Dear Princess, were not his requests so far
From reason's yielding, your fair self should make
A yielding 'gainst some reason in my breast;
And go well satisfied to France again.

Prin. You do the King my father too much wrong,
And wrong the reputation of your name,
In so unseeming to confess receipt
Of that, which hath so faithfully been paid.

King. I do protest, I never heard of it;
And if you prove it, I'll repay it back,
Or yield up Aquitain.

Prin. We arrest your word:
Boyet, you can produce acquittances
For such a sum, from special officers
Of Charles his father.

King. Satisfie me fo.

Boyet. So please your Grace, the packet is not come, Where that and other specialties are bound : To morrow you shall have a sight of them.

King. It shall suffice me; at which interview, All liberal reason I will yield unto: Mean time, receive such welcome at my hand, As honour without breach of honour may Make tender of, to thy true worthiness. You may not come, fair Princess, in my gates; But here, without, you shall be so receiv’d, As you shall deem your self lodg’d in my heart, Thó so deny'd fair harbour in my house : Your own good thoughts excuse me, and farewel; To morrow we shall visit you again. Prin. Sweet health and fair desires confort your

Grace ! King. Thy own Wish wish I thee, in every place.

[Exit. Biron. Lady, I will commend you to my own heart. (10)

Rofa.

(10) I have made it a Rule throughout this Edition, to replace all those Passages, which Mr. Pope in his Impressions thought fit to degrade. As We have no Authority to call them in Question for not be

Rosa. I pray you, do my commendations;
I would be glad to see it.

Biron. I would, you heard it groan.
Rofa. Is the fool sick ?
Biron. Sick at the heart.
Rofa. Alack, let it blood.
Biron. Would that do it good ?
Rosa. My physick fays, ay.
Biron. Will you prick’t with your eye?
Rofa. No, pogint, with my knife.
Biron. Now God save thy life!
Rosa. And yours from long living !
Biron. I cannot stay thanksgiving.

[Exit. Dum. Sir, I pray you, a word: what lady is that

fame? Boyet. The heir of Alanson, Rosaline her name. Dum. A gallant lady; Monsieur, fare you well.

[Exit. Long. I beseech you, a word: what is she in white? Boyet. A woman sometimes, if you saw her in the

light. Long. Perchance, light in the light; I desire her

name. Boyet. She hath but one for her self; to defire That,

were a shame.
Long. Pray you, Sir, whose daughter ?
Boyet. Her mother's, I have heard.
Long. God's blessing on your beard!

Boyet. Good Sir, be not offended.
She is an heir of Faulconbridge.

Long. Nay, my choller is ended: She is a most sweet lady. ing genuine; I confess, as an Editor, I thought I had no Authority to displace them. Tho, I mult own freely at the same time, there are fome Scenes (particularly, in this Play ;) so very mean and contemptible, that One would heartily wish for the Liberty of expunging them. Whether they were really written by our Author, whether he penn'd them in his boyish Age, or whether he purposely comply'd with the prevailing Vice of the Times, when Puns, Conundrum, and quibbling Conceits were as much in Vogue, as Grimace and Arlequinades are at this wise Period, I dare not take upon me to determine.

Boyet.

Boyet. Not unlike, Sir ; that

may

be. [Exit Long. Biron. What's her name in the cap? Boyet. Catharine, by good hap. Biron. Is she wedded or no? Boyet. To her will, Sir, or so. Biron. You are welcome, Sir: adieu. Boyet. Farewel to me, Sir, and welcome to you.'

[Exit Biron. Mar. That last is Biron, the merry mad-cap lord; Not a word with him but a jest.

Boyet. And every jest but a word.
Prin. It was well done of you to take him at his

word. 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?
Boyet. So you grant pasture for me.

Mar. Not fo, gentle beast;
My lips are no common, though several they be.

Boyet. Belonging to whom?
Mar. To my fortunes and me.
Prin. Good wits will be jangling; but, gentles,

agree. This civil war of wits were much better us'd On Navarre and his book-men; for here 'tis abus'd.

Boyet. If my observation, (which very seldom lies) By the heart's still rhetorick, disclosed with eyes, Deceive me not now, Navarre is infected.

Prin. With what ?
Boyet. With that which we lovers intitle affected. .
Prin. Your reason?

Boyet. Why, all his behaviours did make their retire
To the Court of his eye, peeping thorough desire:
His heart, like an agat with your print impressed,
Proud with his form, in his eye pride expressed :
His tongue, all impatient to speak and not see,
Did stumble with haste in his eye-sight to be:
All senses to that sense did make their repair,

Το

To feel only looking on fairest of fair ;
Methought, all his senses were lock'd in his eyes
As jewels in crystal for some Prince to buy ;
Who tendring their own worth, from whence they were

glatt,
Did point out to buy them, along as you past.
His face's own margent did quote such amazes,
That all eyes saw his eyes inchanted with gazes :
I'll give you Aquitain, and all that is his,
An you give him for my fake but one loving kiss.

Prin Come, to our pavilion : Boyet is dispos’d.
Boyet. But to speak that in words, which his eye

hath disclos'd; I only have made a mouth of his eye, By adding a tongue which I know will not lie. Rofa. Thou art an old love-monger, and speakest

skilfully. Mar. He is Cupid's grandfather, and learns news of

him. Rofa. Then was Venus like her mother, for her fa

ther is but grim.
Boyet. Do you hear, my mad wenches?
Mar. No.
Boyet. What then, do

you

fee? Rosa. Ay, our way to be gone. Boyet. You are too hard for me. (11) [Exeunt:

SCENE

(1) Boyet. You are too hard for me.] Here, in all the Books, the ad Act is made to end : but in my Opinion very mistakenly. I have ventur'd to vary the Regulation of the four last Acts from the printed Copies, for these Reasons. Hitherto, the 2d Act has been of the Extent of z Pages; the 3d but of ş; and the 5th of no less than 29, And this Disproportion 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 distributed the Business likewise (such as it is,) into a more uniform Caft. The Plot now lies thus. In the first Act, Navarre and his Companions fequefter themselves, by Oath, for 3 Years from Conversation, Women, Fealing, &c. refolving a Life of Contemplation, and to relieve their Study, at Intervals, with Armado and Costard. The Princess of France's Arrival is prepared. Armado's Ridiculous Passion for a Country Wench, and hi , and Costard's Characters, are open'd.

In the 2d Act, Th: Princess with her Ladies arrives, and explains the Reason of her Coming

Navarre

W Arble, child;

SCENE, the PARK; near the Palace:

Enter Armado and Moth. Arm. Arble, child; make passionate my sense of

hearing. Moth. Concolinel

[Singing Navarre behaves fo courteously to her, that Boyet, one of her Lords, fufpects him to be in Love. Armado's Amour is continued ; who sends a Letter by Coftard to his Mistress Jaquenetta. Biron likewise sends a Bil. let-doux by Coftard to Rosaline, one of the French Ladies; and in a Soliloquy confesses his being in Love, tho' against his Oath ---- In the third A&, the Princess and her Ladies, preparing to kill a Deer in the Park, Coftard comes to deliver Biron's Letter to Rosaline ; but by Mistake gives That, which Armado had directed to Jaquenetta. The two Pedants Sir Nathaniel, and Holofernes are introduc'd' aguenetta produces Biron's Letter, deliver’d by Coftard's Mistake to her, requesting them to read it! who, observing the Contents, send it by Costard and Jaquenetta to the King. Biron, standing perdue in the Park, overhears the King, Longaville, and Dumaine confessing their Passions for their respective Mistrestes; and, coming forward, reproaches them with their Perjury. J aquenetta and Coftard bring the Letter (as they were order'd by the Pedants) to the King, who bids Biron read it

. He, finding it to be his own Letter; tears it in a Passion for Coftard's Mistake. The Lords, picking it up, find it to be of Biron's handwriting, and an Address to Rosaline. Biron pleads guilty: and all the Votarists at last consent to continue their Perjury, and address their several Mistresses with some Masque or Device. In the fourth Act, The Pedants (returning from their Dinner,) enter into a Difcourse suitable to their Characters. Armado comes to them, tells them, he is injoin'd by the King to frame fome Masque for the Entertainment of the Princess, and craves their learned Assistance. They propose to res present the nine Worthies, and go out to prepare themselves. The Princess and her Ladies talk of their several Lovers, and the Presents made to them. Boyet brings notice, that the King and his Lords are coming to address them, disguis'd like Muscovites. The Ladies propose to be mask'd, and exchange the Favours with one another, which were given them by their Lovers : that so they; being deceived, may every one address the wrong Person. This accordingly hits, and they are rallied from off the Spot by the Ladies : who triumph in this Exploit, and resolve to þanter them again, when they return in their own Persons. In the last Act, The King and his Lords come to the Princess's Tent, and all confess their Loves. Costard enters to tell the Approach of the Worthies Masque ; which finish'd, News is brought of the Death of the Princess's Father. The King and the Lords renewing their Love-fuits, the Ladies agree to marry them at Twelvèmonth's End, under certain Injunctions; and so the Play ends. Thus the Story (tho'clogg'd with some Absurdities,) has its proper Reits : the Action rises by Gradations, according to Rules : and the Plot is embroild and disengaged, as it ought ; as far as the Nature of the Fable will admit. VOL: JI:

I

Arini