Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

Dor. Is it true too, think you?

Aut. Five juftices hands at it; and witneffes, more than my pack will hold.

Clo. Lay it by too: another.

Aut. This is a merry ballad, but a very pretty one.
Mop. Let's have fome merry ones.

Aut. Why, this is a paffing merry one, and goes to the tune of, Two maids wooing a man; there's fcarce a maid weftward, but fhe fings it: 'tis in request, I can tell you.

Mop. We can both fing it; if thou'lt bear a part, thou fhalt hear, 'tis in three parts.

Dor. We had the tune on't a month ago.

Aut. I can bear my part; you must know, 'tis my occupation have at it with you.

Aut. Get you bence, for I must go,
Where it fits not you to know..

Dor. Whither ?

Mop. O whither?

Dor. Whither?

Mop. It becomes thy oath full well,

Thou to me thy fecrets tell.
thither:

Dor. Me too, let me go

Mop. Or thou goeft to th' grange, or mill,
Dor. If to either, thou doft ill:

Aut. Neither.

Dor. What neither?

Aut. Neither.

Dor. Thou hast fworn my love to be;
Mop. Thou haft fworn it more to me:

Then whither goest? fay, whither ?

Clo. We'll have this fong out anon by ourselves: my father and the gentlemen are in fad talk, and we'll not trouble them: come, bring away thy pack after me. Wenches, I'll buy for you both: Pedler, let's have the firft choice; follow me, girls.

Aut. And you fhall pay well for 'em.

SONG.

SONG.

Will you buy any tape, or lace for your cape,
My dainty duck, my dear-a?

And filk, and thread, any toys for your bead
Of the new'ft, and fin'ft, fin'fl wear-a?
Come to the Pedler; mony's a medler,
That doth utter all mens ware-a.

[Ex. Clown, Autolicus, Dorcas, and Mopía,
Enter a Servant.

Ser. (14) Mafter, there are three goat-herds, three fhepherds, three neat-herds, and three íwine-herds, that have made themselves all men of hair, they call themfelves Saltiers and they have a dance, which the wenches fay is a gallymaufry of gambols, because they are not in't but they themselves are o'th' mind, (if it be not too rough for fome, that know little but bowling,) it will please plentifully.

:

Shep. Away! we'll none on't; here has been too much homely foolery already. I know, Sir, we weary. you.

Pol. You weary thofe, that refresh us: 'pray, let's fee thefe four-threes of herdímen.

Ser. One three of them, by their own report, Sir, hath danc'd before the King; and not the worft of the three but jumps twelve foot and a half by th' fquare.

Shep. Leave your prating; fince these good men are pleas'd, let them come in; but quickly now.

(14) Mafter, there are three Carters, three Shepherds, three Neat-herds, and three Swine-herds,] Thus all the printed Copies hitherto. Now, in two Speeches after this, these are call'd four three's of Herdsmen. But could the Carters properly be call'd Herdsmen? At least, they have not the final Syllable, Herd, in their Names; which, I believe, Shakespeare intended, all the four three's fhould have. I have therefore guess'd that he wrote; -Mafter, there are three Goat-herds, &c. And fo, I think, we take in the four Species of Cattle ufually tended by Herdsmen.

Here

[ocr errors]

Here a Dance of twelve Satyrs.

Pol. O, father, you'll know more of that hereafter.
Is it not too far gone? 'tis time to part them;
He's fimple, and tells much.-How now, fair fhepherd
Your heart is full of fomething, that doth take
Your mind from feafting. Sooth, when I was young,
And handed love, as you do, I was wont

To load my fhe with knacks: I would have ranfack'd
The pedler's filken treasury, and have pour'd it
To her acceptance; you have let him go,
And nothing marted with him. If your lafs
Interpretation fhould abufe, and call this
Your lack of love or bounty; you were straited
For a reply, at least, if you make care
Of happy holding her.

Flo. Old Sir, I know,

She prizes not fuch trifles as thefe are;

The gifts, the looks from me, are packt and lockt
Up in my heart, which I have given already,
But not deliver'd. O, hear me breathe my love
Before this ancient Sir, who, it should seem,
Hath fometime lov'd. I take thy hand, this hand,
As foft as dove's down, and as white as it,
Or Ethiopian's tooth, or the fann'd fnow
That's bolted by the northern blast twice o'er.
Pol. What follows this?

How prettily the young fwain feems to wash
The hand, was fair before! I've put you out 3
But, to your proteftation: let me hear

What you profefs.

Flo. Do, and be witness to't.

Pol. And this my neighbour too ?

Flo. And he, and more

Than he, and men; the earth, and heav'ns, and all
That were I crown'd the most imperial monarch
Thereof moft worthy, were I the fairest youth
That ever made eye fwerve, had force and knowledge:
More than was ever man's, I would not prize them
Without her love; for her imploy them all ;

Commend

Commend them, and condemn them, to her fervice, Or to their own perdition.

Pol. Fairly offer'd.

Cam. This fhews a found affection.

Shep. But, my daughter,

Say you the like to him?

Per. I cannot fpeak

So well, nothing fo well, no, nor mean better.
By th' pattern of mine own thoughts I cut out
The purity of his.

Shep. Take hands, a bargain;

And, friends unknown, you shall bear witness to't
I give my daughter to him, and will make
Her portion equal his.

Flo. O, that must be

I'th' virtue of your daughter; one being dead,
I fhall have more than you can dream of yet,
Enough then for your wonder: but come on,
Contract us 'fore thefe witneffes.

Shep. Come, your hand,

And, daughter, yours.

Pol. Soft, fwain, a-while; 'befeech you,

Have you a father?

Flo. I have; but what of him?

Pol. Knows he of this?

Flo. He neither does, nor fhall.

Pol. Methinks, a father

Is, at the nuptial of his fon, a guest

That beft becomes the table: 'pray you once more, Is not your father grown incapable

Of reasonable affairs? is he not ftupid

With age, and alt'ring rheums? can he fpeak? hear?
Know man from man? difpute his own eftate?
Lies he not bed-rid? and, again, does nothing,
But what he did being childish?

Flo. No, good Sir;

He has his health, and ampler ftrength, indeed,
Than most have of his age.

Pol. By my white beard,

You offer him, if this be fo, a wrong

Some

Something unfilial: Reafon, my fon

Should chufe himself a wife; but as good reason,
The father (all whofe joy is nothing else

But fair pofterity) fhould hold fome counsel
In fuch a business.

Flo. I yield all this;

But for fome other reafons, my grave Sir,
Which 'tis not fit you know, I not acquaint
My father of this business.

Pol. Let him know't.
Flo. He fhall not.

Pol. Pr'ythee, let him.

Flo. No; he must not.

Shep. Let him, my fon, he shall not need to grieve At knowing of thy choice.

Flo. Come, come, he muft not : Mark our contract.

Pol. Mark your divorce, young Sir,

[Difcovering himself. Whom fon I dare not call: thou art too base To be acknowledg'd. Thou a fcepter's heir, That thus affect'it a fheep-hook! Thou old traytor, I'm forry, that, by hanging thee, I can but Shorten thy life one week. And thou fresh piece Of excellent witchcraft, who of force must know The royal fool thou coap'ft with

Shep. O my heart!

Pol. I'll have thy beauty fcratch'd with briars, and

made

More homely than thy ftate. For thee, fond boy,
If I may ever know thou doft but figh

That thou no more fhalt fee this knack, as never
I mean thou fhalt, we'll bar thee from fucceffion;
Not hold thee of our blood, no, not our kin,
Far than Deucalion off: mark thou my words;
Follow us to the court. Thou churl, for this time,
Tho' full of our displeasure, yet we free thee
From the dead blow of it: and you, enchantment,
Worthy enough a herdfman; yea him too,
That makes himself, but for our honour therein,

Un

« ZurückWeiter »