Biron. How low soever the matter, I hope in god for high words.

Long. A high hope for a low having: god grant us patience !
Biron. To hear, or forbear hearing?

Long. To hear meekly, sir, to laugh moderately, or to forbear both.

Biron. Well, sir, be it as the style shall give us cause.

Coft. The matter is to me, sir, as concerning Jaquenetta. The manner of it is, I was taken with the manor.

Biron. In what manner?

Coft. In manner, and form, following, sir; all those three. I was seen with her in the manor house, sitting with her upon the form, and taken following her into the park; which, put together, is, in manner and form following. Now, fir, for the manner : it is the manner of a man to speak to a woman; for the form, in some form.

Biron. For the following, sir?

Coft. As it shall follow in my correction; and god defend the
right!
King. Will you hear the letter with attention ?
Biron. As we would hear an oracle.

Coft. Such is the simplicity of man to hearken after the flesh. King AT deputy, the welkin's vicegerent, and fole reads. dominator of Navarre, my soul's earth’s god, and body's fostring patron –

Cost. Not a word of Costard yet.
King. So it is -

Coft. It may be so; but if he say it is so, he is, in telling true, but so, so.

King. Peace
Coff. Be to me, and every man that dares not fight!
King. No words -
Cost. Of other men's secrets, I beseech you.

King. So it is. Besieged with sable-coloured melancholy, I did commend the black oppressing humour to the most wholesome physick of

thy

to

thy health-giving air; and, as I am a gentleman, betook myself
walk : the time when? about the sixth hour, when beasts most grazė,
birds beft peck, and men sit down to that nourishment which is callid
supper: so much for the time when. Now for the ground which:
which; I mean, I walk'd upon; it is ycleped, thy park. Then for
the place where; where, I mean, I did encounter that obscene and
most preposterous event that draweth from my fnow-white pen the
ebon-colour'd ink, which here thou viewest, beholdeft, surveyest, or feeft.
But to the place where : it fandeth north north east and by east
from the west corner of thy curious knotted garden. There did I see
that lowspirited (wain, that base minnow of thy mirth,

Coft. Me.
King. That unletter'd small-knowing foul, -
Coft. Me.
King. That Mallow vassal, –
Cost. Still me.
King. Which, as I remember, hight Costard,
Coft. O me!

King. Sorted and conforted, contrary to thy established proclaimed ediet and continent canon, with --with-, with = but with this I passion to say wherewith :

Coft. With a wench.

King. With a child of our grandmother Eve, a female; or, for thy more understanding, a woman; him, I (as my ever esteem'd duty pricks me on) have sent to thee, to receive the meed of punishment by thy sweet grace's officer, Anthony Dull, a man of good repute, carriage, bearing, and estimation. Dull. Me, an't Thall please you: I am Anthony Dull

. King. For Jaquenetta (fo is the weaker vessel call d) which I apprehended with the aforesaid swain, I keep her as a vessel of thy law's fury; and shall, at the least of thy sweet notice, bring her to trial

. Thine, in all compliments of devoted and heart-burning beat of duty,

Don Adriano de Armado.

Biron. This is not so well as I look’d for, but the best that ever I heard.

King. Ay; the best for the worst. But, firrah, what say you to this?

Coft. Sir, I confess the wench.
King. Did you hear the proclamation ?

Coff. I do confess much of the hearing it, but little of the marking of it.

King. It was proclaim'd a year's imprisonment to be taken with a wench.

Coff. I was taken with none, fir; I was taken with a damosel.
King. Well, it was proclaim'd, damosel.
Cofl. This was no damosel neither, fir; she was a virgin.
King. It is so varied too; for it was proclaim’d, virgin.

Coft. If it were, I deny her virginity: I was taken with a
maid.
King. This maid will not serve your turn,

fir. Coft. This maid will serve my turn, fir.

King. Sir, I will pronounce sentence; you shall fast a week with bran and water.

Coff. I had rather pray a month with mutton and porridge.

King. And don Armado shall be your keeper. My lord Biron, see him deliver'd o'er, And go we, lords, to put in practice that

Which each to other hath so strongly sworn. [Exeunt.
Biron. I'll lay my head to any good man's hat,

These oaths and laws will prove an idle scorn.
Sirrah, come on.

Coft. I suffer for the truth, fir: for true it is, I was taken with Jaquenetta, and Jaquenetta is a true girl; and therefore, welcome the sour cup of prosperity! affliion may one day smile again; and until then fit thee down, sorrow.

[Exeunt.

Armado's house.

Enter Armado, and Moth.
Arm. OY, what sign is it when a man of great spirit grows

Moth. A great sign, sir, that he will look fad.
Arm. Why, sadness is one and the selfsame thing, dear imp.
Moth. No, no; o lord, sir, no.

Arm. How canst thou part sadness and melancholy, my tender juvenile?

Moth. By a familiar demonstration of the working, my tough fignior.

Arm. Why tough signior ? why tough signior?
Moth. Why tender juvenile? why tender juvenile?

Arm. I spoke it, tender juvenile, as a congruent epitheton, appertaining to thy young days, which we may nominate, tender.

Moth. And I, tough signior, as an appertinent title to your old time, which we may name, tough.

Arm. Pretty, and apt.

Moth. How mean you, fir? I pretty, and my saying apt? or
I apt, and my faying pretty?

Arm. Thou pretty, because little.
Moth. Little pretty, because little; wherefore apt?
Arm. And therefore apt, because quick.
Moth. Speak you this in my praise, master ?
Arm. In thy condign praise.
Moth. I will praise an eel with the same praise.
Arm. What? that an eel is ingenious ?
Moth. That an eel is quick.

Arm. I do say, thou art quick in answers. Thou heat'st my
blood.
Moth. I am answer'd, fir.

Arm. I love not to be cross’d.
Moth. He speaks contrary, crosses · love not him. [afide.
Arm. I have promis’d to study three years with the king.
Moth. You may do it in an hour, fir.
Arm. Impoflible.
Moth. How many is one thrice told ?
Arm. I am ill at reckoning, it fits the spirit of a tapster.
Moth. You are a gentleman, and a gamester.
Arm. Iconfess both, they are both the varnish of a complete man.
Moth. Then, I am sure, you know how much the gross sum
of deuce-ace amounts to.

Arm. It doth amount to one more than two.
Moth. Which the base vulgar call, three.
Arm. True.

Moth. Why, fir, is this such a piece of study? now here's three studied ere you'll thrice wink; and how easy it is to put years to the word three, and study three years in two words, the dancing-horse will tell you.

Arm. A moft fine figure !
Moth. To prove you a cipher.

[afide. Arm. I will hereupon confess, I am in love; and as it is base for a soldier to love, so am I in love with a base wench. If drawing my sword against the humour of affection would deliver me from the reprobate thought of it, I would take desire prisoner, and ransome him to any French courtier for a new devis'd court'sy. I think it scorn to figh; methinks, I should outswear Cupid. Comfort me, boy: what great men have been in love?

Moth. Hercules, master.

Arm. Most sweet Hercules! More authority, dear boy, name more: and, sweet my child, let them be men of good repute and carriage.

Moth. Sampson, master; he was a man of good carriage, great
carriage ; for he carried the town-gates on his back like a porter;
and he was in love.
Arm. O wellknit Sampson! strongjointed Sampson! I do

Meaning, money.
Vol. II.

N

excel