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, honeft Dull, to our sport, away.
SCENE II. Before the Princess's Pavilion.
Enter Princefs, CATHARINE, ROSALINE, and MARIA. Prin. Sweet hearts, we shall be rich ere we depart, If fairings come thus plentifully in:
A lady wall'd about with diamonds !—
Look you, what I have from the loving king.
Ref. Madam, came nothing else along with that?
Prin. Nothing but this? yes, as much love in rhime,
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.
Rof. That was the way to make his god-head wax;
For he hath been five thousand years a boy.
Cath. Ay, and a fhrewd unhappy gallows too.
Rof. You'll ne'er be friends with him; he kill'd
your fifter.
Cath. He made her melancholy, fad, and heavy;
And fo fhe died: had fhe been light, like you,
Of fuch a merry, nimble, stirring spirit,
She might have been a grandam ere she dy'd:
And fo may you; for a light heart lives long.
Rof. What's your dark meaning, mouse, of this
light word?
Cath. A light condition in a beauty dark.
Rof. We need more light to find your meaning out. Cath. You'll mar the light, by taking it in snuff; Therefore, I'll darkly end the argument.
Rof. Look, what you do, you do it still i'the dark. Cath. So do not you; for you are a light wench. Rof. Indeed, I weigh not you; and therefore light. Cath. You weigh me not,-O, that's you care not for me.
Rof. Great reafon; for, Past cure is ftill past care. Prin. Well bandied both; a set of wit well play'd But Rofaline, you have a favour too:
Who fent it? and what is it?
Rof. 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 verfes too, I thank Biron:
The numbers true; and, were the numb'ring too,
I were the fairest goddefs on the ground:
I am compar'd to twenty thoufand fairs.
O, he hath drawn my picture in his letter!
Prin. Any thing like?
Rof. Much, in the letters; nothing, in the praise.
Prin. Beauteous as ink; a good conclufion.
Cath. Fair as a text B in a copy-book.
Rof. 'Ware pencils! How? let me not die your My red dominical, my golden letter:
that your face were not fo full of O's!
Cath. A pox of that jeft! and beshrew all shrows! Prin. But what was fent to you from fair Dumain? Cath. Madam, this glove.
Prin. Did he not fend you twain?
Cath. Yes, madam; and moreover,
Some thousand verses of a faithful lover:
A huge tranflation of hypocrify,
Vilely compil'd, profound fimplicity.
Mar. This, and thefe 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 thefe hands might never part. Prin. We are wife girls, to mock our lovers fo. Rof. They are worfe fools, to purchase mocking fo. That fame Biron 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 bootlefs rhimes;
And fhape his fervice wholly to my behefts,
And make him proud to make me proud that jefts!
So portent-like would I o'erfway his ftate,
That he fhould 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 wifdom hatch'd,
Hath wisdom's warrant, and the help of fchool;
And wit's own grace to grace a learned fool.
Rof. The blood of youth burns not with such excess, As gravity's revolt to wantonnefs.
Mar. Folly in fools bear not so strong 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.
Prin. Here comes Boyet, and mirth is in his face. Boy. O, I am stabb'd with laughter! Where's her Prin. Thy news, Boyet?
Boy. 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:
Muster your wits; stand in your o
Or hide your heads like cowards, a
Prin. Saint Dennis to faint Cupid.
That charge their breath against us? 1
Boy. Under the cool fhade of a fyca
I thought to clofe mine eyes fome half.
When, lo, to interrupt my purpos'd reft,
Toward that fhade I might behold addre
The king and his companions: warily
I ftole into a neighbour thicket by,
And overheard what you fhall overhear;
That, by and by, difguis'd they will be her
Their herald is a pretty knavish page,
That well by heart hath conn'd his embassag
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,
Prefence majestical would put him out;
For, quoth the king, an angel fhalt thou fee
Yet fear not thou, but speak audaciously;
The boy reply'd, An angel is not evil;
Ifhould have fear'd her, had he been a devil.
With that all laugh'd, and clapp'd him on the shoulder;
Making the bold wag by their praises bolder.
One rubb'd his elbow thus; and fleer'd, and fwore,
A better fpeech was never fpoke before:
Another, with his finger and his thumb,
Cry'd, Via! we will do't, come what will come z
The third he caper'd, and ery'd, All goes well:
The fourth turn'd on one 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, paffion's folemn tears.
Prin. But what, but what, come they to visit us?
Boy. They do, they do ; and are apparell'd thus,
Like Mufcovites, or Ruffians: as I guess,
Their purpofe is, to parle, to court, and dance:
And every one his love-feat will advance
Unto his feveral miftrefs; which they'll know
By favours feveral, which they did beftow.
Prin. And will they fo? the gallants fhall be tafk'd;-
For, ladies, we will every one be mask'd;
And not a man of them fhall have the grace,
Defpight of fuit, to fee a lady's face.
Hold, Rofaline, this favour thou shalt wear;
And then the king will court thee for his dear;
Hold, take thou this, my fweet, and give me thine ;
So fhall Biron take me for Rofaline,-
And change you favours too; fo fhall
your loves
Woo contrary, deceiv'd by these removes.
Rof. Come on then; wear the favours moft in fight.
Cath. 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 feveral counfels they unbofom shall
To loves miftook; and fo be mock'd withal,
Upon the next occafion that we meet,
With vifages difplay'd, to talk, and greet.
Rof. But fhall we dance, if they defire us to't? Prin. No; to the death, we will not move a foot: Nor to their penn'd fpeech render we no grace; But, while 'tis fpoke, each turn away her ace.
Boy. Why, that contempt will kill the speaker's And quite divorce his memory from his part. [heart, Prin. Therefore I do it; and, I make no doubt, The rest will neʼer come in, if he be out.
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