall turn fonnet. Devife wit, write pen, for I am for whole volumes in folio. [Exeunt.

II.

SCENE, before the King of Navarre's Palace.

A

C CT

Enter the Princefs of France, Rofaline, Maria, Catharine, Boyet, Lords and other attendants.

Bo YET.

N

OW, madam, fummon up your dearest fpirits; Confider, whom the King your father fends; To whom he sends, and what's his embassy. Your felf, held precious in the world's esteem, To parley with the fole inheritor Of all perfections that a man may owe, Matchlefs Navarre; the plea of no less weight Than Aquitain, a dowry for a Queen. Be now as prodigal of all dear grace, As nature was in making graces dear, When she did starve the general world befide, (8) And prodigally gave them all to you.

Prin. Good lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean, Needs not the painted flourish of your praise; Beauty is bought by judgment of the eye, Not utter'd by bafe fale of chapmen's tongues. I am lefs proud to hear you tell my worth,

18) When he did ftarve the general World befide,] Catullus has a Compliment, much of this Caft, to his Lesbia in his 87th Epigram: que cùm pulcherrima tota eft, Tum omnibus una omnes furripuit Veneres.

Than

Than you much willing to be counted wife,
In fpending thus your wit in praise of mine.
But now to task the tasker; good Boyet,
You are not ignorant, all-telling fame
Doth noise abroad, Navarre hath made a vow,
'Till painful ftudy fhall out-wear three years,
No woman may approach his filent Court;
Therefore to us seems it a needful course,
Before we enter his forbidden gates,
To know his pleafure; and in that behalf,
Bold of your worthinefs, we fingle you
As our best moving fair follicitor.

Tell him, the daughter of the King of France,
On serious bufinefs, craving quick dispatch,
Importunes perfonal conference with his Grace.
Hafte, fignifie fo much, while we attend,
Like humble-vifag'd fuitors, his high will.

Boyet. Proud of imployment, willingly I go. [Exit.
Prin. All pride is willing pride, and yours is fo;
Who are the votaries, my loving lords,
That are vow-fellows with this virtuous King?
Lord. Longaville is one.

Prin. Know you the man?

Mar. I knew him, madam, at a marriage feast, Between lord Perigort and the beauteous heir Of Jaques Faulconbridge folemnized. In Normandy faw I this Longaville, A man of fovereign parts he is esteem'd; Well fitted in the arts, glorious in arms, Nothing becomes him ill, that he would well. The only foil of his fair virtue's glofs, (If virtue's glofs will ftain with any foil,) Is a fharp wit, match'd with too blunt a will; Whose edge hath power to cut, whose will still wills It fhould fpare none, that come within his power.

Prin. Some merry-mocking lord, belike; is't fo? Mar. They fay fo moft, that most his humours

know.

Prin. Such fhort-liv'd wits do wither as they grow, Who are the rest?

Cath.

Cath. The young Dumain, a well-accomplish'd youth,
Of all that virtue love, for virtue lov'd.
Most power to do moft harm, least knowing ill;
For he hath wit to make an ill fhape good,
And shape to win grace, tho' he had no wit,
I faw him at the Duke Alanfon's once,
And much too little of that good I faw,
Is my report to his great worthiness.

Rofa. Another of thefe ftudents at that time
Was there with him, as I have heard a truth;
Biron they call him; but a merrier man,
Within the limit of becoming mirth,
I never spent an hour's talk withal.
His eye begets occafion for his wit;
For every object, that the one doth catch,
The other turns to a mirth-moving jeft;
Which his fair tongue (conceit's expofitor)
Delivers in fuch apt and gracious words,
That aged ears play truant at his tales;
And younger hearings are quite ravished,
So fweet and voluble is his discourse.

Prin. God bless my ladies, are they all in love,
That every one her own hath garnished
With fuch bedecking ornaments of praise ?
Mar. Here comes Boyet.

Enter Boyet.

Prin. Now, what admittance, Lord?

Boyet. Navarre had notice of your fair approach;
And he and his competitors in oath
Were all addreft to meet you, gentle lady,
Before I came: marry, thus much I've learnt,
He rather means to lodge you in the field,
Like one that comes here to befiege his Court,
Than feek a difpenfation for his oath,
To let you enter his unpeopled house.
Here comes Navarre.

Enter

Enter the King, Longaville, Dumain, Biron, and
Attendants.

King. Fair Princefs, welcome to the Court of Na

varre.

Prin. Fair, I give you back again; and welcome I have not yet the roof of this Court is too high to be yours; and welcome to the wide fields, too bafe to be mine.

King. You fhall be welcome, Madam, to my Court, Prin. I will be welcome then; conduct me thither, King. Hear me, dear Lady, I have fworn an oath. Prin. Our Lady help my lord! he'll be forfworn. King. Not for the world, fair Madam, by my will. Prin. Why, Will fhall break its will, and nothing else.

King. Your ladyship is ignorant what it is.

Prin. Were my Lord fo, his ignorance were wise, Where now his knowledge muft prove ignorance, I hear, your Grace hath fworn out house-keeping: 'Tis deadly fin to keep that oath, my Lord; And fin to break it.

But pardon me, I am too fudden bold:
To teach a teacher ill befeemeth me.
Vouchfafe to read the purpose of my Coming,
And fuddenly refolve me in my fuit.

King. Madam, I will, if fuddenly I may.
Prin. You will the fooner, that I were away;
For you'll prove perjur'd, if you make me stay.
Biron. Did not I dance with you in Brabant once?
Rof. Did not I dance with you in Brabant once?
Biron. I know, you did.

Rof. How needlefs was it then to ask the question? Biron. You must not be fo quick.

Rof. 'Tis long of you, that fpur me with fuch

questions.

Biron. Your wit's too hot, it speeds too fast, 'twill

tire.

Rof. Not 'till it leave the rider in the mire.
Biron. What time o' day?

Rofa.

Rofa. The hour, that fools fhould ask.
Biron. Now fair befall your mask!
Rofa. Fair fall the face it covers!
Biron. And fend you many lovers!
Rofa. Amen, fo 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 th' one half of an intire sum,
Disbursed by my father in his wars.
But fay, that he, or we, as neither have,
Receiv'd that fum; yet there remains unpaid

A hundred thousand more; in furety of the which,
One part of Aquitain is bound to us,
Although not valu'd to the mony's worth:
If then the King your father will restore
But that one half which is unfatisfy'd,
We will give up our right in Aquitain,
And hold fair friendship with his Majefty:
But that, it seems, he little purpofeth,
For here he doth demand to have repaid
An hundred thousand crowns; and not demands, (9)
On payment of an hundred thousand crowns,
To have his title live in Aquitain;
Which we much rather had depart withal,
And have the mony by our father lent,
Than Aquitain fo gelded as it is.

(9)

And not demands

One payment of an hundred thousand Crowns,
To have his Title live in Aquitaine.]

The old Books concur in this Reading, and Mr. Pope has embraced it; tho', as I conceive, it is ftark Nonfenfe, and repugnant to the Circumftance fuppos'd by our Poet. I have, by reforming the Pointing, and throwing out a fingle Letter, reftor'd, I believe, the genuine Senfe of the Paffage. Aquitain was pledg'd, it seems, to Navarre's Father for 200000 Crowns. The French King pretends to have paid one Moiety of this Debt, (which Navarre knows nothing of,) but demands this Moiety back again: inftead whereof (fays Navarre) he should rather pay the remaining Moiety, and demand to have Aquitain redeliver'd up to him. This is plain and eafy Reafoning upon the Fact fuppos'd; and Navarre declares, he had rather receive the Refidue of his Debt, than detain the Province mortgag'd for Security of it.

Dear