24

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 fport, as fport by fport 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 shame.

[Sound.

Boyet. The trumpet founds; be mask'd, the maskers [The ladies mafk.

come.

Enter the King, Biron, Longaville, Dumain, and at-
tendants, difguifed like Muscovites; Moth with musick,
as for a masquerade.

Moth, All hail, the richest beauties on the earth!
Boyet. Beauties, no richer than rich taffata, 4
Moth. A holy 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

Biron. True; out, indeed.

Moth. Out of your favours, beavenly Spirits, vouch-
Safe

Not to behold.

Biron. Once to behold, rogue.

Moth. Once to behold with your fun-beamed eyes—
With your fun-beamed eyes-

4 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 addrefs, is in the fecret of the ladies' ftratagem, and makes himself sport at the abfurdity of their proem, in complimenting their beauty, when they were mak'd. It therefore comes from him with the utmoft propriety.

Ff3

THEOBALD.

Boyet.

1

Boyet. They will not anfwer 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.

Ref. What would thefe ftrangers? 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?

Boyet. Nothing, but peace and gentle vifitation.
Rof. Why, That they have; and bid them fo be

gone,

Boyet. She fays, you have it; and you may be

gone.

King. Say to her, we have measur'd many miles, To tread a measure with her on the grass.

Boyet. They fay, that they have measur'd many a mile,

To tread a measure with you on this grafs.

Rof. It is not fo. Afk them how many inches Is in one mile if they have meafur'd many, The measure then of one is easily told.

Boyet. If, to come hither you have measur'd miles, And many miles; the princefs bids you tell, How many inches do fill up one mile?

Biron, Tell her, we measure them by weary steps.

Boyet. She hears herself.

Rof. How many weary steps

Of many weary miles, you have o'ergone,

Are number'd in the travel of one mile?

Biron. We number nothing that we spend for

you;
1

Our

Our duty is fo rich, fo infinite,

That we may do it ftill without accompt.
Vouchsafe to fhew the funshine of your face,
That we (like favages) may worship it.

Rof. My face is but a moon, and clouded too. King. Bleffed are clouds, to do as fuch clouds do! Vouchsafe, bright moon, and thefe thy ftars, to fhine

(Those clouds remov'd) upon our watery eyne.

Rof. O vain petitioner ! beg a greater matter; Thou now requeft'ft but moon-fhine in the water. King. Then in our measure vouchfafe but one change:

Thou bid'ft me beg, this begging is not ftrange. Ref. Play, mufick, then: Nay, you must do it foon.

Not yet-no dance :-Thus change I like the

moon.

King. Will you not dance? How come you thus

eftrang'd?

Rof. You took the moon at full: but now he's

chang'd.

King. Yet ftill fhe is the moon, and I the man. The mufick plays, vouchfafe fome motion to it. Rof. Our ears vouchsafe it.

King. But your legs fhould do it.

Rof. Since you are ftrangers, and come here by chance,

We'll not be nice: take hands;-we will not dance. King. Why take you hands then?

Rof. Only to part friends:

Curt'fy, fweet hearts; and fo the measure ends.

-] When

5 Vouchsafe, bright moon, and thefe thy ftars, queen Elizabeth asked an ambaffadour how he liked her ladies, It is hard, faid he, to judge of flars in the presence of the fun.

Ff 4

JOHNSON.

}

King.

King, More measure of this measure; be not nice
Rof. We can afford no more at fuch a price.
King Brize yourselves then; what buys your
1 company?

Rof. Your abfence only.
King. That can never be.

!

Rof. Then cannot we be bought and fo, adieu; Twice to your vifor, and half once to you King. If you deny to dance, let's hold more chat, Rof. In private then.

King. I am beft pleas'd with that. i wa Biron, White-handed mistress, one fweet word with thee.

Prin. Honey, and milk, and fugar; there is three, Biron. Nay then, two treys (an if you grow fo nice,)

Metheglin, wort, and malmfey;Well run, dice!. There's half a dozen fweets,£

Prin. Seventh fweet, adieu!

6.

Since you can cog, I'll play no more with you.
Biron. One word in fecret.

Prin. Let it not be sweet.

Biron. Thou griev'st my gall.

Prin. Gall? bitter.

Biron. Therefore meet.

Dum. Will you vouchfafe with me to change a

word.

Mar. Name it.

Dum. Fair lady.

Mar. Say you fo? fair lord :

Take that for your fair lady.

Dum. Please it you,

As much in private, and I'll bid adieu.

• Since you can cog,] To dog fignifies to falfify the dice, and to falfify a narrative, or to lye. JoHNSON I

Cath,

Long. I know the reafon, lady, why you ask.
Cath. O, for your reafon! quickly, Sir; I long.
Long. You have a double tongue within your
mask,

And would afford my fpeechlefs vizor half.

Cath. Veal, quoth the Dutchman: Is not veal a calf?

Long, A calf, fair lady?

Cath. No, a fair lord calf.

Long. Let's part the word.

Cath. No, I'll not be your half :

Take all, and wean it; it may prove an ox..

Long. Look, how you butt yourfelf in these sharp mocks !

Will you give horns, chafte lady? do not fo... E Cath. Then die a calf, before your horns do grow. Long. One word in private with you, ere I die. Cath. Bleat foftly then, the butcher hears you cry.. Boyet. The tongues of mocking wenches are as keen.

As is the razor's edge invifible,

Cutting a smaller hair than may be seen :

Above the sense of sense; so sensible ...

Seemeth their conference; their conceits have wings, Fleeter than arrows, bullets, wind, thought, fwifter things.

Rof. Not one word more, my maids'; break off, break off.

Biron. By heaven, all dry-beaten with pure fcoff! King. Farewel, mad wenches; you have fimple wits. [Exeunt King, and lords. Prin. Twenty adieu's, my frozen Mufcovites.Are these the breed of wits fo wondred at? Boyet. Tapers they are, with your sweet breaths

puff'd out.

Rof.