head as honorificabilitudinitatibus: thou art easier

swallowed than a flap-dragon.

Moth. Peace; the peal begins.

Hol. I do, sans question.

Arm. Sir, it is the king's most sweet pleasure and affection to congratulate the princess at her pa

Arm. Monsieur [to HOLOFERNES], are you not vilion, in the posteriors of this day; which the rude multitude call the afternoon.

lettered?

Moth. Yes, yes; he teaches boys the horn

book:

Hol. The posterior of the day, most generous sir, is liable, congruent, and measurable for the afWhat is a, b, spelt backward, with a horn on his ternoon: the word is well culled, chose; sweet and apt, I do assure you, sir, I do assure.

head?

Hol. Ba, pueritia, with a horn added.

----

Arm. Sir, the king is a noble gentleman; and

Moth. Ba, most silly sheep, with a horn. You my familiar, I do assure you, very good friend :— hear his learning. for what is inward between us, let it pass :- -I do beseech thee, remember thy courtesy : —I beseech

Hol. Quis, quis, thou consonant?

Moth. The third of the five vowels, if you re- thee, apparel thy head:- and among other imporpeat them; or the fifth, if I. tunate and most serious designs, and of great import indeed, too; - but let that pass:- for I

Hol. I will repeat them; a, e, i,—

Moth. The sheep: the other two concludes it; must tell thee, it will please his grace (by the

o, u.

world) sometime to lean upon my poor shoulder; and with his royal finger, thus, dally with my excrement, with my mustachio: but, sweet heart, let that pass. By the world, I recount no fable; some certain special honors it pleaseth his greatness to

Arm. Now, by the salt wave of the Mediterraneum, a sweet touch, a quick venew of wit; snip, snap, quick and home: it rejoiceth my intellect: true wit. Moth. Offered by a child to an old man; which impart to Armado, a soldier, a man of travel, that

is wit-old.

Hol. What is the figure? what is the figure?
Moth. Horns.

hath seen the world: but let that pass. The very all of all is, but, sweet heart, I do implore secresy, — that the king would have me present the

Hol. Thou disputest like an infant: go, whip princess, sweet chuck, with some delightful ostenthy gig.

Moth. Lend me your horn to make one, and I will whip about your infamy circum, circa: a gig of a cuckold's horn!

tation, or show, or pageant, or antic, or firework.
Now, understanding that the curate and your sweet
self are good at such eruptions and sudden break-
ing out of mirth, as it were, I have acquainted you
withal, to the end to crave your assistance.
Hol. Sir, you shall present before her the nine
Sir Nathaniel, as concerning some en-
tertainment of time, some show in the posterior of
this day, to be rendered by our assistance, — the
king's command, and this most gallant, illustrate,
and learned gentleman, before the princess; I
say, none so fit as to present the nine worthies.

Cos. An I had but one penny in the world, thou shouldst have it to buy gingerbread: hold, there is the very remuneration I had of thy mas-worthies. ter, thou halfpenny purse of wit, thou pigeon-egg of discretion. O, an the heavens were so pleased that thou wert but my bastard; what a joyful father wouldst thou make me! Go to; thou hast it ad dunghill, at thy fingers' ends, as they say.

Hol. O, I smell false Latin; dunghill for unguem.

Arm. Arts-man, præambula; we will be singled from the barbarous. Do you not educate youth at the charge-house on the top of the mountain ?

Hol. Or mons, the hill.

Nath. Where will you find men worthy enongh to present them?

Hol. Joshua, yourself; myself, or this gallant gentleman, Judas Maccabæus; this swain, because of his great limb or joint, shall pass Pompey the great; the page, Hercules.

Arm. Pardon, sir, error: he is not quantity Arm. At your sweet pleasure, for the moun- enough for that worthy's thumb: he is not so big

Kath. You'll mar the light by taking it in snuff;

Arm. We will have, if this fadge not, an antic. Therefore I'll darkly end the argument. I beseech

Prin. Well bandied both; a set of wit well played.

But Rosaline, you have a favor too:

Another part of the same. Before Who sent it? and what is it?

Prin. Sweet hearts, we shall be rich ere we de- The numbers true; and were the numbering too,

Kath. Madam, this glove.

twain?

Prin.
Did he not send you
Kath. Yes, madam; and moreover,
Some thousand verses of a faithful lover:
A huge translation of hypocrisy,
Vilely compiled, profound simplicity.

Mar. This, and these pearls, to me sent Longa-
ville;

The letter is too long by half a mile.

Prin. I think no less: dost not thou wish in
heart,

The chain were longer, and the letter short?
Mar. Ay, or I would these hands might never
part.

Prin. We are wise girls, to mock our lovers so.
Ros. They are worse fools to purchase mock-
ing so.

That same Birón I'll torture ere I go.
O, that I knew he were but in by the week!
How I would make him fawn, and beg, and seek;
And wait the season, and observe the times,
And spend his prodigal wits in bootless rhymes;
And shape his service wholly to my behests;
And make him proud to make me proud that jests!
So portent-like would I o'ersway his state,
That he should be my fool, and I his fate.

Against your peace: Love doth approach dis-
guised,

Arméd in arguments; you'll be surprised:
Muster your wits; stand in your own defense;
Or hide your heads like cowards, and fly hence.
Prin. Saint Dennis to Saint Cupid! What are
they

That charge their breath against us? say, scout,
say!

Boyet. Under the cool shade of a sycamore,
I thought to close mine eye some half an hour;
When, lo! to interrupt my purposed rest,
Toward that shade I might behold addrest
The king and his companions: warily
I stole into a neighbor thicket by,
And overheard what you shall overhear:
That, by and by, disguised they will be here.
Their herald is a pretty knavish page,
That well by heart hath conned his embassage:
Action and accent did they teach him there;
"Thus must thou speak, and thus thy body bear:"
And ever and anon they made a doubt
Presence majestical would put him out;
"For," quoth the king, "an angel shalt thou see;
Yet fear not thou, but speak audaciously.”
The boy replied, "An angel is not evil;

Prin. None are so surely caught, when they are I should have feared her had she been a devil.”

With that all laughed, and clapped him on the
shoulder;

Making the bold wag by their praises bolder.
One rubbed his elbow, thus; and fleered, and swore
A better speech was never spoke before:
Another, with his finger and his thumb,
Cried, "Via! we will do 't, come what will
come:"

The third he capered, and cried, "All goes well:"
The fourth turned on the toe, and down he fell.
With that, they all did tumble on the ground,
With such a zealous laughter, so profound,
That in this spleen ridiculous appears,
To check their folly, passion's solemn tears.
Prin. But what, but what, come they to visit
us?

Boyet. They do, they do; and are appareled

thus,

Like Muscovites, or Russians, as I guess.
Their purpose is, to parle, to court and dance:
And every one his love-feat will advance

Kath. But, in this changing, what is your in- Out of your favors, heavenly spirits, vouchsafe

Vouchsafe, bright moon, and these thy stars, to Metheglin, wort, and malmsey:-well run, dice!