shoulder, and with his royal finger thus dally with my excrement, with my mustachio; 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 soldier, a man of travel, that hath seen the world ; but let that pass—the very all of all is--but sweet heart, I do implore secrecy--that the King would have me present 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 such eruptions, and sudden breaking out of mirth, (as it were) I have acquainted you withal, to the end to crave your asfiftance.

Hol. Sir, you shall present before her the nine worthies. Sir, as concerning some entertainment of time, fome show in the posterior of this day, to be rendered by our affiftants at the King's command, and this moft gallant, illustrate and learned gentleman, before the Princess : I say, none so fit as to present the nine worthies.

Nath. Where will you find men worthy enough to present them

Hol. Yoshua, yourself; this gallant man, Judas Macabeus ; this swain (because of his great limb or joint) Mall pass Pompey the great; and the page, Hercules.

Aim. Pardon, Sir, error: he is not quantity enough for that worthy's thumb; he is not so big as the end of his club,

Hol. Shall I have audience ? he shall present Hercules in minority: his Enter and Exit thall be ftrangling a snake; and I will have an apology for that purpose.

Moth. An excellent device: for if any of the audience hiss, you may cry; “ well done, Hercules, now thou “ crustieft the snake;" that is the way to make an offence gracious, tho’ few have the grace to do it.

Arm. For the rest of the worthies.
Hol. I will play three myself.
Moth. Thrice-worthy gentleman !
Arm. Shall I tell you a thing?

Hal

Hol. We attend.

Arm. We will have, if this fadge not, an antick. E beseech you, follow. .

Hel. Via! good-man Dull, thou haft spoken no word all this while.

Dull. Nor understood none neither, Sir.
Hol. Allons; we will employ thee.

Dull. I'll make one in a dance, or so: or I will play on the taber to the worthies, and let them dance the hay. Hel. Moft dull, honest, Dull, to our fport away.

Exeunt.

SCEN E, before the Princess's Pavilion.

Enter Princess, and Ladies.
Prin. Weet 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.

Roja. Madam, came nothing else along with that?

Prin. Nothing but this yes, as much love in rhime, (39) As would be cram'd up in a sheet of paper, Writ on both sides the leaf, margent and all ; That he was fain to seal on Cupid's name.

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

Cath. Ay, and a shrewd unhappy gallows too.
Rofa. You'll ne'er be friends with him; he kill'd your

filer.
Carb. He made her melancholy, sad and heavy,
And so the died; had the been light, like you,
Of such a merry, nimble, stirring spirit,
(39)

as much love in rbime,
As would be cram'd up in a sheet of paper,

· Writ on both sid.s tbe leaf, margent and all.) I dare not affirm this to be an imitation, but it carries a mighty reSemblance of this passage in the beginning of Juvenal's first satire.

fummi plenâ jam margine libri Scriptus, & in tergo, nec dum finitus Orestes

She

Śhe might have been a grandam ere the dy'd.
And so may you ; for a light heart lives long:
Rosa. What's your dark meaning, mouse, of this light

word ? Cath. A light condition, in a beauty dark. Rofa. We need more light to find your meaning out.

Cath. You'll marr the light, by taking it in fnuff: Therefore I'll darkly end the argument.

Rofa. Look, what you do; and do it still i'th' dark.
Cath. So do not you, for you are a light wench.
Rosa. Indeed, I weigh not you; and therefore light.
Cath. You weigh me not; O, that's, you care not for me.
Rofa. Great reason; for past cure is still part care. (40)

Prin. Well bandied both; a set of wit well play'd.
But, Rosaline, you have a favour too:
Who sent it? and what is it?

Rofa. I would, you knew.
And if my face were but as fair as yours,
My favour were as great ; be witness this.
Nay, I have verses too, I thank Biron.
The numbers true; and were the numbring too,
I were the fairest goddefs on the ground.
I am compard to twenty thousand fairs.
O, he hath drawn my picture in his letter,

Prin. Any thing like ?
Rosa. 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.

Rofa. Ware pencils. How? let me not die your debtor,
My red dominical, my golden letter.
O, that your face were not so full of oes!
Cath. Pox of that jest, and I belhrew all fhrews: (41)

Prin. (4) --- for pasi care is fill past cure. 1 The transposition which I bave made in the two words, care and cure, is by the direction of the ingenious Dr. Thirlby. The reason speaks for vi self.

(41) Prin. Pox of that jest, and I beforew all shrews. As the Princess has behav'd with great decency all along hitherto, there is no reason to be assign'd why she should start all at once into this course dialect. But I am persuaded, the editors only have inade her go out of character. In short, Rosaline and Caibarine are rallying one

anathez

Prin. But what was sent to you from fair Dumaine
Cath. Madam, this glove.
Prin. Did he not send you'twain ?

Cath. Yes, madam ; and moreover,
Some thousand verses of a faithful lover,
A huge translation of hypocrisy,
Vildly compild, profound fimplicity,

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 for’t. Rofa. They are worse fools to purchase mocking so. That fame Biron I'll torture, ere

I

go.
0, that I knew he were but in by th' 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 rhimes,
And shape his service all to my behests,
And make him proud to make me proud with jefts :
So pedant-like would I o'ersway his state, (42)
That he should be my fool, and I his fate.

Prin. Nonę are so surely 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.

Rosa. The blood of youth burns not in such excess,
As gravities revolt to wantonness.
another without reserve; and to Catharine this first line certainly be.
deng’d, and therefore I have ventur'd once more to put her in poffeffion
of it.

(42) So pertaunt like would I o’ersway bis fiare.] If the editors are acquainted with this word, and can account for the meaning of it, their industry has been more successful than mine, for I can no where trace it. So pedant like, as I have ventur'd to replace in the text, makes very good sense, i. e, in such lo:diy, controlling, manner would I bear myself over him, &c. What Biron says of a pedant, towards the conclufion of the 2d Act, countenances this conjecture.

A domineering pedant o'er the bay,
Iban whom no mortal more magnificent.

Mar.

1

Mar. "Folly in fools bears not so strong a note,
As fool'ry in the wise, when wit doth dote :
Since all the power thereof it doth apply,
To prove, by wit, worth in fimplicity.

Enter Boyet.
Prin. Here comes Boyet, and mirth is in his face.
Boyet. O, I am ftab'd with laughter; where's her Graca?
Prin. Thy news, Boyet ?

Boyet. Prepare, inadam, prepare.
Arm, wenches, arm ? encounters mounted are
Against your peace; love doth approach disguis'd,
Armed in arguments ; you'll be surpriz'u.
Mufter your wits, itand in your own defence,
Or hide

your heads like cowards, and Hy hence.
Prin. Saint Dennis, to faint Cupid! what are they,
That charge their breath againit us? fay, scout, say.

Bryet. Under the cool thade of a sycamore,
I thought to close mine eyes some half an hour;
When, lo! to interrupt my purpos'd rett,
Toward that made, I might behold, addrest
The King and his companions; warily
I ftole into a neighbour thicket by ;
And over-heard, what you shall over-hear:
That, by and by, disguis'd they will be here.
Their herald is a pretty knavilh page,
That well by heart hath conn'd his embaffage.
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 reply'd, an angel is not evil;
I should have fear’d her, had she been a devil.
With that all laugh'd, and clap'd him on the fhoulder,
Making the bold wag by their praises bolder.
One rubb'd his elbow thus, and feer'd, aná swore,
A better speech was never spoke before.
Another with his finger and his thumb,
3

Cry'd,