Biron. How low foever the matter, I hope in God for high words.

Long. A high hope for a low having; God grant us patience! (5)

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 ftile fhall give us caufe to climb in the merrinefs.

Coft. The matter is to me, Sir, as concerning Jaquenetta.

The manner of it is, I was taken with the manner.
Biron. In what manner?

Coft. In manner and form, following, Sir; all thofe three. I was feen with her in the Manor-house, fitting with her upon the form, and taken following her into the park; which, put together, is, in manner and form following. Now, Sir, for the manner: it is the manner of a man to fpeak to a woman; for the form, in fome form..

Biron. For the following, Sir?

Ceft. As it fhall follow in my correction; and God defend the right!

King. Will

you hear the letter with attention? Birin. As we would hear an oracle.

Coft. Such is the fimplicity of man to hearken after the flesh.

(5) A high hope for a low heaven;] A low beaven, fure, is a very intricate Matter to conceive. But our accurate Editors feem to obferve the Rule of Horace, whenever a moot Point flaggers them, dignus vindice nodus; and where they cannot overcome a Difficulty, they bring in Heaven to untie the Knot. As God grant us Patience immediately followed, they thought, Heaven of Confequence must be coupled with it. But, I dare warrant, I have retrieved the Poet's true Reading; and the Meaning is this. "Tho' you hope for "high Words, and fhould have them, it will be but a low Acqui"fition at beft." This our Poet calls a low Having and it is a Subftantive, which he ufes in feveral other Paffages.

""

King

G

Reat deputy, the welkin's vice-gerent, and fole reads. dominator of Navarre, my foul's earth's God, and body's foftring patron

Coft. Not a word of Coftard yet.

King. So it is

Coft. It may be fo; but if he fay it is fo, he is, in telling true, but fo.

King Peace

Coft. Be to me, and every man that dares not fight!
King. No words-

Coft. Of other men's fecrets, I befeech you.

King. So it is, Befieged with fable-coloured melancholy, I did commend the black oppreffing humour to the moft wholesome phyfick of thy health-giving air; and as I am a gentleman, betook myself to walk: The time, when? about the fixth hour, when beasts moft graze, birds beft peck, and men fit down to that nourishment which is call'd Jupper: Jo much for the time, when. Now for the ground, which which, I mean, I walkt upon; it is ycleped, thy park. Then for the place, where; where, I mean, I did encounter that obscene and most prepoftorous event, that draweth from my fnow-white pen the ebon-colour'd ink, which here thou vieweft, beholdeft, surveyeft, or feeft. But to the place where; It flandeth north north-east and by eaft from the west corner of thy curious-knotted garden. There did I fee that low-fpirited fwain, that bafe minow of thy mirth, (Coft. Me) that unletter'd small-knowing foul, (Coft. Me?) that fhallow vaffal, (Coft. Still me?) which, as I remember, hight Coftard; (Coft. O me!) forted and conforted, contrary to thy eftablished proclaimed edict and continent canon, with, with, •O'with,

but with this, I paffion 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-esteemed duty pricks me on) have fent to thee, to receive the meed of punishment, by thy fweet Grace's Officer, Anthony Dull, a man of good repute, carriage, bearing and eftimation.

Dully

Dull. Me, an't fhall please you: I am Anthony Dull. King. For Jaquenetta, ( is the weaker veffel call'd) which I apprehended with the aforefaid fwain, I keep ber as a vafal of thy law's fury, and shall at the leaft of thy fweet notice bring her to trial. Thine in all compliments of devoted and heart-burning heat of duty,

Don Adriano de Armado,

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

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

Coft. Sir, I confefs the wench.

King. Did you hear the proclamation?

Coft. I do confefs 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.

Coft. I was taken with none, Sir, I was taken with a damofel.

King. Well, it was proclaimed damofel.

Coff. This was no damofel neither, Sir, fhe was a virgin.

King. It is fo varied too, for it was proclaim'd virgin. Caft. If it were, I deny her virginity; I was taken with a maid.

King. This maid will not ferve your turn, Sir.
Coff. This maid will ferve my turn, Sir,

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

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

1

King. And Don Armado fhall be your keeper. My lord Biron, fee him deliver'd o'er.

And go we, lords, to put in practice that,

Which each to other hath fo ftrongly fworn. [Exe. Biron. I'll lay my head to any good man's hat, These oaths and laws will prove an idle fcorn.

Sirrah, come on.

Caft. I fuffer for the truth, Sir: for true it is, I was

taken

taken with Jaquenetta, and Jaquenetta is a true girl; and therefore welcome the four cup of profperity: affiction may one day fmile again, and until then, fit thee down, forrow.

Arm.

[Exeunt

SCENE changes to Armado's Houfe.

Enter Armado, and Moth.

"BOY, what fign is it, when a man of great fpirit grows melancholy?

Moth. A great fign, Sir, that he will look fad.

Arm. Why, fadness is one and the felf-fame thing, dear imp.

Moth. No, no; O Lord, Sir, no.

Arm. How can't thou part fadnefs and melancholy, my tender Juvenile ?

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

Arm. Why, tough Signior? why, tough Signior?

Moth. Why, tender Juvenile ? why, tender Juvenile ? Arm. Ifpoke it, tender Juvenile, as a congruent epithetor, 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, Sir, I pretty, and my faying apt? or I apt, and my faying pretty?

Arm. Thou pretty, becaufe little.

Moth. Little! pretty, becaufe little; wherefore apt?

Arm. And therefore apt, becaufe quick.

Moth. Speak you this in my praife, mafter?

Arm. In thy condign' praife.

Moth. I will praife an eel with the fame praife.

Arm. What? that an eel is ingenious.

Moth. That an eel is quick.

Arm. I do fay, thou art quick in anfwers. Thou,

heat'ft my blood..

Moth.

Moth. I am answer'd, Sir.

Arm. I love not to be croft.

Moth. He fpeaks the clean contrary, croffes love not him.

Arm. I have promis'd to study three years with the King.

Moth. You may do it in an hour, Sir.
Arm. Impoffible.

Moth. How many is one thrice told?

Arm. I am ill at reckoning, it fits the fpirit of a tapfter.

Moth. You are a gentleman and a gamefter.

Arm. I confefs both; they are both the varnish of a compleat man.

Moth. Then, I am fure, you know how much the grofs fum of deuce ace amounts to.

Arm. It doth amount to one more than two.

Moth. Which the bafe vulgar call, three.

Arm. True.

Meth. Why, Sir, is this fuch a piece of study? now here's three ftudied ere you'll thrice wink; and how eafy it is to put years to the word three, and study three years in two words, the dancing-horfe will tell you.

Arm. A moft fine figure...

Math. To prove you a cypher.

Arm. I will hereupon confefs, I am in love; and, as it is base for a foldier to love, fo I am in love with a bafe wench. If drawing my fword against the humour. of affection would deliver me from the reprobate thought of it, I would take Defire prifoner; and ranfom him to any French courtier for a new devis'd curt'fy. I think it fcorn to figh; methinks, I fhould out-fwear Cupid. Comfort me, boy; what great men have been

in love?

Moth. Hercules, mafter.

Arm. Moft fweet Hercules! More authority, dear boy, name more; and, fweet my child, let them be men of good repute and carriage.

Moth. Sampson, master; he was a man of good car