KING. We must, of force, dispense with this decree ; She must lie here on mere neceffity.

BIRON. Neceffity will make us all forfworn

Three thousand times within this three years' space: For every man with his affects is born;

Not by might mafter'd, but by special grace:

If I break faith, this word fhall speak for me,

I am forfworn on mere neceffity.

So to the laws at large I write my name :

[Subfcribes.

And he, that breaks them in the leaft degree,

Stands in attainder of eternal shame :

Suggestions are to others, as to me;

But, I believe, although I seem so loth,

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 phrafes in his brain:
One, whom the mufick of his own vain tongue
Doth ravish, like enchanting harmony;
A man of complements, whom right and wrong
Have chofe as umpire of their mutiny;
This child of fancy, that Armado hight,

For interim to our ftudies, fhall 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 proteft, I love to hear him lie,
And I will ufe him for my minftrelfy.

BIRON. Armado is a most illuftrious wight,

A man of fire-new words, fashion's own knight.
LONG. Coftard the fwain, and he, fhall be our fport;

And, fo to study, three years is but short.

Enter DULL, with a letter, and COSTARD. DULL. Which is the duke's own perfon? BIRON. This, fellow; What would'ft?

DULL. I myself reprehend his own perfon, for I am his grace's tharborough: but I would fee his own perfon in flesh and blood.

COST. This is he.

DULL. Signior Arme-Arme-commends you. There's villainy abroad; this letter will tell you more.

COST. Sir, the contempts thereof are as touching me. KING. A letter from the magnificent Armado. BIRON. How low foever the matter, I hope in God for high words. [patience! LONG. A high hope for a low having: God grant us BIRON. To hear? or forbear hearing?

LONG. To hear meekly, fir, and to laugh moderately; or to forbear both.

BIRON. Well, fir, be it as the stile fhall give us cause to climb in the merrinefs.

Cost. The matter is to me, fir, as concerning Jaquenetta. The manner of it is, I was taken with the manner. BIRON. In what manner?

COST. In manner and form following, fir; all thofe three I was feen with her in the manor house, fitting with her upon the form, and taken following her into the park; which, put together, is, in manner and form following. Now, fir, for the manner,—it is the manner of a man to speak to a woman: for the form,-in fome form.

BIRON. For the following, fir?

COST. As it fhall follow in my correction; And God defend the right!

VOL. II.

B

KING. Will you hear this letter with attention?
BIRON. As we would hear an oracle.

COST. Such is the fimplicity of man to hearken after the flesh.

KING. [reads.] Great deputy, the welkin's vicegerent, and fole dominator of Navarre, my foul's earth's God, and body's foftering patron,—

COST. Not a word of Coftard yet.

KING. So it is,—

COST. It may be fo: but if he fay it is fo, he is, in telling true, but fo, fo.

KING. Peace.

COST.-be to me, and every man that dares not fight! KING. No words.

COST.-of other men's fecrets, I befeech you.

KING. So it is, befieged with fable-coloured melancholy, I did commend the black-oppreffing humour to the most wholeSome phyfick of thy health-giving air; and, as I am a gentleman, betook myself to walk. The time, when? About the fixth hour; when beasts most graze, birds beft peck, and men fit down to that nourishment which is called fupper. So much for the time when : Now for the ground which; which, I mean, I walk'd upon: it is ycleped, thy park. Then for the place where; where, I mean, I did encounter that obfcene and moft prepofterous event, that draweth from my fnow-white pen. the ebon-colour'd ink, which here thou vieweft, beholdeft, furveyeft, or feeft: But to the place, where,-It ftandeth northnorth-eaft and by eaft from the west corner of thy curiousknotted garden: There did I fee that low-fpirited fwain, that bafe minnow of thy mirth,

COST. Me.

KING.-that unletter'd fmall-knowing foul,
COST. Me.

KING.-that hallow vaffal,

COST. Still me.

KING.—which, as I remember, hight Coftard,
COST. O me!

KING.-forted and conforted, contrary to thy established proclaimed edict and continent canon, with-with-O withbut with this I paffion to jay wherewith.

COST. With a wench.

KING.—with a child of our grandmother Eve, a female; or, for thy more fweet underftanding, a woman. Him I (as my ever-esteemed duty pricks me on) have fent to thee, to receive the meed of punishment, by thy fweet Grace's officer, Antony Dull; a man of good repute, carriage, bearing, and eftimation.

DULL. Me, an't fhall please you; I am Antony Dull. KING. For Jaquenetta, (fo is the weaker veffel called, which I apprehended with the aforefaid fwain,) I keep her as a veffel of thy law's fury; and fhall, at the leaft of thy fweet 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 fo well as I look'd for, but the best that ever I heard.

KING. Ay, the best for the worst. But, firrah, what say you to this?

COST. Sir, I confefs the wench.

KING. Did you hear the proclamation?

COST. I do confefs much of the hearing of it, but little of the marking of it.

KING. It was proclaim'd a year's imprisonment, to be taken with a wench.

COST. I was taken with none, fir; I was taken with a damofel.

KING. Well, it was proclaimed damofel.

COST. This was no damofel neither; fir, fhe was a virgin.

KING. It is fo varied too; for it was proclaim'd, virgin. COST. If it were, I deny her virginity; I was taken with a maid.

KING. This maid will not ferve your turn, fir.

COST. This maid will ferve my turn, fir.

KING. Sir, I will pronounce your fentence; You fhall faft a week with bran and water.

COST. I had rather pray a month with mutton and porridge.

KING. And Don Armado fhall be your keeper.-My lord Biron fee him deliver❜d o'er.—

And go we, lords, to put in practice that

Which each to other hath fo ftrongly fworn.

[Exeunt.

BIRON. I'll lay my head to any good man's hat, These oaths and laws will prove an idle fcorn.Sirrah, come on.

COST. I fuffer for the truth, fir: for true it is, I was taken with Jaquenetta, and Jaquenetta is a true girl; and therefore, Welcome the four cup of profperity! Affliction may one day fmile again, and till then, Sit thee down, forrow!

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. Another part of the fame. ARMADO's House. Enter ARMADO and MOTH.

ARM. Boy, what fign is it, when a man of great spirit grows melancholy?

MOTH. A great fign, fir, that he will look fad.

ARM. Why, fadnefs is one and the felf-fame thing, dear imp.