= Long. He weeds the corn, and still lets grow the weeding. Biron. The spring is near, when green geese are a breeding. Dum. How follows that? Fit in his place and time. Before the birds have any cause to sing? in an abortive birth? Why should I joy A Christmas I no more desire a rose Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled shows;2 Cumb o'er the house to unlock the little gate. And, though I have for barbarism spoke more, And bide the penance of each three years' day. Biron. [Reads.] Item, That no woman shall come within a mile of my court.-Hath this been proclaim'd? Long. Four days ago. Biron. Let's see the penalty. [Reads.] On pain of losing her tongue.-Who devis'd this penalty? Long. Marry, that did I. Biron. Sweet lord, and why? Long. To fright them hence with that dread nalty. If I break faith, this word shall speak for me, I am forsworn on mere necessity. So to the laws at large I write my name: [Subscribes. And he, that breaks them in the least degree, Stands in attainder of eternal shame; Suggestions are to others, as to me; But, I believe, although I seem so loath, I am the last that will last keep his oath. But, is there no quick recreation granted? King. Ay, that there is: our court, you know, is haunted With a refined traveller of Spain; A man in all the world's new fashion planted, That hath a mint of phrases in his brain: One, whom the music of his own vain tongue Doth ravish, like enchanting harmony; A man of complements, whom right and wrong Have chose as umpire of their mutiny: This child of fancy, that Armado hight, For interim to our studies, shall relate, In high-born words, the worth of many a knight From tawny Spain, lost in the world's debate. How you delight, my lords, I know not, I; But, I protest, I love to hear him lie, And I will use him for my minstrelsy. Biron. Armado is a most illustrious wight, A man of fire-new 10 words, fashion's own knight. Long. Costard the swain, and he, shall be our sport; And, so to study, three years is but short. Enter DULL, with a Letter, and COSTARD. Dull. Which is the duke's own person? Biron. This, fellow; What would'st? Dull. I myself reprehend his own person, for I am his grace's tharborough:11 but I would see his own person in flesh and blood. Biron. This is he. pe-There's villany abroad; this letter will tell you more. Dull. Signior Arme-Arme-commends you. Biron. A dangerous law against gentility.3 [Reads.] Item, If any man be seen to talk with a woman within the term of three years, he shall endure such public shame as the rest of the court can possibly derise. This article, my liege, yourself must break; For, well you know, here comes in embassy The French king's daughter, with yourself to speak, A maid of grace, and complete majesty,About surrender-up of Aquitain To her decrepit, sick, and bed-rid father: Therefore this article is made in vain, Or vainly comes the admired princess hither. King. What say you, lords ? why, this was quito forgot. Biron. So study evermore is overshot; While it doth study to have what it would, It doth forget to do the thing it should: And when it hath the thing it hunteth most, 'Tis won, as towns with fire; so won, so lost. King. We must, of force, dispense with this de cree; She must lie here on mere necessity. Biron. Necessity will make us all forsworn Three thousand times within this three years' space: For every man with his affects is born; Not by might master'd, but by special grace: I i. e. nipping, ? By these shows the poet means May-games, at which a snow would be very unwelcome and unexpected. It is only a periphrasis for May. 3 The word gentility here does not signify that rank of people called gentry; but what the French express by gentilesse, i. e. elegantia, urbanitas. 4 That is, reside here. So in Sir Henry Wotton's equivocal definition: 'An ambassador is an honest man sent to lie (i. e. reside) abroad for the good of his coun me. Cost. Sir, the contempts thereof are as touching King. A letter from the magnificent Armado. Biron. How low soever the matter, I hope in God for high words. Long. A high hope for a low having: God grant us patience! Biron. To hear? or forbear hearing ?12 Long. To hear meekly, sir, and to laugh moderately; or to forbear both. Biron. Well, sir, be it as the style' shall give us cause to climb in the merriness. Cost. The matter is to me, sir, as concerning Ja quenetta. The manner of it is, I was taken with the manner.14 Biron. In what manner? Cost. In manner and form following, sir; all those three: I was seen with her in the manor house, sitting with her upon the form, and taken following her into the park; which, put together, is, in manner and form following. Now, sir, for the manner,—it is the manner of a man to speak to a woman: for the form,-in some form. Biron. For the following, sir? Cost. As it shall follow in my correction; And King. Will you hear this letter with attention? 8 i. e. who is called Armado. 9 I will make use of him instead of a minstrel, whose occupation was to relate fabulous stories. 10 i. e. new from the forge; we have still retained a similar mode of speech in the colloquial phrase brandnew. 11 i. e. third-borough, a peace-officer. 12 To hear? or forbear laughing? is possibly the truc reading. 13 A quibble is here intended between a stile and style. 14 That is, in the fact. A thief is said to be taken with the manner (muinour) when he is taken with the thing stolen about him. The thing stolen was called muinour, maniner, of meinour, from the French manier, manu tractare. Cost. Such is the simplicity of man to hearken after the flesh. King. [Reads.] Great deputy, the welkin's vicegerent, and sole dominator of Navarre, my soul's earth's God, and body's fostering patron.Cost. Not a word of Costard yet. King. So it 18, Cost. If it were, I deny her virginity; I was taken with a maid. King. This maid will not serve your turn, sir. Cost. It may be so: but if he say it is so, he is, porridge. in telling true, but so, so. King. Peace. King. And Don Armado shall be your keeper. -My lord Biron, see him deliver'd o'er. Cost. -be to me, and every man that dares not And go we, lords, to put in practice that fight! King. No words. Cost. of other men's secrets, I beseech you. King. So it is, besieged with sable-coloured melancholy, I did commend the black-oppressing humour to the most wholesome physick of thy health-giving air; and, as I am a gentleman, betook myself to walk. The time when? About the sixth hour; when beasts most graze, birds best peck, and men sit down to that nourishment which is called supper. So much for the time when: Now for the ground which; which, I mean, I walked upon: it is yeleped thy park. Then for the place where; where, I mean, I did encounter that obscene and most preposterous event, that draweth from my snow-white pen the ebon-coloured ink, which here thou viewest, beholdest, surveyest, or seest: But to the place where,-It standeth north-north-east and by east from the west corner of thy curious-knotted garden. There did I see that low-spirited swain, that base minnow of thy mirth,2 Cost. Me. King-that unletter'd small-knowing soul, Cost. Me. King-that shallow vassal, Cost. Still me. King-which, as I remember, hight Costard, King-sorted and consorted, contrary to thy established proclaimed edict and continent canon, withwith,-O with-but with this I passion to say where with, Cost. With a wench. King-with a child of our grandmother Eve, a female; or, for thy more sweet understanding, a woman. Him I (as my ever-esteemed duty pricks me on) have sent to thee, to receive the meed of punishment, by thy sweet grace's officer, Antony Dull; a man of good repute, carriage, bearing, and estimation. Dull. Me, an't shall please you; I am Antony Dull. King.-For Jaquenetta, (so is the weaker vessel called, which I apprehended with the aforesaid swain,) I keep her as a vessel of thy law's fury; and shall, at the least of thy sweet notice, bring her to trial. Thine, in all compliments of devoted and heart-burning heat of duty. DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO. Biron. This is not so well as I looked for, but the best that ever I heard. Which each to other hath so strongly sworn. [Exeunt King, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAIN, Biron. I'll lay my head to any good man's hat, These oaths and laws will prove an idle scorn.Sirrah, come on. Cost. I suffer for the truth, sir: for true it is, I was taken with Jaquenetta, and Jaquenetta is a true girl; and therefore, Welcome the sour cup of pros perity! Affliction may one day smile again, and till then, Sit thec down, sorrow! [Exeunt. SCENE II. Another part of the same. Armado's House. Enter ARMADO and MOTн. Arm. Boy, what sign is it, when a man of great spirit grows melancholy? Moth. A great sign, sir, that he will look sad. Arm. Why, sadness is one and the self-same thing, dear imp.3 Moth. No, no; O lord, sir, no. Arm. How canst thou part sadness and melancholy, my tender juvenal ?4 Moth. By a familiar demonstration of the working, my tough senior. Arm. Why tough senior? why tough senior? Moth. Why, tender juvenal? why tender juvenal? Arm. I spoke it, tender juvenal, as a congruent epitheton, appertaining to thy young days, which we may nominate tender. Moth. And I, tough senior, as an appertinent title to your old time, which we may name tough. Arm. Pretty, and apt. Moth. How mean you, sir? I pretty, and my saying apt? or I apt, and my saying pretty? Arm. Thou pretty, because little. Moth. Little pretty, because little: Wherefore apt? Arm. And therefore apt, because quick. Moth. I will praise an eel with the same praise. Arm. I do say, thou art quick in answers: Moth. I am answered, sir. Arm. I love not to be crossed. Moth. He speaks the mere contrary, crosses love not him. Arm. I have promised to study three the duke. a [Aside. years with 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 fitteth the spirit of 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. Why, sir, is this such a piece of study? Now here is 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 you. Arm. A most fine figure! Moth. To prove you a cypher. [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 out-swear Cupid. Comfort me, boy: What great men have been in love? Moth. 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. Moth. Samson, master: he was a man of good carriage, great carriage! for he carried the towngates on his back, like a porter: and he was in love. Arm. O well-knit Samson! strong-jointed Samson! I do excel thee in my rapier, as much as thou didst me in carrying gates. I am in love too,Who was Samson's love, my dear Moth? Moth. A woman, master. Arm. Of what complexion? Moth. Of all the four, or the three, or the two; or one of the four. Arm. Tell me precisely of what complexion? too. Arm. Green, indeed, is the colour of lovers: but to have a love of that colour, methinks, Samsen had small reason for it. He, surely, affected her for her wit. Moth. It was so, sir; for she had a green wit. Arm. Define, define, well-educated infant. assist me! Arm. Sweet invocation of a child; most pretty, and pathetical! Moth. If she be made of white and red, Her faults will ne'er be known; For blushing cheeks by faults are bred, By this you shall not know; For still her cheeks possess the same, A dangerous rhyme, master, against the reason of Moth. To be whipped; and yet a better love than my master. [Aside. 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. 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'must fast three days a-week: For this damsel, I must keep her at the park; she is allowed for the day-woman." Fare you well. Arm. I do betray myself with blushing.-Maid. Jaq. Man. Arm. I will visit thee at the lodge. Jaq. That's hereby. Arm. I know where it is situate. Jaq. So I heard you say. Jaq. Fair weather after you! [Exeunt DULL and JAQUENETTA. 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. Arm. Take away this villain; shut him up. Moth. 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 seeMoth. What shall some see? Cost. Nay, nothing, master Moth, but what they look upon. It is not for prisoners to be too 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 MOTH 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 Moth. The world was very guilty of such a bal-devil: there is no evil angel but love. Yet Samlad some three ages since: but, I think, now 'tis not to be found; or, if it were, it would neither serve for the writing, nor the tune. Arm. Is there not a ballad, boy, of the King and the Beggar? son was so tempted: and he had an excellent strength: yet was Solomon so seduced; and he had a very good wit. Cupid's butt-shaft is too hard for Hercules' club, and therefore too much odds for 7 Taberna Cusearia is interpreted in the old Dictionman is therefore a dairy-womun. Johnson says day is an old word for milk. A dairy-maid is still called a dey or day in the northern parts of Scotland. This alludes to the celebrated bay horse Morocco, belonging to one Bankes, who exhibited his docile and Kazarious animal through Europe. Many of his re-aries a daye house, where cheese is made. A day wo markable pranks are mentioned by cotemporary writers, and he is alluded to by numbers besides Shakspeare. The fate of man and horse is not known with certainty, but it has been asserted that they were both bgrat at Rome, as magicians, by order of the Pope. The best account of Bankes and his horse is to be found in the notes to a French translation of Apuleius's Gold. en Ass, by Jean de Montlyard, 1602. 8 Jaquenetta and Armado are at cross-purposes. Hereby is used by her, (as among the common people of some counties,) in the sense of as it may happen. He takes it in the sense of just by. 9 This odd phrase was still in use in Fielding's time, 2 The allusion probably is to the willow, the suppo-who, putting it into the mouth of Beau Didapper, thinks sed ornament of unsuccessful lovers. 3 Of which she is naturally possessed. it necessary to apologize (in a note) for its want of sense, by adding that it was taken verbatim from very polite 10 Love. 4 See Percy's Reliques of Antient Poetry, fourth edi- conversation. ta, vol. i. p. 199. 5 Digression is here used for the act of going out of 11 A kind of arrow used for shooting at butts with. the right way, transgression. 6 Armado applies this epithet ironically to Costard. The butt was the place on which the mark to be shot at was placed. a Spaniard's rapier. The first and second cause | Most power to do most harm, least knowing ill; will not serve my turn; the passado he respects For he hath wit to make an ill shape good," 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 extemporal god of rhyme, for, I am sure, I shall turn sonneteer. Devise, wit; write, pen; for I am for whole volumes in folio. [Exit. Boyet. Now, madam, summon up your dearest spirits: Consider who the king your father sends; Of all perfections that a man may owe, Prin. Good lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean, Needs not the painted flourish of your praise; Doth noise abroad, Navarre hath made a vow, Tell him the daughter of the king of France, Boyet. Proud of employment, willingly I go. [Exit. power. And shape to win grace though he had no wit. Prin. Re-enter BOYET. Now, what admittance, lord? Boyet. Navarre had notice of your fair approach; And he, and his competitors in oath, Were all address'd to meet you, gentle lady, Before I came. Marry, thus much have I learnt, He rather means to lodge you in the field (Like one that comes here to besiege his court,) Than seek a dispensation for his oath, To let you enter his unpeopled house. Here comes Navarre. [The Ladies mask. Enter KING, LONGAVILLE, DUMAIN, BIRON, and Attendants. King. Fair princess, welcome to the court of Navarre. Prin. Fair, I give you back again: and, welcome I have not yet: the roof of this court is too high to be yours; and welcome to the wild fields too base to be mine. King. You shall be welcome, madam, to my court. Prin. I will be welcome then; conduct me thither. King. Hear me, dear lady; I have sworn an oath. Prin. Our lady help my lord! he'll be forsworn. King. Not for the world, fair madam, by my will. Prin. Why, will shall break it; will, and nothing else. Biron. questions. Biron. Your wit's too hot, it speeds too fast, 'twill tire. Ros. Not till it leave the rider in the mire. Ros. The hour that fools should ask. 5 Confederates. 6 Prepared. 7 Where is here used for whereas. Ros. Fair fall the face it covers! King. Madam, your father here doth intimate The payment of a hundred thousand crowns; : Being but the one half of an entire sum, Disbursed by my father in his wars. But say, that he, or we (as neither have,) A hundred thousand more; in surety of the which, A hundred thousand crowns; and not demands, Dear princess, were not his requests so far Pria. You do the king my father too much wrong, Prin. We arrest your word: Boyet, you can produce acquittances, come, Where that and other specialties are bound; King. It shall suffice me: at which interview, Prin. Sweet health and fair desires consort your grace! King. Thy own wish wish I thee in every place! [Exeunt King and his Train. Biron. Lady, I will commend you to my own heart. Ros. 'Pray you, do my commendations; I would be glad to see it. Biron. I would, you heard it groan. Biron, Sick at heart. Ros. Alack, let it blood. Biron. Would that do it good? To depart and to part were anciently synonymous. * This phrase appears to us unseemly to a princess, but it was a common metaphorical expression then much used. Perhaps it was no more considered offensive than I would be now to talk of the castrations of Holinshed. It was not peculiar to Shakspeare. 3 The old spelling of the affirmative particle ay is here retained for the sake of the rhyme. Boyet. I was as willing to grapple, as he was to board. Mar. Two hot sheeps, marry! Boyet. And wherefore not ships? No sheep, sweet lamb, unless we feed on your lips. Mar. You sheep, and I pasture; Shall that finish the jest? which besides its ordinary signification of separate, distinct, signified also an enclosed pasture, as opposed to an open field or common. Bacon and others used it in this sense. 6 So in Daniel's Complaint of Rosamond, 1594: Sweet silent rhetoric of persuading eyes. Dumb eloquence.' 4 Point, in French, is an adverb of negation, but, if properly spoken, is not sounded like the point of a knife. A quibble was however intended. Perhaps Shakspeare 7 Although the expression in the text is extremely as not well acquainted with the pronunciation of odd, yet the sense appears to be, that his tongue envied French. the quickness of his eyes, and strove to be as rapid in its 5 A quibble is here intended upon the word several, utterance, as they in their perception. |