Dul. And I say the polusion holds in the Exchange: for the Moone is never but a month old: and I say beside that, 'twas a Pricket that the Princesse kill'd.

Hol. Sir Nathaniel, will you heare an extemporall Epytaph on the death of the Deare, and to humour the ignorant call'd the Deare, the Princesse kill'd a Pricket.

61

Nath. Perge, good M. Holofernes, perge, so it shall please you to abrogate scurilitie.

Hol I will something affect the letter, for it facilitie.

The prayfull Princesse pearst and prickt

a prettie pleasing Pricket,

argues

Some say a Sore,1 but not a sore, 14-year deer till now made sore with shooting.

The Dogges did yell, put ell to Sore,

70

then Sorell jumps from thicket: 23-year deer Or Pricket-sore, or else Sorell,

the people fall a booting.

If Sore be sore, then ell to Sore,
makes fiftie sores O sorell:
Of one sore I an hundred make
by adding but one more L.

Nath. A rare talent.

Dul. [Aside] If a talent be a claw, looke how he clawes him with a talent.

80

Nath. [Hol.] This is a gift that I have simple: simple, a foolish extravagant spirit, full of formes, figures, shapes, ob- jects, Ideas, apprehensions, motions, revolutions. These are begot in the ventricle of memorie,

60. call'd the Deare: call I the deer-CAMBRIDGE. 66-77. 6 rhymed 11.-RowE.

75. 0: one-Cambridge.

nourisht in the

the mellowing in whom it is

wombe of primater, and delivered upon of occasion: but the gift is good in those acute, and I am thankfull for it.

Hol. [Nath.] Sir, I praise the Lord for you, and so may my parishioners, for their Sonnes are well tutor'd and their Daughters profit very greatly under

by you, you: you

are a good member of the common-wealth. Nath. Hol.] Me bercle, Iftheir Sonnes be ingennous, they shall want no instruction: If their Daughters be capable, I will put it to them. But Vir sapis qui pauca loquitur, a soule Feminine saluteth us.

Enter Jaquenetta and the Clowne.

95

Jaqu. God give you good morrow M. Person. Nath. [Hol.] Master Person, quasi Person? And if one should be perst, Which is the one? 1

Clo. Marry M. Schoolemaster, hee that is likest to a hogshead.

ΙΟΙ

Nath. [Hol.] Of persing a Hogshead, a good luster of con- ceit in a turph of Earth, Fire enough for a Flint, Pearle enough for a Swine: 'tis prettie, it is well.

Jaqu. Good Master Parson be so good as reade mee this Letter, it was given mee by Costard, and sent mee from Don Armatho: I beseech you reade it. 107

Nath. [Hol.] Facile precor gellida, quando pecas omnia sub um- | bra ruminat, and so forth. Ah good old

85. primater: pia mater-Rowe.

92. ingennous: ingenious-CAPELL.

94. sapis: sapit-2Q.2-4F.

98. Person.. Person: Parson.. person-2F. and: an-HALLIWELL. 99. perst: pierced-CAMBRIDGE.

102. Of persing: Piercing-CAMbridge.

pecas omnia: Fauste

...

pecus omne-2-4F.

Mantuan, I may speake of thee as the traveiler doth of Venice, vem- | chie, vencha, que non te unde, que non te perreche. Old Man- | tuam, old Mantuan. Who understandeth thee not, ut re | sol la mi fa: Under pardon sir, What are the contents? or rather as Horrace sayes in his, What my soule verses. 114

Hol. [Nath.] I sir, and very learned.
Nath. [Hol.] Let me heare a staffe, a stanze, a verse,
Lege do- mine.

[Nath. reads] If Love make me forsworne, how shall I sweare to love? |

Ah never faith could hold, if not to beautie vowed. Though to my selfe forsworn, to thee Ile faithfull prove. Those thoughts to mee were Okes, to thee like Osiers bowed.

122

Studie his byas leaves, and makes his booke thine eyes. Where all those pleasures live, that Art would comprehend.

If knowledge be the marke, to know thee shall suffice. Well learned is that tongue, that well can thee commend. I

All ignorant that soule, that sees thee without wonder. Which is to me some praise, that I thy parts admire; Thy eye Joves lightning beares, thy voyce his dreadfull thunder.

131

Which not to anger bent, is musique, and sweet fire.
Celestiall as thou art, Oh pardon love this wrong,
That sings heavens praise, with such an earthly tongue.
Ped. You finde not the apostraphas, and so misse the
Let me supervise the cangenet.

accent.

110-1. vemchie ... te perreche: Venetia, Venetia, Chi non ti vede non ti pretia-THEOBALD, CAPELL, CAMBRIDGE.

112. not, ut: not, loves thee not. Ut-1Q.

136. cangenet: canzonet-THEOBALD.

Nath. Here are onely numbers ratified, but for the elegancy, facility, & golden cadence of poesie caret: 0viddius Naso was the man. And why in deed Naso, but for smelling out the odoriferous flowers of fancy? the jerkes of invention imitarie is nothing: So doth the Hound his master, the Ape his keeper, the tyred Horse his rider: But Damosella virgin, Was this directed to you? 144

Jaq. I sir from one mounsier Berowne, one of the strange Queenes Lords.

Nath. [Hol.] I will overglance the superscript. To the snow-white hand of the most beautious Lady Rosaline. I will looke againe on the intellect of the Letter, for the nomination of the partie written to the person written unto.

Your Ladiships in all desired imployment, Berowne.

151

Per. Sir Holofernes, this Berowne is one of the Votaries with the King, and here he hath framed a Letter to a sequent of the stranger Queenes: which accidentally, or by the way of progression, hath miscarried. Trip and goe my sweete, deliver this Paper into the hand of the King, it may concerne much: stay not thy complement, I forgive thy duetie, adue.

Maid. Good Costard go with me: Sir God save your

life.

Cost. Have with thee my girle.

160

Exit.

Hol. [Nath.] Sir you have done this in the feare of God very religiously: and as a certaine Father saith Ped. Sir tell not me of the Father, I do feare coloura

137. Nath. out-THEOBALD.

141. invention imitarie: invention? Imitari-THEOBALD.

150. written: writing-RowE.

153. Per. out. Sir Holofernes: Sir Nathaniel-Capell. 157. band: royal hand-IQ.

160-1. I I 1.-12.

ble colours. But to returne to the Verses, Did they please you sir Nathaniel?

Nath. Marveilous well for the pen.

168

Peda. I do dine to day at the fathers of a certaine Pupill of mine, where if (being repast) it shall please you to gratifie the table with a Grace, I will on my priviledge I have with the parents of the foresaid Chide or Pupill, undertake your bien vonuto, where I will prove those Verses to be very unlearned, neither savouring of Poetrie, Wit, nor Invention. I beseech your So

cietie.

Nat. And thanke you to: for societie (saith the text) is the happinesse of life.

Peda. And certes the text most infallibly concludes it. [To Dull] Sir I do invite you too, you shall not say me nay: pauca verba.

181

Away, the gentles are at their game, and we will to our recreation.

Exeunt.

[Scene iii. The same.]

Enter Berowne with a Paper in his hand, alone. Bero. The King he is hunting the Deare, I am coursing my selfe.

They have pitcht a Toyle, I am toyling in a pytch, pitch that defiles; defile, a foule word: Well, set thee downe sorrow; for so they say the foole said, and so say I, and I the foole: Well proved wit. By the Lord this Love is as mad as Ajax, it kils sheepe, it kils mee, I a sheepe: Well proved againe a my side. I will not love; if I do hang me: yfaith I will not. O but her eye: by

170. being repast: before repast-IQ. 173. bien vonuto: ben venuto-2ROWE.

9. a: o'-CAPell.