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MоTн. He speaks the mere contrary, crosses love not him.

[Aside.

ARM. I have promised to study three years with the duke,
MOTH. You may do it in an hour, sir.

ARM. Impossible.

MOTH. How many is one thrice told?

ARM. I am ill at reckoning; it fits the spirit of a tapster.

MOTH. You are a gentleman, and a gamester, sir.

ARM. I confess both; they are both the varnish of a complete man.

MOTH. Then, I am sure, you know how much the gross sum of deuce-ace

amounts to.

ARM. It doth amount to one more than two.

MOTH. Which the base vulgar call, three.

ARM. True.

MOTH. Why, sir, is this such a piece of study? Now here's three studied, ere you'll thrice wink: and how easy it is to put years to the word three, and study three years in two words, the dancing horse will tell you3. ARM. A most fine figure!

MOTH. To prove you a cipher.

[Aside.

ARM. I will hereupon confess, I am in love: and, as it is base for a soldier to love, so am I in love with a base wench. If drawing my sword against the humour of affection would deliver me from the reprobate thought of it, I would take Desire prisoner, and ransom him to any French courtier for a new devised courtesy. I think scorn to sigh; methinks, I should outswear Cupid. Comfort me, boy: What great men have been in love?

MоTH. Hercules, master.

ARM. Most Sweet Hercules!-More authority, dear boy, name more; and, sweet my child, let them be men of good repute and carriage.

MоTH. Sampson, master; he was a man of good carriage, great carriage; for he carried the town-gates on his back, like a porter: and he was in love.

ARM. O well-knit Sampson! strong-jointed Sampson! I do excel thee in my rapier, as much as thou didst me in carrying gates. I am in love, too—Who was Sampson's love, my dear Moth.

MOTH. A woman, master.

ARM. Of what complexion?

MOTн. Of all the four, or the three, or the two; or one of the four.

ARM. Tell me precisely of what complexion?

MOTH. Of the sea-water green, sir.

ARM. Is that one of the four complexions?

MOTH. As I have read, sir: and the best of them too.

ARM. Green, indeed, is the colour of lovers; but to have a love of that colour, methinks, Sampson had small reason for it. He, surely, affected her for

her wit.

• Crosses. A cross is a coin. Moth thinks his master has the poverty as well as pride of a Spaniard.

MOTH. It was so, sir; for she had a green wit.

ARM. My love is most immaculate white and red.

MOTH. Most maculate a thoughts, master, are masked under such colours.

ARM. Define, define, well-educated infant.

MOTH. My father's wit, and my mother's tongue, assist me.

ARM. Sweet invocation of a child; most pretty, and pathetical!
MоTH. If she be made of white and red,

Her faults will ne'er be known;

For blushing cheeks by faults are bred,
And fears by pale-white shown:

Then, if she fear, or be to blame,

By this you shall not know;

For still her cheeks possess the same,
Which native she doth oweb.

A dangerous rhyme, master, against the reason of white and red.
ARM. Is there not a ballad, boy, of the King and the Beggar?

MOTH. The world was very guilty of such a ballad some three ages since: but,

I think, now 't is not to be found; or, if it were, it would neither serve for the writing, nor the tune.

ARM. I will have that subject newly writ o'er, that I may example my digression by some mighty precedent. Boy, I do love that country girl that I took in the park with the rational hind Costard; she deserves well.

MOTH. To be whipped; and yet a better love than my master.

ARM. Sing, boy; my spirit grows heavy in love.

MOTH. And that's great marvel, loving a light wench.

ARM. I say, sing.

MOTH. Forbear till this company be past.

Enter DULL, COSTARD, and Jaquenetta.

[Aside.

DULL. Sir, the duke's pleasure is that you keep Costard safe: and you must let him take no delight, nor no penance; but a'c must fast three days a week. For this damsel, I must keep her at the park; she is allowed for the daywoman". Fare you well.

ARM. I do betray myself with blushing.—Maid.

JAQ. Man.

ARM. I will visit thee at the lodge.

⚫ So the quarto of 1598. The folio immaculate. To maculate is to stain-maculate thoughts

are impure thoughts. Thus in 'The Two Noble Kinsmen' of Beaumont and Fletcher,

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JAQ. That's hereby.

ARM. I know where it is situate.

JAQ. Lord, how wise you are!

ARM. I will tell thee wonders.

JAQ. With that faceb?

ARM. I love thee.

JAQ. So I heard you say.

ARM. And so farewell.

JAQ. Fair weather after you!

DULL. Come, Jaquenetta, away.

[Exeunt DULL and JAQ.

ARM. Villain, thou shalt fast for thy offences ere thou be pardoned.

COST. Well, sir, I hope, when I do it, I shall do it on a full stomach.

ARM. Thou shalt be heavily punished.

COST. I am more bound to you than your fellows, for they are but lightly rewarded.

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MоTH. Come, you transgressing slave; away.

COST. Let me not be pent up, sir; I will fast, being loose.

MOTH. No, sir; that were fast and loose: thou shalt to prison.

COST. Well, if ever I do see the merry days of desolation that I have seen, some shall see

MOTH. What shall some see?

COST. Nay, nothing, master Moth, but what they look upon. It is not for prisoners to be silent in their words; and, therefore, I will say nothing: I thank God, I have as little patience as another man; and, therefore, I can be quiet. [Exeunt MоTH and CoSTARD. ARM. I do affect the very ground, which is base, where her shoe, which is baser, guided by her foot, which is basest, doth tread. I shall be forsworn (which is a great argument of falsehood) if I love: And how can that be true love, which is falsely attempted? Love is a familiar; love is a devil: there is no evil angel but love. Yet Sampson was so tempted; and he had an excellent strength: yet was Solomon so seduced; and he had a very good wit. Cupid's buttshaft is too hard for Hercules' club, and therefore too much odds for a Spaniard's rapier. The first and second cause will not serve my turn; the passado he respects not, the duello he regards not: his disgrace is to be called boy; but his glory is to subdue men. Adieu, valour! rust, rapier! be still, drum! for your manager is in love; yea, he loveth. Assist me some

a

Hereby—a provincial expression for as it may happen. Armado takes it as hard by.

The folio has "With what face?" The phrase of the quarto, "with that face," was a vulgar idiomatic expression in the time of Fielding, who says he took it, "verbatim, from very polite conversation."

• Silent. So the folio. The quarto has too silent. The antithesis of Costards nonsense is somewhat spoiled by the too.

To affect is to incline towards, and thence, metaphorically, to love.

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First and second cause. See Illustrations to 'Romeo and Juliet,' Act II., Scene 4.

extemporal god of rhyme, for, I am sure, I shall turn sonneta. Devise, wit; write, pen; for, I am for whole volumes in folio.

[Exit.

Sonnet. All the old copies have sonnet. Hanmer "emended" it into sonneteer, which is the received reading. To "turn sonneteer" is not in keeping with Armado's style-as "adieu, valour -rust, rapier;"-and afterwards "devise, wit-write, pen." He says, in the same phraseology, he will "turn sonnet;" as at the present day we say, "he can turn a tune." Ben Jonson, it will be remembered, speaks of Shakspere's "well-torned and true-filed lines."

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SCENE I.-Another part of the Park. A Pavilion and Tents at a distance.

Enter the PRINCESS OF FRANCE, ROSALINE, MARIA, KATHARINE, BOYET, Lords, and other Attendants.

BOYET. Now, madam, summon up your dearest a spirits;

Consider who the king your father sends;

To whom he sends; and what's his embassy:
Yourself, held precious in the world's esteem,
To parley with the sole inheritor

Of all perfections that a man may owe,

Matchless Navarre: the plea of no less weight
Than Aquitain; a dowry for a queen.

Be now as prodigal of all dear grace,

As Nature was in making graces dear,

When she did starve the general world beside,
And prodigally gave them all to you.

Dearest-best.

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