O, that your face was not fo full of Oes!

Cath. Pox of that jeft, and I befhrew all fhrews (6) ::
Prin. But what was fent to you from fair Dumain?
Cath. Madam, this glove.

Prin. Did he not send you twain ?
Cath. Yes, Madam; and moreover,
Some thousand verses of a faithful lover.
A huge tranflation of hypocrify,
Vilely compil'd, profound fimplicity.

Mar. This, and thefe pearls, to me fent Longueville; The letter is too long by half a mile.

Prin. I think no lefs; doft thou not wifh in heart. The chain were longer, and the letter fhort?

Mar. Ay, or I would these hands might never part..
Prin. We are wife girls to mock our lovers for't.
Rof. They are worfe fools to purchase mocking fo
That fame Biron I'll torture, ere I go.
O, that I knew he were but in by th' 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 rhimes,
And fhape his fervice all to my behests,

And make him proud to make me proud with jefts ::
So portent-like would I o'erfway his state (7),
That he should be my fool, and I his fate..

Prin

(6) Pox of that jeft, and I befbrew all forews.] In former copies this line is given to the Princess; but as he has behav'd with great Decency all along, there is no Reafon why the should ftart all at once into this coarfe Dialect. Rofaline and Catharine are raillying one another without Reserve; and to Catharine this firft Line certainly belong'd, and therefore I. have ventur'd once more to put her in Poffeffion of it. THEOBALDO.

(7) In former copies :

So PERTAUNT-like would I o'er fway bis ftate,

That he should be my Fool, and I bis Fate.] In old farces, to fhew the inevitable approaches of death and deftiny, the Fool of the farce is made to employ all his ftratagems to avoid Death or Fate: Which very ftratagems, as they are ordered, bring the Fool, at every turn, into the very jaws of Fate. To this Shakespeare alludes again in Measure for Measure.

merely thou art Death's Fool;

For bim tbou labour'ft by thy flight to foun,
And yet run'ft towards him fill-

It

Prin. (8) None are fo furely caught, when they are catch'd,

As wit turn'd fool; folly, in wifdom hatch'd,
Hath wifdom's warrant, and the help of school;
And wit's own grace to grace a learned fool.

Rof. The blood of youth burns not in fuch excefs; As gravity's revolt to wantonnefs.

Mar. Folly in fools bears not fo ftrong a note,
As fool'ry in the wife, when wit doth dote :
Since all the power thereof it doth apply,
To prove, by wit, worth in fimplicity.

SCE NE IV.

Enter Boyet.

Prin. Here comes Boyet, and mirth is in his face. Boyet. O, I am flabb'd with laughter; where's het 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 furpriz'd.
Mufter your wits, ftand in your own defence,
Or hide your heads like cowards, and fly hence.
Prin. Saint Dennis, to faint Cupid (9)! what are they,
That charge their breath against us? fay, fcout, say.
Boyet. Under the cool fhade of a fycamore,

I thought to close mine eyes fome half an hour;
When, lo! to interrupt my purpos'd Reft,
Toward that fhade, I might behold, addreft

It is plain from all this, that the nonfenfe of pertaunt-like, fhould be read, portent-like i. e. I would be his fate or deftiny, and like a portent hang over, and influence his fortunes. For portents were not only thought to forebode, but to influence. So the Latins called a perfon deftined to bring mifchief, fatale portentum. Mr. Theobald reads, fo Pedant-like.

WARB.

(8) These are obfervations worthy of a man who has furveyed.

human nature with the clofeft attention.

(9) Saint Dennis, to St. Cupid!] The Princefs of France invokes,. with too much levity, the patron of her country, to oppofe his power to that of Cupid.

The

The King and his companions; warily
I ftole into a neighbour thicket by :

And over-heard, what you fhall over-hear :
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 embaffage.
Action and accent did they teach him there ;
Thus must thou speak, 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

う

I fhould have fear'd her, had the been a Devil.

With that all laugh'd, aud clap'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 cry'd, 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 fo profound,
That in this fpleen ridiculous appears *,
To check their folly, paffion's folemn tears.

Prin. But what, but what, come they to vifit us ?
Boyet. They do, they do? and are apparell'd thus,
Like Mufcovites, or Ruffians, as I guess (1).
Their purpose is to parley, court and dance;
And every one his love-feat will advance
Unto his fev'ral mistress; which they'll know.
By Favours fev'ral, which they did bestow..

* Spleen ridiculous is, a ridiculous fit.

(1) Like Mufcovites, or Ruffians, as I guess] The fettling of commerce in Ruffia was, at that time, a matter that much ingroffed the concern and converfation of the publick. There had been feveral embaflies employed thither on that occafion; and feveral tracts of the manners and state of that nation written fo that a mask of Muscovites was as good an entertainment to the audience of that time, as a coronation has been fince. WARBURTON.

Prin.

Prin. And will they fo? the gallants shall be taskt
For, ladies, we will every one be maskt :
And not a man of them fhall have the grace,
Defpight of fuit, to fee a lady's face.

Hold, Rofaline, this Favour thou shalt wear,
And then the King will court thee for his Dear:
Hold, take you this, my fweet, and give me thine;
So fhall Biron take me for Rofaline.

And change your Favours too; so shall
your Loves
Woo contrary, deceiv'd by these removes.

Ref. Come on then, wear the Favours most in fight. Cath. But in this changing, what is your intent? Prin. Th' 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 councils they unbosom shall
To loves miftook, and fo be mockt withal,.
Upon the next occafion that we meet,
With vifages difplay'd to talk and greet.

Rof. But thall we dance, if they defire us to't ?
Prin. No; to the death, we will not move a foot;
Nor to their penn'd fpeech 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 mockt, depart away with shame.

[Sound.

Boyet. The trumpet founds; be maskt, the maskers

come.

[The Ladies mafk..

SCENE

Enter the King, Biron, Longueville, Dumain, and attendants, difguis'd like Mufcovites; Moth with Mufick, as for a Masquerade.

Moth. All hail the richest Beauties on the earth!
Boyet. Beauties, no richer than rich taffata (2).
Moth. A boly parcel of the faireft 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

Biron. True; out, indeed.

Moth. Out of your favours, heav'nly Spirits, 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.

Moth. They do not mark me, and that brings me

out.

Biron. Is this your perfectnefs? be gone, you rogue. Rof. What would these strangers? know their minds,

Boyet.

If they do fpeak our language, 'tis our Will
That fome plain man recount their purposes.
Know, what they would.

Boyet. What would you with the Princess ?
Biron. Nothing, but peace and gentle vifitation,
Rof. What would they, fay they?

:

(2) Beauties, no richer than rich Taffata.] i. e. The Taffata Masks they wore to conceal Themselves. All the Editors concur to give this Line to Biron; but, furely, very abfurdly for he's One of the zealous Admirers, and hardly would make fuch an Inference. Boyet is fneering at the Parade of their Address, is in the fecret of the Ladies' Stratagem, and makes himself Sport at the Abfurdity of their Proem, in complimenting their Beauty, when they were malk'd. It therefore comes from him with the utmost Propriety. THEOBALD.

Boyet.