Kath. He made her melancholy, sad, and heavy;
And so she died. Had she been light like you,
Of such a merry, nimble, stirring spirit,

She might have been a grandam ere she died!
And so may you; for a light heart lives long.

Ros. What's your dark meaning, mouse, of this light word?

Kath. A light condition in a beauty dark.

Ros. We need more light to find your meaning out. Kath. You'll mar the light by taking it in snuff: Therefore I'll darkly end the argument.

Ros. Look, what you do, you do it still i'the dark. Kath. So do not you; for you are a light wench. Ros. Indeed. I weigh not you; and therefore light. Kath. You weigh me not,-O, that's you care not for me. Ros. Great reason; for, past cure is still past care. Prin. Well bandied both; a set of wit well played. But, Rosaline, you have a favor too. Who sent it, and what is it?

Ros.

I would you knew;
And if my face were but as fair as yours,
My favor were as great; be witness this.
Nay, I have verses too, I thank Birón;

The numbers true; and, were the numbering too,
I were the fairest goddess on the ground.

I am compared to twenty thousand fairs.

O, he hath drawn my picture in his letter!

Prin. Any thing like?

Ros. Much, in the letters; nothing in the praise.
Prin. Beauteous as ink; a good conclusion.
Kath. Fair as a text B in a copy-book.

Ros. 'Ware pencils! How! Let me not die your debtor, My red dominical, my golden letter.

O that your face were not so full of O's!

Kath. A pox of that jest! And beshrew all shrows! Prin. But what was sent to you from fair Dumain? Kath. Madam, this glove.

Prin.

Did he not send you twain?

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 Longaville;

The letter is too long by half a mile.

Prin. I think no less. Dost thou not 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 mocking 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 potent-like would I o'ersway his state,

That he should be my fool, and I his fate.

Prin. None are so surely caught, when they are catched, As wit turned fool. Folly, in wisdom hatched, Hath wisdom's warrant, and the help of school; And wit's own grace to grace a learned fool.

Ros. The blood of youth burns not with such excess, As gravity's revolt to wantonness.

Mar. Folly in fools bears not so strong a note,
As foolery in the wise, 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 is in his face. Boyet. O, I am stabbed with laughter! Where's her

grace?

Prin. Thy news, Boyet?

Boyet.

Arm, wenches, arm!

Against your peace.

Prepare, madam, prepare!

Encounters mounted are

Love doth approach disguised,

Armed in arguments. You'll be surprised:

Muster your wits; stand 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, say. Boyet. Under the cool shade of a sycamore,

I thought to close mine eyes some half an hour;
When, lo! to interrupt my purposed rest,
Toward that shade I might behold addressed
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,

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,

The purpose is, to parle, to court, and dance;
And every one his love-feat will advance
Unto his several mistress; which they'll know
By favors several, which they did bestow.

Prin. And will they so? The gallants shall be tasked;
For, ladies, we will every one be masked;
And not a man of them shall have the grace,
Despite of suit, to see a lady's face.—

Hold, Rosaline, this favor thou shalt wear;

And then the king will court thee for his dear;
Hold, take thou this, my sweet, and give ine thine;
So shall Birón take me for Rosaline.-

And change your favors too; so shall your loves
Woo contrary, deceived by these removes.

Ros. Come on, then; wear the favors most in sight.
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 counsels they unbosom shall
To loves mistook; and so be mocked withal,
Upon the next occasion that we meet,
With visages displayed, to talk and greet.

Ros. But shall we dance, if they desire us to't?
Prin. No; to the death, we will not move a foot;
Nor to their penned speech render we no grace;
But while 'tis spoke, each turn away her face.

Boyet. Why, that contempt will kill the speaker's heart, And quite divorce his memory from his part.

Prin. Therefore I do it; and, I make no doubt, The rest will ne'er come in, if he be out. There's no such sport, as sport by sport o'erthrown; To make theirs ours, and ours none but our own. So shall we stay, mocking intended game; And they, well mocked, depart away with shame. [Trumpets sound within. Boyet. The trumpet sounds; be masked; the maskers [The ladies mask.

come.

Enter the King, BIRON, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAIN, in
Russian habits, and masked; MOTH, Musicians, and
Attendants.

Moth. All hail, the richest beauties on the earth!
Boyet. Beauties no richer than rich taffeta.

Moth. A holy parcel of the fairest dames,

[The ladies turn their backs to him. That ever turned their backs to mortal views!

Biron. Their eyes, villain, their eyes.

Moth. That ever turned their eyes to mortal views! OutBoyet. True; out, indeed.

Moth. Out of your favors, heavenly spirits, vouchsafe Not to behold

Biron. Once to behold, rogue.

Moth. Once to behold with your sun-beamed eyes,

with your sun-beamed eyes

Boyet. They will not answer to that epithet;

You were best call it daughter-beamed eyes.

Moth. They do not mark me, and that brings me out. Biron. Is this your perfectness? Begone, you rogue. Ros. What would these strangers? Know their minds,

Boyet.

If they do speak our language, 'tis our will
That some plain man recount their purposes.
Know what they would.

Boyet. What would you with the princess?
Biron. Nothing but peace and gentle visitation.
Ros. What would they, say they?

Boyet. Nothing but peace and gentle visitation.
Ros. Why that they have; and bid them so begone.
Boyet. She says you have it, and you may be gone.

King. Say to her we have measured many miles, To tread a measure with her on this grass.

Boyet. They say that they have measured many a mile, To tread a measure with you on this grass.

Ros. It is not so. Ask them how many inches Is in one mile; if they have measured many,

The measure then of one is easily told.

Boyet. If to come hither you have measured miles,
And many miles, the princess bids you tell
How many inches do fill up one mile.

Biron. Tell her we measure them by weary steps.
Boyet. She hears herself.

Ros.

How many weary steps,

Of many weary miles you have o'ergone,

Are numbered in the travel of one mile?

Biron. We number nothing that we spend for you; Our duty is so rich, so infinite,

That we may do it still without account.

Vouchsafe to show the sunshine of your face,

That we, like savages, may worship it.

Ros. My face is but a moon, and clouded too. King. Blessed are clouds, to do as such clouds do! Vouchsafe, bright moon, and these thy stars, to shine (Those clouds removed) upon our watery eyne.

Ros. O vain petitioner! Beg a greater matter; Thou now request'st but moonshine in the water. King. Then in our measure vouchsafe but one change; Thou bidd'st me beg; this begging is not strange. Ros. Play, music, then; nay, you must do it soon. [Music plays. Not yet. No dance; - thus change I like the moon. King. Will you not dance? How come you thus estranged?

Ros. You took the moon at full; but now she's changed. King. Yet still she is the moon, and I the man. The music plays; vouchsafe some motion to it. Ros. Our ears vouchsafe it.

King.

But your legs should do it.

we will not dance.

Ros. Since you are strangers, and come here by chance, We'll not be nice. Take hands; King. Why take we hands, then? Ros. Court'sy, sweet hearts; and so the measure ends.

Only to part friends.

King. More measure of this measure; be not nice.
Ros. We can afford no more at such a price.
King. Prize you yourselves. What buys your company
Ros. Your absence only.