Jaq. Fair weather after you!

Dall. Come, Jaquenetta, away.

[Exeunt DULL and JAQUENETTA, Arm. Villain, thou shalt faft for thy offences, ere thou be pardoned.

Coft. Well, fir, I hope, when I do it, I fhall do it on a full ftomach.

Arm. Thou shalt be heavily punished.

Coft. I am more bound to you, than your fellows, for they are but lightly rewarded.

Arm. Take away this villain; fhut him up.

Moth. Come, you tranfgreffing flave; away.

Coft. Let me not be pent up, fir; I will faft, being loofe. Moth. No, fir; that were faft and loofe: thou shalt to prifon.

Coft. Well, if ever I do fee the merry days of defolation that I have feen, fome fhall fee

Moth. What fhall fome fee?

Coft. Nay, nothing, mafter Moth, but what they look pon. It is not for prifoners to be too filent in their words; 4 and, therefore, I will fay nothing: I thank God, I have as little patience as another man; and, therefore I can be quiet. [Exeunt MoTH and COSTARD.

Arm. I do affect the very ground, which is bafe, where her fhce, which is bafer, guided by her foot, which is basest, doth tread. I fhall be forfworn, (which is a great argument of falfhood,) if I love: And how can that be true love, which is fafely attempted? Love is a familiar; love is a devil: there is no evil angel but love. Yet Sampfon was fo tempted; and he had an excellent ftrength: yet was Solomon fo feduced; and he had a very good wit. Cupid's buttfhaft 5 is too hard for Hercules' club, and therefore too much odds for a Spaniard's rapier. The first and fecond caufe will not ferve my turn; the paffado he refpects not, the

4 I fuppofe we fhould read, it is not for prifoners to be filent in their wards, that is, in cuftody, in the bolds. JOHNSON.

I don't think it neceffary to endeavour to find out any meaning in this paffage, as it feems to have been intended that Coftard fhould speak nonfenfe. M. MASON.

5 i. e. an arrow to fhoot at butts with. The butt was the place on which the mark to be shot at was placed. STEEVENS.

the duello he regards not: his difgrace is to be called boy; but his glory is, to fubdue men. Adieu, valour! rust, rapier! be ftill, drum! for your manager is in love; yea, he loveth. Affift me fome extemporal god of rhime, for, I am fure, I fhall turn fonneteer. Devife wit; write pen; for I am for whole volumes in folio, [Exit,

Another part of the fame. A Pavilion and Tents at a distance. Enter the Princess of France, RoSALINE, MARIA, KATHA RINE, BOYET, Lords, and other Attendants.

Boy. Now, madam, fummon up your deareft fpirits: 6
Confider who the king your father fends;

To whom he fends; and what's his embassy ::
Yourself, 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 ftarve the general world befide,
And prodigally gave them all to you.

I

Prin. Good lord Boyet, my beauty, though but meany?, Needs not the painted flourish of your praise;

Beauty is bought by judgement of the eye,

Not utter'd by bafe fale of chapmen's tongues: 7

I am lefs proud to hear you tell my worth,

L 6

3

Than

6 Dear, in our author's language, has many fhades of meaning. In the prefent inftance and the next, it appears to fignify-beft, most power... ful. STEEVENS.

7 Chapman here feems to fignify the feller, not, as now commonly, the buyer. Cheap or cheaping was anciently the market; chapman therefore is marketman. The meaning is that the estimation of beauty depends not on she uttering or proclamation of the feller, but on the eye of the buyer. livigno

Than you much willing to be counted wife
In fpending your wit in the praife of mine.
But now to task the tafker,-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 feemeth it a needful courfe,
Before we enter his forbidden gates,

To know his pleasure; and in that behalf,
Bold of your worthinefs, we fingle you
As our best-moving fair folicitor:

Tell him, the daughter of the king of France,
On ferious bufinefs, craving quick defpatch,
Impórtunes perfonal conference with his grace.
Hafte, fignify fo much; while we attend,
Like humble-vifag'd fuitors, his high will.
Boy. Proud of employment, 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 duke?

1. Lord. Longaville9 is one.

Know you

Prin.
the man?
Mar. I know him, madam; at a marriage feast,
Between lord Perigort and the beauteous heir
Of Jaques Faulconbridge folémnized,
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,

fIf

2

If virtue's glofs will stain with any foil,)
Is a fharp wit match'd with 3 too blunt a will;
Whofe edge hath power to cut, whose will ftill wills
It fhould none fpare that come within his power.
Prin. Some merry mocking lord, belike; is't fo?

ise confident of it. STEEVENS.

Mar.

no9 For the fake of manners as well as metre, we ought to read-Lord Longaville. STEEVENS.

Well fitted is well qualified. JOHNSON, 3 Combined or joined with. JOHNSON.

Mar. They fay fo moft, that moft his humours know, Prin. Such fhort-liv'd wits do wither as they grow. Who are the reft?

Kath. The young Dumain, a well-accomplish'd youth,
Of all that virtue love for virtue lov'd:

Moft power to do most harm, least knowing ill;
For he hath wit to make an ill fhape good,
And fhape to win grace though he had no wit.
I faw him at the duke Alençon's once;
And much too little 4 of that good I faw,
Is my report, to his great worthiness.

Rofa. Another of these students at that time
Was there with him: if I have heard a truth,
Biron they call him; but a merrier man,
Within the limit of becoming mirth,
1 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 blefs my ladies! are they all in love;

That every one her own hath garnished

With fuch bedecking ornaments of praise ?

Mar. Here comes Boyet.

Prin.

Re-enter BOYET.

Now, what admittance, lord?

Boyet. Navarre had notice of your fair approach;

And he, and his competitors in oath,5

Were all addrefs'd to meet you, gentle lady,
Before I came. Marry, thus much I have learnt,

He rather means to lodge you in the field,

(Like

4 And my report of the good I faw, is much too little compared to his

great worthiness. HEATH.

5-competitors in oath,] i. e. confederates. STEEVENS, • To addrefs is to prepare. STEEVENS.

(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. -

[The Ladies mafk.

Enter King, LONGAVILLE, DUMAIN, BIRON, and

Attendants.

King. Fair princefs, welcome to the court of Navarre. 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 it; will, and nothing elfe
King. Your ladyfhip is ignorant what it is.

Prin. Were my lord fo, his ignorance were wife,
Where now his knowledge muft prove ignorance.
I hear, your grace hath fworn-out houfe keeping:
'Tis deadly fin to keep that oath, my lord,
And fin to break it: 8

But pardon me, I am too fudden-bold;
To teach a teacher ill befeemeth me.

Vouchsafe to read the purpose of my coming,
And fuddenly refolve me in my fuit.

[Gives a paper

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

7 Where is here ufed for whereas. STEEVENS.

8 Sir T. Hanmer reads:

"Not fin to break it :"

Το

I believe erroneously. The princefs fhows an inconvenience very frequently attending rash oaths, which, whether kept or broken, produce guilt.

JOHNSON