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Moth. No, fir; that were faft and loofe: thou Thalt to prison.

Coft. Well, if ever I do fee the merry days of defolation that I have feen, fome fhall fee

Moth. What fhall fome fee?

Coft. Nay, nothing, master Moth, but what they look upon. It is not for prifoners to be filent in their words, and therefore I will fay nothing: I thank God, I have as little patience as another man ; and, therefore I can be quiet.

[Exeunt Moth and Coftard. Arm. I do affect the very ground, which is base, where her fhoe, which is bafer, guided by her foot, which is bafeft, doth tread. I fhall be forfworn, which is a great argument of falfhood, if I love. And how can that be true love, which is fally attempted? Love is a familiar; love is a devil; there is no evil angel but love. Yet Sampfon was fo tempted; and he had an excellent ftrength: yet was Solomon fo feduced; and he had a very good wit. Cupid's but-fhaft is too hard for Hercules's club, and therefore too much odds for a Spaniard's rapier. The first and fecond caufe will not ferve my turn; the paffado he refpects not, the duello he regards not: his difgrace is to be call'd boy; but his glory is, to fubdue men. Adieu, valour! ruft, rapier! be ftill, drum! for your manager is in love; yea, he loveth. Affift me fome extemporal God of rhime, for, I am fure, I shall turn fonneteer. Devise wit; write pen; for I am for whole volumes in folio. [Exit.

It is not for prifoners to be filent in their words,] I suppose we fhould read, it is not for prifoners to be filent in their wards, that is, in cuftody, in the holds. JOHNSON.

I believe the blunder was intentional. The quarto, however, reads, It is for prifoners, &c. STEEVENS.

The firft and fecond caufe will not ferve my turn ;] See the last act of As you like it, with the notes. JOHNSON.

ACT

ACT II.

SCENE I.

Before the King of Navarre's Palace.

Enter the Princess of France, Rofaline, Maria, Catherine, Boyer, Lords, and other Attendauts.

No

BOYET.

TOW, madam, fummon up your dearest spirits:
Confider, whom the king your father fends;
To whom he fends, and what's his embaffy.
Yourself, held precious in the world's esteem;
To parley with the fole inheritor

Of all perfections that a man may owe,
Matchlefs Navarre; the plea of no less weight
Than Aquitain, a dowry for a queen.
Be now as prodigal of all dear grace,
As nature was of making graces dear,
When she did ftarve the general world befide,
And prodigally gave them all to you.

Prin. Good lord Boyet, my beauty, though but

mean,

Needs not the painted flourish of your praise;
Beauty is bought by judgment of the eye,
Not utter'd by bafe fale of chapmen's tongues.'
I am lefs proud to hear you tell my worth,
Than you much willing to be counted wife,
In spending thus your wit in praise of mine.
But now, to task the tafker ;-Good Boyet,
You are not ignorant, all-telling fame

1

-chapmen's tongues.] Chapman here seems to fignify the feller, not, as now commonly, the buyer. Cheap or cheping was anciently the market, chapman therefore is marketman. The meaning is, that that the ftimation of beauty depends not on the uttering or proclamation of the feller, but on the eye of the buyer. JOHNSON.

Doth

Doth noise abroad, Navarre hath made a vow,
Till painful study fhall out-wear three years,
No woman may approach his filent court;
Therefore to us it feems a needful course,
Before we enter his forbidden gates,
To know his pleasure; and, in that behalf,
Bold of your worthiness, we fingle you
As our best-moving fair folicitor.

Tell him, the daughter of the king of France,
On serious bufinefs, craving quick dispatch,
Importunes perfonal conference with his grace.
Hafte, fignify fo much; while we attend,
Like humble-vifag'd fuitors, his high will.
Boyet. Proud of employment, willingly I go. [Exit,
Prin. All pride is willing pride, and yours is fo.-
Who are the votaries, my loving lords,

That are vow-fellows with this virtuous duke?
Lord. Longaville is one.

Prin. Know you the man?

Mar. I knew him, madam; at a marriage-feaft, Between lord Perigort and the beauteous heir Of Jaques Faulconbridge folemnized, In Normandy faw I this Longaville : A man of fovereign parts he is esteem'd Well fitted in the arts, glorious in arms: Nothing becomes him ill, that he would well, The only foil of his fair virtue's glofs, (If virtue's glofs will stain with any foil,) Is a fharp wit, match'd with too blunt a will; Whofe edge hath power to cut, whose will still wills It should spare none, that come within his power. Prin. Some merry-mocking lord, belike. Is't fo? Mar. They fay fo moft, that most his humours know.

2 Well fitted] is well qualified. JOHNSON.

match'd with] is combined or joined with. JOHNSON.

Prin. Such fhort-liv'd wits do wither as they grow. Who are the reft?

Cath. The young Dumain, a well-accomplish'd youth.

Of all that virtue love, for virtue lov'd:

Moft power to do most harm, least knowing ill;
For he hath wit to make an ill fhape good,
And shape to win grace, though he had no wit.
I faw him at the duke Alenfon's once;

And much too little, of that good I saw,
Is my report to his great worthiness.

Rofa. Another of these ftudents at that time
Was there with him, as I have heard a truth;
Biron they call him; but a merrier man,
Within the limit of becoming mirth,
I never spent an hour's talk withal.
His eye begets occafion for his wit;
For every object that the one doth catch,
The other turns to a mirth-moving jeft;
Which his fair tongue (conceit's expofitor)
Delivers in fuch apt and gracious words,
That aged ears play truant at his tales,
And younger hearings are quite ravished;
So fweet and voluble is his difcourfe.

Prin. God bless my ladies! are they all in love, That every one her own hath garnished

With fuch bedecking ornaments of praise ?

Mar. Here comes Boyet.

Re-enter Boyet.

Prin. Now, what admittance, lord?

Boyet. Navarre had notice of your fair approach; And he and his competitors in oath

Were all addreft to meet you, gentle lady,
Before I came. Marry, thus much I have learnt,
He rather means to lodge you in the field,
Like one that comes here to befiege his court)

6

Than

Than feek a difpenfation for his oath,

To let you enter his unpeopled house.
Here comes Navarre.

Enter the King, Longaville, Dumain, Biron, and Attendants.

King. Fair Princefs, welcome to the court of Na

varre.

Prin. Fair, I give you back again; and welcome I have not yet the roof of this court is too high to be yours; and welcome to the wide fields, too base to be mine.

King. You fhall be welcome, madam, to my court. Prin. I will be welcome then; conduct me thither. King. Hear me, dear lady, I have fworn an oath. Prin. Our Lady help my lord! he'll be forfworn. King. Not for the world, fair madam, by my will. Prin. Why, Will fhall break it; will, and nothing

else.

King. Your ladyship is ignorant what it is.

Prin. Were my lord fo, his ignorance were wife, Where now his knowledge muft prove ignorance. I hear, your Grace hath fworn out houfe-keeping; 'Tis deadly fin to keep that oath, my lord; 4 And fin to break it.

But pardon me, I am too fudden bold:

To teach a teacher ill befeemeth me.
Vouchsafe to read the purpose of my coming,
And fuddenly refolve me in my fuit.

King. Madam, I will, if fuddenly I may.
Prin. You will the fooner, that I were away;

And fin to break it.] Sir T. Hanmer reads,

Not fin to break it.

I believe erroneously. The Princefs fhews an inconvenience very frequently attending rafh oaths, which, whether kept or broken, produce guilt. JOHNSON.

For

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