outswear Cupid. Comfort, me, boy: what great men
have been in love?
MOTH Hercules, master.
ADRIANO DE ARMADO Most sweet Hercules! More authority, dear boy, name
more; and, sweet my child, let them be men of good
repute and carriage.
MOTH Samson, 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.
ADRIANO DE ARMADO O well-knit Samson! strong-jointed Samson! I do
excel thee in my rapier as much as thou didst me in
carrying gates. I am in love too. Who was Samson’s
love, my dear Moth?
MOTH A woman, master.
ADRIANO DE ARMADO Of what complexion?
MOTH Of all the four, or the three, or the two, or one of the four.
ADRIANO DE ARMADO Tell me precisely of what complexion.
MOTH Of the sea-water green, sir.
ADRIANO DE ARMADO Is that one of the four complexions?
MOTH As I have read, sir; and the best of them too.
ADRIANO DE ARMADO Green indeed is the colour of lovers; but to have a
love of that colour, methinks Samson had small reason
for it. He surely affected her for her wit.
MOTH It was so, sir; for she had a green wit.
ADRIANO DE ARMADO My love is most immaculate white and red.
MOTH Most maculate thoughts, master, are masked under
such colours.
ADRIANO DE ARMADO Define, define, well-educated infant.
MOTH My father’s wit and my mother’s tongue, assist me!
ADRIANO DE ARMADO Sweet invocation of a child; most pretty and
pathetical!
MOTH If she be made of white and red,
Her faults will ne’er be known,
For blushing cheeks by faults are bred
And fears by pale white shown:
Then if she fear, or be to blame,
By this you shall not know,
For still her cheeks possess the same
Which native she doth owe.
A dangerous rhyme, master, against the reason of
white and red.
ADRIANO DE ARMADO Is there not a ballad, boy, of the King and the Beggar?
MOTH The world was very guilty of such a ballad some
three ages since: but I think now ’tis not to be
found; or, if it were, it would neither serve for
the writing nor the tune.
ADRIANO DE ARMADO I will have that subject newly writ o’er, that I may
example my digression by some mighty precedent.
Boy, I do love that country girl that I took in the
park with the rational hind Costard: she deserves well.
MOTH [Aside]
To be whipped; and yet a better love than
my master.
ADRIANO DE ARMADO Sing, boy; my spirit grows heavy in love.
MOTH And that’s great marvel, loving a light wench.
ADRIANO DE ARMADO I say, sing.
MOTH Forbear till this company be past.
Enter DULL, COSTARD, and JAQUENETTA
DULL Sir, the duke’s pleasure is, that you keep Costard
safe: and you must suffer him to take no delight
nor no penance; but a’ must fast three days a week.
For this damsel, I must keep her at the park: she
is allowed for the day-woman. Fare you well.
ADRIANO DE ARMADO I do betray myself with blushing. Maid!
JAQUENETTA Man?
ADRIANO DE ARMADO I will visit thee at the lodge.
JAQUENETTA That’s hereby.
ADRIANO DE ARMADO I know where it is situate.
JAQUENETTA Lord, how wise you are!
ADRIANO DE ARMADO I will tell thee wonders.
JAQUENETTA With that face?
ADRIANO DE ARMADO I love thee.
JAQUENETTA So I heard you say.
ADRIANO DE ARMADO And so, farewell.
JAQUENETTA Fair weather after you!
DULL Come, Jaquenetta, away!
Exeunt DULL and JAQUENETTA
ADRIANO DE ARMADO Villain, thou shalt fast for thy offences ere thou
be pardoned.
COSTARD Well, sir, I hope, when I do it, I shall do it on a
full stomach.
ADRIANO DE ARMADO Thou shalt be heavily punished.
COSTARD I am more bound to you than your fellows, for they
are but lightly rewarded.
ADRIANO DE ARMADO Take away this villain; shut him up.
MOTH Come, you transgressing slave; away!
COSTARD Let me not be pent up, sir: I will fast, being loose.
MOTH No, sir; that were fast and loose: thou shalt to prison.
COSTARD Well, if ever I do see the merry days of desolation
that I have seen, some shall see.
MOTH What shall some see?
COSTARD Nay, nothing, Master Moth, but what they look upon.
It is not for prisoners to be too silent in their
words; and therefore I will say nothing: I thank
God I have as little patience as another man; and
therefore I can be quiet.
Exeunt MOTH and COSTARD
ADRIANO DE ARMADO I do affect the very ground, which is base, where
her shoe, which is baser, guided by her foot, which
is basest, doth tread. I shall be forsworn, which
is a great argument of falsehood, if I love. And
how can that be true love which is falsely
attempted? Love is a familiar; Love is a devil:
there is no evil angel but Love. Yet was Samson so
tempted, and he had an excellent strength; yet was
Solomon so seduced, and he had a very good wit.
Cupid’s butt-shaft is too hard for Hercules’ club;
and therefore too much odds for a Spaniard’s rapier.
The first and second cause will not serve my turn;
the passado he respects not, the duello he regards
not: his disgrace is to be called boy; but his
glory is to subdue men. Adieu, valour! rust rapier!
be still, drum! for your manager is in love; yea,
he loveth. Assist me, some extemporal god of rhyme,
for I am sure I shall turn sonnet. Devise, wit;
write, pen; for I am for whole volumes in folio.
Exit
Act 2
Scene 1
The same.
Enter the PRINCESS of France, ROSALINE, MARIA, KATHARINE, BOYET, Lords, and other Attendants
BOYET Now, madam, summon up your dearest spirits:
Consider who the king your father sends,
To whom he sends, and what’s his embassy:
Yourself, held precious in the world’s esteem,
To parley with the sole inheritor
Of all perfections that a man may owe,
Matchless Navarre; the plea of no less weight
Than Aquitaine, a dowry for a queen.
Be now as prodigal of all dear grace
As Nature was in making graces dear
When she did starve the general world beside
And prodigally gave them all to you.
PRINCESS Good Lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean,
Needs not the painted flourish of your praise:
Beauty is bought by judgement of the eye,
Not utter’d by base sale of chapmen’s tongues:
I am less proud to hear you tell my worth
Than you much willing to be counted wise
In spending your wit in the praise of mine.
But now to task the tasker: good Boyet,
You are not ignorant, all-telling fame
Doth noise abroad, Navarre hath made a vow,
Till painful study shall outwear three years,
No woman may approach his silent court:
Therefore to’s seemeth it a needful course,
Before we enter his forbidden gates,
To know his pleasure; and in that behalf,
Bold of your worthiness, we single you
As our best-moving fair solicitor.
Tell him, the daughter of the King of France,
On serious business, craving quick dispatch,
Importunes personal conference with his grace:
Haste, signify so much; while we attend,
Like humble-visaged suitors, his high will.
BOYET Proud of employment, willingly I go.
PRINCESS All pride is willing pride, and yours is so.
Exit BOYET
Who are the votaries, my loving lords,
That are vow-fellows with this virtuous duke?
First Lord Lord Longaville is one.
PRINCESS Know you the man?
MARIA I know him, madam: at a marriage-feast,
Between Lord Perigort and the beauteous heir
Of Jaques Falconbridge, solemnized
In Normandy, saw I this Longaville:
A man of sovereign parts he is esteem’d;
Well fitted in arts, glorious in arms:
Nothing becomes him ill that he would well.
The only soil of his fair virtue’s gloss,
If virtue’s gloss will stain with any soil,
Is a sharp wit matched with too blunt a will;
Whose edge hath power to cut, whose will still wills
It should none spare that come within his power.
PRINCESS Some merry mocking lord, belike; is’t so?
MARIA They say so most that most his humours know.
PRINCESS Such short-lived wits do wither as they grow.
Who are the rest?
KATHARINE The young Dumain, a well-accomplished youth,
Of all that virtue love for virtue loved:
Most power to do most harm, least knowing ill;
For he hath wit to make an ill shape good,
And shape to win grace though he had no wit.
I saw him at the Duke Alencon’s once;
And much too little of that good I saw
Is my report to his great worthiness.
ROSALINE Another of these students at that time
Was there with him, if I have heard a truth.
Biron they call him; but a merrier man,
Within the limit of becoming mirth,
I never spent an hour’s talk withal: