Boyet. Why, all his behaviours did make their retire To the Court of his eye, peeping thorough defire: Did point out to buy them, along as you past.. I only have made a mouth of his eye,. Rof. Thou art an old love-monger, and fpeakest fkilfully. Mar. He is Cupid's grandfather, and learns news of him. Rof. Then was Venus like her mother, for her father is but grim. Boyet. Do you hear, my mad wenches? Mar. No. Boyet. What then, do you fee? His tongue all impatient to peak and not fee.] That is, his tongue being impatiently defirous. to fee as well as speak. hearing. Moth. Concolinel * [Singing. Arm. Sweet Air!-Go, tendernefs of years; take this key, give inlargement to the fwain; bring him feftinately hither: I must imploy him in a letter to my love. 9 Boyet. You are too hard for me.] Here, in all the Books, the 2d Act is made to end; but in my Opinion very mistakenly. I have ventur'd to vary the Regulation of the four laft Acts from the printed Copies, for thefe Reafons. Hitherto, the 2d Act has been of the Extent of 7 Pages; the third but of 5; and the 5th of no less than 29. And this Difproportion of Length has crouded too many Incidents into fome Acts, and left the others quite barren. I have now reduced them into a much better Equality; and diftributed the Bufinefs likewife (fuch as it is) into a more uniform Caft. THEOBALD. Mr. Theobald has reafon enough to propose this alteration, but he fhould not have made it in his book without better authority or more need. I have therefore preferved his observation, but continued the former divifion. Enter Armado and Moth.] In the folios the direction is, enter Braggart and Moth, and at the beginning of every fpeech of Armado ftands Brag. both in this and the foregoing fcene between him and his boy. The other perfonages of this play are likewife noted by their characters as often as by their names. All this confufion has been well regulated by the later Editors. Here is apparently a fong lost. Moth. Moth. Mafter, will you win your love with a French brawl? L Arm. How mean'ft thou, brawling in French? Moth. No, my compleat mafter; but to jig off a tune at the tongue's end, canary to it with your feet', humour it with turning up your eyelids; figh a note and fing a note; fometimes through the throat, as if you swallow'd love with finging love; fometimes through the nofe, as if you fnufft up love by fmelling love; with your hat penthoufe-like, o'er the fhop of your eyes; with your arms croft on your thin-belly doublet, like a rabbit on a fpit; or your hands in your pocket, like a man after the old painting; and keep not too long in one tune, but a ship and away: thefe are compliments, these are humours; thefe betray nice wenches that would be betray'd without thefe, and make the men of note 3: do you note men, that are most affected to these? Arm. How haft thou purchas'd this experience? Arm. But O, but O Moth. The hobby-horfe is forgot *. Canary was the name of a fpritely nimble dance. THEOв. Dr. Warburton has here changed compliments to 'complishments for accomplishments, but unneceffarily. 3 The former Editors: these betray nice Wenches, that would be betray'd without thefe, and make them Men of Note. But who will ever be lieve," that the odd Attitudes and Affectations of Lovers, by which they betray young Wenches, fhould have power to make thofe young Wenches Men of Note? His Meaning is, that they not Arm. Call'st thou my love hobby-horse? Moth. No, mafter; the hobby-hørfe is but a colt *, and you love, perhaps, a hackney: but have you for got your love? Armt. Almoft I had. ( Math. Negligent ftudent, learn her by heart. * A Moth. And out of heart, mafter: all thofe three I will prove. Arm. What wilt thou prove? Moth. A man, if I live: And this by, in, and out of, upon the instant: by heart you love her, because your heart cannot come by her: in heart you love her, because your heart is in love with her; and out of heart you love her, being out of heart that you cannot enjoy her. Arm. I am all these three. Moth. And three times as much more; and yet nothing at all. Arm. Fetch hither the fwain, he must carry me a letter. Moth. A meffage well fympathis'd; a horfe to be embaffador for an afs. Arm. Ha, ha; what fay't thou? Moth. Marry, Sir, you must fend the afs upon the horfe, for he is very flow-gated: but I go. Arm. The way is but fhort; away. Moth. As fwift as lead, Sir. Arm. Thy meaning, pretty ingenious? Is not lead a metal heavy, dull and flow? rites were look'd upon to favour of paganifm; and then maid Marian, the fryar, and the poor Hobby horfe, were turn'd out of the games. Some who were not fo wifely precife, but regretted the difufe of the Hobby-horfe, no doubt, fatiriz'd this fufpicion of idolatry, and archly wrote the Epitaph above alluded to. Now Moth, hearing Armado groan ridiculously, and cry out, But oh! but oh! humourously pieces out his exclamation with the fequel of this epitaph. THEOBALD. *Colt is a hot mad-brained unbroken young fellow, or fometimes an old fellow with youthful defires. Moth. Moth. Minimè, honest master: or rather, master, no. Moth. You are too fwift, Sir, to fay for groov Is that lead flow, Sir, which is fir'd from a gundah Arm. Sweet fmoak of rhetorick! He reputes me a cannon; and the bullet, that's hei Moth. Thump then, and I fly. [Exit. Arm. A moft acute Juvenile, voluble and free of grace; By thy favour, fweet welkin, I must figh in thy face. I Most rude melancholy, valour gives thee place My herald is return'd. oy Moth. A wonder, master, here's a Costard broken in a fhin. Arm. Some enigma, fome riddle; come,thy Pen-!.. voy-begin. Coft. No egma, no riddle, no l'envoy; no falve in the male, Sir. O Sir, plantan, a plain plantan; no l'envoy, no l'envoy, or falve, Sir, but plantan. |