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word is well cull'd, chofe; sweet and apt, I do affure you, fir, I do affure.

ARM. Sir, the king is a noble gentleman; and my familiar, I do affure you, very good friend :-For what is inward between us, let it pafs :-I do befeech thee, remember thy courtesy; I beseech thee, apparel thy head: -and among other importunate and moft ferious defigns, and of great import indeed, too ;-but let that pass: for I muft tell thee, it will please his grace (by the world) fometime to lean upon my poor fhoulder; and with his royal finger, thus, dally with my excrement, with my muftachio: but sweet heart, let that pass. By the world, I recount no fable; fome certain special honours it pleaseth his greatness to impart to Armado, a foldier, a man of travel, that hath feen the world: but let that pafs.-The very all of all is, but, fweet heart, I do implore fecrecy,—that the king would have me prefent the princess, fweet chuck, with fome delightful oftentation, or show, or pageant, or antick, or fire-work. Now, understanding that the curate, and your sweet self, are good at fuch eruptions, and fudden breaking out of mirth, as it were, I have acquainted you withal, to the end to crave your affiftance.

Hoz. Sir, you shall present before her the nine worthies. Sir Nathaniel, as concerning fome entertainment of time, fome show in the pofterior of this day, to be render'd by our affistance,—the king's command, and this moft gallant, illuftrate, and learned gentleman,before the princefs; I fay, none fo fit as to present the

nine worthies.

NATH. Where will you find men worthy enough to present them?

HOL. Joshua, yourself; myself, or this gallant gentle.

man, Judas Maccabæus; this fwain, because of his great limb or joint, fhall pafs Pompey the great; the page, Hercules.

ARM. Pardon, fir, 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 shall present Hercules in minority: his enter and exit fhall be ftrangling a fnake; and I will have an apology for that purpose.

MoTH. An excellent device! fo, if any of the audience hifs, you may cry: well done, Hercules! now thou crusheft the fnake! that is the way to make an offence gracious; though few have the grace to do it.

ARM. For the reft of the worthies ?-
HOL. I will play three myself.

MOTH. Thrice-worthy gentleman!
ARM. Shall I tell you a thing?
HOL. We attend.

ARM. We will have, if this fadge not, an antick. I beseech you, follow.

HOL. Via, goodman Dull! thou haft spoken no word all this while.

DULL. Nor understood none neither, fir.

HOL. Allons! we will employ thee.

DULL. I'll make one in a dance, or fo; or I will play on the tabor to the worthies, and let them dance the hay. HOL. Moft dull, honest Dúll, to our fport, away.

SCENE II. Another part of the fame.

Before the PRINCESS's Pavilion.

[Exeunt.

Enter the PRINCESS, KATHARINE, ROSALINE, and

PRIN. Sweet hearts, we shall be rich ere we depart, If fairings come thus plentifully in:

A lady wall'd about with diamonds!—

Look what I have from the loving king.

you,

Ros. Madam, came nothing else along with that?

PRIN. Nothing but this? yes, as much love in rhyme, As would be cramm'd up in a sheet of paper, Writ on both fides the leaf, margent and all; That he was fain to feal on Cupid's name.

Ros. That was the way to make his god-head wax; For he hath been five thousand years a boy.

KATH. Ay, and a fhrewd unhappy gallows too.

Ros. You'll ne'er be friends with him; he kill'd your

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KATH. He made her melancholy, fad and heavy;
And fo fhe died: had the been light, like you,
Of fuch a merry, nimble, stirring spirit,
She might have been a grandam ere she died:
And fo may you; for a light heart lives long.
Ros. What's your dark meaning, mouse, of this light
KATH, A light condition in a beauty dark. [word?
Ros. We need more light to find your meaning out.
KATH. You'll mar the light, by taking it in fnuff;
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 reafon; for, Paft cure is ftill paft care.

PRIN. Well bandied both; a fet of wit well play'd.

But Rofaline, you have a favour too :

Who fent it? and what is it?

Ros. I would, you knew:

An if my face were but as fair as yours,
My favour were as great; be witness this.
Nay, I have verses too, I thank Birón:

The numbers true; and, were the numb'ring too,
I were the faireft goddess on the ground:
I am compar❜d 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 conclufion.
KATH. Fair as a text B in a copy-book.
Ros. 'Ware pencils! How? let me not die
My red dominical, my golden letter:
O, that your face were not fo full of O's!

your debtor,

KATH. A pox of that jeft! and befhrew all throws! PRIN. But what was fent 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 tranflation of hypocrify.

Vilely compil'd, profound fimplicity.

MAR. This, and these pearls, to me fent Longaville; The letter is too long by half a mile.

PRIN. I think no lefs; Doft 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 wife girls, to mock our lovers fo.
Ros. They are worfe fools, to purchase mocking fo
That fame 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 feek;

And wait the feason, and obferve the times,
And spend his prodigal wits in bootless rhymes;
And shape his fervice wholly to my behefts;
And make him proud to make me proud that jefts!
So portent-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.

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

MAR. Folly in fools bears. not fo ftrong a note,
As foolery in the wife, when wit doth dote;
Since all the power thereof it doth apply,
To prove, by wit, worth in fimplicity.

Enter BorET.

PRIN. Here comes Boyet, and mirth is in his face. BOYET. O, I am ftabb'd with laughter! Where's her grace?

PRIN. Thy news, Boyet?

BorET. Prepare, madam, prepare!—

Arm, wenches, arm! encounters mounted are
Against your peace: Love doth approach disguis'd,
Armed in arguments; you'll be furpris'd:
Mufter your wits; ftand in your own defence;
Or hide your heads like cowards, and fly hence.
PRIN. Saint Dennis to faint Cupid! What are they,
That charge their breath against us? fay, scout, say.
BorET. Under the cool shade of a sycamore,
I thought to close mine eyes fome half an hour:
When, low! to interrupt my purpos'd rest,
Toward that fhade I might behold addrest

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