Biron. Nothing but peace, and gentle visitation. Boyet. Nothing but peace, and gentle visitation. To tread a measure with her on this grass. Boyet. They say, that they have measur'd many a mile, To tread a measure with you on this grass.6 Ros. It is not so: ask them, how many inches Is in one mile if they have measured many, The measure then of one is easily told. Boyet. If, to come hither, you have measur'd miles, And many miles; the princess bids you tell, How many inches do fill up one mile. Of Biron. Tell her, we measure them by weary steps. Ros. How many weary steps, 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; That we may do it still without accompt. That we, like savages, may worship it. Ros. My face is but a moon, and clouded too. King. Blessed are clouds, to do as such clouds do! Vouchsafe, bright moon, and these thy stars, to shine (Those clouds remov'd) upon our wat'ry eyne." Ros. O vain petitioner! beg a greater matter; Thou now request'st but moonshine in the water. King. Then, in our measure do but vouchsafe one change : Thou bid'st me beg; this begging is not strange. [6] The measures were dances solemn and slow They were performed at court, and at public entertainments of the societies of law and equity, at their balls, on particular occasions. It was formerly not deemed inconsistent with propriety even for the gravest persons to join in them; and accordingly at the revels which were celebrated at the inns of court, it has not been unusual for the first characters in the law to become performers in treading the measures. See Dugdale's Origines Juridiciales. REED. [7] When Queen Elizabeth asked an embassador how he liked her ladies, It is hard,' said he, to judge of stars in the presence of the sun.' JOHNSON. King. Will you not dance? How come you thus estrangd? Ros. You took the moon at full; but now she's chang'd. King. Yet still she is the moon, and i the man. The music plays; vouchsafe some motion to it. Ros. Our ears vouchsafe it. King. But your legs should do it. Ros. Since you are strangers, and come here by chance, We'll not be nice: take hands ;-we will not dance. King. Why take we hands then? Ros. Only to part friends : Court'sy, sweet hearts; and so the measure ends. King. More measure of this measure; be not nice. Ros. Your absence only. King. That can never be. Ros. Then cannot we be bought and so adieu : Twice to your visor, and half once to you! King. If you deny to dance, let's hold more chat. King. I am best pleas'd with that. [They converse apart. Bir. White-handed mistress, one sweet word with thee. Prin. Honey, and milk, and sugar; there is three. Biron. Nay then, two treys, (an if you grow so nice) Metheglin, wort, and malmsey ;-Well run, dice! There's half a dozen sweets. Prin. Seventh sweet, adieu! 8 Since you can cog, I'll play no more with you. Biron. One word in secret. Prin. Let it not be sweet. Biron. Thou griev'st my gall. Prin. Gall! bitter. Biron. Therefore meet. [They converse apart. Dum. Will you vouchsafe with me to change a word? [8] To cog, signifies to falsify the dice, and to falsify a narrative, or to lie. Vol. III. JOHNSON. K As much in private, and I'll bid adieu. [They converse apart. Kath. Veal, quoth the Dutchman ;-Is not veal a calf? Kath. No, a fair lord calf. Long. Let's part the word. Kath. No, I'll not be your half: Take all, and wean it; it may prove an ox. Long. Look, how you butt yourself in these sharp Will you give horns, chaste lady? do not so. [mocks! Kath. Then die a calf, before your horns do grow. Long. One word in private with you, ere I die. Kath. Bleat softly then, the butcher hears you cry. [They converse apart. Boyet. The tongues of mocking wenches are as keen As is the razor's edge invisible, Cutting a smaller hair than may be seen; Above the sense of sense: so sensible Seemeth their conference; their conceits have wings, Ros. Well-liking wits they have; gross, gross; fat, fat. [9] Well-liking is the same, as embonpoint. So, in Job xxxix. 4: "Their young ones are in good liking." STEEVENS. No point, quoth I;' my servant straight was mute. Kath. Lord Longaville said, I came o'er his heart; And trow you, what he call'd me? Prin. Qualm, perhaps. Kath. Yes, in good faith. Prin. Go, sickness as thou art! Ros. Well, better wits have worn plain statute-caps.' But will you hear? the king is my love sworn. Prin. And quick Birón hath plighted faith to me. In their own shapes; for it can never be, Boyet. They will, they will, God knows; And leap for joy, though they are lame with blows: Prin. How blow? how blow? speak to be understood. [1] Point in French is an adverb of negation; but, if properly spoken, is no sounded like the point of a sword A quibble, however, is intended. From this and the other passages it appears, that either our author was not well acquainted with the pronunciation of the French language, or it was different formerly to what it is at present. The former supposition appears to me much the more probable of the two. MALONE. [2] This line is not universally understood, because every reader does not know that a statute-cap is part of the academical habit. Lady Rosaline declares that her expectation was disappointed by these courtly students, and that better wits might be found in the common places of education. JOHNSON. Woollen caps were enjoined by act of parliament, in the year 1571, the 13th of Queen Elizabeth. "Besides the bills passed into acts this parliament, there was one which I judge not amiss to be taken notice of-it concerned the Queen's care for employment for her poor sort of subjects. It was for continuance of making and wearing woollen caps, in behalf of the trade of cappers: providing, that all above the age of six yeares, (except the nobility and some others) should on sabbath days and holy days, wear caps of wool, knit, thicked, and drest in England, upon penalty of ten groats." Strype's Annals of Queen Elizabeth. Vol. II p. 74. GREY. This act may account for the distinguishing mark of Mother Red-cap. STE. The king and his lords probably wore hats adorned with feathers. So they are represented in the print affixed to this play in Mr. Rowe's edition, probably from some stage tradition. MALONE. [3] Ladies unmask'd, says Boyet, are like angels vailing clouds, or letting those clouds which obscured their brightness, sink from before them. JOHNSON. Holinshed says, The Britains began to avale the hills where they had lodged," 4. c. they began to descend the bills. If Shakespeare uses the word vailing in this Prin. Avaunt, perplexity! What shall we do, Ros. Good madam, if by me you'll be advis'd, Boyet. Ladies, withdraw; the gallants are at hand. [Exe. Prin. Ros. KATH. and MAR. Enter the King, BIRON, LONGAVILLE and DUMAIN, in their proper habits. King. Fair sir, God save you! Where is the princess? Boyet. Gone to her tent: Please it your majesty, Command me any service to her thither? King. That she vouchsafe me audience for one word. Boyet. I will; and so will she, I know, my lord. [Exit. Biron. This fellow pecks up wit, as pigeons peas; And utters it again when God doth please : He is wit's pedler; and retails his wares At wakes, and wassels, meetings, markets, fairs: And we that sell by gross, the Lord doth know, Have not the grace to grace it with such show. This gallant pins the wenches on his sleeve; Had he been Adam, he had tempted Eve: He can carve too, and lisp: Why, this is he, That kiss'd away his hand in courtesy ; This is the ape of form, monsieur the nice, That, when he plays at tables, chides the dice In honourable terms; nay, he can sing A mean most meanly ; and, in ushering, sense, the meaning is-Angels descending from clouds which concealed their beauties. TOLLET. To avale comes from the French aval, term de batelier. STEEVENS. [4] Waes heal, that is, be of health, was a salutation first used by the Lady Rowena to King Vortiger. Afterwards it became a custom in villages, on new year's eve and twelfth night, to carry a wassel or waissail bowl from house to house, which was presented with the Saxon words above mentioned. Hence in process of time wassel signified intemperance in drinking, and also a meeting for the purpose of festivity. MALONE [5 The mean in music is the tenor. So Bacon: "The treble cutteth the air so sharp, as it returneth too swift to make the sound equal; and therefore a mean or "tenor is the sweetest." STEEVENS. |