The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 2 of 9]

by William Shakespeare

ACT IV.

[000] Scene I. The same.

LLL IV. 1 Enter the Princess, and her train, a Forester, Boyet, Rosaline, Maria, and Katharine.

Prin. Was that the king, that spurred his horse so hard

[002] Against the steep uprising of the hill?

[003] Boyet. I know not; but I think it was not he.

Prin. Whoe’er a’ was, a’ showed a mounting mind.

005 Well, lords, to-day we shall have our dispatch:

[006] On Saturday we will return to France.

Then, forester, my friend, where is the bush

That we must stand and play the murderer in?

[009] For. Hereby, upon the edge of yonder coppice;

010 A stand where you may make the fairest shoot.

[011] Prin. I thank my beauty, I am fair that shoot,

And thereupon thou speak’st the fairest shoot.

[013] For. Pardon me, madam, for I meant not so.

[014] Prin. What, what? first praise me, and again say no?

015 O short-lived pride! Not fair? alack for woe!

For. Yes, madam, fair.

Prin.

Nay, never paint me now:

Where fair is not, praise cannot mend the brow.

Here, good my glass, take this for telling true:

Fair payment for foul words is more than due.

020 For. Nothing but fair is that which you inherit.

Prin. See, see, my beauty will be saved by merit!

[022] O heresy in fair, fit for these days!

[023] A giving hand, though foul, shall have fair praise.

But come, the bow: now mercy goes to kill,

025 And shooting well is then accounted ill.

Thus will I save my credit in the shoot:

[027] Not wounding, pity would not let me do’t;

If wounding, then it was to show my skill,

That more for praise than purpose meant to kill.

030 And, out of question, so it is sometimes,

Glory grows guilty of detested crimes,

[032] When, for fame’s sake, for praise, an outward part,

We bend to that the working of the heart;

As I for praise alone now seek to spill

[035] The poor deer’s blood, that my heart means no ill.

Boyet. Do not curst wives hold that self-sovereignty

Only for praise sake, when they strive to be

Lords o’er their lords?

Prin. Only for praise: and praise we may afford

[040] To any lady that subdues a lord.

Boyet. Here comes a member of the commonwealth.

Enter Costard.

[042] Cost. God dig-you-den all! Pray you, which is the head lady?

045 Prin. Thou shalt know her, fellow, by the rest that have no heads.

Cost. Which is the greatest lady, the highest?

Prin. The thickest and the tallest.

Cost. The thickest and the tallest! it is so; truth is truth.

[049] An your waist, mistress, were as slender as my wit,

050 One o’ these maids’ girdles for your waist should be fit.

Are not you the chief woman? you are the thickest here.

Prin. What’s your will, sir? what’s your will?

Cost. I have a letter from Monsieur Biron to one Lady Rosaline.

Prin. O, thy letter, thy letter! he’s a good friend of mine:

055 Stand aside, good bearer. Boyet, you can carve;

Break up this capon.

Boyet.

I am bound to serve.

This letter is mistook, it importeth none here;

It is writ to Jaquenetta.

Prin.

We will read it, I swear.

Break the neck of the wax, and every one give ear.

060 Boyet [reads]. By heaven, that thou art fair, is most infallible; true, that thou art beauteous; truth itself, that thou art lovely. More fairer than fair, beautiful than beauteous, truer than truth itself, have commiseration on thy heroical vassal! The magnanimous and most [064] illustrate king Cophetua set eye upon the pernicious and indubitate [065] beggar Zenelophon; and he it was that might rightly say, Veni, vidi, [066] vici; which to annothanize in the vulgar,—O base and obscure [067] vulgar!—videlicet, He came, saw, and overcame: he came, one; saw, [068] two; overcame, three. Who came? the king: why did he come? to see: why did he see? to overcome: to whom came he? to the beggar: [070] what saw he? the beggar: who overcame he? the beggar. The conclusion [071] is victory: on whose side? the king’s. The captive is enriched: on whose side? the beggar’s. The catastrophe is a nuptial: on whose side? the king’s: no, on both in one, or one in both. I am the king; for so stands the comparison: thou the beggar; for so witnesseth 075 thy lowliness. Shall I command thy love? I may: shall I enforce thy love? I could: shall I entreat thy love? I will. What shalt thou exchange for rags? robes; for tittles? titles; for thyself? me. Thus, expecting thy reply, I profane my lips on thy foot, my eyes on thy picture, and my heart on thy every part. Thine, in the [080] dearest design of industry,Don Adriano de Armado.

Thus dost thou hear the Nemean lion roar

’Gainst thee, thou lamb, that standest as his prey.

Submissive fall his princely feet before,

And he from forage will incline to play:

085 But if thou strive, poor soul, what art thou then?

Food for his rage, repasture for his den.

[087] Prin. What plume of feathers is he that indited this letter?

What vane? what weathercock? did you ever hear better?

Boyet. I am much deceived but I remember the style.

090 Prin. Else your memory is bad, going o’er it erewhile.

Boyet. This Armado is a Spaniard, that keeps here in court;

[092] A phantasime, a Monarcho, and one that makes sport

To the prince and his bookmates.

Prin.

Thou fellow, a word:

Who gave thee this letter?

Cost.

I told you; my lord.

Prin. To whom shouldst thou give it?

Cost.

095 From my lord to my lady.

Prin. From which lord to which lady?

Cost. From my lord Biron, a good master of mine,

To a lady of France that he call’d Rosaline.

[099] Prin. Thou hast mistaken his letter. Come, lords, away.

[100] [To Ros.] Here, sweet, put up this: ’twill be thine another [Exeunt Princess and train.

[101] Boyet. Who is the suitor? who is the suitor?

Ros.

Shall I teach you to know?

Boyet. Ay, my continent of beauty.

Ros.

Why, she that bears the bow.

Finely put off!

Boyet. My lady goes to kill horns; but, if thou marry,

105 Hang me by the neck, if horns that year miscarry.

Finely put on!

Ros. Well, then, I am the shooter.

Boyet.

And who is your deer?

[108] Ros. If we choose by the horns, yourself come not near.

Finely put on, indeed!

110 Mar. You still wrangle with her, Boyet, and she strikes at the brow.

Boyet. But she herself is hit lower: have I hit her now?

Ros. Shall I come upon thee with an old saying, that was a man when King Pepin of France was a little boy, as touching the hit it?

115 Boyet. So I may answer thee with one as old, that was a woman when Queen Guinover of Britain was a little wench, as touching the hit it.

Ros.

Thou canst not hit it, hit it, hit it,

[119] Thou canst not hit it, my good man.

Boyet.

[120] An I cannot, cannot, cannot,

[121] An I cannot, another can. [Exeunt Ros. and Kath.

Cost. By my troth, most pleasant: how both did fit it!

[123] Mar. A mark marvellous well shot, for they both did hit it.

Boyet. A mark! O, mark but that mark! A mark, says my lady!

125 Let the mark have a prick in’t, to mete at, if it may be.

Mar. Wide o’ the bow-hand! i’ faith, your hand is out.

Cost. Indeed, a’ must shoot nearer, or he’ll ne’er hit the clout.

Boyet. An if my hand be out, then belike your hand is in.

[129] Cost. Then will she get the upshoot by cleaving the pin.

130 Mar. Come, come, you talk greasily; your lips grow foul.

Cost. She’s too hard for you at pricks, sir: challenge her to bowl.

Boyet. I fear too much rubbing. Good night, my good owl. [Exeunt Boyet and Maria.

Cost. By my soul, a swain! a most simple clown!

Lord, Lord, how the ladies and I have put him down!

135 O’ my troth, most sweet jests! most incony vulgar wit!

When it comes so smoothly off, so obscenely, as it were, so fit.

[137] Armado o’ th’ one side,—O, a most dainty man!

To see him walk before a lady and to bear her fan!

[139] To see him kiss his hand! and how most sweetly a’ will swear!

[140] And his page o’ t’ other side, that handful of wit!

[141] Ah, heavens, it is a most pathetical nit!

[142] Sola, sola! [Shout-within. [Exit Costard, running.

Scene II. The same.

LLL IV. 2 Enter Holofernes, Sir Nathaniel, and Dull.

Nath. Very reverend sport, truly; and done in the testimony of a good conscience.

[003] Hol. The deer was, as you know, sanguis, in blood; ripe [004] as the pomewater, who now hangeth like a jewel in the ear 005 of caelo, the sky, the welkin, the heaven; and anon falleth like a crab on the face of terra, the soil, the land, the earth.

Nath. Truly, Master Holofernes, the epithets are sweetly varied, like a scholar at the least: but, sir, I assure ye, it was a buck of the first head.

010 Hol. Sir Nathaniel, haud credo.

Dull. ’Twas not a haud credo; ’twas a pricket.

Hol. Most barbarous intimation! yet a kind of insinuation, as it were, in via, in way, of explication; facere, as it were, replication, or, rather, ostentare, to show, as it were, 015 his inclination, after his undressed, unpolished, uneducated, unpruned, untrained, or, rather, unlettered, or, ratherest, unconfirmed fashion, to insert again my haud credo for a deer.

Dull. I said the deer was not a haud credo; ’twas a pricket.

020 Hol. Twice-sod simplicity, bis coctus!

O thou monster Ignorance, how deformed dost thou look!

Nath. Sir, he hath never fed of the dainties that are bred in a book;

he hath not eat paper, as it were; he hath not drunk ink:

[024] his intellect is not replenished; he is only an animal, only

025 sensible in the duller parts:

[026] And such barren plants are set before us, that we thankful should be,

Which we of taste and feeling are, for those parts that do [027] fructify in us more than he.

[028] For as it would ill become me to be vain, indiscreet, or a fool,

[029] So were there a patch set on learning, to see him in a school:

030 But omne bene, say I; being of an old father’s mind,

Many can brook the weather that love not the wind.

[032] Dull. You two are book-men: can you tell me by your wit

What was a month old at Cain’s birth, that’s not five weeks old as yet?

[034] Hol. Dictynna, goodman Dull; Dictynna, goodman Dull.

[035] Dull. What is Dictynna?

[036] Nath. A title to Phœbe, to Luna, to the moon.

Hol. The moon was a month old when Adam was no more,

[038] And raught not to five weeks when he came to five-score.

The allusion holds in the exchange.

040 Dull. ’Tis true indeed; the collusion holds in the exchange.

Hol. God comfort thy capacity! I say, the allusion holds in the exchange.

[044] Dull. And I say, the pollusion holds in the exchange; 045 for the moon is never but a month old: and I say beside that, ’twas a pricket that the princess killed.

[047] Hol. Sir Nathaniel, will you hear an extemporal epitaph [048] on the death of the deer? And, to humour the ignorant, [049] call I the deer the princess killed a pricket.

050 Nath. Perge, good Master Holofernes, perge; so it [051] shall please you to abrogate scurrility.

Hol. I will something affect the letter, for it argues facility.

[054] The preyful princess pierced and prickd a pretty pleasing pricket;

055 Some say a sore; but not a sore, till now made sore with shooting.

[056] The dogs did yell: put L to sore, then sorel jumps from thicket;

Or pricket sore, or else sorel; the people fall a-hooting.

[058] If sore be sore, then L to sore makes fifty sores one sorel.

Of one sore I an hundred make by adding but one more L.

060 Nath. A rare talent!

Dull. [Aside] If a talent be a claw, look how he claws him with a talent.

[063] Hol. This is a gift that I have, simple, simple; a foolish extravagant spirit, full of forms, figures, shapes, objects, 065 ideas, apprehensions, motions, revolutions: these are begot in the ventricle of memory, nourished in the womb of [066] pia mater, and delivered upon the mellowing of occasion. But [068] the gift is good in those in whom it is acute, and I am thankful for it.

[070] Nath. Sir, I praise the Lord for you: and so may my parishioners; for their sons are well tutored by you, and their daughters profit very greatly under you: you are a good member of the commonwealth.

[074] Hol. Mehercle, if their sons be ingenuous, they shall 075 want no instruction; if their daughters be capable, I will [076] put it to them: but vir sapit qui pauca loquitur; a soul feminine saluteth us.

Enter Jaquenetta and Costard.

[078] Jaq. God give you good morrow, master Parson.

[079] Hol. Master Parson, quasi pers-on. An if one 080 should be pierced, which is the one?

[081] Cost. Marry, master schoolmaster, he that is likest to a hogshead.

[083] Hol. Piercing a hogshead! a good lustre of conceit in a turf of earth; fire enough for a flint, pearl enough for a 085 swine: ’tis pretty; it is well.

[086] Jaq. Good master Parson, be so good as read me this letter: it was given me by Costard, and sent me from Don Armado: I beseech you, read it.

[089] Hol. Fauste, precor gelida quando pecus omne sub 090 umbra Ruminat,—and so forth. Ah, good old Mantuan! I may speak of thee as the traveller doth of Venice;

[092] Venetia, Venetia,

Chi non ti vede non ti pretia.

Old Mantuan, old Mantuan! who understandeth thee not, [095] loves thee not. Ut, re, sol, la, mi, fa. Under pardon, sir, what are the contents? or rather, as Horace says in his— What, my soul, verses?

Nath. Ay, sir, and very learned.

[099] Hol. Let me hear a staff, a stanze, a verse; lege, domine.

Nath. [reads]

100 If love make me forsworn, how shall I swear to love?

[101] Ah, never faith could hold, if not to beauty vow’d!

[102] Though to myself forsworn, to thee I’ll faithful prove;

[103] Those thoughts to me were oaks, to thee like osiers bow’d.

Study his bias leaves, and makes his book thine eyes,

[105] Where all those pleasures live that art would comprehend:

If knowledge be the mark, to know thee shall suffice;

Well learned is that tongue that well can thee commend;

All ignorant that soul that sees thee without wonder;

Which is to me some praise that I thy parts admire:

[110] Thy eye Jove’s lightning bears, thy voice his dreadful thunder,

Which, not to anger bent, is music and sweet fire.

[112] Celestial as thou art, O, pardon love this wrong,

[113] That sings heaven’s praise with such an earthly tongue.

Hol. You find not the apostrophas, and so miss the [115] accent: let me supervise the canzonet. Here are only numbers ratified; but, for the elegancy, facility, and golden [117] cadence of poesy, caret. Ovidius Naso was the man: and why, indeed, Naso, but for smelling out the odoriferous [119] flowers of fancy, the jerks of invention? Imitari is nothing: [120] so doth the hound his master, the ape his keeper, the tired horse his rider. But, damosella virgin, was this directed to you?

Jaq. Ay, sir, from one Monsieur Biron, one of the [123] strange queen’s lords.

[125] Hol. I will overglance the superscript: ‘To the snow-white hand of the most beauteous Lady Rosaline.’ I will look again on the intellect of the letter, for the nomination of [128] the party writing to the person written unto: ‘Your ladyship’s [129] in all desired employment, Biron.’ Sir Nathaniel, this 130 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. [133] Trip and go, my sweet; deliver this paper into the royal hand of the king: it may concern much. Stay not thy 135 compliment; I forgive thy duty: adieu.

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

[137] 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,—

140 Hol. 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 [145] of mine; where, if, before repast, it shall please you to gratify the table with a grace, I will, on my privilege I [147] have with the parents of the foresaid child or pupil, undertake [148] your ben venuto; where I will prove those verses to be very unlearned, neither savouring of poetry, wit, nor 150 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. [To Dull] Sir, I do invite you too; you shall not say 155 me nay: pauca verba. Away! the gentles are at their game, and we will to our recreation. [Exeunt.

[000] Scene III. The same.

LLL IV. 3 Enter Biron, with a paper.

[001] Biron. The king he is hunting the deer; I am coursing [002] myself: they have pitched a toil; I am toiling in a pitch,— [003] 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 [005] as mad as Ajax: it kills sheep; it kills me, I a sheep: well [006] proved again o’ 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 [009] her eye, I would not love her; yes, for her two eyes. Well, 010 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 [012] 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 015 clown, sweeter fool, sweetest lady! By the world, I would not care a pin, if the other three were in. Here comes one [017] with a paper: God give him grace to groan! [Stands aside.

Enter the King, with a paper.

King. Ay me!

Biron. [Aside] Shot, by heaven! Proceed, sweet Cupid: 020 thou hast thumped him with thy bird-bolt under the left pap. In faith, secrets!

King [reads].

So sweet a kiss the golden sun gives not

To those fresh morning drops upon the rose,

[024] As thy eye-beams, when their fresh rays have smote

[025] The night of dew that on my cheeks down flows:

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 shinest in every tear that I do weep:

030 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:

[034] But do not love thyself; then thou wilt keep

035 My tears for glasses, and still make me weep.

[036] O 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? [Steps aside.

040 What, Longaville! and reading! Listen, ear.

Biron. Now, in thy likeness, one more fool appear!

Enter Longaville, with a paper.

Long. Ay me, I am forsworn!

[043] Biron. Why, he comes in like a perjure, wearing papers.

045 King. In love, I hope: sweet fellowship in shame!

Biron. One drunkard loves another of the name.

Long. Am I the first that have been perjured so?

Biron. I could put thee in comfort. Not by two that I know:

[049] Thou makest the triumviry, the corner-cap of society.

050 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. O, rhymes are guards on wanton Cupid’s hose:

[055] Disfigure not his slop.

Long.

This same shall go. [Reads.

Did not the heavenly rhetoric of thine eye,

[057] ’Gainst whom the world cannot hold argument,

Persuade my heart to this false perjury?

Vows for thee broke deserve not [059] punishment.

060 A woman I forswore; but I will prove,

Thou being a goddess, I forswore not thee:

My vow was earthly, thou a heavenly [062] love;

Thy grace being gain’d cures all disgrace in me.

Vows are but breath, and breath a vapour [064] is:

Then thou, fair sun, which on my earth dost [065] shine,

Exhalest this vapour-vow; in thee it [066] is:

If broken then, it is no fault of [067] mine:

If by me broke, what fool is not so wise

[069] To lose an oath to win a paradise?

070 Biron. This is the liver-vein, which makes flesh a deity,

[071] A green goose a goddess: pure, pure idolatry.

[072] God amend us, God amend! we are much out o’ the way.

Long. By whom shall I send this?—Company! stay. [Steps aside.

Biron. All hid, all hid, an old infant play.

075 Like a demigod here sit I in the sky,

[076] And wretched fools’ secrets heedfully o’er-eye.

[077] More sacks to the mill! O heavens, I have my wish!

Enter Dumain with a paper.

Dumain transform’d! four woodcocks in a dish!

Dum. O most divine Kate!

080 Biron. O most profane coxcomb!

[081] Dum. By heaven, the wonder in a mortal eye!

[082] Biron. By earth, she is not, corporal, there you lie.

[083] Dum. Her amber hairs for foul hath amber quoted.

Biron. An amber-colour’d raven was well noted.

Dum. As upright as the cedar.

Biron.

[085] Stoop, I say;

Her shoulder is with child.

Dum.

As fair as day.

Biron. Ay, as some days; but then no sun must shine.

Dum. O that I had my wish!

Long.

And I had mine!

[089] King. And I mine too, good Lord!

090 Biron. Amen, so I had mine: is not that a good word?

Dum. I would forget her; but a fever she

Reigns in my blood, and will remember’d be.

Biron. A fever in your blood! why, then incision

Would let her out in saucers: sweet misprision!

095 Dum. Once more I’ll read the ode that I have writ.

Biron. Once more I’ll mark how love can vary wit.

[097] Dum. [reads]

On a day—alack the day!—

[098] Love, whose month is ever May,

Spied a blossom passing fair

100 Playing in the wanton air:

[101] Through the velvet leaves the wind,

[102] All unseen, can passage find;

[103] That the lover, sick to death,

[104] Wish himself the heaven’s breath.

[105] Air, quoth he, thy cheeks may blow;

[106] Air, would I might triumph so!

[107] But, alack, my hand is sworn

[108] Ne’er to pluck thee from thy thorn;

Vow, alack, for youth unmeet,

110 Youth so apt to pluck a sweet!

[111] Do not call it sin in me,

That I am forsworn for thee;

[113] Thou for whom Jove would swear

Juno but an Ethiope were;

115 And deny himself for Jove,

Turning mortal for thy love.

This will I send and something else more plain,

[118] That shall express my true love’s fasting pain.

O, would the king, Biron, and Longaville,

120 Were lovers too! Ill, to example ill,

Would from my forehead wipe a perjured note;

For none offend where all alike do dote.

Long. [advancing]. Dumain, thy love is far from charity,

That in love’s grief desirest society:

125 You may look pale, but I should blush, I know,

[126] To be o’erheard and taken napping so.

King [advancing]. [127] Come, sir, you blush; as his your case is such;

[128] You chide at him, offending twice as much;

[129] You do not love Maria; Longaville

130 Did never sonnet for her sake compile,

Nor never lay his wreathed arms athwart

His loving bosom, to keep down his heart.

I have been closely shrouded in this bush

And mark’d you both and for you both did blush:

135 I heard your guilty rhymes, observed your fashion,

Saw sighs reek from you, noted well your passion:

[137] Ay me! says one; O Jove! the other cries;

[138] One, her hairs were gold, crystal the other’s eyes:

[139] You would for paradise break faith and troth; [To Long.

[140] And Jove, for your love, would infringe an oath. [To Dum.

What will Biron say when that he shall hear

[142] Faith infringed, which such zeal did swear?

How will he scorn! how will he spend his wit!

[144] How will he triumph, leap and laugh at it!

[145] For all the wealth that ever I did see,

I would not have him know so much by me.

[147] Biron. Now step I forth to whip hypocrisy. [Advancing.

Ah, good my liege, I pray thee, pardon me!

Good heart, what grace hast thou, thus to reprove

[150] These worms for loving, that art most in love?

[151] Your eyes do make no coaches; in your tears

There is no certain princess that appears;

You’ll not be perjured, ’tis a hateful thing;

Tush, none but minstrels like of sonneting!

155 But are you not ashamed? nay, are you not,

All three of you, to be thus much o’ershot?

[157] You found his mote; the king your mote did see;

But I a beam do find in each of three.

O, what a scene of foolery have I seen,

160 Of sighs, of groans, of sorrow and of teen!

O me, with what strict patience have I sat,

[162] To see a king transformed to a gnat!

To see great Hercules whipping a gig,

[164] And profound Solomon to tune a jig,

165 And Nestor play at push-pin with the boys,

[166] And critic Timon laugh at idle toys!

Where lies thy grief, O, tell me, good Dumain?

And, gentle Longaville, where lies thy pain?

And where my liege’s? all about the breast:

[170] A caudle, ho!

King. Too bitter is thy jest.

Are we betray’d thus to thy over-view?

[172] Biron. Not you to me, but I betray’d by you:

I, that am honest; I, that hold it sin

To break the vow I am engaged in;

175 I am betray’d, by keeping company

[176] With men like you, men of inconstancy.

When shall you see me write a thing in rhyme?

[178] Or groan for love? or spend a minute’s time

[179] In pruning me? When shall you hear that I

180 Will praise a hand, a foot, a face, an eye,

A gait, a state, a brow, a breast, a waist,

A leg, a limb?—

King.

Soft! whither away so fast?

A true man or a thief that gallops so?

Biron. I post from love: good lover, let me go.

Enter Jaquenetta and Costard.

Jaq. God bless the king!

King.

[185] What present hast thou there?

Cost. Some certain treason.

King.

What makes treason here?

Cost. Nay, it makes nothing, sir.

King.

If it mar nothing neither,

[188] The treason and you go in peace away together.

Jaq. I beseech your Grace, let this letter be read:

[190] Our parson misdoubts it; ’twas treason, he said.

[191] King. Biron, read it over. [Giving him the paper.

Where hadst thou it?

Jaq. Of Costard.

King. Where hadst thou it?

[195] Cost. Of Dun Adramadio, Dun Adramadio. [Biron tears the letter.

[196] King. How now! what is in you? why dost thou tear it?

Biron. A toy, my liege, a toy: your Grace needs not fear it.

Long. It did move him to passion, and therefore let’s hear it.

[199] Dum. It is Biron’s writing, and here is his name. [Gathering up the pieces.

200 Biron. [To Costard] Ah, you whoreson loggerhead! you were born to do me shame.

[201] Guilty, my lord, guilty! I confess, I confess.

King. What?

Biron. That you three fools lack’d me fool to make up the mess:

[204] He, he, and you, and you, my liege, and I,

205 Are pick-purses in love, and we deserve to die.

O, dismiss this audience, and I shall tell you more.

Dum. Now the number is even.

Biron.

[207] True, true; we are four.

Will these turtles be gone?

King.

Hence, sirs; away!

[209] Cost. Walk aside the true folk, and let the traitors stay. [Exeunt Costard and Jaquenetta.

210 Biron. Sweet lords, sweet lovers, O, let us embrace!

As true we are as flesh and blood can be:

[212] The sea will ebb and flow, heaven show his face;

Young blood doth not obey an old decree:

[214] We cannot cross the cause why we were born;

215 Therefore of all hands must we be forsworn.

King. What, did these rent lines show some love of thine?

[217] Biron. Did they, quoth you? Who sees the heavenly Rosaline,

That, like a rude and savage man of Inde,

At the first opening of the gorgeous east,

[220] Bows not his vassal head and strucken blind

Kisses the base ground with obedient breast?

What peremptory eagle-sighted eye

Dares look upon the heaven of her brow,

That is not blinded by her majesty?

225 King. What zeal, what fury hath inspired thee now?

My love, her mistress, is a gracious moon;

She an attending star, scarce seen a light.

Biron. My eyes are then no eyes, nor I Biron:

O, but for my love, day would turn to night!

230 Of all complexions the cull’d sovereignty

Do meet, as at a fair, in her fair cheek;

Where several worthies make one dignity,

Where nothing wants that want itself doth seek.

Lend me the flourish of all gentle tongues,—

235 Fie, painted rhetoric! O, she needs it not:

To things of sale a seller’s praise belongs,

[237] She passes praise; then praise too short doth blot.

A wither’d hermit, five-score winters worn,

Might shake off fifty, looking in her eye:

240 Beauty doth varnish age, as if new-born,

And gives the crutch the cradle’s infancy:

O, ’tis the sun that maketh all things shine.

King. By heaven, thy love is black as ebony.

[244] Biron. Is ebony like her? O wood divine!

245 A wife of such wood were felicity.

O, who can give an oath? where is a book?

That I may swear beauty doth beauty lack,

If that she learn not of her eye to look:

No face is fair that is not full so black.

[250] King. O paradox! Black is the badge of hell,

[251] The hue of dungeons and the school of night;

[252] And beauty’s crest becomes the heavens well.

Biron. Devils soonest tempt, resembling spirits of light.

[254] O, if in black my lady’s brows be deck’d,

[255] It mourns that painting and usurping hair

Should ravish doters with a false aspect;

And therefore is she born to make black fair.

[258] Her favour turns the fashion of the days,

For native blood is counted painting now;

260 And therefore red, that would avoid dispraise,

Paints itself black, to imitate her brow.

[262] Dum. To look like her are chimney-sweepers black.

Long. And since her time are colliers counted bright.

[264] King. And Ethiopes of their sweet complexion crack.

265 Dum. Dark needs no candles now, for dark is light.

Biron. Your mistresses dare never come in rain,

[267] For fear their colours should be wash’d away.

King. ’Twere good, yours did; for, sir, to tell you plain,

I ’ll find a fairer face not wash’d to-day.

270 Biron.I’ll prove her fair, or talk till doomsday here.

King.No devil will fright thee then so much as she.

Dum.I never knew man hold vile stuff so dear.

Long. Look, here’s thy love: my foot and her face see.

Biron. O, if the streets were paved with thine eyes,

275 Her feet were much too dainty for such tread!

[276] Dum. O vile! then, as she goes, what upward lies

The street should see as she walk’d overhead.

King. But what of this? are we not all in love?

[279] Biron. Nothing so sure; and thereby all forsworn.

280 King. Then leave this chat; and, good Biron, now prove

Our loving lawful, and our faith not torn.

Dum. Ay, marry, there; some flattery for this evil.

Long. O, some authority how to proceed;

Some tricks, some quillets, how to cheat the devil.

Dum. Some salve for perjury.

Biron.

[285] ’Tis more than need.

[286] Have at you, then, affection’s men at arms.

Consider what you first did swear unto,

To fast, to study, and to see no woman;

[289] Flat treason ’gainst the kingly state of youth.

290 Say, can you fast? your stomachs are too young;

And abstinence engenders maladies.

And where that you have vow’d to study, lords,

[293] In that each of you have forsworn his book,

Can you still dream and pore and thereon look?

[295] For when would you, my Lord, or you, or you,

Have found the ground of study’s excellence

Without the beauty of a woman’s face?

From women’s eyes this doctrine I derive;

They are the ground, the books, the academes

300 From whence doth spring the true Promethean fire.

[301] Why, universal plodding prisons up

The nimble spirits in the arteries,

As motion and long-during action tires

[304] The sinewy vigour of the traveller.

305 Now, for not looking on a woman’s face,

You have in that forsworn the use of eyes

And study too, the causer of your vow;

For where is any author in the world

[309] Teaches such beauty as a woman’s eye?

310 Learning is but an adjunct to ourself

And where we are our learning likewise is

[312] Then when ourselves we see in ladies’ eyes.

Do we not likewise see our learning there?

O, we have made a vow to study, lords,

315 And in that vow we have forsworn our books

For when would you, my liege, or you, or you,

In leaden contemplation have found out

[318] Such fiery numbers as the prompting eyes

[319] Of beauty’s tutors have enrich’d you with?

320 Other slow arts entirely keep the brain;

And therefore, finding barren practisers,

Scarce show a harvest of their heavy toil:

But love, first learned in a lady’s eyes,

Lives not alone immured in the brain;

325 But, with the motion of all elements,

Courses as swift as thought in every power,

And gives to every power a double power,

Above their functions and their offices.

It adds a precious seeing to the eye;

330 A lover’s eyes will gaze an eagle blind;

A lover’s ear will hear the lowest sound,

[332] When the suspicious head of theft is stopp’d:

Love’s feeling is more soft and sensible

Than are the tender horns of cockled snails;

[335] Love’s tongue proves dainty Bacchus gross in taste:

[336] For valour, is not Love a Hercules,

Still climbing trees in the Hesperides?

[338] Subtle as Sphinx; as sweet and musical

[339] As bright Apollo’s lute, strung with his hair;

[340] And when Love speaks, the voice of all the gods

[341] Make heaven drowsy with the harmony.

Never durst poet touch a pen to write

[343] Until his ink were temper’d with Love’s sighs;

O, then his lines would ravish savage ears,

[345] And plant in tyrants mild humility.

From women’s eyes this doctrine I derive:

They sparkle still the right Promethean fire;

They are the books, the arts, the academes,

That show, contain and nourish all the world:

350 Else none at all in ought proves excellent.

Then fools you were these women to forswear;

Or keeping what is sworn, you will prove fools.

For wisdom’s sake, a word that all men love;

[354] Or for love’s sake, a word that loves all men;

[355] Or for men’s sake, the authors of these women;

[356] Or women’s sake, by whom we men are men;

[357] Let us once lose our oaths to find ourselves,

Or else we lose ourselves to keep our oaths.

It is religion to be thus forsworn,

360 For charity itself fulfils the law,

And who can sever love from charity?

King. Saint Cupid, then! and, soldiers, to the field!

[363] Biron. Advance your standards, and upon them, lords;

Pell-mell, down with them! but be first advised,

[365] In conflict that you get the sun of them.

Long. Now to plain-dealing; lay these glozes by:

Shall we resolve to woo these girls of France?

King. And win them too: therefore let us devise

Some entertainment for them in their tents.

370 Biron. First, from the park let us conduct them thither;

Then homeward every man attach the hand

Of his fair mistress: in the afternoon

We will with some strange pastime solace them,

Such as the shortness of the time can shape;

375 For revels, dances, masks and merry hours

[376] Forerun fair Love, strewing her way with flowers.

King. Away, away! no time shall be omitted

[378] That will betime, and may by us be fitted.

[379] Biron. Allons! allons! Sow’d cockle reap’d no corn;

380 And justice always whirls in equal measure:

Light wenches may prove plagues to men forsworn;

If so, our copper buys no better treasure. [Exeunt.

[000] ACT V.

Scene I. The same.

LLL V. 1 Enter Holofernes, Sir Nathaniel, and Dull.

[001] Hol. Satis quod sufficit.

[002] Nath. I praise God for you, sir: your reasons at dinner have been sharp and sententious; pleasant without scurrility, [004] witty without affection, audacious without impudency, learned 005 without opinion, and strange without heresy. I did converse this quondam day with a companion of the king’s, who is intituled, nominated, or called, Don Adriano de Armado.

[008] Hol. Novi hominem tanquam te: his humour is lofty, his discourse peremptory, his tongue filed, his eye ambitious, 010 his gait majestical, and his general behaviour vain, ridiculous, [011] and thrasonical. He is too picked, too spruce, too affected, too odd, as it were, too peregrinate, as I may call it.

[013] Nath. A most singular and choice epithet. [Draws out his table-book.

Hol. He draweth out the thread of his verbosity finer 015 than the staple of his argument. I abhor such fanatical phantasimes, such insociable and point-devise companions; [017] such rackers of orthography, as to speak dout, fine, when he should say doubt; det, when he should pronounce debt, —d, e, b, t, not d, e, t: he clepeth a calf, cauf; half, hauf; 020 neighbour vocatur nebour; neigh abbreviated ne. This is [021] abhominable,—which he would call abbominable: it insinuateth [022] me of insanie: ne intelligis, domine? to make frantic, lunatic.

[024] Nath. Laus Deo, bene intelligo.

[025] Hol. Bon, bon, fort bon, Priscian! a little scratched, ’twill serve.

[026] Nath. Videsne quis venit?

Hol. Video, et gaudeo.

Enter Armado, Moth, and Costard.

Arm. Chirrah! [To Moth.

030 Hol. Quare chirrah, not sirrah?

Arm. Men of peace, well encountered.

Hol. Most military sir, salutation.

Moth. [Aside to Costard] They have been at a great [034] feast of languages, and stolen the scraps.

035 Cost. O, they have lived long on the alms-basket of words. I marvel thy master hath not eaten thee for a word; for thou art not so long by the head as honorificabilitudinitatibus: thou art easier swallowed than a flap-dragon.

Moth. Peace! the peal begins.

040 Arm. [To Hol.] Monsieur, are you not lettered?

Moth. Yes, yes; he teaches boys the horn-book. What is a, b, spelt backward, with the horn on his head?

Hol. Ba, pueritia, with a horn added.

045 Moth. Ba, most silly sheep with a horn. You hear his learning.

Hol. Quis, quis, thou consonant?

[047] Moth. The third of the five vowels, if you repeat them; or the fifth, if I.

Hol. I will repeat them,—a, e, i,—

050 Moth. The sheep: the other two concludes it,—o, u.

[051] Arm. Now, by the salt wave of the Mediterraneum, a sweet touch, a quick venue of wit,—snip, snap, quick and home! it rejoiceth my intellect: true wit!

Moth. Offered by a child to an old man; which is wit-old.

055 Hol. What is the figure? what is the figure?

Moth. Horns.

[057] Hol. Thou disputest like an infant: go, whip thy gig.

Moth. Lend me your horn to make one, and I will whip [059] about your infamy circum circa,—a gig of a cuckold’s horn.

060 Cost. An I had but one penny in the world, thou shouldst have it to buy gingerbread: hold, there is the very remuneration I had of thy master, thou halfpenny purse of wit, thou pigeon-egg of discretion. O, an the heavens were so pleased that thou wert but my bastard, what a 065 joyful father wouldst thou make me! Go to; thou hast it [066] ad dunghill, at the fingers’ ends, as they say.

Hol. O, I smell false Latin; dunghill for unguem.

[068] Arm. Arts-man, preambulate, we will be singuled from the barbarous. Do you not educate youth at the [070] charge-house on the top of the mountain?

Hol. Or mons, the hill.

Arm. At your sweet pleasure, for the mountain.

Hol. I do, sans question.

[074] Arm. Sir, it is the king’s most sweet pleasure and affection 075 to congratulate the princess at her pavilion in the posteriors of this day, which the rude multitude call the afternoon.

Hol. The posterior of the day, most generous sir, is liable, congruent and measurable for the afternoon: the [080] word is well culled, chose, sweet and apt, I do assure you, sir, I do assure.

Arm. Sir, the king is a noble gentleman, and my familiar, [083] I do assure ye, very good friend: for what is inward [084] between us, let it pass. I do beseech thee, remember thy 085 courtesy; I beseech thee, apparel thy head: and among [086] other important and most serious designs, and of great import indeed, too, but let that pass: for I must tell thee, it will please his Grace, by the world, sometime to lean upon my poor shoulder, and with his royal finger, thus, dally with 090 my excrement, with my mustachio; but, sweet heart, let that pass. By the world, I recount no fable: some certain special honours it pleaseth his greatness to impart to Armado, a soldier, a man of travel, that hath seen the world; but let that pass. The very all of all is,—but, sweet heart, [095] I do implore secrecy,—that the king would have me present the princess, sweet chuck, with some delightful ostentation, or show, or pageant, or antique, or firework. Now, understanding that the curate and your sweet self are good at [099] such eruptions and sudden breaking out of mirth, as it 100 were, I have acquainted you withal, to the end to crave your assistance.

Hol. Sir, you shall present before her the Nine Worthies. [103] Sir, as concerning some entertainment of time, some show [104] in the posterior of this day, to be rendered by our assistants, [105] at the king’s command, and this most gallant, illustrate, [106] and learned gentleman, before the princess; I say none so fit as to present the Nine Worthies.

Nath. Where will you find men worthy enough to present them?

[110] Hol. Joshua, yourself; myself and this gallant gentleman, Judas Maccabæus; this swain, because of his great limb [112] or joint, shall pass Pompey the Great; the page, Hercules,—

Arm. Pardon, sir; error: he is not quantity enough for that Worthy’s thumb: he is not so big as the end of his club.

115 Hol. Shall I have audience? he shall present Hercules in minority: his enter and exit shall be strangling a snake; and I will have an apology for that purpose.

Moth. An excellent device! so, if any of the audience hiss, you may cry, “Well done, Hercules! now thou crushest 120 the snake!” that is the way to make an offence gracious, [121] though few have the grace to do it.

Arm. For the rest of the Worthies?—

Hol. I will play three myself.

Moth. Thrice-worthy gentleman!

125 Arm. Shall I tell you a thing?

Hol. We attend.

[127] Arm. We will have, if this fadge not, an antique. I beseech you, follow.

Hol. Via, goodman Dull! thou hast spoken no word 130 all this while.

Dull. Nor understood none neither, sir.

[132] Hol. Allons! we will employ thee.

[133] Dull. I’ll make one in a dance, or so; or I will play

On the tabor to the Worthies, and let them dance the hay.

135 Hol. Most dull, honest Dull! To our sport, away! [Exeunt.

[000] Scene II. The same.

LLL V. 2 Enter the Princess, Katharine, Rosaline, and Maria.

Prin. Sweet hearts, we shall be rich ere we depart,

If fairings come thus plentifully in:

[003] A lady wall’d about with diamonds!

Look you what I have from the loving king.

005 Ros. Madam, came nothing else along with that?

Prin. Nothing but this! yes, as much love in rhyme

As would be cramm’d up in a sheet of paper,

[008] Writ o’ both sides the leaf, margent and all,

That he was fain to seal on Cupid’s name.

010 Ros. That was the way to make his godhead wax,

[011] For he hath been five thousand years a boy.

[012] Kath. Ay, and a shrewd unhappy gallows too.

[013] Ros. You’ll ne’er be friends with him; a’ kill’d your sister.

Kath. He made her melancholy, sad, and heavy;

015 And so she died: had she been light, like you,

Of such a merry, nimble, stirring spirit,

[017] She might ha’ been a grandam ere she died:

And so may you; for a light heart lives long.

Ros. What’s your dark meaning, mouse, of this light word?

020 Kath. A light condition in a beauty dark.

Ros. We need more light to find your meaning out.

Kath. You’ll mar the light by taking it in snuff;

Therefore I’ll darkly end the argument.

Ros. Look, what you do, you do it still i’ th’ dark.

025 Kath. So do not you, for you are a light wench.

Ros. Indeed I weigh not you, and therefore light.

Kath. You weigh me not?—O, that’s you care not for me.

[028] Ros. Great reason; for ‘past cure is still past care.’

Prin. Well bandied both; a set of wit well play’d.

030 But, Rosaline, you have a favour too:

Who sent it? and what is it?

Ros.

I would you knew:

An if my face were but as fair as yours,

My favour were as great; be witness this.

Nay, I have verses too, I thank Biron:

035 The numbers true; and, were the numbering too,

I were the fairest goddess on the ground:

I am compared to twenty thousand fairs.

O, he hath drawn my picture in his letter!

Prin. Any thing like?

040 Ros. Much in the letters; nothing in the praise.

[041] Prin. Beauteous as ink; a good conclusion.

[042] Kath. Fair as a text B in a copy-book.

[043] Ros. ’Ware pencils, ho! let me not die your debtor,

My red dominical, my golden letter:

[045] O that your face were not so full of O’s!

[046] Kath. A pox of that jest! and I beshrew all shrows.

[047] Prin. But, Katharine, what was sent to you from fair Dumain?

Kath. Madam, this glove.

Prin.

Did he not send you twain?

[049] Kath. Yes, madam, and, moreover,

050 Some thousand verses of a faithful lover,

[051] A huge translation of hypocrisy,

Vilely compiled, profound simplicity.

[053] Mar. This and these pearls to me sent Longaville:

The letter is too long by half a mile.

055 Prin. I think no less. Dost thou not wish in heart

The chain were longer and the letter short?

Mar. Ay, or I would these hands might never part.

[058] Prin. We are wise girls to mock our lovers so.

Ros. They are worse fools to purchase mocking so.

060 That same Biron I’ll torture ere I go:

O that I knew he were but in by the week!

How I would make him fawn, and beg, and seek,

And wait the season, and observe the times,

And spend his prodigal wits in bootless rhymes,

[065] And shape his service wholly to my hests,

[066] And make him proud to make me proud that jests!

[067] So perttaunt-like would I o’ersway his state,

That he should be my fool, and I his fate.

Prin. None are so surely caught, when they are catch’d,

[070] As wit turn’d fool: folly, in wisdom hatch’d,

Hath wisdom’s warrant and the help of school,

[072] And wit’s own grace to grace a learned fool.

Ros. The blood of youth burns not with such excess

[074] As gravity’s revolt to wantonness.

075 Mar. Folly in fools bears not so strong a note

As foolery in the wise, when wit doth dote;

Since all the power thereof it doth apply

To prove, by wit, worth in simplicity.

[079] Prin. Here comes Boyet, and mirth is in his face.

Enter Boyet.

[080] Boyet. O, I am stabb’d with laughter! Where’s her Grace?

Prin. Thy news, Boyet?

Boyet.

Prepare, madam, prepare!

[082] Arm, wenches, arm! encounters mounted are

Against your peace: Love doth approach disguised,

Armed in arguments; you’ll be surprised:

085 Muster your wits; stand in your own defence;

Or hide your heads like cowards, and fly hence.

Prin. Saint Denis to Saint Cupid! What are they

[088] That charge their breath against us? say, scout, say.

[089] Boyet. Under the cool shade of a sycamore

090 I thought to close mine eyes some half an hour;

When, lo! to interrupt my purposed rest,

Toward that shade I might behold addrest

[093] The king and his companions: warily

I stole into a neighbour thicket by,

095 And overheard what you shall overhear;

[096] That, by and by, disguised they will be here.

Their herald is a pretty knavish page,

That well by heart hath conn’d his embassage:

Action and accent did they teach him there;

100 ‘Thus must thou speak,’ and ‘thus thy body bear:’

And ever and anon they made a doubt

Presence majestical would put him out;

[103] ‘For,’ quoth the king, ‘an angel shalt thou see;

Yet fear not thou, but speak audaciously.’

105 The boy replied, ‘An angel is not evil;

I should have fear’d her, had she been a devil.’

With that, all laugh’d, and clapp’d him on the shoulder,

Making the bold wag by their praises bolder:

One rubb’d his elbow thus, and fleer’d and swore

110 A better speech was never spoke before;

Another, with his finger and his thumb,

Cried, ‘Via! we will do’t, come what will come;’

The third he caper’d, and cried, ‘All goes well;’

The fourth turn’d on the toe, and down he fell.

115 With that, they all did tumble on the ground,

With such a zealous laughter, so profound,

That in this spleen ridiculous appears,

[118] To check their folly, passion’s solemn tears.

Prin. But what, but what, come they to visit us?

[120] Boyet. They do, they do; and are apparell’d thus,

[121] Like Muscovites or Russians, as I guess.

[122] Their purpose is to parle, to court and dance;

[123] And every one his love-feat will advance

Unto his several mistress, which they’ll know

125 By favours several which they did bestow.

Prin. And will they so? the gallants shall be task’d;

For, ladies, we will every one be mask’d;

And not a man of them shall have the grace,

Despite of suit, to see a lady’s face.

130 Hold, Rosaline, this favour thou shalt wear,

And then the king will court thee for his dear;

Hold, take thou this, my sweet, and give me thine,

So shall Biron take me for Rosaline.

[134] And change you favours too; so shall your loves

135 Woo contrary, deceived by these removes.

Ros. Come on, then; wear the favours most in sight.

Kath. But in this changing what is your intent?

Prin. The effect of my intent is to cross theirs:

[139] They do it but in mocking merriment;

140 And mock for mock is only my intent.

Their several counsels they unbosom shall

To loves mistook, and so be mock’d withal

Upon the next occasion that we meet,

With visages display’d, to talk and greet.

145 Ros. But shall we dance, if they desire us to’t?

Prin. No, to the death, we will not move a foot:

Nor to their penn’d speech render we no grace;

[148] But while ’tis spoke each turn away her face.

[149] Boyet. Why, that contempt will kill the speaker’s heart,

150 And quite divorce his memory from his part.

Prin. Therefore I do it; and I make no doubt

[152] The rest will ne’er come in, if he be out.

There’s no such sport as sport by sport o’erthrown;

To make theirs ours, and ours none but our own:

155 So shall we stay, mocking intended game,

[156] And they, well mock’d, depart away with shame. [Trumpets sound within.

[157] Boyet. The trumpet sounds: be mask’d; the maskers come. [The Ladies mask.

Enter Blackamoors with music; Moth; the King, Biron, Longaville, and Dumain, in Russian habits, and masked.

Moth. All hail, the richest beauties on the earth!—

[159] Boyet. Beauties no richer than rich taffeta.

[160] Moth. A holy parcel of the fairest dames [The Ladies turn their backs to him.

That ever turn’d their—backs—to mortal views!

Biron. [Aside to Moth] Their eyes, villain, their eyes.

[163] Moth. That ever turn’d their eyes to mortal views!—

Out—

[164] Boyet. True; out indeed.

[165] Moth. Out of your favours, heavenly spirits, vouchsafe

Not to behold—

Biron. [Aside to Moth] Once to behold, rogue.

Moth. Once to behold with your sun-beamed eyes,

—with your sun-beamed eyes—

[170] Boyet. They will not answer to that epithet;

You were best call it ‘daughter-beamed eyes.’

Moth. They do not mark me, and that brings me out.

[173] Biron. Is this your perfectness? be gone, you rogue! [Exit Moth.

[174] Ros. What would these strangers? know their minds, Boyet:

[175] If they do speak our language, ’tis our will

That some plain man recount their purposes:

[177] Know what they would.

[178] Boyet. What would you with the princess?

Biron. Nothing but peace and gentle visitation.

180 Ros. What would they, say they?

[181] Boyet. Nothing but peace and gentle visitation.

Ros. Why, that they have; and bid them so be gone.

Boyet. She says, you have it, and you may be gone.

King. Say to her, we have measured many miles

[185] To tread a measure with her on this grass.

Boyet. They say, that they have measured many a mile

[187] To tread a measure with you on this grass.

Ros. It is not so. Ask them how many inches

Is in one mile: if they have measured many,

190 The measure then of one is easily told.

Boyet. If to come hither you have measured miles,

And many miles, the princess bids you tell

[193] How many inches doth fill up one mile.

Biron. Tell her, we measure them by weary steps.

Boyet. She hears herself.

Ros.

195 How many weary steps,

Of many weary miles you have o’ergone,

Are number’d in the travel of one mile?

Biron. We number nothing that we spend for you:

Our duty is so rich, so infinite,

200 That we may do it still without accompt.

Vouchsafe to show the sunshine of your face,

That we, like savages, may worship it.

Ros. My face is but a moon, and clouded too.

King. Blessed are clouds, to do as such clouds do!

205 Vouchsafe, bright moon, and these thy stars, to shine,

Those clouds removed, upon our watery eyne.

Ros. O vain petitioner! beg a greater matter;

[208] Thou now request’st but moonshine in the water.

[209] King. Then, in our measure do but vouchsafe one change.

210 Thou bid’st me beg: this begging is not strange.

Ros. Play, music, then! Nay, you must do it soon. [Music plays.

[212] Not yet! no dance! Thus change I like the moon.

King. Will you not dance? How come you thus estranged?

Ros. You took the moon at full, but now she’s changed.

[215] King. Yet still she is the moon, and I the man.

[216] The music plays; vouchsafe some motion to it.

Ros. Our ears vouchsafe it.

King.

But your legs should do it.

Ros. Since you are strangers, and come here by chance,

We’ll not be nice: take hands. We will not dance.

[220] King. Why take we hands, then?

Ros.

Only to part friends:

Curtsey, sweet hearts; and so the measure ends.

King. More measure of this measure; be not nice.

Ros. We can afford no more at such a price.

[224] King. Prize you yourselves: what buys your company?

Ros. Your absence only.

King.

225 That can never be.

Ros. Then cannot we be bought: and so, adieu;

Twice to your visor, and half once to you.

King. If you deny to dance, let’s hold more chat.

Ros. In private, then.

King.

[229] I am best pleased with that. [They converse apart.

230 Biron. White-handed mistress, one sweet word with thee.

Prin. Honey, and milk, and sugar; there is three.

[232] Biron. Nay then, two treys, an if you grow so nice,

Metheglin, wort, and malmsey: well run, dice!

There’s half-a-dozen sweets.

Prin.

Seventh sweet, adieu:

235 Since you can cog, I’ll play no more with you.

Biron. One word in secret.

Prin.

Let it not be sweet.

Biron. Thou grievest my gall.

Prin.

[237] Gall! bitter.

Biron.

Therefore meet. [They converse apart.

Dum. Will you vouchsafe with me to change a word?

Mar. Name it.

Dum.

Fair lady,—

Mar.

Say you so? Fair lord,—

[240] Take that for your fair lady.

Dum.

Please it you,

As much in private, and I’ll bid adieu. [They converse apart.

[242] Kath. What, was your vizard made without a tongue?

Long. I know the reason, lady, why you ask.

Kath. O for your reason! quickly, sir; I long.

245 Long. You have a double tongue within your mask,

And would afford my speechless vizard half.

[247] Kath. Veal, quoth the Dutchman. Is not ‘veal’ a calf?

Long. A calf, fair lady!

Kath.

No, a fair lord calf.

Long. Let’s part the word.

Kath.

No, I’ll not be your half:

250 Take all, and wean it; it may prove an ox.

[251] Long. Look, how you butt yourself in these sharp mocks!

Will you give horns, chaste lady? do not so.

Kath. Then die a calf, before your horns do grow.

Long. One word in private with you, ere I die.

255 Kath. Bleat softly, then; the butcher hears you cry. [They converse apart.

Boyet. The tongues of mocking wenches are as keen

[257] As is the razor’s edge invisible,

Cutting a smaller hair than may be seen;

[259] Above the sense of sense; so sensible

260 Seemeth their conference; their conceits have wings

[261] Fleeter than arrows, bullets, wind, thought, swifter things.

Ros. Not one word more, my maids; break off, break off.

[263] Biron. By heaven, all dry-beaten with pure scoff!

[264] King. Farewell, mad wenches; you have simple wits.

[265] Prin. Twenty adieus, my frozen Muscovits. [Exeunt King, Lords, and Blackamoors.

Are these the breed of wits so wonder’d at?

Boyet. Tapers they are, with your sweet breaths puff’d out.

Ros. Well-liking wits they have; gross, gross; fat, fat.

[269] Prin. O poverty in wit, kingly-poor flout!

270 Will they not, think you, hang themselves to-night?

Or ever, but in vizards, show their faces?

This pert Biron was out of countenance quite.

[273] Ros. O, they were all in lamentable cases!

The king was weeping-ripe for a good word.

[275] Prin. Biron did swear himself out of all suit.

Mar. Dumain was at my service, and his sword:

No point, quoth I; my servant straight was mute.

Kath. Lord Longaville said, I came o’er his heart;

And trow you what he call’d me?

Prin.

Qualm, perhaps.

Kath. Yes, in good faith.

Prin.

280 Go, sickness as thou art!

Ros. Well, better wits have worn plain statute-caps.

But will you hear? the king is my love sworn.

Prin. And quick Biron hath plighted faith to me.

Kath. And Longaville was for my service born.

285 Mar. Dumain is mine, as sure as bark on tree.

Boyet. Madam, and pretty mistresses, give ear:

Immediately they will again be here

In their own shapes; for it can never be

[289] They will digest this harsh indignity.

Prin. Will they return?

Boyet.

290 They will, they will, God knows,

And leap for joy, though they are lame with blows:

Therefore change favours; and, when they repair,

Blow like sweet roses in this summer air.

Prin. How blow? how blow? speak to be understood.

[295] Boyet. Fair ladies mask’d are roses in their bud;

[296] Dismask’d, their damask sweet commixture shown,

[297] Are angels vailing clouds, or roses blown.

Prin. Avaunt, perplexity! What shall we do,

If they return in their own shapes to woo?

300 Ros. Good madam, if by me you’ll be advised,

Let’s mock them still, as well known as disguised:

Let us complain to them what fools were here,

Disguised like Muscovites, in shapeless gear;

And wonder what they were and to what end

305 Their shallow shows and prologue vilely penn’d,

And their rough carriage so ridiculous,

[307] Should be presented at our tent to us.

Boyet. Ladies, withdraw: the gallants are at hand.

[309] Prin. Whip to our tents, as roes run o’er land. [Exeunt Princess, Rosaline, Katharine, and Maria.

Re-enter the King, Biron, Longaville, and Dumain, in their proper habits.

310 King. Fair sir, God save you! Where’s the princess?

Boyet. Gone to her tent. Please it your Majesty

[312] Command me any service to her thither?

King. That she vouchsafe me audience for one word.

Boyet. I will; and so will she, I know, my lord. [Exit.

[315] Biron. This fellow pecks up wit as pigeons pease,

[316] And utters it again when God doth please:

He is wit’s pedler, and retails his wares

At wakes and wassails, meetings, markets, fairs;

And we that sell by gross, the Lord doth know,

320 Have not the grace to grace it with such show.

This gallant pins the wenches on his sleeve;

Had he been Adam, he had tempted Eve;

[323] A’ can carve too, and lisp: why, this is he

[324] That kiss’d his hand away in courtesy;

325 This is the ape of form, monsieur the nice,

That, when he plays at tables, chides the dice

In honourable terms: nay, he can sing

[328] A mean most meanly; and in ushering,

Mend him who can: the ladies call him sweet;

330 The stairs, as he treads on them, kiss his feet:

[331] This is the flower that smiles on every one,

[332] To show his teeth as white as whale’s bone;

[333] And consciences, that will not die in debt,

[334] Pay him the due of honey-tongued Boyet.

335 King. A blister on his sweet tongue, with my heart,

That put Armado’s page out of his part!

[337] Biron. See where it comes! Behaviour, what wert thou

[338] Till this madman show’d thee? and what art thou now?

Re-enter the Princess, ushered by Boyet; Rosaline, Maria, and Katharin..

King. All hail, sweet madam, and fair time of day!

340 Prin. ‘Fair’ in ‘all hail’ is foul, as I conceive.

[341] King. Construe my speeches better, if you may.

Prin. Then wish me better; I will give you leave.

[343] King. We came to visit you, and purpose now

To lead you to our court; vouchsafe it then.

345 Prin. This field shall hold me; and so hold your vow:

[346] Nor God, nor I, delights in perjured men.

King. Rebuke me not for that which you provoke:

[348] The virtue of your eye must break my oath.

Prin. You nickname virtue; vice you should have spoke;

[350] For virtue’s office never breaks men’s troth.

Now by my maiden honour yet as pure

[352] As the unsullied lily I protest,

A world of torments though I should endure,

I would not yield to be your house’s guest;

355 So much I hate a breaking cause to be

[356] Of heavenly oaths, vow’d with integrity.

King. O, you have lived in desolation here,

Unseen, unvisited, much to our shame.

Prin. Not so, my lord; it is not so, I swear;

360 We have had pastimes here and pleasant game:

A mess of Russians left us but of late.

King. How, madam! Russians!

Prin.

Ay, in truth, my lord;

Trim gallants, full of courtship and of state.

Ros. Madam, speak true. It is not so, my lord:

[365] My lady, to the manner of the days,

In courtesy gives undeserving praise.

We four indeed confronted were with four

[368] In Russian habit: here they stay’d an hour,

And talk’d apace; and in that hour, my lord,

370 They did not bless us with one happy word.

I dare not call them fools; but this I think,

When they are thirsty, fools would fain have drink.

[373] Biron. This jest is dry to me. Fair gentle sweet,

[374] Your wit makes wise things foolish: when we greet,

375 With eyes best seeing, heaven’s fiery eye,

By light we lose light: your capacity

Is of that nature that to your huge store

Wise things seem foolish and rich things but poor.

[379] Ros. This proves you wise and rich, for in my eye,—

380 Biron. I am a fool, and full of poverty.

Ros. But that you take what doth to you belong,

It were a fault to snatch words from my tongue.

Biron. O, I am yours, and all that I possess!

Ros. All the fool mine?

Biron.

I cannot give you less.

[385] Ros. Which of the vizards was it that you wore?

Biron. Where? when? what vizard? why demand you this?

Ros. There, then, that vizard; that superfluous case

That hid the worse, and show’d the better face.

King. We are descried; they’ll mock us now downright.

[390] Dum. Let us confess, and turn it to a jest.

Prin. Amazed, my lord? why looks your highness sad?

[392] Ros. Help, hold his brows! he’ll swound! Why look you pale?

Sea-sick, I think, coming from Muscovy.

Biron. Thus pour the stars down plagues for perjury.

395 Can any face of brass hold longer out?

[396] Here stand I: lady, dart thy skill at me;

Bruise me with scorn, confound me with a flout;

Thrust thy sharp wit quite through my ignorance;

Cut me to pieces with thy keen conceit;

400 And I will wish thee never more to dance,

Nor never more in Russian habit wait.

O, never will I trust to speeches penn’d,

Nor to the motion of a schoolboy’s tongue;

[404] Nor never come in vizard to my friend;

[405] Nor woo in rhyme, like a blind harper’s song!

Taffeta phrases, silken terms precise,

[407] Three-piled hyperboles, spruce affectation,

Figures pedantical; these summer-flies

Have blown me full of maggot ostentation:

410 I do forswear them; and I here protest,

By this white glove,—how white the hand, God knows!—

Henceforth my wooing mind shall be express’d

In russet yeas, and honest kersey noes:

And, to begin, wench,—so God help me, la!—

[415] My love to thee is sound, sans crack or flaw.

Ros. Sans sans, I pray you.

Biron.

Yet I have a trick

Of the old rage:—bear with me, I am sick;

I’ll leave it by degrees. Soft, let us see:

Write, ‘Lord have mercy on us’ on those three;

420 They are infected; in their hearts it lies;

[421] They have the plague, and caught it of your eyes;

These lords are visited; you are not free,

For the Lord’s tokens on you do I see.

Prin. No, they are free that gave these tokens to us.

425 Biron. Our states are forfeit: seek not to undo us.

Ros. It is not so; for how can this be true,

That you stand forfeit, being those that sue?

Biron. Peace! for I will not have to do with you.

Ros. Nor shall not, if I do as I intend.

430 Biron. Speak for yourselves; my wit is at an end.

King. Teach us, sweet madam, for our rude transgression

Some fair excuse.

Prin.

The fairest is confession.

[433] Were not you here but even now disguised?

King. Madam, I was.

Prin.

And were you well advised?

King. I was, fair madam.

Prin.

435 When you then were here,

What did you whisper in your lady’s ear?

King. That more than all the world I did respect her.

Prin. When she shall challenge this, you will reject her.

[439] King. Upon mine honour, no.

Prin.

Peace, peace! forbear:

440 Your oath once broke, you force not to forswear.

King. Despise me, when I break this oath of mine.

Prin. I will: and therefore keep it. Rosaline,

What did the Russian whisper in your ear?

Ros. Madam, he swore that he did hold me dear

445 As precious eyesight, and did value me

[446] Above this world; adding thereto, moreover,

That he would wed me, or else die my lover.

Prin. God give thee joy of him! the noble lord

Most honourably doth uphold his word.

450 King. What mean you, madam? by my life, my troth,

I never swore this lady such an oath.

Ros. By heaven, you did; and to confirm it plain,

You gave me this: but take it, sir, again.

[454] King. My faith and this the princess I did give:

455 I knew her by this jewel on her sleeve.

Prin. Pardon me, sir, this jewel did she wear;

And Lord Biron, I thank him, is my dear.

What, will you have me, or your pearl again?

Biron. Neither of either; I remit both twain.

460 I see the trick on’t: here was a consent,

Knowing aforehand of our merriment,

To dash it like a Christmas comedy:

[463] Some carry-tale, some please-man, some slight zany,

Some mumble-news, some trencher-knight, some Dick,

[465] That smiles his cheek in years, and knows the trick

To make my lady laugh when she’s disposed,

Told our intents before; which once disclosed,

The ladies did change favours; and then we,

Following the signs, woo’d but the sign of she.

470 Now, to our perjury to add more terror,

We are again forsworn, in will and error.

[472] Much upon this it is: and might not you [To Boyet.

Forestall our sport, to make us thus untrue?

[474] Do not you know my lady’s foot by the squier,

475 And laugh upon the apple of her eye?

And stand between her back, sir, and the fire,

Holding a trencher, jesting merrily?

[478] You put our page out: go, you are allow’d;

Die when you will, a smock shall be your shroud.

480 You leer upon me, do you? there’s an eye

[481] Wounds like a leaden sword.

Boyet.

Full merrily

[482] Hath this brave manage, this career, been run.

Biron. Lo, he is tilting straight! Peace! I have done.

Enter Costard.

[484] Welcome, pure wit! thou part’st a fair fray.

485 Cost. O Lord, sir, they would know

Whether the three Worthies shall come in or no.

Biron. What, are there but three?

Cost.

[487] No, sir; but it is vara fine,

[488] For every one pursents three.

Biron.

And three times thrice is nine.

Cost. Not so, sir; under correction, sir; I hope it is not so.

[490] You cannot beg us, sir, I can assure you, sir; we know what we know:

[491] I hope, sir, three times thrice, sir,—

Biron. Is not nine.

Cost. Under correction, sir, we know whereuntil it doth amount.

495 Biron. By Jove, I always took three threes for nine.

Cost. O Lord, sir, it were pity you should get your living by reckoning, sir.

Biron. How much is it?

Cost. O Lord, sir, the parties themselves, the actors, sir, 500 will show whereuntil it doth amount: for mine own part, I [501] am, as they say, but to parfect one man in one poor man, Pompion the Great, sir.

Biron. Art thou one of the Worthies?

[504] Cost. It pleased them to think me worthy of Pompion 505 the Great: for mine own part, I know not the degree of the Worthy, but I am to stand for him.

Biron. Go, bid them prepare.

Cost. We will turn it finely off, sir; we will take some care. [Exit.

King. Biron, they will shame us: let them not approach.

[510] Biron. We are shame-proof, my lord: and ’tis some policy

[511] To have one show worse than the king’s and his company.

King. I say they shall not come.

Prin. Nay, my good lord, let me o’errule you now:

[514] That sport best pleases that doth least know how:

[515] Where zeal strives to content, and the contents

Dies in the zeal of that which it presents:

Their form confounded makes most form in mirth,

[517] When great things labouring perish in their birth.

Biron. A right description of our sport, my lord.

Enter Armado.

520 Arm. Anointed, I implore so much expense of thy royal [521] sweet breath as will utter a brace of words. [Converses apart with the King, and delivers him a paper.

Prin. Doth this man serve God?

Biron. Why ask you?

[524] Prin. He speaks not like a man of God’s making.

[525] Arm. That is 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, [528] to fortuna de la guerra. I wish you the peace of mind, [529] most royal couplement! [Exit.

530 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:

[534] And if these four Worthies in their first show thrive,

535 These four will change habits, and present the other five.

Biron. There is five in the first show.

King. You are deceived; ’tis not so.

Biron. ‘The pedant, the braggart, the hedge-priest, the fool and the boy:—

[540] Abate throw at novum, and the whole world again

[541] Cannot pick out five such, take each one in his vein.

[542] King. The ship is under sail, and here she comes amain.

Enter Costard, for Pompey.

[543] Cost. I Pompey am,—

Boyet.

You lie, you are not he.

Cost. I Pompey am,—

Boyet.

With libbard’s head on knee.

545 Biron. Well said, old mocker: I must needs be friends with thee.

Cost. I Pompey am, Pompey surnamed the Big,—

Dum. The Great.

Cost. It is, ‘Great,’ sir:—

Pompey surnamed the Great;

That oft in field, with targe and shield, did make my foe to sweat:

550 And travelling along this coast, I here am come by chance,

And lay my arms before the legs of [551] this sweet lass of France.

If your ladyship would say, ‘Thanks, Pompey,’ I had done.

[553] Prin. Great thanks, Great Pompey.

Cost. ’Tis not so much worth; but I hope I was perfect:

555 I made a little fault in ‘Great.’

Biron. My hat to a halfpenny, Pompey proves the best Worthy.

Enter Sir Nathaniel, for Alexander.

Nath. When in the world I lived, I was the world’s commander;

By east, west, north, and south, I spread my conquering might:

560 My scutcheon plain declares that I am Alisander,—

Boyet. Your nose says, no, you are not; for it stands too right.

[562] Biron. Your nose smells ‘no’ in this, most tender-smelling knight.

[563] Prin. The conqueror is dismay’d. Proceed, good Alexander.

Nath. When in the world I lived, I was the world’s commander,—

565 Boyet. Most true, ’tis right; you were so, Alisander.

Biron. Pompey the Great,—

Cost. Your servant, and Costard.

Biron. Take away the conqueror, take away Alisander.

Cost. [To Sir Nath.] O, sir, you have overthrown Alisander 570 the conqueror! You will be scraped out of the painted cloth for this: your lion, that holds his poll-axe sitting on a close-stool, will be given to Ajax: he will be the ninth [573] Worthy. A conqueror, and afeard to speak! run away for shame, Alisander. [Nath. retires.] [574] There, an’t shall please 575 you; a foolish mild man; an honest man, look you, and [576] soon dashed. He is a marvellous good neighbour, faith, and a very good bowler: but, for Alisander,—alas, you see [578] how ’tis,—a little o’erparted. But there are Worthies a-coming [579] will speak their mind in some other sort.

[580] Prin. Stand aside, good Pompey.

Enter Holofernes, for Judas; and Moth, for Hercules.

Hol.

[581] Great Hercules is presented by this imp,

Whose club kill’d Cerberus, that [582] three-headed canis;

And when he was a babe, a child, a shrimp,

Thus did he strangle serpents in his manus.

Quoniam he seemeth in minority,

585 Ergo I come with this apology.

[587] Keep some state in thy exit, and vanish. [Moth retires.

Judas I am,-

Dum. A Judas!

Hol. Not Iscariot, sir.

590 Judas I am, ycliped Maccabæus.

Dum. Judas Maccabæus dipt is plain Judas.

[593] Biron. A kissing traitor. How art thou proved Judas?

Hol. Judas I am,—

595 Dum. The more shame for you, Judas.

Hol. What mean you, sir?

Boyet. To make Judas hang himself.

Hol. Begin, sir; you are my elder.

Biron. Well followed: Judas was hanged on an elder.

[600] Hol. I will not be put out of countenance.

Biron. Because thou hast no face.

Hol. What is this?

Boyet. A cittern-head.

Dum. The head of a bodkin.

605 Biron. A Death’s face in a ring.

Long. The face of an old Roman coin, scarce seen.

[607] Boyet. The pommel of Cæsar’s falchion.

Dum. The carved-bone face on a flask.

Biron. Saint George’s half-cheek in a brooch.

610 Dum. Ay, and in a brooch of lead.

Biron. Ay, and worn in the cap of a tooth-drawer.

And now forward; for we have put thee in countenance.

Hol. You have put me out of countenance.

Biron. False: we have given thee faces.

615 Hol. But you have out-faced them all.

Biron. An thou wert a lion, we would do so.

[617] 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.

620 Biron. For the ass to the Jude; give it him:—Jud-as, away!

Hol. This is not generous, not gentle, not humble.

Boyet. A light for Monsieur Judas! it grows dark, he may stumble. [Hol. retires.

[623] Prin. Alas, poor Maccabæus, how hath he been baited!

Enter Armado, for Hector.

625 Biron. Hide thy head, Achilles: here comes Hector in arms.

[626] Dum. Though my mocks come home by me, I will now be merry.

[628] King. Hector was but a Troyan in respect of this.

Boyet. But is this Hector?

630 King. I think Hector was not so clean-timbered.

[631] Long. His leg is too big for Hector’s.

Dum. More calf, certain.

[633] Boyet. No; he is best indued in the small.

Biron. This cannot be Hector.

635 Dum. He’s a god or a painter; for he makes faces.

Arm. The armipotent Mars, of lances the almighty,

Gave Hector a gift,—

[638] Dum. A gilt nutmeg.

Biron. A lemon.

640 Long. Stuck with cloves.

Dum. No, cloven.

[642] Arm. Peace!—

The armipotent Mars, of lances the almighty,

Gave Hector a gift, the heir of Ilion;

[645] A man so breathed, that certain he would fight; yea

From morn till night, out of his pavilion.

I am that flower,—

Dum.

[647] That mint.

Long.

That columbine.

650 Arm. Sweet Lord Longaville, rein thy tongue.

Long. I must rather give it the rein, for it runs against Hector.

Dum. Ay, and Hector’s a greyhound.

Arm. The sweet war-man is dead and rotten; sweet [653] chucks, beat not the bones of the buried: when he breathed, he was a man. But I will forward with my device. [To the Princess] [655] Sweet royalty, bestow on me the sense of hearing.

Prin. Speak, brave Hector: we are much delighted.

Arm. I do adore thy sweet Grace’s slipper.

Boyet. [Aside to Dum.] Loves her by the foot.

Dum. [Aside to Boyet] He may not by the yard.

660 Arm. This Hector far surmounted Hannibal,—

[661] Cost. The party is gone, fellow Hector, she is gone; she is two months on her way.

Arm. What meanest thou?

Cost. Faith, unless you play the honest Troyan, the 665 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 670 is quick by him, and hanged for Pompey that is dead by him.

Dum. Most rare Pompey!

Boyet. Renowned Pompey!

Biron. Greater than great, great, great, great Pompey! Pompey the Huge!

675 Dum. Hector trembles.

Biron. Pompey is moved. More Ates, more Ates! stir [677] them on! stir them on!

Dum. Hector will challenge him.

Biron. Ay, if a’ have no more man’s blood in’s belly 680 than will sup a flea.

Arm. By the north pole, I do challenge thee.

Cost. I will not fight with a pole, like a northern man: [683] I’ll slash; I’ll do it by the sword. I bepray you, let me borrow my arms again.

685 Dum. Room for the incensed Worthies!

Cost. I’ll do it in my shirt.

[687] Dum. Most resolute Pompey!

[688] Moth. Master, let me take you a button-hole lower. Do you not see Pompey is uncasing for the combat? What 690 mean you? You will lose your reputation.

Arm. Gentlemen and soldiers, pardon me; I will not combat in my shirt.

Dum. You may not deny it: Pompey hath made the challenge.

695 Arm. Sweet bloods, I both may and will.

Biron. What reason have you for’t?

Arm. The naked truth of it is, I have no shirt; I go woolward for penance.

[699] Boyet. True, and it was enjoined him in Rome for want 700 of linen: since when, I’ll be sworn, he wore none but a dish-clout [701] of Jaquenetta’s, and that a’ wears next his heart for a [702] favour.

Enter Marcade.

Mar. God save you, madam!

[704] Prin. Welcome, Marcade;

[705] But that thou interrupt’st our merriment.

[706] Mar. I am sorry, madam; for the news I bring

Is heavy in my tongue. The king your father—

Prin. Dead, for my life!

Mar. Even so; my tale is told.

710 Biron. Worthies, away! the scene begins to cloud.

Arm. For mine own part, I breathe free breath. I have [712] 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?

715 Prin. Boyet, prepare; I will away to-night.

King. Madam, not so; I do beseech you, stay.

Prin. Prepare, I say. I thank you, gracious lords,

[718] For all your fair endeavours; and entreat,

Out of a new-sad soul, that you vouchsafe

720 In your rich wisdom to excuse, or hide,

The liberal opposition of our spirits,

If over-boldly we have borne ourselves

In the converse of breath: your gentleness

Was guilty of it. Farewell, worthy lord!

[725] A heavy heart bears not a nimble tongue:

[726] Excuse me so, coming too short of thanks

For my great suit so easily obtain’d.

[728] King. The extreme parts of time extremely forms

All causes to the purpose of his speed;

730 And often, at his very loose, decides

[731] That which long process could not arbitrate:

And though the mourning brow of progeny

Forbid the smiling courtesy of love

[734] The holy suit which fain it would convince;

735 Yet, since love’s argument was first on foot,

Let not the cloud of sorrow justle it

From what it purposed; since, to wail friends lost

[738] Is not by much so wholesome-profitable

As to rejoice at friends but newly found.

[740] Prin. I understand you not: my griefs are double.

[741] Biron. Honest plain words best pierce the ear of grief;

And by these badges understand the king.

For your fair sakes have we neglected time,

Play’d foul play with our oaths: your beauty, ladies,

745 Hath much deform’d us, fashioning our humours

Even to the opposed end of our intents:

And what in us hath seem’d ridiculous,—

[748] As love is full of unbefitting strains;

All wanton as a child, skipping, and vain;

750 Form’d by the eye, and therefore, like the eye,

[751] Full of strange shapes, of habits and of forms,

Varying in subjects as the eye doth roll

To every varied object in his glance:

Which parti-coated presence of loose love

755 Put on by us, if, in your heavenly eyes,

[756] Have misbecomed our oaths and gravities,

Those heavenly eyes, that look into these faults,

Suggested us to make. Therefore, ladies,

Our love being yours, the error that love makes

760 Is likewise yours: we to ourselves prove false,

By being once false for ever to be true

[762] To those that make us both,—fair ladies, you:

[763] And even that falsehood, in itself a sin,

Thus purifies itself, and turns to grace.

765 Prin. We have received your letters full of love:

[766] Your favours, the ambassadors of love;

And, in our maiden council, rated them

At courtship, pleasant jest and courtesy,

As bombast and as lining to the time:

[770] But more devout than this in our respects

[771] Have we not been; and therefore met your loves

In their own fashion, like a merriment.

Dum. Our letters, madam, show’d much more than jest.

Long. So did our looks.

Ros.

We did not quote them so.

775 King. Now, at the latest minute of the hour,

Grant us your loves.

Prin.

A time, methinks, too short

To make a world-without-end bargain in.

No, no, my lord, your grace is perjured much,

Full of dear guiltiness; and therefore this:—

780 If for my love, as there is no such cause,

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;

785 There stay until the twelve celestial signs

[786] Have brought about the annual reckoning.

If this austere insociable life

Change not your offer made in heat of blood;

If frosts and fasts, hard lodging and thin weeds

790 Nip not the gaudy blossoms of your love,

But that it bear this trial, and last love;

Then, at the expiration of the year,

[793] Come challenge me, challenge me by these deserts,

And, by this virgin palm now kissing thine,

[795] I will be thine; and till that instant shut

My woeful self up in a mourning house,

Raining the tears of lamentation

For the remembrance of my father’s death.

If this thou do deny, let our hands part,

[800] Neither intitled in the other’s heart.

King. If this, or more than this, I would deny,

[802] To flatter up these powers of mine with rest,

The sudden hand of death close up mine eye!

[804] Hence ever then my heart is in thy breast.

[805] Biron. And what to me, my love? and what to me?

[806] Ros. You must be purged too, your sins are rack’d,

[807] You are attaint with faults and perjury:

Therefore if you my favour mean to get,

A twelvemonth shall you spend, and never rest,

810 But seek the weary beds of people sick.

Dum. But what to me, my love? but what to me?

[812] A wife?

Kath.

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?

815 Kath. Not so, my lord; a twelvemonth and a day

I’ll mark no words that smooth-faced wooers say:

Come when the king doth to my lady come;

Then, if I have much love, I’ll give you some.

Dum. I’ll serve thee true and faithfully till then.

820 Kath. Yet swear not, lest ye be forsworn again.

Long. What says Maria?

Mar.

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.

825 Biron. Studies my lady? mistress, look on me;

Behold the window of my heart, mine eye,

What humble suit attends thy answer there:

[828] Impose some service on me for thy love.

[829] Ros. Oft have I heard of you, my Lord Biron,

830 Before I saw you; and the world’s large tongue

Proclaims you for a man replete with mocks,

Full of comparisons and wounding flouts,

[833] Which you on all estates will execute

That lie within the mercy of your wit.

[835] To weed this wormwood from your fruitful brain,

And therewithal to win me, if you please,

Without the which I am not to be won,

You shall this twelvemonth term from day to day

Visit the speechless sick, and still converse

840 With groaning wretches; and your task shall be,

With all the fierce endeavour of your wit

To enforce the pained impotent to smile.

Biron. To move wild laughter in the throat of death?

It cannot be; it is impossible:

845 Mirth cannot move a soul in agony.

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

850 Of him that hears it, never in the tongue

Of him that makes it: then, if sickly ears,

[852] Deaf’d with the clamours of their own dear groans,

[853] Will hear your idle scorns, continue then,

And I will have you and that fault withal;

855 But if they will not, throw away that spirit,

And I shall find you empty of that fault,

Right joyful of your reformation.

Biron. A twelvemonth! well; befall what will befall,

I’ll jest a twelvemonth in an hospital.

Prin. [To the King] Ay, sweet my Lord; and so I take [860] my leave.

King. No, madam; we will bring you on your way.

Biron. Our wooing doth not end like an old play;

Jack hath not Jill: these ladies’ courtesy

Might well have made our sport a comedy.

865 King. Come, sir, it wants a twelvemonth and a day,

And then ’twill end.

Biron.

That’s too long for a play.

Re-enter Armado.

Arm. Sweet Majesty, vouchsafe me,—

[868] Prin. Was not that Hector?

Dum. The worthy knight of Troy.

870 Arm. I will kiss thy royal finger, and take leave. I am a votary; I have vowed to Jaquenetta to hold the [872] plough for her sweet love three years. But, most esteemed greatness, will you hear the dialogue that the two learned men have compiled in praise of the owl and the cuckoo? it 875 should have followed in the end of our show.

King. Call them forth quickly; we will do so.

[877] Arm. Holla! approach.

Re-enter Holofernes, Nathaniel, Moth, Costard, and others.

This side is Hiems, Winter, this Ver, the Spring; the one maintained by the owl, the other by the cuckoo. Ver, 880 begin.

The Song.

Spring.

When daisies pied and violets blue

[882] And lady-smocks all silver-white

[883] And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue

[884] Do paint the meadows with delight,

885 The cuckoo then, on every tree,

Mocks married men; for thus sings he,

Cuckoo;

Cuckoo, cuckoo: O word of fear,

Unpleasing to a married ear!

890 When shepherds pipe on oaten straws,

And merry larks are ploughmen’s clocks,

When turtles tread, and rooks, and daws,

And maidens bleach their summer smocks,

The cuckoo then, on every tree,

895 Mocks married men; for thus sings he,

Cuckoo;

Cuckoo, cuckoo: O word of fear,

Unpleasing to a married ear!

Winter.

When icicles hang by the wall,

900 And Dick the shepherd blows his nail,

And Tom bears logs into the hall,

And milk comes frozen home in pail,

[903] When blood is nipp’d and ways be foul,

Then nightly sings the staring owl,

[905] Tu-whit;

Tu-who, a merry note,

While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

When all aloud the wind doth blow,

And coughing drowns the parson’s saw,

910 And birds sit brooding in the snow,

And Marian’s nose looks red and raw,

When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl,

Then nightly sings the staring owl,

Tu-whit;

915 Tu-who, a merry note,

While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

[917] Arm. The words of Mercury are harsh after the songs [918] of Apollo. You that way,—we this way. [Exeunt.

NOTES.

LLL [TOC]

Note I.

[Dramatis Personæ.] Biron is spelt ‘Berowne,’ Longaville ‘Longavill,’ in Q₁ F₁ Q₂; Mercade ‘Marcade,’ in Qq Ff. Armado is written sometimes ‘Armatho.’ Mr Grant White suggests that Moth should be written ‘Mote,’ as it was clearly so pronounced. See [note (vi)]. ‘Boyet’ is made to rhyme with ‘debt’ in V. 2. 334; ‘Longaville’ with ‘ill’ in iv. 3. 119, and with ‘mile’ in V. 2. 53; ‘Rosaline’ with ‘thine,’ iv. 3. 217. Costard, in the old stage directions, is called ‘Clown.’

Note II.

Mason says, ‘I believe the [title] of this play should be ‘Love’s Labours Lost,’ but it is clear, from the form in which it is written in the running title of Qq F₁ F₂ ‘Loves Labour’s Lost,’ that the full name was intended to be ‘Love’s Labour is Lost.’ On the title pages however of Q₁ and Q₂ it is written respectively ‘Loues labors lost,’ and ‘Loues Labours lost.’ It is called by Meres (1598) ‘Love Labour Lost,’ and by Tofte ‘Love’s Labour Lost,’ which is in favour of the ordinary spelling.

Note III.

As the [scene] through the play is in the King of Navarre’s park, and as it is perfectly obvious when the action is near the palace and when near the tents of the French princess, we have not thought it necessary to specify the several changes.

Note IV.

[i. 1. 23.] This is an instance of the lax grammar of the time which permitted the use of a singular pronoun referring to a plural substantive, and vice versa, as in The Two Noble Kinsmen, Act i. Sc. 1;

‘You cannot read it there; there, through my tears,

Like wrinkled pebbles in a glassy stream,

You may behold ’em.’

Note V.

[i. 1. 110.] Singer says that in a copy of F₁ which he used, the reading is ‘sit.’

Note VI.

[i. 2. 86.] There is probably an allusion in the words, ‘for she had a green wit,’ to the ‘green withes,’ with which Samson was bound. In Shakespeare’s time, ‘mote’ was frequently written ‘moth,’ as in iv. 3. 157 of this play, and in Much Ado about Nothing (ii. 3) the same variety of spelling gives rise to an obscure pun, ‘Note notes, forsooth, and nothing.’ Compare, also, As You Like It, iii. 3. 5.

Note VII.

[ii. 1. 88.] We have retained in this passage the reading of the first Quarto, ‘unpeeled,’ in preference to the ‘unpeopled’ of the second Quarto and the Folios, which is evidently only a conjectural emendation, and does not furnish a better sense than many other words which might be proposed. In the same way, in Act iii. Sc. 1, line 61, we have followed the first Quarto in reading ‘volable’ instead of ‘voluble,’ as it has direct reference to Moth’s last words ‘thump, then, and I flee,’ and is in better keeping with the Euphuistic language of the speaker.

Note VIII.

In [ii. 1. 114] sqq. the speakers are ‘Berowne’ and ‘Kather.’ in Q₁. This is followed by Capell, who justifies it as follows: ‘When the King and his lords enter, the ladies mask, and continue mask’d ’till they go: Biron, while the letter is reading, seeks his mistress; accosts Catharine instead of her, finds his error, and leaves her: the King’s exit gives him an opportunity to make another attempt, and he then lights on the right but without knowing her; makes a third by enquiry, and is baffled in that too, for he describes Maria, and is told she is Catharine.’ In this and other scenes the characters are so confused in the old copies that they can be determined only by the context, in this play a very unsafe guide.

Note IX.

[ii. 1. 212.] In this line, as well as in iii. 1. 140, 142, &c. and iv. 3. 279, the ‘O’ is superfluous and appears to have crept into the text from the last letter of the stage direction ‘Bero.’ In the first instance in which this occurs the first Quarto stands alone, and the error is corrected in the second Quarto and the Folios, and we have therefore ventured to make the same correction in the other cases.

Note X.

[iii. 1. 186.] As ‘wightly,’ in the sense of ‘nimble,’ has no etymological connection with ‘white,’ we have thought it best to retain the spelling which is least likely to mislead.

Note XI.

[iv. 2. 27.] Which we of taste and feeling are, for those... In Qq Ff this passage stands as follows: ‘which we taste and feeling, are for those parts that do fructify in us more than he,’ except that Q₁ F₄ put a comma after ‘taste’ and Q₂ omits ‘do.’ Theobald, on Warburton’s suggestion, reads, ‘parts (which we taste and feel ingradare) that do, &c.’ Hanmer is the first to print it as verse, reading,

‘And such barren plants are set before us, that we thankful should be,

For those parts which we taste and feel do fructify in us more than he.’

Johnson proposes, ‘When we taste and feeling are for those parts, &c.’ Tyrwhitt conjectured, ‘Which we of taste and feeling are, &c.’ and is followed by Collier and several modern editors. This reading appears to make the best sense with the least alteration. In Collier MS. we find ‘which we having taste and feeling &c.’

Note XII.

[iv. 2. 63], 70, 74. In Qq Ff these three speeches are incorrectly assigned to Nath., Hol. and Nath. respectively, whereas the third evidently belongs to Holofernes. Similarly the speeches beginning with lines 79, 83, 89, 99 are assigned to Nath. instead of Hol., and vice versâ line 99 which properly belongs to Nath. is given to Hol. Again 115–122 and 125–129 are given to Nath. in consequence of which ‘Sir Nathaniel,’ in line 129, was written ‘Sir Holofernes,’ a title to which the pedant had no claim. The mistake probably arose from the stage direction ‘Ped.’ being confounded with ‘Per.,’ that is, Person or Parson. Besides, in line 114, the ‘Ped.’ of F₁ is changed in the later folios to ‘Pedro.’

Note XIII.

[iv. 3. 142]. In Q₁ this line stands at the top of the page. The catch-word on the preceding page is ‘Fayth,’ shewing that the word omitted, whatever it be, was not the first in the line.

Note XIV.

[iv. 3. 178]. By the kind permission of the Duke of Devonshire, we have collated the copy of the first Quarto, which is in his Grace’s library, with that which is in the Capell collection. Besides the important difference mentioned in the foot-note, the following are found:

E. 3. (r) line 5, paper (Capell) p a d e r (Devonshire).

E. 3. (v) line 12, corporall (Capell) croporall (Devonshire).

I. 3. (r) line 22, then w i (Capell) then w (Devonshire).

Note XV.

[iv. 3. 244.] Theobald’s note is: ‘O word divine! This is the reading of all the editions that I have seen; but both Dr Thirlby and Mr Warburton concurred in reading (as I had likewise conjectured) O wood divine!’

‘Wood,’ however, is the reading of Rowe’s first edition. It was perhaps only a happy misprint, as it is altered to ‘word’ in the second.

Note XVI.

[iv. 3. 251.] As ‘suiter’ was pronounced and sometimes written ‘shooter’ (iv. 1. 101), so probably ‘suit’ was sometimes written ‘shoote,’ a word easily corrupted into ‘schoole.’

Note XVII.

[iv. 3. 285]. Although it is not necessary to omit a syllable on account of the metre, as Mr Sidney Walker seems to have thought, we have adopted one of his conjectures for the reason mentioned in [note (ix)]. A similar error, which has hitherto escaped notice, seems to occur in iv. 2. 83, where the word ‘Of,’ which in the original MS. was part of the stage direction ‘Holof.’, has crept into the text. If this hypothesis be true, it follows that the frequently recurring error of ‘Nath.’ for ‘Hol.’ is not due to the author himself, but to an unskilful corrector.

Note XVIII.

[iv. 3. 295]. Mr Dyce omits lines 295–300, For when would you...true Promethean fire; and lines 308–315, For where is...forsworn our books, which are repeated in substance, and, to some extent verbatim, in the latter part of the speech.

There can be no doubt that two drafts of the speech have been blended together, and that the author meant to cancel a portion of it; but as there also can be no doubt that the whole came from his pen, we do not venture to correct the printer’s error. We would ‘lose no drop of the immortal man.’ The error is indeed a very instructive one. It goes to prove that the first Quarto was printed from the author’s original MS.; that the author had not made a ‘foul copy’ of his work; and that he had not an opportunity of revising the proof sheets as they passed through the press.

For the same reason we have retained V. 2. 805–810.

Note XIX.

[iv. 3. 341]. We have here retained ‘make,’ because the inaccuracy is so natural, that it probably came from the pen of the author. It escaped correction in all the Quartos and Folios, as well as in Rowe’s and Pope’s editions.

Note XX.

[v. 1. 24], 25. The reading which we have given in the text, and which had occurred to us before we discovered that Capell had hit upon nearly the same conjecture, comes nearer to the words and punctuation of the Quartos and Folios than Theobald’s, which, since his time, has been the received reading. Sir Nathaniel is not represented elsewhere as an ignoramus who would be likely to say ‘bone’ for ‘bene.’ Holofernes patronizingly calls him ‘Priscian,’ but, pedagogue-like, will not admit his perfect accuracy. ‘A little scratched’ is a phrase familiar to the schoolmaster, from his daily task of correcting his pupils’ ‘latines.’

Capell’s conjecture, given in his Notes, Vol. i. p. 44 of the Various Readings, is ‘Nath. Laus Deo bone intelligo. Hol. Bone! bon, fort bon; Priscian.’ In his printed text he follows Theobald.

Some corruption is still left in line 22: insanie: ne intelligis. Perhaps we should read insano fare: intelligis...

Note XXI.

[v. 1. 110]. There is some corruption in this passage, which cannot with certainty be removed. In the subsequent scene five ‘worthies’ only are presented, viz. Hector by Armado, Pompey by Costard, Alexander by Nathaniel, Hercules by the Page, and Judas Maccabæus by Holofernes.

Note XXII.

[v. 2. 43]. Johnson says ‘The former editions read Were pencils,’ and attributes the restoration of Ware to Hanmer. Mr Halliwell repeats the assertion. In reality, all the editions read Ware.

Note XXIII.

[v. 2. 232]. Mr Sidney Walker, in his Criticisms, Vol. ii. p. 153, remarks that, ‘and if (he means an if) is always in the old plays printed ‘and if.’ Here is an instance to the contrary. See also Mr Lettsom’s note, l. c. And, not an, seems to be printed in nine cases out of ten, whatever the following word be.

Note XXIV.

[v. 2. 247]. ‘Dutchman’ here, as usual, means ‘German.’ The word alluded to is ‘Viel,’ a word which would be likely to be known from the frequent use which the sailors from Hamburg or Bremen would have cause to make of the phrase ‘zu viel’ in their bargains with the London shopkeepers.

Note XXV.

[v. 2. 312]. Mr Collier says that in some copies of Q₁ ‘thither’ is omitted.

Note XXVI.

[v. 2. 528]. The modern editors who have followed Hanmer’s reading ‘della,’ in preference to Theobald’s ‘de la,’ have forgotten that Armado is a Spaniard, not an Italian.

Linenotes-Love’s Labour’s Lost

Love’s Labour’s Lost, I, 1.

[ Scene i. The king...park] See [note (iii)].

Biron] F₂ F₃ F₄. Berowne Qq F₁ and passim.

[ 3]: And...death] Put in the margin as spurious by Pope.

[ 13]: Academe] Q₂ F₂. Achademe Q₁ F₁. Academy F₃ F₄.

[ 18]: schedule] sedule Q₁. scedule Q₂ Ff.

[ 23]: oaths] oath Steevens. See [note (iv)].

keep it too] keepe it to Qq F₁ keep them to F₂. keep them too F₃ F₄.

[ 27]: bankrupt quite] bancrout quite Q₁. bankerout Ff. banquerout Q₂. quite restored by Pope, and again rejected by Theobald.

[ 29]: these] this Collier MS.

[ 31]: pomp] pome Q₁.

[ 62]: feast...forbid] Theobald. fast...forbid Qq Ff. fast...fore-bid Theobald conj.

[ 65]: hard a keeping] hard-a-keeping Hanmer.

[ 67]: thus] Qq Ff. this Pope.

[ 72]: Why,] Pope. Why? Qq Ff. but] Q₁. and Ff Q₂.

[ 77]: of light] Qq F₁. om. F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 83]: it was] was it Steevens.

[ 87]: base] bare S. Walker conj.

others’] other Rowe (ed. 1).

[ 92]: nought but fame;] nought: but feign; Warburton. nought but shame; Id. conj.

[ 103]: any] Qq Ff. an Pope.

[ 106]: in] on Capell.

new-fangled] new-spangled Grey conj.

shows] F₃ F₄. showes Qq F₁ F₂. earth Theobald. mirth S. Walker conj. Malone supposes a line to be lost after line 103.

[ 108]: So you, to study] Go you to study, Anon. conj. But you’ll to study, Lettsom conj.

to study] by study Collier MS.

[ 109]: Climb o’er the house to unlock the little gate] Q₁ That were to climb o’er the house to unlock the gate Ff Q₂. Climb o’er the house-top to unlock the gate Collier MS. That were to climb the house o’er to unlock the gate Grant White.

[ 110]: sit] Qq F₂ F₃ F₄. fit F₁. set Malone conj. See [note (v)].

[ 114]: I’ll keep what] I’ll keep to what Collier MS.

swore] F₂ F₃ F₄. sworne Qq F₁.

[ 117]: strict’st] F₂ F₃ F₄. strictest Qq F₁.

[ 123]: this penalty?] this? Steevens, reading On...this? as a verse.

[ 127]: Biron] Theobald. Qq Ff continue this line to Longaville.

gentility] gentletie Q₁. garrulity Theobald conj. scurrility Staunton conj.

[ 130]: can possibly] Pope. can possible Q₁. shall possibly Ff Q₂.

[ 136]: bedrid] bedred Q₁.

[ 138]: hither] rather Collier MS.

[ 146]: She] We Capell.

[ 147]: us all] us both Q₂.

[ 151]: speak] Q₁. break Ff Q₂. plead Collier MS.

[ 153]: [Subscribes.] Subscribes and gives back the paper. Capell.

[ 156]: Other] Q₁. others Ff Q₂.

[ 158]: will last] last will S. Walker conj.

[ 161]: refined] Qq F₁. conceited F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 162]: world’s] world’s Qq F₁. world F₂ F₃ F₄.

world’s...planted] world-new fashions flaunted Collier MS.

[ 164]: One whom] F₂ F₃ F₄. on who Q₁. one who F₁ Q₂.

[ 176]: fire-new] fire, new F₁.

[ 178]: is] are Pope.

Enter......Costard] Malone. Enter a Constable with Costard with a letter. Qq Ff.

[ 179]: Duke’s] Qq Ff. King’s Theobald.

[ 182]: tharborough] farborough Q₁.

[ 191]: heaven] having Theobald. haven Jackson conj. hearing Collier MS.

[ 193]: laughing] Capell. hearing Qq Ff.

[ 194]: and] om. Rowe (ed. 2).

[ 197]: climb] F₃ F₄. clime Qq F₁ F₂. chime Collier MS.

[ 199]: with the manner] with the manor Hanmer. in the manner Warburton.

[ 205]: it is] Qq F₁. is F₂ F₃ F₄. in Rowe (ed. 2).

[ 220]: true, but so] true: but so Qq Ff. true, but so, so Hanmer.

[ 237]: minnow] Qq Ff. minion or minim Anon. conj.

[ 239], 241, 243: Me?...Me?...me?] Ff Q₂. Mee?...Mee?...mee. Q₁. Me...Me...me. Hanmer.

[ 242]: vassal] vessel Collier MS.

[ 247]: which] with, Theobald.

[ 251]: sweet] Qq F₁. om. F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 252]: meed] need Warburton.

[ 253]: thy] Qq F₁. the F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 257]: keep] Qq F₂ F₃ F₄. keeper F₁.

vessel] vassal Theobald.

[ 260]: Adriano] Qq. Adriana Ff.

[ 271]: I...I] It...I F₂.

[ 272], 273, 274: damsel] Q₁, except in line 241 demsel. damosell Ff Q₂.

[ 287]: [Exeunt...] Exeunt. F₂ F₃ F₄. om. Qq F₁.

[ 288]: good man’s hat] man’s good hat Capell conj. goodman’s hat Anon. conj.

[ 290]: Given to Constable in Collier MS.

[ 293]: prosperity] prosperie Q₁.

[ 294]: till then, sit thee] Q₁. untill then sit Ff Q₂. untill then set thee Collier MS.

Love’s Labour’s Lost, I, 2.

[ Scene ii.] Scene iii. Pope.

The same. Armado’s house. Pope. See [note (iii)].

Enter Armado...] Enter Armado a Braggart... F₂.

[ 10], 11, 16: senior] signeor Q₁. signeur F₁.

[ 13]: epitheton] F₂ F₃ F₄. apethaton Q₁. apathaton. F₁ Q₂.

[ 22]: Little pretty] Little! pretty Theobald.

[ 23]: apt] om. Q₂.

[ 27]: ingenious] Q₁ F₄. ingenuous F₁ Q₂ F₂ F₃.

[ 33]: [Aside.] Hanmer.

the mere contrary] Qq F₁. the clean contrary F₂ F₃ F₄. contrary Hanmer.

[ 36]: Duke] King Theobald.

[ 40]: fitteth] Q₁ fits Ff Q₂.

[ 48]: do] Q₁. om. Ff Q₂.

[ 51]: here is] Q₁. here’s Ff Q₂.

ye’ll] Yele Q₁. You’ll FF Q₂.

51, 52: it is] is it Warburton.

[ 55]: [Aside. Hanmer.

[ 86]: green wit] See [note (vi)].

[ 87]: My] Me Q₂.

[ 88]: maculate] Q₁ immaculate Ff Q₂.

[ 94]: pathetical] poetical Collier MS.

[ 97]: blushing] F₂ F₃ F₄. blush-in Qq F₁.

[ 107]: very guilty] Qq Ff. guilty Rowe.

[ 114]: rational] irrational Hanmer.

[ 115]: [Aside.] Hanmer.

[ 116]: master] master deserves Hanmer.

[ 117]: love] F₂ F₃ F₄. loue Qq. ioue F₁.

[ 120]: Enter...] Enter Clown, Constable, and Wench. Qq Ff. Enter C., D., J. and Maid. Rowe.

[ 122]: suffer him to] Q₁. let him Ff Q₂.

[ 123]: a’] Q₁. hee F₁ Q₂. he F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 125]: [Exit. Ff Q₂. om. Q₁.

[ 133]: that] Q₁ F₂ F₃ F₄. what F₁ Q₂.

[ 138]: Dull.] Theobald. Clo. Qq F₁. om. F₂ F₃ F₄.

[Exeunt D. and J.] Exeunt. Qq Ff.

[ 139]: Arm.] Ar. Q₁. Clo. F₁. Brag. Q₂. Con. F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 148]: will fast] will be fast F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 155]: not] om. Q₂.

too] Q₁. om. Ff Q₂.

words] wards Johnson conj.

[ 163]: was Samson] was Sampson Q₁. Sampson was Ff Q₂.

[ 165]: Solomon] F₃ F₄. Salomon Qq F₁ F₂.

[ 169]: duello] duella. Q₁.

[ 171]: manager] Armiger Collier MS.

[ 173]: sonnet] Ff Qq. sonneteer Hanmer. sonneter Capell. a sonnet Amyot conj. sonnet-maker Collier MS. sonnets Grant White.

[ 174]: [Exit.] Q₁. Exit Finis actus primus. F₁ Q₂. Finis actus primi. F₂ F₃ F₄.

Love’s Labour’s Lost, II, 1.

[ Act ii.] om. Q₁. Actus secunda F₁ F₂. Actus secundus. Q₂ F₃ F₄.

Enter...] Rowe. Enter the Princesse of France with three attending Ladies and three Lords. Qq Ff.

[ 1]: dearest] clearest Collier MS.

[ 2]: who] Qq F₁. whom F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 13]: Prin.] F₂ F₃ F₄. Queen. Qq F₁.

Lord] L. Qq Ff.

beauty, though] thought Q₂.

[ 19]: your wit in the praise] Qq F₁. thus your wit in praise F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 21]: You ...] Prin. You ... F₁ Q₂.

[ 25]: to ’s seemeth] Qq Ff. to us seemeth Rowe (ed. 2). to us seems Pope.

[ 32]: Importunes] Importuous Q₁.

[ 34]: visaged] Ff Q₂. visage Q₁.

[ 36]: [Exit B.] Dyce. Exit. Q₁ F₁ (after line 34).

[ 37], 38: Printed as prose in Qq Ff. First as verse by Rowe (ed. 2).

[ 39]: First Lord. Lord Longaville] Capell. Lor. Longavill. Qq Ff.

you] ye Warburton.

[ 40]: Mar.] Rowe. 1 Lady. Qq Ff. Lord. Hanmer.

I know] I knew F₂ F₃ F₄.

40–43: madam: at...solemnized In] Capell. madam at...solemnized. In Qq Ff.

[ 43]: In Normandy,] Mar. In Normandy Hanmer.

[ 44]: of sovereign parts] Ff Q₂. of soveraigne peerelsse Q₁. of— sovereign, peerless Malone conj. a sovereign pearl Steevens conj. of his sovereign peerless Jackson conj.

[ 45]: Well fitted in arts] Qq F₁. Well fitted in the arts F₂ F₃ F₄. In arts well fitted Grant White conj.

[ 47], 48: gloss...gloss] glose ...glose Q₁.

[ 51]: none spare] spare none Rowe (ed. 2).

[ 52]: merry mocking] merry-mocking Rowe.

[ 55]: Who...rest?] omitted by Rowe (ed. 1).

[ 58]: power to do most] powerful to do Hanmer.

[ 60]: he] she F₁ Q₂.

[ 61]: Alençon’s] Alansoes Qq F₁. Alanzoes F₂ F₃ F₄. Alanson’s Rowe.

[ 64]: these] the Q₂.

[ 65]: if] Q₁. as Ff Q₂.

if...a truth] as...a youth Theobald conj.

[ 69]: his wit] Qq F₁. wit F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 76]: voluble] valuable Rowe (ed. 2).

[ 80]: First Lord.] Lord. Q₁. Ma. Ff Q₂.

[ 84]: much] om. F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 88]: unpeeled] Q₁. unpeopled Ff Q₂. See [note (vii)].

[ 89]: [The Ladies mask. Capell.

[ 90]: Scene ii. Pope.

King.] Navar. Qq Ff.

...and Attendants] Rowe. om. Qq Ff.

[ 93]: wide] wild Reed (ed. 1803).

[ 99]: it; will] Capell. it will, Qq Ff. it’s will, Rowe (ed. 2).

[ 105]: And sin] Not sin Hanmer.

105, 106: And...sudden-bold] As one line in Q₁.

[ 114]: Ros.] Rosa. Ff Q₂. Kather. Q₁. See [note (viii)].

[ 115]–117: As two verses ending then,...quick. in Capell.

[ 116], 118, 120, 122, 124, 126: Ros.] Rosa, Ff Q₃. Kath. Q₁.

[ 129]: a] one Rowe (ed. 1)

[ 134]: the which] which Capell.

[ 138]: unsatisfied] but satisfied Q₂.

[ 142]: repaid] repaie F₁ Q₂.

[ 143]: A] Q₁. An Ff Q₂.

demands] remembers Rowe.

[ 144]: On] Theobald. One Qq Ff.

a] Q₁ F₁ F₂ F₃. an Q₂ F₄.

[ 147]: father] fathers Q₂.

[ 158]: And if] An if Delius conj.

[ 167]: I will] Q₁. would I Ff Q₂.

[ 171]: in] Ff Q₂. within Q₁.

[ 174]: fair] Q₁. farther Ff Q₂. free Collier MS.

[ 176]: shall we] Q₁. we shall Ff Q₂.

[ 178]: [Exit.] Qq Ff. [Exeunt King and his train. Capell.

[ 179]: mine own] Q₂. my none Q₁. my own Ff. my Capell.

179, 182, 184, 186, 188, 190: Biron.] Ber. Q₁. Boy. Ff Q₂.

[ 180]: Pray] Now, pray Capell, reading as verse.

[ 183]–192: Put in the margin as spurious by Pope.

183: fool] foole Q₁. soule F₁ Q₂ F₂. soul F₃ F₄.

[ 189]: No point,] No poynt, (in italics) Qq Ff. No, (rom.) point, (ital.) Capell.

[ 192]: Biron.] Ber. Qq F₁. Bir. F₂ F₃ F₄.

[Retiring.] Capell. [Exit. Qq Ff.

Enter Dumaine. Qq Ff.

[ 194]: Katharine] Singer (Capell conj.). Rosalin Qq Ff.

[ 195]: Enter Longavile. F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 197]: sometimes] sometime Q₂.

an] and Q₁. if Ff Q₂.

197–203: A woman......offended.] Put in the margin by Pope.

[ 202]: on your] Qq. a your Ff.

[ 205]: Nay, my choler is ended] omitted by Pope.

[ 207]: Enter Berowne. Qq Ff.

[ 208]–226: What’s ... abused] Put in the margin by Pope.

[ 209]: Rosaline] Singer (Anon. N. and Q. conj.). Katherine Qq Ff.

[ 212]: You] Ff Q₂. O you Q₁. See [note (ix)].

[ 213]: [Exit Biron.] Q₁. [Exit. Ff Q₂. [The Ladies unmask. Capell.

[ 218]: Mar. Two hot sheeps, marry. Boyet. And...ships?] Rowe (ed. 2). Lady Ka. Two hot sheepes marie. Bo. And...shipps? Q₁. La. Ma. Two hot sheeps marie: And wherefore not ships? Ff Q₂. See [note (viii)].

[ 221]: [Offering...] Capell.

[ 224]: but, gentles, agree] Theobald. but gentles agree Qq Ff.

[ 227], 229: Punctuated as in Theobald, observation (which...eyes. Deceave... Q₁. observation (which...eyes) Deceive Ff Q₂.

[ 230]–252: Prin. With-what?...lie.] Put in the margin by Pope.

[ 233]: did] Q₁. doc Ff Q₂.

their] the Q₂.

[ 234]: thorough] through Q₂.

[ 240]: feel only] feed on by Jackson conj.

[ 243]: where] Q₁. whence Ff Q₂.

[ 244]: point you] Q₁. point out Ff Q₂.

[ 245]: quote] Q₂. coate Q₁ F₁ F₂. coat F₃ F₄.

[ 247]: and] om. Q₂.

[ 249]: disposed.] disposed— Warburton.

Love’s Labour’s Lost, III, 1.

[ Act iii.] Actus Tertius. F₁ Q₂. Actus Tertia. F₂ F₃ F₄. om. Q₁.

Scene i.] Rowe. Scene ii. Capell, following Theobald, who continues Act i.

Enter Armado and Moth.] Enter Braggart and his boy. Q₁. Enter Braggart and Boy: Song. Ff Q₂.

[ 7]: Master] Q₁. om. Ff Q₂.

[ 11]: your] Q₁. the Ff Q₂.

[ 12]: eyelids] Q₁. eye Ff Q₂.

sometime] something Rowe (ed. 1). sometimes Pope.

[ 13]: as if] Theobald. if Qq Ff.

singing love, sometime] Theobald. singing love sometime Q₁. singing, love sometime Ff Q₂.

[ 14]: through the nose] F₂ F₃ F₄. through: nose Qq F₁.

[ 16], 17: thin-belly] F₃ F₄. thinbellies Q₁. thinbellie F₁ Q₂. thinebelly F₂.

thin-belly doublet] thin belly-doublet Steevens. thin belly’s doublet Collier.

[ 19] complements] ’complishments Hanmer.

[ 21]: them men of note—do you note me?—that] Hanmer. them men of note: do you note men that Qq Ff. the men of note: do you note men, that Theobald. them men of note (do you note men?) that Malone.

[ 24]: penny] Hanmer. penne Q₁ F₁ F₂. pen Q₂ F₃ F₄. paine Collier MS. ken Becket conj.

[ 37]: and this,] Theobald, (and this) Qq Ff.

without] out of Pope.

[ 38], 39: by heart...by her] omitted by Rowe.

[ 45]: Arm.] Boy. Q₂.

[ 46]: message] messenger Collier MS.

[ 53]: The] Q₁. Thy Ff Q.

ingenious] ingenuous Q₂.

[ 57]: so] so, so soon Johnson conj.

[ 60]: flee] fly Rowe.

[ 61]: volable] Q₁. voluble Ff Q₂.

free] fair Collier MS.

[ 63]: Most rude] moist-eyed Collier MS.

[ 65]: Scene ii. Pope.

65–121: Moth. A wonder...loose] Put in the margin by Pope.

[ 66]: come, thy] Qq F₁. no F₂ F₃ F₄.

66, 67: l’envoy; begin] Capell. lenvoy begin Qq Ff.

[ 67], 68: in the mail] in thee male Qq F₁. in the male F₂ F₃ F₄. in the vale Johnson conj. in the matter Capell. à the mal Becket conj. in them all Knight (Tyrwhitt conj.).

[ 68]: O,] Q₁ F₃ F₄. Or F₁ Q₂ F₂.

plain] pline Q₁.

[ 69]: no salve] Qq F₁. or salve F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 71]: my lungs] thy lungs Edd. conj.

[ 73]: word] Qq F₁. world F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 76]: page] Moth Rowe (ed. 1).

[ 77]: sain] saine Q₁. faine F₁ Q₂ F₂. fain F₃ F₄.

[ 78]–86: I will...four] omitted in Ff Q₂.

[ 86], 92: adding] making Collier MS.

[ 91]: Arm.] Qq F₁ Pag. F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 101]: the] a F₃ F₄.

[ 110]: I Costard] Costard Warburton.

[ 114]: Sirrah Costard] Marry, Costard Knight conj. Sirrah Costard, marry, Collier MS.

[ 118]: immured] F₂ F₃ F₄. emured Qq F₁.

[ 121]: loose] be loose Collier MS.

[ 122]: set thee from] set thee free from Collier MS.

[ 126]: honour] Q₁. honours Ff Q₂.

[ 128]: Jew] jewel Warburton.

[ 131]: inkle] yncle Qq Ff.

One penny] i. d. Qq F₁ F₂. i. de. F₃ F₄. Five farthings Rowe (ed. 1). A penny Rowe (ed. 2).

[ 132], 133: carries it. Remuneration!] Theobald, carries it remuneration Qq F₁ F₂. carries it’s remuneration F₃ F₄.

[ 133]: French] Q₁. a French Ff Q₂.

[ 135]: Scene iii. Pope.

[ 138]: What] O what Q₁.

[ 140]: three-farthing worth] Q₁. three farthings worth Ff Q₂.

140, 142, 146, 148, 163: Each of these lines begins with O in Qq Ff. See [note (ix)].

[ 143]: win] om. Q₂.

[ 150]: know] know it F₃ F₄.

[ 154]: princess] princes Q₂.

[ 159]: [Giving ...shilling] Edd.

[ 161]: a ’leven-pence] a levenpence Qq Ff. elevenpence Rowe.

[ 162]: in print] in point Anon. conj. ap. Halliwell.

Gardon] Qq F₁. guerdon F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 163]–168: Q₁ prints as three lines ending whip...constable...magnificent; Ff Q₂ as six lines ending love...whip...criticke...constable...boy...magnificent.

[ 165]: a humorous] an amorous Hanmer.

[ 168]: so] more Rowe.

[ 169]: wimpled] whimp’ring Hanmer.

[ 170]: senior-junior] Hanmer (Anon. conj. apud Theobald), signior Junios Qq Ff. signior Juno’s Rowe (ed. 2). signior Junio Pope. Signior Julio’s Upton conj.

dwarf] dwarfe F₁.

Dan] Q₁. Don Ff Q₂.

[ 177]: field] file Theobald (Warburton).

[ 179]: What! I love! I sue!] What? I love! I sue! what? Hanmer. What? what? I love! I sue! Johnson. What? I! I love! I sue! Malone (Tyrwhitt conj.).

[ 180]: German clock] F₂ F₃ F₄. Jermane Cloake Q₁. Germane Cloake F₁. Germaine Cloake Q₂.

[ 182]: aright] right Capell.

being a] Qq F₁. being but F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 186]: wightly] Edd. whitley Qq F₁ F₂. whitely F₃ F₄. witty Collier MS. whiteless Porson conj. See [note (x)].

[ 194]: sue and groan] F₂ F₃ F₄. shue, grone Q₁ F₁. sue grone Q₂. sue, watch, groan Lettsom conj.

Love’s Labour’s Lost, IV, 1.

[ Act iv.] Act iii. Theobald.

enter...] Enter the Princesse, a Forrester, her Ladyes, and her Lordes. Qq Ff.

[ 2]: uprising] unrising F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 3]: Boy.] Ff Q₂. For. Q₂.

[ 6]: on] ore Q₁.

[ 9]: Hereby] Hardby Hanmer.

coppice] copse S. Walker conj.

[ 11]–40: I thank...lord] Put in the margin by Pope.

[ 13]: madam] om. F₃ F₄.

[ 14]: and again] Q₁ and then again F₁ Q₂. then again F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 22]: fair] faith Collier MS.

[ 23]: fair] the F₃ F₄.

[ 27]: do’t] doote Q₁.

[ 32]: for praise] to praise F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 35]: deer’s] Deere F₂.

that] tho’ Warburton conj.

[ 40]: a] her Rowe.

[ 42]–52: God...will] Put in the margin by Pope.

[ 49], 50: your waist...my wit...your waist] my waste...your wit...my waste Warburton.

49: my wit] your wit Johnson conj.

[ 64]: illustrate] illustrious Q₂.

[ 65]: Zenelophon] Penelophon Collier.

[ 66]: annothanize] Qq F₁. anatomize F₂ F₃ F₄. annotanize Knight.

[ 67]: videlicet] is Capell.

saw] F₂ F₃ F₄. see Qq F₁.

saw] Rowe. see Qq Ff.

[ 68]: overcame] Q₂ F₃ F₄. covercame Q₁ F₁ F₂.

[ 70]: who overcame he?] Qq Ff. who overcame him? Rowe (ed. 1). whom overcame he? Hanmer.

[ 71]: the king’s] Q₂ F₃ F₄. the king Q₁ F₁.

captive] captivitie Q₂.

[ 80]: Adriano] Q₂. Adriana Q₁ Ff. Armado] F₂ F₃ F₄. Armatho Qq F₁.

[ 87]: feathers] feather F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 92]: phantasime] Qq F₁. phantasme F₂ F₃ F₄. phantasma Capell conj.

Monarcho] monorcho Q₂.

Monarcho] mammuccio Hanmer. {Transcriber's Note: this linenote has been copied to this location from the original book's ADDENDA.}

[ 99]: lords] ladies Johnson conj.

[ 100]: Exeunt...] Exeunt. Ff Q₂. om. Q₁.

[ 101]–142: Who is... sola.] Put in the margin by Pope.

101: suitor...suitor] Steevens (Farmer conj.). shooter Qq Ff.

[ 108]: the] om. F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 119]: [Exit. Q₁.

[ 120]: An] And Q₁. om. Ff Q₂.

[ 121]: [Exeunt R. and K.] Capell. [Exit. Ff. Q₂.

[ 123]: hit it] F₄. hit Qq F₁ F₂ F₃.

[ 129]: pin] F₂ F₃ F₄. is in Qq F₁.

[ 137]: Armado o’ th’ one] Rowe (ed. 2). Armatho ath toothen Q₁. Armathor ath to the F₁ Q₂. Armado ath to F₂ F₃ F₄. Armado o’ th’ to Grant White.

[ 139]: After this line Collier MS. inserts Looking babies in her eyes his passion to declare.

[ 140]: o’ t’ other] at other Qq Ff.

of wit] of small wit Collier MS.

[ 141]: a most] F₂ F₃ F₄. most Qq F₁.

[ 142]: [Shout within.] F₄. Shot within. Q₁. Shoote within. F₁. Shoote with him. Q₂. Showte within. F₂.

Love’s Labour’s Lost, IV, 2.

[ 3]: Hol.] Ped. Qq Ff.

sanguis, in blood] in sanguis, blood Capell.

[ 4]: the] Q₁. a Ff Q₂.

[ 24]: animal] animal, not to think Collier MS.

[ 26], 27: Printed as prose in Qq Ff, first as verse by Hanmer.

[ 27]: Which we of taste and feeling are, for those...] See [note (xi)].

do] Q₁ Ff. om. Q₂.

[ 28]: indiscreet] indistreell Q₁.

[ 29]: see] set Collier MS.

[ 32]: me] Q₁. om. Ff Q₂.

[ 34]: Dictynna] Rowe. Dictisima Q₁ F₁ F₂ F₃. Dictissima Q₂ F₄. Doctissime...Dictynna Collier MS.

[ 35]: Dictynna] Dictinna F₂ F₃ F₄. Dictima Qq F₁.

[ 36]: title] tittle F₂.

[ 38]: raught] rought Q₁. wrought Ff Q₂.

[ 44]: pollusion] Q₂ F₃ F₄. polusion Q₁ F₁ F₂. pollution Rowe (ed. 2).

[ 47]: epitaph] epigram Capell conj. MS.

[ 48]: ignorant] ignorault Q₁.

[ 49]: call I] Edd. call’d Qq Ff. I have call’d Rowe. I will call Singer. I call Collier MS.

a] the Q₂.

[ 51]: scurrility] squirilitie Q₁.

[ 54]: preyful] prayfull Qq F₁. praysfull F₂.

54–59: Printed as twelve lines in Qq Ff.

[ 56], 58: L] ell Qq Ff.

56: jumps] jumpt Pope.

[ 58]: one sorel] Edd. o sorell Q₁. O sorell Q₂ Ff. of sorel Warburton. O sore L Capell.

[ 63]: Hol.] Nath. Qq Ff. See [note (xii)].

[ 66], 67: pia mater] Rowe. primater Qq Ff.

[ 68]: in whom] whom Q₁.

[ 70]: my] our Rowe (ed. i).

[ 74]: ingenuous] Q₂ F₃ F₄. ingenous Q₁. ingennous F₁ F₂. ingenious Capell.

[ 76]: sapit] Q₂ F₂ F₃ F₄. sapis Q₁ F₁.

[ 78]: parson] F₂ F₃ F₄. person Qq F₁.

[ 79]: pers-on] pers-one Steevens.

79–85: Put in the margin by Pope.

[ 81]: likest] Ff Q₂. liklest Q₁.

[ 83]: Piercing] Edd. Of persing Qq Ff. See [note (xvii)].

lustre] cluster F₃ F₄.

[ 86]: Parson] Qq Ff.

[ 89]: Fauste, precor gelida quando pecus omne] F₂ F₃ F₄. Facile precor gellida quando pecas omnia Q₁ F₁. Facile precor gleida quando peccas omnia Q₂.

[ 92], 93: Venetia,.....ti.....ti pretia] Edd. (from Florio’s ‘Second Frutes.’) Vinegia...te...ei non te pregia Theobald. Vemchie, vencha, que non te vnde, que non te perreche Q₁ F₁. Vemchie, vencha...perroche Q₂. Vemchie, vencha...piaech F₂ F₃ F₄, Rowe, Pope.

[ 95]: loves thee not] Q₁. om. Ff Q₂.

[ 99]: stanze] F₁ Q₂. stauze Q₁. stanza F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 101]: Ah] O ‘Passionate Pilgrim.’

[ 102]: faithful] constant Ib.

[ 103]: were] like Ib.

[ 105]: would] can Ib.

[ 110]: bears] seems Ib.

[ 112]: pardon love this] do not love that Ib.

[ 113]: That sings] To sing Ib. That sings the S. Walker conj.

[ 115]: canzonet] Theobald. cangenet Qq Ff.

115–122: Here...you] Theobald continues to Holofernes. In Qq Ff they are given to Nathaniel.

[ 117]: caret] carent Nicholson conj.

[ 119]: invention? imitari] Theobald. invention imitarie Qq Ff. invention? imitating Collier MS.

[ 120]: tired] tyred Qq Ff. try’d Theobald. ’tired Capell. trained Heath conj.

[ 123], 124: one of the strange queen’s lords] to one of the strange queen’s ladies Theobald.

[ 125]–129: I will...Biron] given to Nathaniel in Qq Ff. See [note (xii)].

[ 128]: writing] Rowe. written Qq Ff.

[ 129]: in] it Q₂.

Sir Nathaniel] Capell. Sir Holofernes Qq Ff. om. Theobald.

129–135: Given to Dull by Rowe.

[ 133]: royal] om. Ff Q₂.

[ 137]: [Exeunt...] Exit. Qq Ff.

[ 145]: before] Q₁. being Ff Q₂.

repast] request Heath conj.

[ 147]: or] Qq F₁ F₂. and F₃ F₄.

[ 148]: ben venuto] Rowe (ed. 2). bien venuto Q₁ F₂ F₃ F₄. bien vonuto F₁ Q₂. bien venu too Edd conj.

Love’s Labour’s Lost, IV, 3.

[ Scene iii.] Scene iv. Pope. Act iv. Capell.

[ 1]: he] om. Rowe (ed. 2).

[ 2]: a pitch] pitch Hanmer.

[ 3]: set] Qq Ff. sit Hanmer.

[ 5]: and I the fool] and ay the fool Grant White, am I the fool Anon. conj.

[ 6]: I a sheep] ay a sheep Grant White.

[ 9]: love her] love Rowe (ed. 2).

[ 12], 13: melancholy] mallichollie Qq Ff.

[ 17]: [Stands aside.] [retiring. Capell, and at line 21 [Gets up into a tree. id.

[ 24]: smote] smot Qq Ff.

[ 25]: night of dew] Qq Ff. dew of night Singer (Musgrave conj.).

[ 34]: wilt] will Q₁.

[ 36]: dost thou] Qq Ff. thou dost Singer (Collier MS.).

[ 43]: perjure] perjurd F₂.

[ 49]: triumviry] Rowe (ed. 2). triumphery Qq F₁ F₂. triumphry F₃ F₄. triumvirate Rowe (ed. 1).

[ 55]: slop] Theobald. shop Qq Ff. shape Egerton MS.

[ 57]: cannot] could not ‘Passionate Pilgrim.’

[ 59]: deserve] deserves Q₂.

[ 62]: earthly] earthy F₃ F₄.

[ 64]: Vows are but breath] My vow was breath ‘Passionate Pilgrim.’

[ 65]: which on my earth dost] that on this earth doth Ib.

[ 66]: Exhalest] Exhale Ib.

[ 67]: If broken then,] Q₁ Ff. If broken, then Q₂ ‘Passionate Pilgrim.’

[ 69]: lose] F₄. loose Qq F₁ F₂ F₃. breake ‘Passionate Pilgrim.’

[ 71]: idolatry] ydotarie Q₁.

[ 72]: God amend!] God amend us! Collier MS.

[Enter Dumaine. Qq Ff.

[ 76]: fools’] souls’ S. Walker conj.

[ 77]: [Enter Dumaine, with a paper.] Dyce.

[ 81]: wonder] woonder Q₁.

in] Q₁. of Ff Q₂.

[ 82]: not, corporal] but corporal Theobald. most corporal Collier MS.

[ 83]: hairs] hair Capell conj.

for foul...quoted] fourfold...coated] Jackson conj.

hath] have Rowe.

quoted] coted Qq Ff.

[ 85], 86: Stoop...child. As one line in Qq Ff. Corrected by Theobald.

[ 89]: I] Johnson. om. Qq Ff.

[ 97]: [reads] reads his sonnet Qq Ff.

[ 98]: month is ever May] Q₁. month is every May Ff Q₂. every month is May Anon conj.

is] was ‘England’s Helicon.’

[ 101]: velvet leaves the] velvet, leaves the Qq F₁ F₂ F₃. velvet leaves, the F₄.

[ 102]: can] ’gan Theobald, gan ‘England’s Helicon’ and ‘the Passionate Pilgrim.’

[ 103] lover] shepheard ‘England’s Helicon.’

[ 104]: Wish] Qq F₁. wish’d F₂ F₃ F₄. ‘Passionate Pilgrim.’

[ 105]: may blow] to blow F₃ F₄.

[ 106]: Air.] Ah! Johnson conj.

[ 107]: alack] alas ‘Passionate Pilgrim,’ and ‘England’s Helicon.’

is] hath Ib.

[ 108]: thorn] Rowe (ed. 2) (from ‘England’s Helicon’), throne Qq Ff, ‘Passionate Pilgrim.’

[ 111], 112: Do...thee] om. ‘Passionate Pilgrim,’ and ‘England’s Helicon.’

[ 113]: Thou] Thee Singer.

whom Jove] whom ev’n Jove Rowe (ed. 2). whose love Jove S. Walker conj. (withdrawn). whom great Jove Collier MS.

[ 118]: fasting] fest’ring Theobald conj. lasting Capell.

[ 126]: o’erheard] ore-hard Q₁.

[ 127]: you blush;] do, blush; Capell conj. blush you: Collier MS. your blush: S. Walker conj.

[ 128]: chide] chid F₂.

[ 129]: Maria:] Maria? Qq F₁ F₂. Maria, F₃ F₄.

[ 137]: Ay] Ah Rowe (ed. 1).

[ 138]: One, her] One her Q₁. On her F₁ Q₂. Her F₂ F₃ F₄. One’s S. Walker conj.

[ 139]: [To Long.] Johnson.

[ 140]: [To Dum.] Johnson.

[ 142]: Faith] Qq F₁. A faith F₂ F₃ F₄. Of faith or Faith so, or Such faith S. Walker conj. Faiths Delius conj. See [note (xiii)].

zeal] a zeal F₂.

[ 144]: leap] geap Warburton.

[ 145]: I] eye Capell conj.

[ 147]: [Advancing.] Coming from his tree. Capell.

[ 150]: art] Qq F₁. are F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 151]: coaches; in] Hanmer. coaches in Rowe (ed. 2). couches in Qq Ff. loaches in Grey conj.

[ 157]: mote...mote] Rowe. moth...moth Qq Ff.

[ 162]: gnat] knot Theobald. sot Johnson conj. knott Collins conj. quat Becket conj.

[ 164]: to tune] Q₁. tuning Ff Q₂.

[ 166]: toys] toyles Q₂.

[ 170]: caudle] Q₁. candle Ff Q₂.

[ 172]: to me...by you] Capell. by me...to you Qq Ff. by me...by you Theobald.

[ 176]: men like you, men of inconstancy] Dyce (S. Walker conj.). men like men of inconstancy Qq F₁. men, like men of strange inconstancy F₂ F₃ F₄ (strang F₂). vane-like men of strange inconstancy Hanmer (Warburton). moon-like men of strange inconstancy Steevens (Mason conj.). men, like men of such inconstancy Tieck conj. men-like women of inconstancy Collier conj. men like you, men all inconstancy Lettsom conj. men like women for inconstancy Anon. conj.

[ 178]: love] Love Q₁. (Duke of Devonshire’s copy). Ione Q₁. Ioane Qq F₁ F₂. Joan F₃ F₄. See [note (xiv)].

[ 179]–182: In pruning......limb?] Printed as prose in Qq Ff, corrected by Rowe (ed. 2).

[ 185]: present] presentment Singer. peasant Collier MS.

[Offering a paper. Capell.

[ 188]: away] om. F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 190]: parson] person Qq Ff.

’twas] Q₁. it was Ff Q₂.

[ 191]: [Giving...paper.] Capell. [He reads the letter. Qq Ff.

[ 195]: [Biron...letter.] Capell.

[ 196]: is in] Qq F₁ F₂. mean F₃ F₄.

[ 199]: [Gathering...] Capell.

[ 201]: lord] liege Capell (corrected in MS.).

[ 204]: and you, and you] and you Reed (1803).

[ 207], 208: True...gone?] Printed as one line in Qq Ff.

[ 209]: [Exeunt...] Exit. F₂. om. Q₁ F₁.

[ 212]: show] shew Q₁. will shew Ff Q₂.

[ 214]: were] Q₁ F₃ F₄. are F₁ Q₂ F₂.

[ 217]: quoth you] om. Capell.

[ 220]: strucken] F₄. strooken Qq F₁ F₂ F₃.

[ 237]: then] and Capell.

[ 244]: wood] Rowe (ed. 1). word Qq Ff. See [note (xv)].

[ 250]: Black is] Black as F₃ F₄.

[ 251]: school] F₃ F₄. schoole Qq F₁. F₂. scowl Theobald (Warburton). stole Hanmer (Theobald conj.). soul Thirlby conj. soil Dyce conj. shade Collier MS. scroll, shroud, or seal Halliwell conj. suit Edd. conj. See [note (xvi)].

[ 252]: Given to Biron by Hanmer.

crest] dress Hanmer. crete Warburton. craye Edwards conj. cresset Becket conj. best Collier MS.

[ 254]: brows] brow F₄.

[ 255]: and] F₄. om. Qq F₁. an F₂ F₃.

usurping] usurped Hanmer.

[ 258]: the days] these days Collier MS.

[ 262]: black] blake Q₁.

[ 264]: crack] Q₂ F₃ F₄. crake Q₁ F₁ F₂.

sweet] swart Anon. conj.

[ 267]: their] her Q₂.

[ 276]: lies] lyes? Qq Ff.

[ 279]: Nothing] F₂ F₃ F₄. O nothing Qq F₁. See [note (ix)].

[ 285]: ’Tis] S. Walker conj. O Id. conj. O tis Qq Ff. See [note (xvii)].

[ 286]: affection’s men] affections men Qq F₁ F₂. affections, men F₃ F₄.

[ 289]: ’gainst] against Q₂.

[ 293]: have] hath Rowe (ed. 2).

[ 295]: See [note (xviii)].

[ 301]: prisons] Theobald. poysons Qq Ff.

[ 304]: sinewy] sinnowy Qq Ff.

[ 309]: beauty] duty Warburton. learning Collier MS.

[ 312], 313: eyes, Do] F₂ F₃ F₄. eyes With our selves Do Qq F₁.

[ 318]: numbers] notions Hanmer.

[ 319]: beauty’s] beautis Q₁. beauties Ff. Q₂. beauteous Hanmer.

[ 332]: head] hand Griffith conj. heed Anon. conj.

theft] thrift Theobald.

[ 335]: dainty Bacchus] F₂ F₃ F₄. dainty, Bacchus Qq. F₁.

[ 336]: valour] savour Theobald. flavour Griffith conj.

[ 338]: Sphinx] a Sphinx F₃ F₄.

[ 339]: This line printed twice in F₂.

[ 340]: speaks,......gods] speaks (the voice of all) the gods Tyrwhitt conj.

340, 341: the voice......heaven] the voice makes all the gods Of heaven Farmer conj.

[ 341]: Make] Makes Hanmer. Mark, Theobald (Warburton). Wakes drowsy heaven Becket conj. Wakes heaven, drowsy Jackson conj. See [note (xix)].

the] its Steevens conj.

[ 343]: sighs] tears Griffith conj.

[ 345]: humility] humanity Griffith conj.

[ 354]: that loves all men] that moves all men Hanmer. all women love Warburton. that joyes all men Heath conj. that leads all men Mason conj.

[ 355]: men’s] man’s Anon. conj.

authors] Capell. author Qq Ff.

women] words Farmer conj.

[ 356]: Or] For Warburton conj. transposing lines 355, 356.

women’s] womans F₄.

[ 357]: Let us] F₂ F₃ F₄. Lets us Q₁. Let’s F₁ Q₂.

357, 358: lose...lose] F₄. loose...loose Qq F₁ F₂ F₃.

[ 363]: standards] standars Q₁.

[ 365]: conflict] conflish F₂.

[ 376]: her] his Capell conj.

[ 378]: betime] Rowe (ed. 2) be time Qq Ff. betide Staunton conj.

[ 379]: Allons! allons] Theobald (Warburton). Alone, alone Qq Ff.

Love’s Labour’s Lost, V, 1.

[ Act v.] Actus Quartus Ff Q₂.

[ 1]: quod] Rowe. quid Qq Ff.

[ 2]: sir] om. Q₂.

[ 4]: affection] Qq F₁. affectation F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 8]: hominem] F₃ F₄. hominum Qq F₁ F₂.

tanquam] tanquem Rowe.

[ 11]: picked] piqued Becket conj.

[ 13]: [Draws...] F₃ F₄. Draw... Qq F₁ F₂.

[ 17]: orthography] ortagriphie Q₁ F₁. ortographie Q₂. ortagriphy F₂. ortagraphy F₃ F₄.

[ 21]: he] we F₃ F₄.

abbominable] Q₁. abhominable F₁ F₂. abominable F₃ F₄.

[ 22]: me] Qq Ff. to me Hanmer. men Farmer conj. one Collier MS.

insanie] Theobald (Warburton conj.). infamie Qq Ff. insanity Warburton. insanire S. Walker conj. insania Collier MS.

ne] nonne Johnson conj.

22: make] be mad Johnson conj. wax Dyce conj.

[ 24]: bene] bone Theobald.

[ 25]: Bon, bon, fort bon, Priscian!] Edd. bome boon for boon prescian; Qq Ff. Bone?—bone for bene; Priscian Theobald. See [note (xx)].

scratched] scratcht Qq F₁. scarch F₂ F₃. search F₄. scratch Pope.

[ 26]: Scene ii. Pope.

[ 34]: stolen] stole F₂ F₃ F₄.

the] om. Q₂.

[ 47]: third] Theobald. last Qq Ff.

[ 51]: wave] wane Q₁.

[ 57]: disputest] F₄. disputes Qq F₁. disputes’t F₂ F₃.

[ 59]: circum circa] Theobald. unum cita Qq Ff. manu cita Anon. conj.

[ 66], 67: dunghill...dunghill] dungil...dunghel Qq F₁ F₂ F₃. dunghil...dunghel F₄.

[ 68]: preambulate] Edd. preambulat Qq Ff. prœambula Theobald.

singuled] Q₁. singled Ff Q₂.

[ 70]: charge-house] church-house Theobald conj. large house Collier MS.

[ 74]: most] om. Q₂.

[ 80]: chose] Qq F₂. choise F₂. choice F₃ F₄.

you] om. Q₂.

[ 83]: very] my very Rowe.

[ 84]: remember] refrain Capell. remember not Malone.

thy] my Jackson conj.

[ 86]: important] importunt Q₁. importunate Ff Q₂.

[ 95]: secrecy] F₂ F₃ F₄. secretie Q₁. secrecie F₁ Q₂. secretly Rowe.

[ 99]: breaking out] breakings-out Capell.

[ 103]: Sir] Rowe. Sir Holofernes Qq Ff. Sir [To Nathaniel.] Hanmer. Sir Nathaniel Capell.

[ 104]: rendered] rended Q₁.

assistants] Qq Ff. assistance Heath conj.

[ 105]: at] om. Qq F₁. at F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 106]: gentleman] gentleman’s Capell conj.

[ 110]: myself and] om. Rowe. myself or Capell. myself David Nicholson conj. See [note (xxi)].

gentleman] man Theobald.

[ 112]: pass] pass for Capell. pass as Edd. conj.

the page] and the page Rowe.

[ 121]: do] know Hanmer.

[ 127]: antique. I beseech you] antick, I beseech you, to Collier MS.

[ 132]: Allons] alone Qq Ff.

[ 133], 134: Printed as verse first by Dyce (S. Walker conj.).

133: or I will] or will F₃ F₄.

Love’s Labour’s Lost, V, 2.

[ Scene ii.] Scene iii. Pope. Act v. Scene i. Capell.

[ 3], 4: These two lines to be transposed. S. Walker conj.

3: A lady] All ladies Lettsom conj.

[ 8]: o’] a Q₁. on Ff Q₂.

[ 11]: years] yeare Q₁.

[ 12]: shrewd] shrowd Q₁.

[ 13]: ne’er] neare Q₁.

[ 17]: ha’] a Qq F₁ F₂. have F₃ F₄.

a grandam] Grandam Q₁.

[ 28]: cure...care] Theobald (Thirlby conj.). care...cure Qq Ff.

[ 41]: as] om. Rowe.

[ 42]: B] R Collier MS.

[ 43]: ’Ware] See [note (xxii)].

pencils] Rowe. pensalls Q₁. pensals F₁. pensils Q₂ F₂ F₃ F₄.

ho!] Hanmer. How? Qq Ff.

[ 45]: not so] Q₁. om. Ff Q₂.

[ 46]: Kath.] Theobald. Prin. QQ Ff.

I] om. Capell.

beshrew] beshrow Q₁.

[ 47]: Katharine,] om. S. Walker conj.

to you from fair] you from Ritson conj.

[ 49]: moreover] sent moreover Capell.

[ 51]: hypocrisy] apocrypha Warburton conj. (withdrawn).

[ 53]: pearls] pearle Q₁.

[ 58]: mock...so] make...sport Anon. conj.

so] for’t Theobald.

[ 65]: wholly to my hests] Dyce (S. Walker conj.). wholly to my device Qq F₁. all to my behests F₂ F₃ F₄.

65, 66: hests...jests] behest...jest Capell conj. MS.

[ 66]: that] Qq F₁. with F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 67]: perttaunt-like] Q₁. pertaunt-like Ff Q₂. pedant-like Theobald. portent-like Hanmer. pageant-like Capell. scoffingly Douce conj. potent-like Singer. potently Collier MS. persaunt-like Grant White. pert-taunt-like Anon. conj.

[ 70]: fool:] Q₁ F₄. foole? F₁ Q₂ F₂ F₃.

[ 72]: own] one Q₂.

[ 74]: wantonness] F₃ F₄. wantonesse F₂. wantons be Qq F₁.

[ 79]: is] Q₁. om. Ff Q₂.

[ 80]: stabb’d] stable Q₁.

[ 82]: encounters] encounterers Collier MS.

[ 88]: their breath] the breach Collier MS.

[ 89]: sycamore] siccamone Q₁.

[ 93]: companions: warily] Ff Q₂. companions warely, Q₁.

[ 96]: they] thy Q₁.

[ 103]: shalt] shall F₂.

[ 118]: folly, passion’s solemn] Theobald. follie pashions solembe Q₁. folly passions solemne F₁ Q₂. folly passions, solemn F₂ F₃ F₄. folly, passions, solemn Pope. folly with passion’s solemn Hanmer. folly, passions sudden Collier MS. folly’s passion, solemn Staunton conj.

[ 120]: After this line S. Walker thinks a line may have been lost.

[ 121]: as] Qq F₁. or F₂. and F₃ F₄.

[ 122]: parle, to] Capell. parlee, to Qq F₁ F₂. parlee F₃ F₄.

[ 123]: love-feat] Q₁ Ff. love-seat Q₂. love-suit Dyce (S. Walker conj.).

[ 134]: you] Q₁. your Ff Q₂.

too] two Q₁.

[ 139]: mocking merriment] Ff Q₂. mockerie merement Q₁.

[ 148]: her] F₂ F₃ F₄. his Qq F₁.

[ 149]: speaker’s] Q₁. keepers Ff Q₂.

[ 152]: ne’er] ne’re F₂ F₃ F₄. ere Qq F₁.

[ 156]: Trumpets...] Sound Trom. Q₁. Sound. Ff Q₂.

[ 157]: Enter...] Enter Black-moores with musicke, the Boy with a speach, and the rest of the Lords disguysed. Qq Ff.

[ 159]: Boyet.] Theobald. Berow. Q₁. Ber. F₁ Q₂. Bir. F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 160]: The Ladies...] This stage direction, printed in Roman type, comes after line 162 in Qq Ff.

[ 163]: ever] even Q₁.

[ 164]: Boyet.] Qq F₁. Bir. F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 165]: spirits] Qq F₁. spirit F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 170]: Boyet.] Qq F₁. Bir. F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 173]: [Exit Moth.] Moth withdraws. Capell. om. Qq Ff.

[ 174]: strangers] stranges Q₁.

[ 175]: they] thy F₂.

[ 177]: would.] Pope. would? Qq Ff.

[ 178]: princess] F₄. princes Qq F₁ F₂ F₃.

[ 181], 182: These two lines omitted in Rowe (ed. 1).

[ 185]: her on this] Q₁. you on the Ff Q₂.

[ 187]: this] the Rowe (ed. 2).

[ 193]: doth] do Johnson.

[ 208]: request’st] Theobald. requests Qq Ff.

[ 209]: do but vouchsafe] Q₁. vouchsafe but Ff Q₂.

[ 212]: Not yet! no dance!] Not yet no dance: QQ Ff. Not yet? no dance? Pope. Not yet? no dance: Hanmer.

[ 215]: King. Yet...man] omitted by Capell (Theobald conj.).

the man] to man it Jackson conj.

[ 216]: The music...] given to Rosaline in Qq Ff, corrected by Theobald.

[ 220]: we] Q₁. you Ff Q₂.

[ 224]: Prize] F₄. Prise Qq F₁ F₂ F₃. Price Rowe (ed. 1).

you yourselves] Q₁. yourselves F₁ Q₂. yourselves then F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 229], 237, 241: [They converse apart.] Capell.

[ 232]: an] Q₁ F₁. and Q₂ F₂ F₃ F₄. See [note (xxiii)].

[ 237]: Gall! bitter] Gall, bitter Q₁ Ff. Gall bitter Q₂. Gall’s bitter Hanmer.

[ 240]: Take that] Q₁. take you that Ff Q₂.

[ 242], 244, 247, 248, 249, 253, 255: Kath.] Rowe. Mar. Qq Ff.

[ 247]: Veal] See [note (xxiv)].

[ 251]: butt] but to F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 257]: invisible] invincible Theobald.

[ 259]: sense; so sensible] Punctuated thus by Pope. sence so sensible, Q₁ sence so sensible: Ff Q₂.

[ 261]: bullets] om. Capell.

[ 263]: pure] pure pure Capell.

[ 264]: Farewell] Adieu Capell.

[ 265]: Exeunt...] Exeunt. F₁, after line 264. om. Q₁.

[ 269]: wit, kingly-poor] wit, kingly poor Qq Ff. wit, kill’d by pure Collier MS. wit, stung by poor Singer. wit, poor-liking Staunton conj.

[ 273]: O] F₂ F₃ F₄. om. Qq F₁ I (for Ay) Edd. conj.

[ 275]: suit] sooth or truth Grey conj.

[ 289]: digest] Qq F₁ F₄. disgest F₂ F₃.

[ 295]: their] the Warburton.

[ 296], 297: Dismask’d...blown] Or angel-veiling clouds: are roses blown, Dismaskt,...shewn Theobald (Warburton conj.). Or angels veil’d in clouds;...shewn Warburton.

[ 297]: Are...blown] Are angels, (val’d the clouds)...blown Becket conj. Are angels veil’d in clouds of roses blown Peck conj.

vailing] Ff Q₂. varling Q₁.

[ 307]: tent] tents Capell conj.

[ 309]: roes run o’er] roes runs ore Q₁. roes runnes ore F₁ Q₂ F₂. roes runs ore the F₃. roes run o’er the F₄. roes run over Steevens.

Scene vii. Pope. Act v. Theobald.

Re-enter...] Enter the King and the rest. Qq Ff.

[ 312]: thither], Q₁. om. Ff Q₂. See [note (xxv)].

[ 315]: pecks] Q₁. pickes Ff Q₂.

pigeons] pigeon Rowe.

[ 316]: God] Q₁. Jove Ff Q₂.

[ 323]: A’] A Q₁. He Ff Q₂.

[ 324]: his hand away] Q₁. away his hand Ff Q₂.

[ 328]: meanly] manly Rowe (ed. 2). mainly Pope.

[ 331]: flower that] fleerer Theobald conj. (withdrawn).

[ 332]: whale’s] whales Qq F₁. whale his F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 333]: not] om. F₄.

[ 334]: due] Q₁. dutie F₁. duty Q₂. F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 337]: it] he Collier MS.

337–342: See...leave] Put in the margin by Pope.

[ 338]: madman] man Theobald.

[ 341]: Construe...speeches] Consture...spaches Q₁.

[ 343]: Scene viii. Pope.

came] come Pope.

[ 346]: delights] delight Rowe.

[ 348]: must break] makes break Hanmer. made break Warburton conj.

[ 350]: men’s] F₃ F₄. mens Q₁. men F₁ Q₂ F₂.

[ 352]: unsullied] F₂ F₃ F₄. unsallied Qq F₁.

[ 356]: oaths] oath Q₂.

[ 365]: the days] these days Collier MS.

[ 368]: Russian] Q₁ F₂ F₃ F₄. Russia F₁ Q₂.

[ 373]: Fair] F₂ F₃ F₄. om. Qq F₁.

[ 374]: wit makes] F₂ F₃ F₄. wits makes Qq F₁. wits make Anon. conj.

[ 379]: for] but Capell conj.

[ 385]: was it] what it F₁.

[ 390]: Dum.] Duman. Q₁. Du. F₁ Q₂. Duk. F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 392]: swound] F₂ F₃ F₄. sound Qq F₁. swoon Pope.

[ 396]: I: lady,] I, lady Qq F₁ F₂. I, lady, F₃ F₄. I, lady: Capell.

[ 404]: vizard] Qq F₁ F₂. vizards F₃ F₄.

[ 405]: rhyme] rime Qq Ff. time Rowe.

[ 407]: affectation] Rowe. affection Qq Ff.

[ 415]: sans] sance Q₁ (ital.).

[ 421]: it] om. Q₂.

[ 433]: not you] Q₁. you not Ff Q₂.

[ 439]: mine] my F₄.

[ 446]: thereto] Qq F₁. there F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 454]: the] to th’ F₃ F₄.

[ 463]: slight zany] sleight saine Q₁.

[ 465]: smiles his] smiles, his Q₁. smites his Jackson conj.

years] jeers Theobald. fleers Hanmer. tears Jackson conj.

[ 472]: Much...and] Boyet. Much...Biron. And Johnson conj.

it is] F₂ F₃ F₄. tis Qq F₁.

[To Boyet.] Rowe.

[ 474]: not you] you not Q₂.

squier] Qq F₁ F₂ F₃. square F₄. squire Capell.

[ 478]: allow’d] F₃ F₄. aloude Q₁. alowd F₁ Q₂. allowd F₂.

[ 481]: merrily] merely Q₁.

[ 482]: Hath this brave manage] Theobald. hath this brave nuage Q₁. hath this brave manager Ff Q₂. Brave manager, hath this Pope.

[ 484]: part’st] prat’st F₃ F₄. partest Pope.

[ 487]: vara] very Rowe (ed. 2).

[ 488]: pursents] presents Rowe (ed. 2).

[ 490]: beg] bag Becket conj.

[ 491]: hope, sir] hope F₃ F₄.

[ 501]: they] thy Q₁.

parfect] Q₁. perfect Ff Q₂. persent Collier. pursent Grant White (S. Walker conj.).

in] e’en Malone.

[ 504]: Pompion] Rowe (ed. 2). Pompey Qq Ff.

[ 510], 511: Printed as verse in Q₁, as prose in Ff Q₂.

[ 511]: king’s] king F₃ F₄.

[ 514]: least] Ff Q₂. best Q₁.

[ 515], 516: contents Dies...presents] Qq Ff. content Dies...presents Rowe (ed. 1). content Dies in the zeal of that it doth present Hanmer. contents Die in the zeal of him which them presents Johnson conj. contents Die in the zeal of them which it presents Steevens. discontent Dies in the zeal of them which it present Staunton. content Lies in the zeal of those which it present Mason conj. contents Die in the zeal of them which it presents Malone. contents Lie in the fail of that which it presents Singer. contents Dyes with the zeal of that which it presents Keightley conj.

[ 517]: Their] There Capell. The Knight.

[ 521]: [Converses...] Capell.

[ 524]: He] Ff Q₂. A Q₁.

God’s] Ff Q₂. God his Q₁.

[ 525]: That is] Q₁. That’s Ff Q₂.

[ 528]: de la guerra] Theobald. delaguar Qq Ff. della guerra Hanmer. See [note (xxvi)].

[ 529]: couplement] complement Q₂.

[ 534], 535: Printed as prose in Qq Ff, as verse in Rowe (ed. 2).

[ 540]: Abate] Qq F₁. A bare F₂ F₃ F₄. A fair Heath conj. Abate a Malone. A bait Jackson conj.

novum] novem Hanmer.

[ 541]: pick] Q₁. prick Ff Q₂.

in his] Q₁. in’s Ff Q₂.

[Seats brought forth.] Capell.

[ 542]: Flourish. Enter, arm’d and accouter’d, his Scutcheon born before him, Costard for Pompey. Capell.

[ 543]: [Costard prostrates himself. Staunton conj.

Boyet] F₂ F₃ F₄. Bero. Q₁. Ber. F₁ Q₂.

[ 551]: [Does his obeisance to the Princess. Capell.

[ 553]: Prin.] F₂ F₃ F₄. Lady. Q₁. La. F₁ Q₂.

[ 562]: this,] his Q₁. this Ff Q₂.

[ 563]: Alexander] Alisander Capell.

[ 573]: afeard] Q₁. afraid Ff Q₂.

[ 574]: [Nath. retires.] Capell.

[ 576]: faith] Q₁. insooth Ff Q₂.

[ 578]. ’tis,] Johnson. ’tis Q₁ Ff. it’s Q₂.

[ 579]: [Exit Curat. Q₁. Exit Cu. F₁ Q₂. Exit Clo. F₂ F₃ F₄ (after line 580).

[ 580]: Prin.] Quee. Q₁. Qu. F₁ Q₂. Clo. F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 581]: Hercules is] Hercules’ S. Walker conj.

[ 582]: canis] Rowe. canus Qq Ff.

[ 587]: [Moth retires.] Exit Boy. Qq Ff. [Moth does his obeisance and retires. Capell.

[ 593]: proved] F₂. proud Q₁. prou’d F₁ Q₂.

[ 600]: out of] Q₁ Ff. of Q₂.

[ 607]: falchion] fauchion Q₁. faulchion Ff Q₂.

[ 617]: as he is an ass,] Q₂ F₃ F₄. as he is, an ass, Q₁ F₁ F₂.

[ 623]: hath he] he hath Pope.

[ 626]: by] to Hanmer.

[ 628]: Troyan] Qq Ff. Trojan Rowe, and line 664.

[ 631]: Hector’s] Q₁. Hector Ff Q₂.

[ 633]: in] with F₃ F₄.

[ 638]: A gilt nutmeg] Ff Q₂. A gift nutmeg Q₁ Gift! a nutmeg Capell.

[ 642]: Peace!] om. Ff Q₂.

[ 645]: fight; yea] Qq Ff. fight ye, Rowe (ed. 2).

[ 647]: mint] pink Capell conj.

[ 653], 654: when he breathed...man] Q₁ om. Ff Q₂.

[ 655]: [Biron steps to Costard and whispers him. Capell.

[ 661]: The party is gone] Printed in italics as a stage direction by Qq Ff.

[ 677]: on! stir] Rowe. or stir Qq Ff.

[ 683]: bepray] Q₁. pray Ff Q₂.

[ 687]: [stripping. Capell.

[ 688]: [coming up to Arm. and whispering him. Capell.

[ 699]: Boyet.] Moth. (to the lords aside). Capell.

[ 701]: a’ wears] a wears Q₁. he wears Ff Q₂.

[ 702]: Marcade.] Qq Ff. Macard. Rowe. Mercade. Capell.

[ 704]: Marcade] good Mercade Capell, reading 703, 704 as a verse.

[ 705]: interrupt’st] interrupptest Q₁. interruptest Ff Q₂.

705–707: Printed as prose in Qq Ff.

[ 706], 707: bring Is heavy in] bring; ’Tis heavy on Capell.

[ 712]: day] days Warburton’s note.

wrong] right Warburton.

[ 718]: entreat,] entreat: Q₁. entreats: Ff. intreats: Q₂.

[ 725]: not] but Collier MS.

a nimble] Theobald, a humble Qq F₁. an humble F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 726]: too short] Q₁. so short Ff Q₂.

[ 728]: parts....forms] parts....form Rowe (ed. 1). past...forms Theobald. haste....forms Singer. dart....forms Staunton conj. parting time expressly forms Collier MS.

[ 731]: process] process of time F₃ F₄.

[ 734]: it would] would it Johnson conj.

[ 738]: wholesome-profitable] holdsome profitable Q₁.

[ 740]: are double] Qq Ff. are deaf Capell. are dull Collier MS. hear dully Staunton conj.

740–742: Prin. I...double. Biron. Honest...And by...] Prin. I...grief. King. And by... Johnson conj.

[ 741]: ear] care Q₁. ears F₁. eares Q₂ F₂. cares F₃ F₄.

[ 748]: strains] strangeness Collier MS.

[ 751]: strange] Capell. straying Qq Ff. stray Coleridge conj.

[ 756]: Have] ’T hath Capell.

misbecomed] misbecombd Q₁. misbecom’d Ff. misbecomm’d Q₂.

[ 762]: make] make them Pope.

[ 763]: a sin] so base Collier MS.

[ 766]: the] om. Q₁.

[ 770]: this in our] Hanmer. this our Q₁. these are our Ff Q₂. these are your Tyrwhitt conj. this (save our...) Warburton.

[ 771]: been] seen Tyrwhitt conj.

[ 786]: the] Q₁. their Ff Q₂.

[ 793]: me by] by F₃ F₄.

[ 795]: instant] Ff Q₂. instance Q₁.

[ 800]: intitled] F₁ F₂ F₃ Q₂. intiled Q₁. intituled F₄.

[ 802]: flatter] fetter Hanmer (Warburton).

[ 804]: Hence ever] Ff. Hence herrite Q₁.

[ 805]–810: Included in brackets by Theobald at the suggestion of Thirlby and Warburton, and omitted by Hanmer. See [note (xviii)].

[ 806]: rack’d] rank Rowe. reck’d Becket conj.

[ 807]: faults] fault F₂ F₃ F₄.

[ 812]: A wife?...] Dyce. Kath. A wife? a beard, faire health, and... Qq Ff. Kath. A wife, a beard (fair youth) and... Theobald. Kath. No wife: a beard, fair health, and... Hanmer.

[ 828]: thy] Q₁. my Ff. Q₂.

[ 829]: have] had Collier MS.

[ 833]: estates] estetes Q₁.

execute] exercise Collier MS.

[ 835]: fruitful] fructful Q₁.

[ 852]: dear] dere Johnson conj. drear Jackson conj. dire Collier MS.

[ 853]: then] them Collier MS.

[ 860]: [To the King] Breaking Converse with the King and curtsying. Capell.

[ 868]: not] om. Q₂.

[ 872]: years] yeare Q₁. year Capell.

[ 877]: Re-enter...] Enter all. Qq Ff.

[ 882], 883: Theobald. In Ff Qq the order is 883, 882.

[ 883]: cuckoo-buds] cowslip-buds Farmer conj. crocus-buds Whalley conj.

[ 884]: with delight] much-bedight Warburton.

[ 903]: foul] full Q₁.

[ 905], 906: Tu-whit; Tu-who] Qq Ff. Tu-who; Tu-whit, tu-who Capell.

[ 917]: Arm.] Brag. Ff Q₂. om. Q₁.

917, 918: The words...Apollo] In Q₁ printed in larger type.

[ 918]: You that way,—we this way.] om. Q₁.

A
MIDSUMMER-NIGHT’S DREAM.

[TOC]

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ[1].

Theseus, Duke of Athens.

Egeus, father to Hermia.

Lysander, in love with Hermia.

Demetrius, ” ” ” ”

Philostrate, master of the revels to Theseus

Quince, a carpenter.

Snug, a joiner.

Bottom, a weaver.

Flute, a bellows-mender.

Snout, a tinker.

Starveling, a tailor.

Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus.

Hermia, daughter to Egeus, in love with Lysander.

Helena, in love with Demetrius.

Oberon, king of the fairies.

Titania, queen of the fairies.

Puck, or Robin Goodfellow.

Peaseblossom, fairy.

Cobweb, ”

Moth, ”

Mustardseed, ”

Other fairies attending their King and Queen. Attendants on Theseus and Hippolyta.

Scene—Athens, and a wood near it.

FOOTNOTE:

1: Dramatis Personæ] first given by Rowe.

A MIDSUMMER-NIGHT’S DREAM.