Arm. Anointed, I implore so much expense of thy royal sweet breath as will utter a brace of words. ARMADO converses with the KING, and delivers a paper to him. Prin. Doth this man serve God? Berowne. Why ask you? Prin. He speaks not like a man of God's making. Arm. That's all one, my fair, sweet, honey monarch; for, I protest, the schoolmaster is exceeding fantastical; too, too vain; too, too vain: but we will put it, as they say, to fortuna de la guerra. I wish you the peace of mind, most royal couplement ! Exit. 531 King. Here is like to be a good presence of Worthies. He presents Hector of Troy; the swain, Pompey the Great; the parish curate, Alexander; Armado's page, Hercules; the pedant, Judas Maccabæus. And if these four Worthies in their first show thrive, These four will change habits, and present the other five. By east, west, north, and south, I spread my conquering might: My scutcheon plain declares that I am Alisander,— Boyet. Your nose says, no, you are not; for it stands too right. Berowne. Your nose smells 'no,' in this, most tender-smelling knight. Prin. The conqueror is dismay'd. Proceed, good Alexander. Nath. When in the world I liv'd, I was the world's commander, Boyet. Most true; 'tis right: you were so, Berowne. Pompey the Great,- 570 Cost. To NATHANIEL. O sir, you have overthrown Alisander the conqueror. You will be scraped out of the painted cloth for this: your lion, that holds his poll-axe sitting on a closestool, will be given to Ajax: he will be the ninth Worthy. A conqueror, and afeard to speak! run away for shame, Alisander. NATHANIEL retires. There, an't shall please you: a foolish mild man; an honest man, look you, and soon dashed! He is a marvellous neighbour, faith, and a very good bowler; but, for Alisander,-alas! you see how 'tis ;-a little o'erparted. But there are Worthies a-coming will speak their mind in some other sort. Prin. Stand aside, good Pompey. Enter HOLOFERNES armed, for Judas, and MOTH armed, for Hercules. Hol. Great Hercules is presented by this imp, Whose club kill'd Cerberus, that three-headed canis: And, when he was a babe, a child, a shrimp, Thus did he strangle serpents in his manus. 590 Keep some state in thy exit, and vanish. Judas I am,—— Dum. A Judas! Hol. Not Iscariot, sir. Judas I am, ycleped Maccabæus. Berowne. Well follow'd: Judas was hang'd on sweet chucks, beat not the bones of the buried ; an elder. Hol. You have put me out of countenance. Berowne, False: we have given thee faces. Hol. But you have outfaced them all. 619 Berowne. An thou wert a lion, we would do so. Boyet. Therefore, as he is an ass, let him go. And so adieu, sweet Jude! nay, why dost thou stay? Dum. For the latter end of his name. Hol. This is not generous, not gentle, not humble. Boyet. A light for Monsieur Judas! it grows dark, he may stumble. HOLOFERNES retires. Prin. Alas! poor Maccabæus, how hath he been baited. Enter ARMADO armed, for Hector. Berowne. Hide thy head, Achilles here comes Hector in arms. : when he breathed, he was a man. But I will forward with my device. Sweet royalty, bestow on me the sense of hearing. 662 Prin. Speak, brave Hector; we are much delighted. Arm. I do adore thy sweet grace's slipper. Boyet. Aside to DUMAINE. Loves her by the foot. Dum. Aside to BOYET. He may not by the yard. Arm. This Hector far surmounted Hannibal,— Cost. The party is gone: fellow Hector, she is gone; she is two months on her way. Arm. What meanest thou? 670 Cost. Faith, unless you play the honest Troyan, the poor wench is cast away: she's quick; the child brags in her belly already: 'tis yours. Arm. Dost thou infamonize me among potentates? Thou shalt die. Cost. Then shall Hector be whipped for Jaquenetta that is quick by him, and hanged for Pompey that is dead by him. Dum. Most rare Pompey! 680 Berowne. Greater than great, great, great, great Pompey! Pompey the Huge! Dum. Hector trembles. Berowne. Pompey is moved. More Ates, more Ates stir them on! stir them on! Dum. Hector will challenge him. Berowne. Ay, if a' have no more man's blood in 's belly than will sup a flea. 689 Arm. By the north pole, I do challenge thee. Cost. I will not fight with a pole, like a northern man : I'll slash; I'll do it by the sword. I bepray you, let me borrow my arms again. Dum. Room for the incensed Worthies! Cost. I'll do it in my shirt. Dum. Most resolute Pompey! Moth. Master, let me take you a button-hole lower. Do you not see Pompey is uncasing for the combat? What mean you? you will lose your reputation. Arm. Gentlemen and soldiers, pardon me; I will not combat in my shirt. 701 Dum. You may not deny it; Pompey hath made the challenge. Arm. Sweet bloods, I both may and will. Berowne. What reason have you for 't? Arm. The naked truth of it is, I have no shirt. I go woolward for penance. Boyet. True, and it was enjoined him in Rome for want of linen; since when, I'll be sworn, he wore none but a dishclout of Jaquenetta's, and that a' wears next his heart for a favour. Enter Monsieur MARCADE, a Messenger. Mar. God save you, madam ! Prin. Welcome, Marcade, 711 But that thou interrupt'st our merriment. Arm. For mine own part, I breathe free breath. I have seen the day of wrong through the little hole of discretion, and I will right myself like a soldier. Exeunt Worthies. King. How fares your majesty? For all your fair endeavours; and entreat, But more devout than this in our respects Dum. Our letters, madam, show'd much more than jest. Long. So did our looks. Ros. We did not quote them so. King. Now, at the latest minute of the hour, Grant us your loves. 790 Prin. A time, methinks, too short To make a world-without-end bargain in. No, no, my lord, your grace is perjur'd much, Full of dear guiltiness; and therefore this : If for my love, as there is no such cause, 730 You will do aught, this shall you do for me: Your oath I will not trust; but go with speed To some forlorn and naked hermitage, Remote from all the pleasures of the world; There stay, until the twelve celestial signs Have brought about their annual reckoning. If this austere insociable life King. The extreme parts of time extremely forms 740 All causes to the purpose of his speed, 750 Berowne. Honest plain words best pierce the ear of grief; And by these badges understand the king. 760 Hath much deform'd us, fashioning our humours 769 810 For the remembrance of my father's death. Ros. You must be purged too, your sins are rack'd: You are attaint with faults and perjury; 821 Dum. But what to me, my love? but what to me? Kath. A wife? A beard, fair health, and honesty ; With three-fold love I wish you all these three. Dum. O shall I say I thank you, gentle wife? Kath. Not so, my lord. A twelvemonth and a day I'll mark no words that smooth-faced wooers say: Dum. I'll serve thee true and faithfully till then. At the twelvemonth's end I'll change my black gown for a faithful friend. Long. I'll stay with patience; but the time is long. Mar. The liker you; few taller are so young. Berowne. Studies my lady? mistress, look on me. Behold the window of my heart, mine eye, What humble suit attends thy answer there; Impose some service on me for thy love. Ros. Oft have I heard of you, my lord Berowne, 839 Before I saw you, and the world's large tongue It cannot be; it is impossible: Mirth cannot move a soul in agony. 850 Ros. Why, that's the way to choke a gibing spirit, Whose influence is begot of that loose grace Which shallow laughing hearers give to fools. A jest's prosperity lies in the ear 860 Of him that hears it, never in the tongue 900 910 920 Arm. The words of Mercury are harsh after the songs of Apollo. You, that way: we, this Exeunt. 932 way. ACT I. HERMIA, daughter to Egeus, in love with Lysander. HELENA, in love with Demetrius. OBERON, King of the Fairies. TITANIA, Queen of the Fairies. Мотн, MUSTARD-SEED, Fairies. Other Fairies attending their King and Queen. Attendants on Theseus and Hippolyta. SCENE.-Athens, and a Wood near it. SCENE I.-Athens. The Palace of THESEUS. Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE, and Attendants. The. Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour Draws on apace: four happy days bring in Another moon; but, O! methinks, how slow This old moon wanes; she lingers my desires, Like to a step-dame or a dowager Long withering out a young man's revenue. Four nights will quickly dream away the time; Go, Philostrate, Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rimes, Turn'd her obedience, which is due to me, 40 I beg the ancient privilege of Athens, As she is mine, I may dispose of her; 10 Which shall be either to this gentleman, Or to her death, according to our law Immediately provided in that case. The. What say you, Hermia? be advis'd, fair maid. The. Enter EGEUS, HERMIA, LYSANDER, and Ege. Happy be Theseus, our renowned duke! 21 Ege. Full of vexation come I, with complaint Against my child, my daughter Hermia. Stand forth, Demetrius. My noble lord, This man hath my consent to marry her. Stand forth, Lysander: and, my gracious duke, This man hath bewitch'd the bosom of my child: To you your father should be as a god; In himself he is; But in this kind, wanting your father's voice, The other must be held the worthier. 50 Her. I would my father look'd but with my eyes. The. Rather your eyes must with his judgment look. |