Dear Princess, were not his requests so far
From reafon's yielding, your fair self should make
A yielding 'gainst some reason in my breast;
And go well fatisfied to France again.

Prin. You do the King my father too much wrong,
And wrong the reputation of your name,
In fo unseeming to confefs receipt
Of that, which hath fo faithfully been paid.
King. I do proteft, I never heard of it;
And if you prove it, I'll repay it back,
Or yield up Aquitain.

Prin. We arrest your word:
Boyet, you can produce acquittances
For fuch a fum, from fpecial officers
Of Charles his father.

}

King. Satisfie me fo.

Boyet. So please your Grace, the packet is not come,
Where that and other fpecialties are bound:
To morrow you fhall have a fight of them.

King. It fhall fuffice me; at which interview,
All liberal reason I will yield unto:
Mean time, receive fuch welcome at my hand,
As honour without breach of honour may
Make tender of, to thy true worthiness.
You may not come, fair Princefs, in my gates;
But here, without, you fhall be fo receiv'd,
As you fhall deem your felf lodg'd in my heart,
Tho fo deny'd fair harbour in my house:
Your own good thoughts excufe me, and farewel;
To morrow we fhall vifit you again,

Prin. Sweet health and fair defires confort your
Grace!

King. Thy own Wish wish I thee, in every place. [Exit. Biron. Lady, I will commend you to my own heart. (10) Rofa.

(10) I have made it a Rule throughout this Edition, to replace all thofe Paffages, which Mr. Pope in his Impreffions thought fit to degrade. As We have no Authority to call them in Queftion for not be

Rofa. I pray you, do my commendations;
I would be glad to see it.

Biron. I would, you heard it groan.
Rofa. Is the fool fick?
Biron. Sick at the heart.
Rofa. Alack, let it blood.
Biron. Would that do it good?
Rofa. My phyfick fays, ay.
Biron. Will you prick't with your eye?
Rofa. No, poynt, with my knife.
Biron. Now God fave thy life!
Rofa. And yours from long living!
Biron. I cannot ftay thanksgiving.
[Exit.
Dum. Sir, I pray you, a word: what lady is that
fame?

Boyet. The heir of Alanfon, Rofaline her name.
Dum. A gallant lady; Monfieur, fare you well.

[Exit. Long. I beseech you, a word: what is fhe in white? Boyet. A woman fometimes, if you faw her in the

light.

Long. Perchance, light in the light; I defire her

name.

Boyet. She hath but one for her felf; to defire That,
were a fhame.

Long. Pray you, Sir, whofe daughter?
Boyet. Her mother's, I have heard.
Long. God's bleffing on your beard!
Boyet. Good Sir, be not offended.
She is an heir of Faulconbridge.

Long. Nay, my choller is ended: She is a moft fweet lady.

ing genuine; I confefs, as an Editor, I thought I had no Authority to difplace them. Tho, I muft own freely at the fame time, there are fome Scenes (particularly, in this Play ;) fo very mean and contemptible, that One would heartily wish for the Liberty of expunging them. Whether they were really written by our Author, whether he penn'd them in his boyish Age, or whether he purposely comply'd with the prevailing Vice of the Times, when Puns, Conundrum, and quibbling Conceits were as much in Vogue, as Grimace and Arlequinades are at this wife Period, I dare not take upon me to determine.

Boyet.

"

Boyet. Not unlike, Sir; that may be. [Exit Long.
Biron. What's her name in the cap?
Boyet. Catharine, by good hap.
Biron. Is the wedded or no?
Boyet. To her will, Sir, or fo.
Biron. You are welcome, Sir: adieu.
Boyet. Farewel to me, Sir, and welcome to you.

[Exit Biron. Mar. That laft is Biron, the merry mad-cap lord; Not a word with him but a jeft.

Boyet. And every jeft but a word.

Prin. It was well done of you to take him at his word.

Boyet. I was as willing to grapple, as he was to board.
Mar. Two hot fheeps, marry.

Boyet. And wherefore not fhips?

No fheep, (fweet lamb) unless we feed on your lips.
Mar.You fheep, and I pasture; shall that finish the jest?
Boyet. So you grant pafture for me.

Mar. Not fo, gentle beaft;

My lips are no common, though several they be.
Boyet. Belonging to whom?

Mar. To my fortunes and me.

Prin. Good wits will be jangling; but, gentles,

agree.

This civil war of wits were much better us'd
On Navarre and his book-men; for here 'tis abus'd.
Boyet. If my obfervation, (which very feldom lies)
By the heart's still rhetorick, difclofed with eyes,
Deceive me not now, Navarre is infected.

Prin. With what?

Boyet. With that which we lovers intitle affected.
Prin. Your reason?

Boyet. Why, all his behaviours did make their retire To the Court of his eye, peeping thorough defire: His heart, like an agat with your print impreffed, Proud with his form, in his eye pride expreffed: His tongue, all impatient to fpeak and not fee, Did ftumble with hafte in his eye-fight to be: All fenfes to that fenfe did make their repair,

To

To feel only looking on faireft of fair;

Methought, all his fenfes were lock'd in his eye,
As jewels in crystal for fome Prince to buy ;
Who tendring their own worth, from whence they were
glait,

Did point out to buy them, along as you past.
His face's own margent did quote fuch amazes,
That all eyes faw his eyes inchanted with gazes:
I'll give you Aquitain, and all that is his,
An you give him for my fake but one loving kifs.
Prin Come, to our pavilion: Boyet is difpos'd.
Boyet. But to fpeak that in words, which his eye
hath disclos'd;

I only have made a mouth of his eye,
By adding a tongue which I know will not lie.
Rofa. Thou art an old love-monger, and speakest
skilfully.

Mar. He is Cupid's grandfather, and learns news of

him.

Rofa. Then was Venus like her mother, for her father is but grim.

Boyet. Do you hear, my mad wenches?
Mar. No.

Boyet. What then, do you fee?
Rofa. Ay, our way to be gone.
Boyet. You are too hard for me. (11)

[Exeunt: SCENE

(11) Boyet. You are too hard for me.] Here, in all the Books, the 2d Act is made to end: but in my Opinion very mistakenly. I have ventur'd to vary the Regulation of the four laft Acts from the printed Copies, for thefe Reasons. Hitherto, the 2d Act has been of the Extent of 7 Pages; the 3d but of 5; and the 5th of no lefs than 29. And this Difproportion of Length has crouded too many Incidents into fome Acts, and left the others quite barren. I have now reduced them into a much better Equality; and diftributed the Bufinefs likewife (fuch as it is,) into a more uniform Caft. The Plot now lies thus. In the first A&t, Navarre and his Companions fequefter themselves, by Oath, for 3 Years from Converfation, Women, Fealing, &c. refolving a Life of Contemplation, and to relieve their Study, at Intervals, with Armado and Coftard. The Princess of France's Arrival is prepared. Armado's Ridiculous Paffion for a Country Wench, and hi, and Coftard's Characters, are open'd. In the 2d A&t, The Princefs with her Ladies arrives, and explains the Reafon of her Coming. Navarre

SCENE, the PARK; near the Palace.
Enter Armado and Moth.

Arble, child; make paffionate my sense of
hearing.

Arm.

Moth. Concolinel

[Singing

Navarre behaves fo courteously to her, that Boyet, one of her Lords, sufpects him to be in Love. Armado's Amour is continued; who fends a Letter by Coftard to his Miftrefs Jaquenetta. Biron likewife fends a Billet-doux by Coftard to Rofaline, one of the French Ladies; and in a Soli loquy confeffes his being in Love, tho' against his Oath. In the third Act, the Princess and her Ladies, preparing to kill a Deer in the Park, Coftard comes to deliver Biron's Letter to Rofaline; but by Miftake gives That, which Armado had directed to Jaquenetta. The two Pedants Sir Nathaniel, and Holofernes are introduc'd. Jaquenetta produces Biron's Letter, deliver'd by Coftard's Miftake to her, requefting them to read it: who, obferving the Contents, fend it by Coftard and Jaquenetta to the King. Biron, ftanding perdue in the Park, overhears the King, Longaville, and Dumaine confeffing their Paffions for their respective Miftreffes; and, coming forward, reproaches them with their Perjury. Jaquenetta and Coftard bring the Letter (as they were order'd by the Pedants) to the King, who bids Biron read it. He, finding it to be his own Letter; tears it in a Paffion for Coftard's Miftake. The Lords, picking it up, find it to be of Biron's handwriting, and an Addrefs to Rofaline. Biron pleads guilty and all the Votarists at last consent to continue their Perjury, and addrefs their several Mistresses with fome Mafque or Device. In the fourth Act, The Pedants (returning from their Dinner,) enter into a Difcourfe fuitable to their Characters. Armado comes to them, tells them, he is injoin'd by the King to frame fome Mafque for the Entertainment of the Princefs, and craves their learned Affiftance. They propofe to reprefent the nine Worthies, and go out to prepare themfelves. The Princefs and her Ladies talk of their feveral Lovers, and the Presents made to them. Boyet brings notice, that the King and his Lords are coming to address them, difguis'd like Muscovites. The Ladies propofe to be mask'd, and exchange the Favours with one another, which were given them by their Lovers: that fo they, being deceived, may every one addrefs the wrong Perfon. This accordingly hits, and they are rallied from off the Spot by the Ladies: who triumph in this Exploit, and refolve to banter them again, when they return in their own Perfons. In the laft Act, The King and his Lords come to the Princess's Tent, and all confefs their Loves. Coftard enters to tell the Approach of the Worthies Mafque; which finifh'd, News is brought of the Death of the Princefs's Father. The King and the Lords renewing their Love-fuits, the Ladies agree to marry them at a Twelvemonth's End, under certain Injunctions; and fo the Play ends. -Thus the Story (tho' clogg'd with fome Abfurdities,) has its proper Reits: the Action rifes by Gradations, according to Rules: and the Plot is embroil'd and difengaged, as it ought; as far as the Nature of the Fable will admit.

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VOL. II:

I

Arm