That, when he plays at tables, chides the dice
In honourable terms; nay, he can fing

A mean moft mainly,[3] and, in ufhering,
Mend him who can: the ladies call him, sweet;
The ftairs, as he treads on them, kifs his feet.
This is the flower, that fmiles on every one,
To fhew his teeth, as white as whale his bone ;[4]-
And confciences, that will not die in debt,
Pay him the due of honey-tongued Boyet,
King. A blifter on his fweet tongue, with my heart,
That put Armado's page out of his part!

Enter the Princess, ROSALINE, MARIA, CATHARINE,
BOYET, and Attendants.

Biron. See, where it comes !-Behaviour, what wert thou,

'Till this mad man fhew'd thee, and what art thou

now ?[s]

King. All hail, sweet madam, and fair time of day!
Prin. Fair, in all hail, is foul, as I conceive.
King. Conftrue my fpeeches better, if you may.
Prin. Then with me better, I will give you leave.
King. We come to visit you; and purpose now
To lead you to our court: vouchfafe it then.
Prin. This field shall hold me; and fo hold your vow;
Nor God, nor I, delight in perjur❜d men.
King. Rebuke me not for that which you provoke :
The virtue of your eye muft break my oath.
Prin. You nick-name virtue; vice you should have

fpoke;

For virtue's office never breaks men's troth.

Now, by my maiden honour, yet as pure

[3] The 'mean,' in mufic, is the tenor. So Bacon: "The treble cut"teth the air fo tharp, as it returneth too fwift to make the found equal; "and therefore a mean or tenor is the sweeteft." STEEV.

་

[4] As white as whales bone' is a proverbial comparison in the old poets: In Tuberville's Poems, printed 1570, is an ode intitled, In praise of Lady P.'

"Her mouth so small, her teeth fo white, as any whale his bone, "Her lips without fo lively red, that paffe the corall ftone." WART. [5] These are two wonderfully fine lines, intimating that what courts call manners, and value themfelves fo much upon teaching, as a thing no where else to be learnt, is a modeft filent accomplishment, under the direction of nature and common fenfe, which does its office in promoting focial life without being taken notice of. But that when it degenerates into thew and parade, it becomes an unmanly, contemptible quality.

WARE.

As the unfully'd lily, I proteft,

A world of torments though I fhould endure,
I would not yield to be your house's guest ;
So much I hate a breaking caufe to be
Of heavenly oaths, vow'd with integrity.
King. O, you have liv'd in defolation here,
Unfeen, unvifited, much to our fhame.

Prin. Not fo my lord; it is not fo, I fwear; We have had paftimes here, and pleasant game; A mefs of Ruffians left us but of late.

King. How, madam? Ruffians?
Prin. Ay, in truth, my lord;

Trim gallants, full of courtship, and of ftate.
Rof. Madam, fpeak true :-It is not fo, my lord;
My lady, (to the manner of these days)
In courtefy gives undeferving praise.

We four, indeed, confronted were with four
In Ruffian habit; here they ftaid an hour,
And talk'd apace; and in that hour, my lord,
They did not blefs us with one happy word.
I dare not call them fools; but this I think,
When they are thirfty, fools would fain have drink.
Biron. This jeft is dry to me.-Fair, gentle sweet,
Your wit makes wife things foolish: when we greet[6]
With eyes best seeing, heaven's fiery eye,

By light we lofe light: Your capacity

Is of that nature, as to your huge ftore,
Wife things feem foolish, and rich things but poor.
Rof. This proves you wife and rich; for in my eye,-
Biron. I am a fool, and full of poverty.

Rof. But that you take what doth to you belong,
It were a fault to fnatch words from my tongue.
Biron. O, I am yours, and all that I poffefs.
Rof. All the fool mine?

Biron. I cannot give you lefs.

Rof. Which of the vifors was it, that you wore? Biron. Where? when? what vifor? why demand you this?

Rof. There, then, that vifor; that fuperfluous cafe, That hid the worfe, and fhew'd the better face. King. We are defcry'd; they'll mock us now downright.

[6] This is a very lofty and elegant compliment. JOHNS.

Dum. Let us confefs, and turn it to a jeft.

Prin. Amaz'd, my lord? why looks your highness fad?

Rof. Help, hold his brows! he'll fwoon! Why look you pale?

Sea-fick, I think, coming from Mufcovy.

Biron. Thus pour the stars down plagues for perjury. Can any face of brass hold longer out?

Here ftand I, lady; dart thy fkill at me;

Bruise me with scorn, confound me with a flout; Thruft thy fharp wit quite through my ignorance; Cut me to pieces with thy keen conceit; And I will with thee never more to dance,

Nor never more in Ruffian habit wait. O! never will I truft to speeches penn'd,

Nor to the motion of a school-boy's tongue;

Nor never come in vifor to my friend;

Nor woo in rhyme, like a blind harper's fong. Taffata phrafes, filken terms precife,

Three-pil'd hyperboles, fpruce affectation.

Figures pedantical; thefe fummer-flies

Have blown me full of maggot oftentation:

I do forfwear them and I here proteft,

By this white glove, (how white the hand, God
knows!)

Henceforth my wooing mind fhall be exprefs'd
In ruffet peas, and honeft kerfey noes:
And to begin, wench, (fo God help me, la !)
My love to thee is sound, sans crack or flaw.
Rof. Sans, fans, I pray you.

Biron. Yet I have a trick

Of the old rage: bear with me, I am fick.
I'll leave it by degrees. Soft, let us fee;—
Write, Lord have mercy on us,[7] on those three;
They are infected, in their hearts it lies;
They have the plague, and caught it of your eyes:
Thefe lords are vifited, you are not free;
For the Lord's tokens on you both, I fee.

Prin. No, they are free, that gave these tokens to us.
Biron. Our states are forfeit, feek not to undo us.

[7] This was the infcription put upon the door of the houfes infected with the plague, to which Biron compares the love of himself and his companions; and pursuing the metaphor finds the "tokens' likewife on the fadies. The tokens of the plague are the first fpots or difcolourations, by which the infection is known to be received. JOHNS.

Rof. It is not fo; For how can this be true, That you ftand forfeit, being thofe that fue ?[8] Biron. Peace; for I will not have to do with you, Rof. Nor fhall not, if I do as I intend.

Biron. Speak for yourselves, my wit is at an end. King. Teach us, fweet madam, for our rude tranfgreffion

Some fair excufe.

Prin. The faireft is confeffion.

Were you not here, but even now, disguis'd?'

King. Madam, I was.

Prin. And were you well advis❜d ?

King. I was, fair' madam.

Prin. When you then were here,

What did you whifper in your lady's ear?

King. That more than all the world I did refpect her. Prin. When the shall challenge this, you will reject her. King. Upon mine honour, no.

Prin. Peace, peace, forbear:

Your oath once broke, you force not to forfwear.[9]
King. Defpife me, when I've broke this oath of mine.
Prin. I will; and therefore keep it.-Rofaline,
What did the Ruffian whisper in your ear?

Rof. Madam, he fwore, that he did hold me dear
As precious eye-fight; and did value me
Above this world: adding thereto, moreover,
That he would wed me, or elfe die my lover.
Prin. God give thee joy of him! the noble lord
Moft honourably doth uphold his word.

King. What mean you, madam? by my life, my troth, I never fwore this lady fuch an oath.

Rof. By heaven, you did; and to confirm it plain, You gave me this: but take it, tir, again.

King. My faith, and this, the princefs I did give,

I knew her by this jewel on her fleeve.

Prin. Pardon me, fir, this jewel did the wear : And lord Biron, I thank him, is my dear :What; will you have me, or your pearl again?

Biron. Neither of either; I remit both twain.

[8] That is, how can those be liable to forfeiture that begin the pro cels. The jeft lies in the ambiguity of 'fue,' which fignifies, to prosecute by law, or, to offer a petition. JOHNS.

[9] You force not, is the fame with, you make no difficulty: This is very juft obfervation: The crime which has been once committed, is Committed again with less reluctance. JOHNS.

I fee the trick on't ;-Here was a confent (Knowing aforehand of our merriment) To dash it, like a Christmas comedy.

Some carry-tale, fome please-man, fome flight zany,
Some mumble-news, fome trencher-knight, fome Dick,
That smiles his cheek in years; and knows the trick
To make my lady laugh, when she's difpos'd,
Told our intents before: which once difclos'd,
The ladies did change favours; and then we,
Following the figns, woo'd but the fign of the.
Now, to our perjury to add more terror,
We are again forfworn; in will and error.
Much upon this it is :-And might not you [To BOYET.
Foreftal our fport, to make us thus untrue?
Do not you know my lady's foot by the fquier,[1]
And laugh upon the apple of her eye?
And ftand between her back, fir, and the fire,
Holding a trencher, jefting merrily?

You put our page out: Go, you are allow'd ;[2]
Die when you will, a fmock fhall be your fhrowd.
You leer upon me, do you ? there's an eye,

Wounds like a leaden fword.

Boyet. Full merrily

Hath this brave manage, this career, been run.

Biron. Lo, he is tilting ftrait! Peace; I have done.
Enter COSTARD.

Welcome, pure wit! thou parteft a fair fray.
Coft. O Lord, fir, they would know
Whether the three worthies fhall come in, or no.
Biron. What, are there but three ?

Coft. No, fir; but it is very fine ;

For every one purfents three.

Biron. And three times three is nine?

Coft. Not fo, fir; under correction, fir; I hope, it is not fo;

You cannot beg us, fir; I can affure you, fir, we know

what we know:

I hope, three times three, fir,

Biron. Is not nine.

Coft. Under correction, fir, we know whereuntil it doth amount.

[1] Efquierre, French, a rule, or fquare.

REVISAL.

[2] That is, you may fay what you will; you are a licensed fool, a common jefter. So, Twelfth Night,

VOL. II.

There is no flander in an allow'd fool,'
Hh

WARB.