When great things labouring perish in their birth.

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

Enter Braggart [ARMADO].

Arm. Anointed, I implore so much expense of thy royal sweet breath as will utter a brace of words.

525

[Converses apart with the King, and
delivers him a paper.]

Prin. Doth this man serve God?
Bir. Why ask you?

Prin. 'A speaks not like a man of God's making.

Arm. That is all one, my fair, sweet, honey [80 monarch; for, I protest, the schoolmaster is exceeding fantastical; too too vain, too too vain but we will put it, as they say, to fortuna de la guerra. I wish you the peace of mind, most royal couplement ! [Exit. 535

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;

640

And if these four Worthies in their first show thrive,

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

Bir. There is five in the first show.

King. You are deceived; 't is not so. Bir. The pedant, the braggart, the hedge- [545 priest, the fool, and the boy:

Abate throw at Novum, and the whole world again

Cannot pick out five such, take each one in his

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

My scutcheon plain declares that I am Alisander,"

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

Bir. Your nose smells "no" in this, most tender-smelling knight.

Prin. The conqueror is dismay'd. Proceed, good Alexander.

570

Nath. "When in the world I liv'd, I was the world's commander,"

Boyet. Most true, 't is right; you were so, Alisander.

Bir. Pompey the Great,

Cost. Your servant, and Costard.

Bir. Take away the conqueror, take away [575 Alisander.

Cost. [To Sir Nath.] O, sir, you have overthrown Alisander the conqueror! You will be scrap'd out of the painted cloth for this. Your lion, that holds his poll-axe sitting on a close- [580 stool, will be given to Ajax ; he will be the ninth Worthy. A conqueror, and afeard to speak! Run away for shame, Alisander. [Nath. retires.] There, an 't shall please you, a foolish mild man, an honest man, look you, and soon dash'd. He is a marvellous good neighbour, faith, [585 and a very good bowler; but, for Alisander, alas, you see how 't is, -a little o'erparted. But there are Worthies a-coming will speak their mind in some other sort. [Exit Curate. 590 Prin. Stand aside, good Pompey. Enter Pedant [HOLOFERNES], for Judas, and the Boy [MOTH], for Hercules.

Hol. "Great Hercules is presented by this imp,

Whose club kill'd Cerberus, that three-headed

Bir. 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.]

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

Enter Braggart [ARMADO, for Hector]. Bir. Hide thy head, Achilles; here comes [635 Hector in arms.

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

King. Hector was but a Troyan in respect of

Long. His leg is too big for Hector's. Dum. More calf, certain.

faces.

645

Boyet. No; he is best indued in the small. Bir. This cannot be Hector.

Dum. He's a god or a painter; for he makes

[Moth retires.]

Gave Hector a gift,"

Dum. A gilt nutmeg.

600

Bir. A lemon.

Long. Stuck with cloves.

Dum. No, cloven.

Arm. Peace!

"Judas I am, ycliped Maccabæus."

Dum. Judas Maccabæus clipt is plain Ju

das.

-

655

"The armipotent Mars, of lances the almighty,

Arm. For mine own part, I breathe free breath. I have seen the day of wrong through the little hole of discretion, and I will right myself like a soldier. [Exeunt Worthies. 135 King. How fares your majesty?

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,

For all your fair endeavours; and entreat,
Out of a new-sad soul, that you vouchsafe
In your rich wisdom to excuse or hide
The liberal opposition of our spirits,
If over-boldly we have borne ourselves

740

In the converse of breath. Your gentleness 745
Was guilty of it. Farewell, worthy lord!
A heavy heart bears not a humble tongue.
Excuse me so, coming too short of thanks
For my great suit so easily obtain'd.

King. The extreme parts of time extremely forms

All causes to the purpose of his speed,
And often, at his very loose, decides
That which long process could not arbitrate.
And though the mourning brow of progeny
Forbid the smiling courtesy of love

The holy suit which fain it would convince,
Yet, since love's argument was first on foot,
Let not the cloud of sorrow justle it

750

765

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;
But more devout than this in our respects
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.

795

Ros. We did not quote them so. 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: 801 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; There stay until the twelve celestial signs Have brought about the annual reckoning.. If this austere insociable life

805

Change not your offer made in heat of blood; 810
If frosts and fasts, hard lodging and thin weeds
Nip not the gaudy blossoms of your love,
But that it bear this trial, and last love;
Then, at the expiration of the year,
Come challenge me, challenge me by these
deserts,

And, by this virgin palm now kissing thine,
I will be thine; and till that instant shut
My woeful self up in a mourning house,
Raining the tears of lamentation

815

For the remembrance of my father's death. 820
If this thou do deny, let our hands part,
Neither intitled in the other's heart.
King. If this, or more than this, I would deny,
To flatter up these powers of mine with rest,
The sudden hand of death close up mine eye! 825
Hence ever then my heart is in thy breast.
[Bir. And what to me, my love? and what
to me?

Ros. You must be purged too, your sins are racked,

You are attaint with faults and perjury:
Therefore if you my favour mean to get,
A twelvemonth shall you spend, and never

830

Mar. The liker you; few taller are so young. Bir. Studies my lady? Mistress, look on me; Behold the window of my heart, mine eye, What humble suit attends thy answer there. Impose some service on me for thy love.

850

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

Before I saw you; and the world's large tongue
Proclaims you for a man replete with mocks,
Full of comparisons and wounding flouts,
Which you on all estates will execute
That lie within the mercy of your wit.

855

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

-

890

Arm. Sweet majesty, vouchsafe me, Prin. Was not that Hector? Dum. The worthy knight of Troy. Arm. I will kiss thy royal finger, and take leave. I am a votary; I have vow'd to Jaquenetta to hold the plough for her sweet love three year. But, most esteemed greatness, will you hear the dialogue that the two learned men have compiled in praise of the owl and the [805 cuckoo? It should have followed in the end of our show.

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

Arm. Holla! approach.

Enter all.

900

Cuckoo, cuckoo,"-O word of fear, Unpleasing to a married ear!

When shepherds pipe on oaten straws

210

And merry larks are ploughmen's clocks, When turtles tread, and rooks, and daws, 915 And maidens bleach their summer smocks, 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!

Winter. When icicles hang by the wall
And Dick the shepherd blows his nail
And Tom bears logs into the hall

And milk comes frozen home in pail,
When blood is nipp'd and ways be foul,
Then nightly sings the staring owl,
"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
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,

A merry note,

"Tu-whit, tu-who!"

While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

920

915

900

935

Arm. The words of Mercury are harsh after the songs of Apollo. You that way: [040 we this way.

[Exeunt.