One rubb'd his elbow, thus: and fleer'd, and swore, To check their folly, passion's solemn tears. Prin. But what, but what, come they to visit us? Unto his several mistress; which they'll know Prin. And will they so? the gallant shall be task'd: -Hold, Rosaline, this favour thou shalt wear; And change you favours too; so shall your loves Ros. Come on then; wear the favours most in sight. Kath. But, in this changing, what is your intent? Prin. Th' effect of my intent is, to cross theirs : They do it but in mocking merriment ; And mock for mock is only my intent. STEEV. [3] The spleen was anciently supposed to be the cause of laughter. [4] A mask of Muscovites was no uncommon recreation at court long before our author's time. In the first year of King Henry the Eighth, at a banquet made for the foreign embassadors in the parliament-chamber at Westminster: "came the lorde Henry, Earl of Wiltshire, and the lorde Fitzwater, in twoo long gounes of yellowe satin traversed with white satin, and in every ben of white was a bend of crimson satin after the fashion of Russia or Ruslande, with furred hattes of grey on their hedes, either of them havyng an hatchet in their handes, and bootes with pykes turned up." Hall. Henry VIII. p. 6. This extract may serve to convey an idea of the dress used upon the present occasion by the King and his Lords at the erformance of the play. RITSON With visages display'd, to talk, and greet. 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 ; But, while 'tis spoke, each turn away her face. Boyet. Why, that contempt will kill the speaker's heart, And quite divorce his memory from his part. Prin. Therefore I do it ; and, I make no doubt, There's no such sport, as sport by sport o'erthrown; come. [Trumpets sound within. Boyet. The trumpet sounds; be mask'd, the maskers [The ladies mask. Enter the King, BIRON, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAIN, in Russian habits, and masked; MOTH, Musicians, and Attendants. Moth. All hail, the richest beauties on the earth! Boyet. Beauties, no richer than rich taffata." 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. Their eyes, villain, their eyes. Moth. That ever turn'd their eyes to mortal views! Out Boyet. True; out, indeed. Moth. Out of your favours, heavenly spirits, vouchsafe Not to behold Biron. Once to behold, rogue. Moth. Once to behold with your sun-beamed eyes,—with your sun-beamed eyes— 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. If they do speak our language, 'tis our will Boyet. What would you with the princess? [5] i. e. the taffata masks they wore to conceal themselves. THEOBALD. Biron. Nothing but peace, and gentle visitation. Boyet. Nothing but peace, and gentle visitation. Boyet. They say, that they have measur'd many a mile, To tread a measure with you on this grass. 6 Ros. It is not so: ask them, how many inches Is in one mile if they have measured many, The measure then of one is easily told. Boyet. If, to come hither, you have measur'd miles, And many miles; the princess bids you tell, How many inches do fill up one mile. Biron. Tell her, we measure them by weary steps. Ros. How many weary steps, Of many weary miles you have o'ergone, Biron. We number nothing that we spend for you; That we may do it still without accompt. That we, like savages, may worship it. Ros. My face is but a moon, and clouded too. Thou bid'st me beg; this begging is not strange. [6] The measures were dances solemn and slow. They were performed at court, and at public entertainments of the societies of law and equity, at their halls, on particular occasions. It was formerly not deemed inconsistent with propriety even for the gravest persons to join in them; and accordingly at the revels which were celebrated at the inns of court, it has not been unusual for the first characters in the law to become performers in treading the measures. See Dugdale's Origines Juridiciales. REED. [7] When Queen Elizabeth asked an embassador how he liked her ladies, It is hard,' said he, to judge of stars in the presence of the sun. JOHNSON. King. Will you not dance? How come you thus es trang’d? Ros. You took the moon at full; but now she's chang'd. King. Yet still she is the moon, and I the man. 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. King. Why take we hands then? Ros. Only to part friends : Court'sy, sweet hearts; and so the measure ends. Ros. Your absence only. King. That can never be. Ros. Then cannot we be bought and so adieu; King. If you deny to dance, let's hold more chat. King. I am best pleas'd with that. [They converse apart. Bir. White-handed mistress, one sweet word with thee. Prin. Honey, and milk, and sugar; there is three. 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! Since you can cog, I'll play no more with you. Biron. One word in secret. Prin. Let it not be sweet. Biron. Thou griev'st my gall. Prin. 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, Take that for your fair lady. [8] To cog, signifies to falsify the dice, and to falsify a narrative, or to lie. JOHNSON Dum. Please it you, As much in private, and I'll bid adieu. [They converse apart. Kath. Veal, quoth the Dutchman ;-Is not veal a calf? Kath. No, a fair lord calf. Long. Let's part the word. Kath. No, I'll not be your half: Take all, and wean it; it may prove an ox. Long. Look, how you butt yourself in these sharp Will you give horns, chaste lady? do not so. [mocks! Kath. Then die a calf, before your horns do grow. Long. One word in private with you, ere I die. Kath. Bleat softly then, the butcher hears you cry. [They converse apart. Boyet. The tongues of mocking wenches are as keen As is the razor's edge invisible, Cutting a smaller hair than may be seen; Above the sense of sense: so sensible Seemeth their conference; their conceits have wings, Boyet. Tapers they are, with your sweet breaths puff'd out. Ros. Well-liking wits they have; gross, gross; fat, fat. Will they not, think you, hang themselves to-night? [9] Well-liking is the same, as embonpoint. So, in Job xxxix. 4: “ Their young ones are in good liking." STEEVENS. |