Dear Princefs, were not his requests so far And go well fatisfied to France again.. Prin. You do the King my father too much wrong, Of that, which hath so faithfully been paid. Prin. We arreft your word: Boyet, you can produce acquittances Boyet. So please your Grace, the packet is not come, King. It fhall fuffice me; at which interview, Mean time, receive fuch welcome at my hand, You may not come, fair Princess, in my gates; Prin. Sweet health and fair defires 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 thofe Paffages, which Mr. Pope in his Impreffions thought fit to degrade. As We have no Authority to call them in Queftion for not be Rofa. I pray you, do my commendations I would be glad to fee it. Biron. I would, you heard it groan. Biron. Sick at the heart. Rofa. Alack, let it blood. Biron. Would that do it good? Biron. Will you prick't with your eye? [Exit. Dum. Sir, I pray you, a word: what lady is that fame? Boyet. The heir of Alanfon, Rofaline her name. Dum. A gallant lady; Monfieur, fare you well. [Exit. Long. I beseech you, a word: what is the in white? Boyet. A woman fometimes, if you faw her in the light. Long. Perchance, light in the light; I defire her name. Boyet. She hath but one for her felf; to defire That, were a fhame. Long. Pray you, Sir, whofe daughter? She is an heir of Faulconbridge. Long. Nay, my choller is ended: She is a moft fweet lady. ing genuine; I confefs, as an Editor, I thought I had no Authority to difplace them. Tho, I muft own freely at the fame time, there are fome Scenes (particularly, in this Play ;) fo 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 wife Period, I dare not take upon me to determine. Boyet. Boyet. Not unlike, Sir; that may be. [Exit Long. Boyet. To her will, Sir, or fo. Biron. You are welcome, Sir: adieu. Boyet. Farewel to me, Sir, and welcome to you. [Exit Biron. Mar. That laft is Biron, the merry mad-cap lord; Not a word with him but a jeft. Boyet. And every jeft 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 fheeps, marry. Boyet. And wherefore not fhips? No fheep, (fweet lamb) unless we feed on your lips. Mar. You fheep, and I pasture; fhall that finish the jest? Boyet. So you grant pafture for me. Mar. Not fo, gentle beaft; My lips are no common, though feveral they be. 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 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 defire: His heart, like an agat with your print impreffed, Proud with his form, in his eye pride expreffed: His tongue, all impatient to fpeak and not fee, Did ftumble with hafte in his eye-fight to be: All fenfes to that fenfe did make their repair, Το To feel only looking on fairest of fair; Did point out to buy them, along as you past. eyes An you give him for my fake but one loving kiss. Prin Come, to our pavilion: Boyet is difpos'd. Boyet. But to fpeak 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 fpeakeft skilfully. Mar. He is Cupid's grandfather, and learns news of him. Rofa. 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? Rofa. Ay, our way to be gone. Boyet. You are too hard for me. (11) [Exeunt: SCENE (11) 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 Reasons. Hitherto, the 2d Act has been of the Extent of 7 Pages; the 3d 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 likewise (fuch as it is,) into a more uniform Caft. The Plot now lies thus. In the first Act, Navarre and his Companions fequefter themfelves, by Oath, for 3 Years from Converfation, Women, Feafling, &c. refolving a Life of Contemplation, and to relieve their Study, at Intervals, with Armado and Coftard. The Princess of France's Arrival is prepared. Armado's Ridiculous Paffion for a Country Wench, and hi, and Coftard's Characters, are open'd. In the 2d Act, The Princefs with her Ladies arrives, and explains the Reason of her Coming Navarre SCENE, the PARK; near the Palace. Arm: Warble, child; make paffionate 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 fends a Letter by Coftard to his Miftrefs Jaquenetta. Biron likewife fends a Billet-doux by Coftard to Rofaline, one of the French Ladies; and in a Soli loquy confeffes his being in Love, tho' against his Oath.- In the third Act, the Princess and her Ladies, preparing to kill a Deer in the Park, Coftard comes to deliver Biron's Letter to Rofaline; but by Miftake gives That, which Armado had directed to Jaquenetta. The two Pedants Sir Nathaniel, and Holofernes are introduc'd. Jaquenetta produces Biron's Letter, deliver'd by Coftard's Miftake to her, requefting them to read it: who, obferving the Contents, fend it by Coftard and Jaquenetta to the King. Biron, ftanding perdue in the Park, overhears the King, Longaville, and Dumaine confeffing their Paffions for their respective Miftreffes; and, coming forward, reproaches them with their Perjury. Jaquenetta 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 Paffion for Coftard's Miftake. The Lords, picking it up, find it to be of Biron's handwriting, and an Addrefs to Rofaline. Biron pleads guilty and all the Votarists at last consent to continue their Perjury, and addrefs their several Mistresses with fome Mafque or Device. In the fourth Act, The Pedants (returning from their Dinner,) enter into a Difcourfe fuitable to their Characters. Armado comes to them, tells them, he is injoin'd by the King to frame fome Mafque for the Entertainment of the Princefs, and craves their learned Affiftance. They propofe to represent the nine Worthies, and go out to prepare themfelves. The Princefs and her Ladies talk of their feveral Lovers, and the Presents made to them. Boyet brings notice, that the King and his Lords are coming to address them, difguis'd like Mufcovites. The Ladies propofe to be mask'd, and exchange the Favours with one another, which were given them by their Lovers: that fo they, being deceived, may every one address the wrong Perfon. This accordingly hits, and they are rallied from off the Spot by the Ladies: who triumph in this Exploit, and refolve to banter them again, when they return in their own Perfons. In the laft Act, The King and his Lords come to the Princess's Tent, and all confefs their Loves. Coftard enters to tell the Approach of the Worthies Mafque; 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 a Twelvemonth's End, under certain Injunctions; and fo the Play ends.- -Thus the Story (tho' clogg'd with fome Abfurdities,) has its proper Reits: the Action rifes by Gradations, according to Rules: and the Plot is embroil'd and difengaged, as it ought; as far as the Nature of the Fable will admit. VOL. II. I Arm |