lant, illuftrate and learned Gentleman, before the Princess: I fay none fo fit as to present the nine Worthies.

Nath. Where will you find Men worthy enough to prefent

them?

Hol. Jofua, 'your felf, this gallant Gentleman Judas Machabens, this Swain (because of his great Limb or Joint) fhall pass Pompey the Great, and the Page Her

cules.

Arm. Pardon Sir, Error: He is not Quantity enough for that Worthy's Thumb; he is not fo big as the End of his Club.

Hol. Shall I have Audience? He fhall prefent Hercules in Minority: His Enter and Exit fhall be strangling a Snake ; and I will have an Apology for that Purpose.

Moth. An excellent Device: So if any of the Audience hifs, you may cry; Well done, Hercules, now thou crusheft the Snake; that is the way to make an Offence gracious, tho' few have the Grace to do it.

Arm. For the reft of the Worthies?

Hol. I will play three my self.

Moth. Thrice worthy Gentleman,
Arm. Shall I tell you a thing?

Hol. We attend.

Arm. We will have, if this fadge not, an Antique. Ibefeech you follow.

Hol. Via good-man Dull, thou haft fpoken no Word all this while.

Dull. Nor understood none neither, Sir.

Hol. Allons, we will employ thee.

Dull. I'll make one in a Dance, or fo: Or will play on the Taber to the Worthies, and let them dance the Hay.

Hol. Moft Dull, honeft Dull, to our Sport away. [Exit. Enter Princess, and Ladies.

Prin. Sweet Hearts, we shall be rich e'er we depart, If Fairings come thus plentifully in.

A Lady wall'd about with Diamonds! look you, what I have from the King.

Rofa. Madam, came nothing elfe along with that?

Prin. Nothing but this? yes, as much Love in Rime, As would be cram'd up in a Sheet of Paper,

Ff 3

Writ

Writ on both fides the Leaf, Margent and all,

That he was fain to feal on Cupid's Name.

Rofa. That was the way to make his God-head wax, For he hath been five thousand Years a Boy.

Kath. Ay, anda fhrewd unhappy Gallows too.

Rofa. You'll ne'er be Friends with him, he kill'd your Sifter.

Kath. He made her melancholly, fad and heavy,
And fo fhe died; had the been light like you,
Of fuch a merry, nimble, ftirring Spirit,
She might have been a Grandom e'er the dy'd.
And fo may you; for a light Heart lives long.

Rofa. What's your dark Meaning, Moufe, of this light. Word?

Kath. Alight Condition, in a Beauty dark.

Rofa. We need more Light to find your Meaning out. Kath. You'll marr the Light by taking it in Snuff: Therefore I'll darkly end the Argument.

Rofa. Look what you do, you do it ftill i'th dark. Kath. So do not you, for you are a light Wench. Rofa. Indeed I weigh not you, and therefore light. Kath. You weigh me not, O that's, you care not for me. Rofa. Great Reafon; for paft Care, is ftill paft Cure. Prin. Well handled both; a Set of Wit well play'd. But Rofaline, you have a Favour too? Who fent it? and what is it?

Rofa. I would you knew.

'And if my Face were but as fair as yours,
My Favour were as great, be witness this.
Nay, I have Verses too, I thank Biron.
The Numbers true, and were the numbring too,
I were the faireft Goddess on the Ground.
I am compar'd to twenty thoufand Fairies.
O he hath drawn my Picture in his Letter.

Prin. Any thing like?

Rofa. Much in the Letters, nothing in the Praise.

Prin. Beauteous Ink; a good Gonclufion.

Kath. Fair as a Text B in a Copy-Book.

Rofa. Ware Pencils. How? Let me not die your Debter,

My red Dominical, my golden Letter,

Othat your Face were full of Qes,

Prin. A Pox of that Jeft, and I befhrew all Shrews:

But Katharine, what was fent to you
From fair Dumain?

Kath. Madam, this Glove.

Prin. Did he not fend you twain?

Kath. Yes, Madam; and moreover, Some thousand Verfes of a faithful Lover. A huge Tranflation of Hypocrifie, Vildly compil'd, profound Simplicity.

Mar. This, and thefe Pearls to me fent Longavile. The Letter is too long by half a Mile.

Prin. I think no lefs; Doft thou not wifh in Heart The Chain were longer, and the Letter short?

*

Mar. Ay, or I would thefe Hands might never part.
Prin. We are wife Girls, to mock our Lovers fo.
Rofa. They are worfe Fools to purchase mocking fo.
"That fame Biron I'll torture e'er I

go.
O that I knew he were but in by th' Week,

How I would make him fawn, and beg, and feek,
And wait the Season, and obferve the Times,
And spend his prodigal Wits in bootlefs Rimes,
And shape his Service all to my Behefts,

And make him proud to make me proud with Jefts.
So pertaunt like would I o'erfway his State,

That he should be my Fool, and I his Fate.

Prin. None are fo furely caught, when they are catch'd, As Wit turn'd Fool; Folly in Wisdom hatch'd,

Hath Wisdom's Warrant, and the help of School,
And Wit's own Grace to grace a learned Fool.

Rofa. The Blood of Youth burns not in fuch Excess,
As Gravities revolt to Wantonness.

Mar. Folly in Fools bears not fo ftrange a Note, As Fool'ry in the Wife, when Wit doth dote: Since all the Power thereof it doth apply,

To prove by Wit, worth in Simplicity.

Enter Boyet.

Prin. Here comes Boyet, and Mirth in his Face.
Boyet. O, I am ftab'd with Laughter, Where's her Grace?

Prin, Thy News, Boyet?

Ff 4

Boyet. Prepare, Madam, prepare,

Arm Wenches, arm, Incounters mounted are
Against your Peace, Love doth approach, difguis'd,'
Armed in Arguments, you'll be furpriz'd.
Mufter your Wits, ftand in your own Defence,
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, fay,
Boyer. Under the cool Shade of a Sycamore,
I thought to close mine Eyes fome half an hour;
When lo to interrupt my purpos'd Reft,
Toward that Shade, I might behold, addrest
The King and his Companions; warily
I ftole into a Neighbour Thicket by,
And over-heard, what you fhall over-hear:
That by and by disguis'd they will be here.
Their Herald is a pretty knavish Page,

That well by heart hath conn'd his Embaffage.
'Action and Accent did they teach him there;
Thus must thou fpeak, and thus thy Body bear.
'And ever and anon they made a doubt,
Prefence Majeftical would put him out:

For, quoth the King, an Angel fhalt thou fee,
Yet fear not thou, but fpeak audaciously.

The Boy reply'd, an Angel is not evil;

I fhould have fear'd her, had the been a Devil.
With that all laugh'd, and clap'd him on the Shoulder,
Making the bold Wag by their Praises bolder.
One rub'd his Elbow thus, and fleer'd, and fwore,
A better Speech was never spoke before.
Another with his Finger, and his Thumb,
Cry'd via, we will do't, come what will come.
The third he caper'd and cry'd, All goes well,
The fourth turn'd on the Toe, and down he fell;
With that they all did tumble on the Ground,
With fuch a zealous Laughter, fo profound,
That in this Spleen ridiculous appears,
To check their Folly Paffions, folemn Tears.
Prin. But what, but what, come they to vifit us?
Boy. They do, they do; and are apparel'd thus,
Like Muscovites, or Ruffians, as I guess.

J

Their Purpose is to parley, court, and dance,
And every one his Love-feat will advance
Unto his feveral Miftrefs: Which they'll know
By Favours fev'ral, which they did beftow.

Prin. And will they fo? the Gallants fhall be taskt;
For Ladies, we will every one be maskt;
And not a Man of them fhall have the Grace
Defpight of Sute, to fee a Lady's face.

Hold Rofaline, this Favour thou fhalt wear,
And then the King will court thee for his Dear:
Hold, take thou this my Sweet, and give me thine,
So fhall Biron take me for Rosaline.

And change your Favours too, fo fhall your Loves
Woo contrary, deceiv'd by thefe Removes.

Rofa. Come on then, wear the Favours most in fight,
Kath. But in this changing, What is your Intent?
Prin. The Effect of my Intent is to cross theirs ;
They do it but in mocking Merriment,

And Mock for Mock is only my Intent.
Their several Counfels they unbosom shall
To Loves miftook, and fo be mockt withal:
Upon the next Occafion that we meet
With Vilages difplay'd to talk and greet.

Rofa. But fhall we dance, if they defire us to't?
Prin. No, to the Death we will not move a foot,
Nor to their pen'd Speech render we no Grace:
But while 'tis fpoke, each turn away her Face.
Boyet. Why that Attempt will kill the Keeper's Heart,
And quite divorce his Memory from his Part.

Prin. Therefore I do it, and I make no doubt,
The reft will ne'er come in, if he be out.
There's no fuch Sport, as Sport by Sport o'erthrown;
To make theirs ours, and ours none but our own;
So fhall we stay mocking intended Game,

And they well mockt, depart away with Shame. [Sound.
Boy. The Trumpet founds, be maskt, the Maskers come.

Enter the King, Biron, Longavile, Dumain, and Attendants, difguiz'd like Muscovites. Moth with Musick, ́as for a Masquerade.

Moth. All hail the richest Beauties on the Earth. : Bixon. Beauties no richer than rich Taffata.

Moth