vaffal. The magnanimous and moft illuftrate King Cophetua fet eye upon the pernicious and indubitate beggar Zenelo phen; and be it was that might rightly fay, Veni, vidi, vici; which to anatomize in the vulgar, (0 bafe and obfcure vulgar!) videlicet, He came, faw, and overcame; he came, one; faw, two; overcame, three. Who came? the King. Why did he come? to fee. Why did he fee! to overcome. To whom came be? to the beggar. What faw he? the beggar. Who overcame he? the beggar. The conclufion is villory; on whofe fide? the King's; the captive is enrich'd: on whofe fide? the beggar's. The cataflrophe is a nuptial: on whofe fide? the King's: no, on both in one, or one in both. I am the King, (for fo ftands the comparifon;) thou the beggar, for fo witnesseth thy lowliness. Shall I command thy love? I may. Shall I inforce thy love? I could. Shall I intreat thy love? I will. fhalt thou exchange for rags? robes; for tittles? titles: for thyself? me. Thus expecting thy reply, I profane my lips on thy foot, my eyes on thy picture, and my heart on thy every part. What Thine in the deareft defign of industry, Thus doft thou hear the Nemean lion roar And he from forage will incline to play. But if thou ftrive, (poor foul,) what art thou then? Prin. What plume of feathers is he that indited this What vane? what weathercock? did you ever hear better? Boyet. I am much deceived, but I remember the ftyle. Prin. Elfe your memory is bad, going o'er it ere while. Boyet. This Armado is a Spaniard that keeps here in court, A phantafm, a monarcho, and one that makes fport Prin. Thou, fellow, a word: Who gave thee this letter? Coft. Coft. I told you; my Lord. Prin. To whom should'st thou give it? Prin. From which Lord to which Lady? Coft. From my Lord Biron, a good mafter of mine, To a Lady of France, that he call'd Rofaline. Prin. Thou haft mistaken his letter. Come, Lords, away. Here, fweet, put up this; 'twill be thine another day *. [Exit Princefs attended. P SCENE VOL. II. another day. Boyet. Who is the fhooter? who is the shooter? Rof. Shall I teach you to know? Boyet Ay, my continent of beauty. Rof. Why, the that bears the bow. Finely put off. Boyet. My Lady goes to kill horns: but if thou marry, Hang me by the neck, if horns that year miscarry. Finely put on. Rof. Well then, I am the fhooter. Boyet. And who is your deer? Rof. If we chufe by horns, yourself; come not near. Finely put on, indeed. Mar. You ftill wrangle with her, Boyet, and she strikes at the brow. Boyet. But the herself is hit lower. Have I hit her now? Rof. Shall I come upon thee with an old saying, that was a man when King Pippen of France was a little boy, as touching the hit it? Boyet. So I may answer thee with one as old, that was a woman when Queen Guinover of Britain was a little wench, as touching the hit it. Rof. Thou can't not hit it, hit it, hit it; Thou can't not hit it, my good man. Boyet. An I cannot, cannot, cannot ; An I cannot, another can. Coft By my troth, most pleasant; how both did fit it. [Singing. [Exit Rof. Mar. A mark marvellous well fhot; for they both did hit it. Boyet. A mark? O, mark but that mark! a mark, fays my Lady; Let the mark have a prick in't; to mete at, if it may be. Mar. Wide o' th' bow-hand; i' faith, your hand is out. Coft. Indeed, a'must shoot nearer, or he'll ne'er hit the clout. Boyet. An if my hand be out, then, belike, your hand is in. Coft. Then will she get the upshot by cleaving the pin. Mar. Come, come, you talk greafily; your lips grow foul. Coft. She's too hard for you at pricks, Sir, challenge her to bowl. Boyet. I fear too much rubbing; good night, my good owl. [Exeunt all but Costard. SCENE II. Enter Dull, Holofernes, and Sir Nathaniel. Nath. Very reverend fport, truly; and done in the teftimony of a good confcience. Hol. The deer was (as you know) fanguis, in blood, ripe as a pomewater, who now hangeth like a jewel in the ear of calo, the sky, the welkin, the heav'n; and anon falleth like a crab on the face of terra, the foil, the land, the earth. Nath. Truly, Mafter Holofernes, the epithets are fweetly varied, like a scholar at the leaft. But, Sir, I affure ye, it was a buck of the firft head. Hol. Sir Nathaniel, haud credo. Dull. 'Twas not a haud credo; 'twas a pricket. Hol. Most barbarous intimation; yet a kind of infinuation, as it were in via, in way of explication; facere, as it were, replication: or rather, oftentare, to show, as it were, his inclination; after his undreffed, unpolished, uneducated, unpruned, untrained, or rather unlettered, or rathereft unconfirmed fashion, to infert again my haud credo for a deer. Dull. I faid, the deer was not a haud credo; 'twas a pricket. Hol. Twice fod fimplicity, bis cocus; O thou monfter Ignorance, how deformed doft thou look? Nath. Sir, he hath never fed on the dainties that are bred in a book. He hath not eat paper, as it were; he hath not drunk ink. His intellect is not replenished. He is only an animal, only fenfible in the duller parts; and fuch barren plants are fet before us, that we thank Coft. By my foul, a fwain; a moft fimple clown! When it comes fo fmoothly off, fo obfcenely; as it were, fo fit, To fee him walk before a lady, and to bear her fan. To fee him kifs his hand, and how moft fweetly he will fwear; ful [Exit Coftard. [Shooting within. ful fhould be for those parts (which we, tafte and feel ingradare) that do fructify in us, more than he. For as it would ill become me to be vain, indiscreet, or a fool; So were there a patch fet on learning, to fee him in a fchool. But omne bene, fay I; being of an old father's mind, What was a month old at Cain's birth, that's not five weeks old as yet? Hol. Dictyana, good-man Dull; Di&ynna, good man Dull. Dull. What is Dictynna? Nath. A title to Phoebe, to Luna, to the Moon. Hol. The moon was a month old, when Adam was no more: And raught not to five weeks, when he came to fivefcore. Th' allufion holds in the exchange. Dull. 'Tis true indeed; the collufion holds in the exchange. Hol. God comfort thy capacity! I fay, the allufion holds in the exchange. Dull. And I fay, the pollution holds in the exchange; for the moon is never but a month old: and I fay befide, that 'twas a pricket that the Princefs kill'd. Hol. Sir Nathaniel, will you hear an extemporal epitaph on the death of the deer? and to humour the ignorant, I have call'd the deer the Princefs kill'd, a pricket. Nath. Perge, good Mafter Holofernes, perge; so it shall please you to abrogate fcurrility. Hol. I will fomething affect the letter; for it argues facility.. The praifeful Princess pierc'd and prickt Or pricket fore, or else forel, Nath. A rare talent! Dull. If a talent be a claw, look how he claws him with a talent. Hal. This is a gift that I have, fimple, fimple; a foolish extravagant spirit, full of forms, figures, shapes, objects, ideas, apprehenfions, motions, revolutions. Thefe are begot in the ventricle of memory, nourish'd in the womb of pia mater, and deliver'd upon the mellowing of occafion; but the gift is good in thofe in whom it is acute, and I am thankful for it. Nath. Sir, I praise the Lord for you, and fo may my parishioners; for their fons are well tutor'd by you, and their daughters profit very greatly under you; you are a good member of the commonwealth. Hol. Mehercle, if their fons be ingenions, they fhall want no inftruction: if their daughters be capable, I will put it to them. But vir fapit, qui pauca loquitur ; a foul feminine faluteth us. SCENE III. Enter Jaquenetta, and Coftard. Jaq. God give you good morrow, Mafter Parfon Good Master Parfon, be fo good as read me this letter; it was given me by Coftard, and fent me from Don Armatho; I beseech you, read it. [Nath. reads to himself. Hol. Faufte, precor, gelida quando pecus omne fub umbra Ruminat, Hol. Master Parfon, quafi Perfon. And if one should be pierc'd, which is the one? Coft. Marry, Master Schoolmafter, he that is likeft to a hogf head. Hol. Of piercing a hogshead, a good luftre of conceit in a turf of earth, fire enough for a flint, pearl enough for a fwine: "Tis pretty, it is well. Jaq. Good Mafter, &c. |