Ros. I would, you knew:

An if my face were but as fair as yours,
My favour were as great; be witness this.
Nay, I have verfes too, I thank Birón :

The numbers true; and, were the numb'ring too,
I were the faireft goddefs on the ground:
I am compar❜d to twenty thousand fairs.
O, he hath drawn my picture in his letter!
PRIN. Any thing like?

Ros. Much, in the letters; nothing, in the praise.
PRIN. Beauteous as ink; a good conclufion.
KATH, Fair as a text B in a copy-book.

Ros. 'Ware pencils! How? let me not die your debtor, My red dominical, my golden letter:

O, that your face were not fo full of O's!

KATH. A pox of that jeft! and befhrew all shrows ! PRIN. But what was fent to you from fair Dumain? KATH. Madam, this glove.

PRIN. Did he not send you twain?

KATH. Yes, madam; and moreover,

Some thousand verses of a faithful lover:

A huge translation of hypocrify.

Vilely compil'd, profound fimplicity.

MAR. This, and these pearls, to me fent Longaville; The letter is too long by half a mile.

PRIN. I think no lefs; Doft thou not wish in heart, The chain were longer, and the letter short?

MAR. Ay, or I would these hands might never part.
PRIN. We are wife girls, to mock our lovers fo.
Ros. They are worfe fools, to purchase mocking fo.
That fame Birón I'll torture ere I go.

O, that I knew he were but in by the week!
How I would make him fawn, and beg, and feek;

And wait the season, and obferve the times,

And spend his prodigal wits in bootless rhymes;
And shape his fervice wholly to my behefts;
And make him proud to make me proud that jests !
So portent-like would I o'erfway his state,

That he should be my fool, and I his fate.

PRIN. None are fo furely caught, when they are catch'd, As wit turn'd fool: folly, in wisdom hatch'd, Hath wisdom's warrant, and the help of school; And wit's own grace to grace a learned fool.

Ros. The blood of youth burns not with fuch excess, As gravity's revolt to wantonness.

MAR. Folly in fools bears not so strong a note,
As foolery in the wife, when wit doth dote;
Since all the power thereof it doth apply,
Το prove, by wit, worth in fimplicity.

Enter BorET.

PRIN. Here comes Boyet, and mirth is in his face. BOYET. O, I am ftabb'd with laughter! Where's her grace?

PRIN. Thy news, Boyet?

BOYET. Prepare, madam, prepare !—

Arm, wenches, arm! encounters mounted are

Against your peace: Love doth approach difguis'd,
Armed in arguments; you'll be furpris'd:

your

wits;

Mufter
ftand in your own defence;
Or hide your heads like cowards, and fly hence.

PRIN. Saint Dennis to faint Cupid! What are they, That charge their breath against us? fay, fcout, fay. BOYET. Under the cool fhade of a sycamore,

I thought to clofe mine eyes fome half an hour:
When, low! to interrupt my purpos'd rest,
Toward that fhade I might behold addrest

The king and his companions: warily
I ftole into a neighbour thicket by,
And overheard what you fhall overhear;
That, by and by, difguis'd they will be here.
Their herald is a pretty knavish page,

That well by heart hath conn'd his embassage:
Action, and accent, did they teach him there;
Thus muft thou fpeak, and thus thy body bear:
And ever and anon they made a doubt,
Prefence majestical would put him out;
For, quoth the king, an angel fhalt thou fee;
Yet fear not thou, but fpeak audaciously.
The boy reply'd, An angel is not evil;

I fhould have fear'd her, had he been a devil.

With that all laugh'd, and clapp'd him on the fhoulder;
Making the bold wag by their praises bolder.
One rubb'd his elbow, thus; and fleer'd, and fwore,

A better speech was never spoke before:

Another, with his finger and his thumb,
Cry'd, Via! we will do't, come what will come :
The third he caper'd, and cried, All goes well:
The fourth turn'd on the toe, and down he fell.
With that, they all did tumble on the ground,
With fuch a zealous laughter, so profound,
That in this spleen ridiculous appears,

To check their folly, paffion's folemn tears.

PRIN. But what, but what, come they to vifit us? BorET. They do, they do; and are apparel'd thus,—

Like Muscovites, or Ruffians: as I guess,

Their purpose is, to parle, to court, and dance :

And every one his love-feat will advance

Unto his feveral mistress; which they'll know
By favours several, which they did bestow.

VOL. II.

I

PRIN. And will they fo? the gallants shall be task’d:— For, ladies, we will every one be mask'd;

And not a man of them shall have the

Despite of fuit, to fee a lady's face.

grace,

Hold, Rofaline, this favour thou shalt wear;
And then the king will court thee for his dear;
Hold, take thou this, my fweet, and give me thine;

So fhall Birón take me for Rofaline.

And change you favours too; fo fhall your loves
Woo contrary, deceiv'd by these removes.

Ros. Come on then; wear the favours most in fight, KATH. But, in this changing, what is your intent? PRIN. The effect of my intent is, to cross theirs: They do it but in mocking merriment;

And mock for mock is only my intent.

Their feveral counfels they unbofom shall
To loves miftook; and fo be mock'd withal,
Upon the next occafion that we meet,
With vifages difplay'd, to talk, and greet.

Ros. But fhall we dance, if they defire us to't?

PRIN. No; to the death, we will not move a foot : Nor to their penn'd speech render we no grace;

But, while 'tis fpoke, each turn away her face.

BOYET. Why, that contempt will kill the speaker's

heart,

And quite divorce his

memory

from his part.

PRIN. Therefore I do it; and, I make no doubt,
The reft will ne'er come in, if he be out.

There's no fuch sport, as sport by sport o'erthrown ;
To make theirs ours, and ours none but our own:
So fhall we stay, mocking intended game;

And they, well mock'd, depart away with fhame.

[Trumpets found within.

come.

BorET. The trumpet founds; be mask'd, the maskers [The ladies mafk. Enter the KING, BIRON, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAIN, in Ruffian habits, and mafked; MoTн, Muficians, and Attendants.

MOTн. All hail, the richest beauties on the earth!
BorET. Beauties no richer than rich taffata.

MOTH. A boly parcel of the fairest dames,

[The ladies turn their backs to him.

That ever turn'd their backs to mortal views!
BIRON. Their eyes, villain, their eyes.

MOTH. That ever turn'd their eyes to mortal views !
Out-

BorET. True; out, indeed.

MOTн. Out of your favours, heavenly fpirits, vouchsafe Not to behold

BIRON. Once to behold, rogue.

MOTH. Once to behold with your fun-beamed eyes,

with your fun-beamed eyes—

BOYET. They will not answer to that epithet; You were beft call it, daughter-beamed eyes.

MOTн. They do not mark me, and that brings me out. BIRON. Is this your perfectness? be gone, you rogue. Ros. What would thefe ftrangers? know their minds, If they do speak our language, 'tis our will [Boyet : That fome plain man recount their purposes :

Know what they would.

BOYET. What would you with the princess?
BIRON. Nothing but peace, and gentle visitation.
Ros. What would they, fay they?

BorET. Nothing but peace, and gentle vifitation.
Ros. Why, that they have; and bid them fo be gone,
BOYET. She says, you have it, and you may be gone.