Jaq. Ay, sir, from one monsieur Biron, one of the strange queen's lords.

Hol. I will overglance the superscript. To the snowwhite hand of the most beauteous Lady Rosaline. I will look again on the intellect of the letter, for the nomination of the party writing to the person written unto :

Your Ladyship's in all desired employment, BIRON. Sir Nathaniel, this Biron is one of the votaries with the king; and here he hath framed a letter to a sequent of the stranger queen's, which, accidentally, or by the way of progression, hath miscarried.—Trip and go, my sweet; deliver this paper into the royal hand of the king; it may concern much: Stay not thy compliment; I forgive thy duty; adieu.

Jaq. Good Costard, go with me.-Sir, God save your life!

Cost. Have with thee, my girl. [Exeunt COST. and JAQ. Nath. Sir, you have done this in the fear of God, very religiously; and, as a certain father saith

Hal. Sir, tell not me of the father, I do fear colourable colours. But, to return to the verses; Did they please you, sir Nathaniel?

Nath. Marvellous well for the pen.

Hol. I do dine to-day at the father's of a certain pupil of mine; where if, before repast, it shall please you to gratify the table with a grace, I will, on my privilege I have with the parents of the foresaid child or pupil, undertake your ben venuto; where I will prove those verses to be very unlearned, neither savouring of poetry, wit, nor invention: I beseech your society.

Nath. And thank you too: for society, (saith the text,) is the happiness of life.

Hol. And, certes," the text most infallibly concludes it. -Sir, [to DULL,] I do invite you too; you shall not say

e Ay, sir, from one monsieur Biron,] Shakspeare forgot himself in this passage. Jaquenetta knew nothing of Biron, and had said, just before, that the letter had been " sent to her from Don Armatho, and given to her by Costard." -M. MASON.

f. colourable colours.] i. e. Specious or fair-seeming appearances.--JOHNSON.

certes,] i. e. Certainly, in truth.-STEEVENS.

me, nay: pauca verba. Away; the gentles are at their game, and we will to our recreation.

SCENE III.

Another part of the same.

Enter BIRON, with a paper.

[Exeunt.

Biron. The king he is hunting the deer; I am coursing myself: they have pitch'd a toil; I am toiling in a pitch;" pitch that defiles; defile! a foul word. Well, Set thee down, sorrow! for so they say, the fool said, and so say I, and I the fool. Well proved, wit! By the Lord, this love is as mad as Ajax: it kills sheep; it kills me, I a sheep: Well proved again on my side! I will not love: if I do, hang me; i'faith, I will not. O, but her eye,—by this light, but for her eye, I would not love her; yes, for her two eyes. Well, I do nothing in the world but lie, and lie in my throat. By heaven, I do love: and it hath taught me to rhyme, and to be melancholy; and here is part of my rhyme, and here my melancholy. Well, she hath one o' my sonnets already; the clown bore it, the fool sent it, and the lady hath it: sweet clown, sweeter fool, sweetest lady! By the world, I would not care a pin if the other three were in : Here comes one with a paper; God give him grace to groan! [Gets up into a tree.

Enter the King, with a paper.

King. Ah me!

Biron [aside.] Shot, by heaven!-Proceed, sweet Cupid; thou hast thump'd him with thy bird-bolt under the left pap:-I'faith secrets.

King [reads.] So sweet a kiss the golden sun gives not
To those fresh morning drops upon the rose,

As thy eye-beams, when their fresh rays have smote
The night of dew that on my cheeks down flows:

h I am toiling in a pitch ;] Alluding to lady Rosaline's complexion, who is through the whole play represented as a black beauty.―JOHNSON.

The night of dew that on my cheeks down flows:] He means, the dew that nightly flows down his cheeks.-STEEVENS.

Nor shines the silver moon one half so bright

Through the transparent bosom of the deep,
As doth thy face through tears of mine give light;
Thou shin'st in every tear that I do weep:
No drop but as a coach doth carry thee,

So ridest thou triumphing in my woe;
Do but behold the tears that swell in me,

And they thy glory through my grief will show :
But do not love thyself; then thou wilt keep
My tears for glasses, and still make me weep.
0 queen of queens, how far dost thou excel!
No thought can think, nor tongue of mortal tell.—
How shall she know my griefs? I'll drop the paper;
Sweet leaves, shade folly. Who is he comes here?

Enter LONGAVILLE, with a paper.

[Steps aside.

What, Longaville! and reading! listen, ear.
Biron. Now, in thy likeness, one more fool appear!

Long. Ah me! I am forsworn.

[Aside.

Biron. Why, he comes in like a perjure, wearing pa

pers.

[Aside.

King. In love, I hope; Sweet fellowship in shame!

[Aside.

Biron. One drunkard loves another of the name. [Aside.
Long. Am I the first that have been perjur'd so?
Biron [aside.] I could put thee in comfort; not by two,
that I know:

Thou mak'st the triumviry, the corner cap of society,
The shape of Love's Tyburn that hangs up simplicity.
Long. I fear, these stubborn lines lack power to move:
O sweet Maria, empress of my love!

These numbers will I tear, and write in prose.

Biron [aside.] O, rhymes are guards on wanton Cupid's hose :

Disfigure not his slop.'

k he comes in like a perjure,] The punishment of perjury is to wear on the breast a paper expressing the crime.-JOHNSON.

Disfigure not his slop.] suppose this alludes to the usual tawdry dress of Cupid, when he appeared on the stage.-FARMER.