Ros. It is not so: ask them, how many inches Is in one mile: if they have measur'd many, The measure then of one is easily told.

BOYET. If, to come hither you have measur'd miles,

And many miles; the princess bids you tell,
How many inches do fill up one mile.

BIRON. Tell her, we measure them by weary

steps.

BOYET. She hears herself.

Ros.

How many weary steps,

Of many weary miles you have o'ergone,

Are number'd in the travel of one mile?

BIRON. We number nothing that we spend for

you;

tainments of the societies of law and equity, at their halls, on particular occasions. It was formerly not deemed inconsistent with propriety even for the gravest persons to join in them; and accordingly at the revels which were celebrated at the inns of court, it has not been unusual for the first characters in the law to become performers in treading the measures. See Dugdale's Origines Juridiciales. Sir John Davies, in his poem called Orchestra, 1622, describes them in this manner:

"But, after these, as men more civil grew,

"He did more grave and solemn measures frame :
"With such fair order and proportion true,
"And correspondence ev'ry way the same,
"That no fault-finding eye did ever blame,
"For every eye was moved at the sight,
"With sober wond'ring and with sweet delight.
"Not those young students of the heavenly book,

"Atlas the great, Prometheus the wise,

"Which on the stars did all their life-time look, "Could ever find such measure in the skies,

"So full of change, and rare varieties;

"Yet all the feet whereon these measures go,

"Are only spondees, solemn, grave, and slow." REED.

See Beatrice's description of this dance in Much Ado About · Nothing, Vol. VI. p. 38. MALONE.

Our duty is so rich, so infinite,
That we may do it still without accompt.
Vouchsafe to show the sunshine of
your face,
That we, like savages, may worship it.

Ros. My face is but a moon, and clouded too. KING. Blessed are clouds, to do as such clouds do!

Vouchsafe, bright moon, and these thy stars,' to shine

(Those clouds remov'd) upon our wat❜ry eyne.

Ros. O vain petitioner! beg a greater matter; Thou now request'st but moonshine in the water. KING. Then, in our measure do but vouchsafe one change:

Thou bid'st me beg; this begging is not strange. Ros. Play, musick, then: nay, you must do it [Musick plays. Not yet;-no dance-thus change I like the

soon.

moon.

KING. Will you not dance? How come you thus estrang'd?

Ros. You took the moon at full; but now she's chang'd.

KING. Yet still she is the moon, and I the man.2 The musick plays; vouchsafe some motion to it. Ros. Our ears vouchsafe it.

1

KING.

But your legs should do it.

Vouchsafe, bright moon, and these thy stars,] When Queen Elizabeth asked an embassador, how he liked her ladies, It is hard, said he, to judge of stars in the presence of the sun.

2

JOHNSON.

the man.] I suspect, that a line which rhymed with this, has been lost. MALONE.

Ros. Since you are strangers, and come here by

chance,

We'll not be nice: take hands ;-we will not dance. KING. Why take we hands then?

Ros. Only to part friends:Court'sy, sweet hearts; and so the measure ends.

3

KING. More measure of this measure; be not

nice.

Ros. We can afford no more at such a price. KING. Prize you yourselves; What buys your company?

Ros. Your absence only.

KING.

That can never be.

Ros. Then cannot we be bought and so adieu; Twice to your visor, and half once to you!

KING. If you deny to dance, let's hold more chat. Ros. In private then.

KING.

I am best pleas'd with that. [They converse apart.

BIRON. White-handed mistress, one sweet word

with thee.

PRIN. Honey, and milk, and sugar; there is

three.

BIRON. Nay then, two treys, (an if you grow so

nice,)

Metheglin, wort, and malmsey ;-Well run, dice! There's half a dozen sweets.

PRIN.

Seventh sweet, adieu!

Since you can cog,* I'll play no more with you.

Court'sy, sweet hearts ;] See Tempest, Vol. IV. p. 43: "Court'sied when you have, and kiss'd-." ́MALone. • Since you can cog,] To cog, signifies to falsify the dice, and to falsify a narrative, or to lye. JOHNSON.

DUM. Will you vouchsafe with me to change a

Please it you,

[They converse apart.

As much in private, and I'll bid adieu.

KATH. What, was your visor made without a

tongue?

LONG. I know the reason, lady, why you ask. KATH. O, for your reason! quickly, sir; I long. LONG. You have a double tongue within your mask,

And would afford my speechless visor half. KATH. Veal, quoth the Dutchman;3-Is not veal a calf?

5

Veal, quoth the Dutchman;] I suppose by veal, she means well, sounded as foreigners usually pronounce that word; and introduced merely for the sake of the subsequent question.

MALONE.

Take all, and wean it; it may prove an ox. LONG. Look, how you butt yourself in these sharp mocks!

Will you give horns, chaste lady? do not so. KATH. Then die a calf, before your horns do grow.

LONG. One word in private with you, ere I die. KATH. Bleat softly then, the butcher hears you [They converse apart.

cry.

BOYET. The tongues of mocking wenches are as

keen

As is the razor's edge invisible, Cutting a smaller hair than may be seen;

Above the sense of sense: so sensible

Seemeth their conference; their conceits have

wings,

Fleeter than arrows, bullets, wind, thought, swifter

Ros. Not one word more, my maids; break off, break off.

BIRON. By heaven, all dry-beaten with pure scoff! KING. Farewell, mad wenches; you have simple

wits.

Exeunt King, Lords, Moтн, Musick, and
Attendants.

PRIN. Twenty adieus, my frozen Muscovites.--Are these the breed of wits so wonder'd at?

BOYET. Tapers they are, with your sweet breaths puff'd out.

Fleeter than arrows, bullets, wind, thought, swifter things.] Mr. Ritson observes, that, for the sake of measure, the word bullets should be omitted. STEEVENS.