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Biron. This is he.

Dull. Signior Arme-Arme-commends you. villainy abroad; this letter will tell you more.

There's

Coft. Sir, the contempts thereof are as touching me.
King. A letter from the magnificent Armado.

Biron. How low foever the matter, I hope in God for high words.

Long. A high hope for a low having: God grant us patience!

Biron. To hear? or forbear hearing?

Long. To hear meekly, fir, and to laugh moderately; or to forbear both.

Biron. Well, fir, be it as the ftile fhall give us cause to climb in the merrinefs.

Coft. The matter is to me, fir, as concerning Jaquenetta. The manner of it is, I was taken with the manner.

Biron. In what manner?

Coft. In manner and form following, fir; all those three: I was feen with her in the manor house, fitting with her upon the form, and taken following her into the park; which, put together, is, in manner and form following. Now, fir, for the manner,—it is the manner of a man to speak to a woman: for the form,-in fome form. Biron. For the following, fir?

Coft. As it fall follow in my correction; And God defend the right!

King. Will you hear this letter with attention?

Biron. As we would hear an oracle.

Coft. Such is the fimplicity of man to hearken after the flesh.

King. [reads.] Great deputy, the welkin's vicegerent, and fole dominator of Navarre, my foul's earth's God, and body's foftering patron,

Coft. Not a word of Coftard yet.

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King. So it is,

Coft. It may be fo: but if he fay it is fo, he is, in telling true, but so, so.

King. Peace.

Coft.-be to me, and every man that dares not fight! King. No words.

Coft.-of other men's fecrets, I beseech you.

King. So it is, befieged with fable-colour'd melancholy, I did commend the black-oppressing humour to the most wholesome phyfick of thy health-giving air; and, as I am a gentleman, betook myself to walk. The time, when? About the fixth hour; when beasts most graze, birds beft peck, and men fit down to that nourishment which is called fupper. So much for the time when : Now for the ground which; which, I mean, I walk'd upon: it is ycleped, thy park. Then for the place where; where, I mean, I did encounter that obscene and moft prepofterous event, that draweth from my fnow-white pen the ebon-colour'd ink, which here thou vieweft, beholdest, surveyest, or feeft: But to the place, where,—It standeth north-north-eaft and by east from the west corner of thy curious-knotted garden : There did I fee that low-fpirited fwain, that base minnow of thy mirth,

Coft. Me.

King.-that unletter'd small-knowing foul,

Coft. Me.

King-that fallow vaffal,

Coft. Still me.

King-which, as I remember, hight Coftard,
Coft. O me!

King-forted and conforted, contrary to thy established proclaimed edict and continent canon, with-with-O with-but with this I passion to say wherewith.

Coft. With a wench.

King-with a child of our grandmother Eve, a female;

or,

or,

for thy more fweet underftanding, a woman.

Him I (as

my ever-esteem'd duty pricks me on) have fent to thee, to receive the meed of punishment, by thy fweet Grace's officer, Antony Dull; a man of good repute, carriage, bearing, and estimation.

Dull. Me, an't fhall please you; I am Antony Dull.

King. For Jaquenetta, (fo is the weaker veffel called, which I apprehended with the aforefaid frvain,) I keep her as a veffel of thy law's fury; and shall, at the leaft of thy fweet notice, bring her to trial. Thine, in all compliments of devoted and heart-burning beat of duty,

Don Adriano de Armado.

Biron. This is not fo well as I look'd for, but the best that ever I heard.

King. Ay, the beft for the worst. But, firrah, what fay you to this?

Coft. Sir, I confefs the wench.

King. Did you hear the proclamation ?

Coft. I do confefs much of the hearing it, but little of the marking of it.

King. It was proclaim'd a year's imprisonment, to be taken with a wench.

Coft. I was taken with none, fir; I was taken with a damofel.

King. Well, it was proclaimed damofel.

Coft. This was no damofel neither; fir, fhe was a virgin. King. It is so varied too; for it was proclaim'd, virgin. Coft. If it were, I deny her virginity; I was taken with a maid.

King. This maid will not ferve your turn, fir.

Coft. This maid will serve my turn, fir.

King. Sir, I will pronounce your fentence; You shall fast a week with bran and water.

Coft.

Coft. I had rather pray a month with mutton and porridge.

King. And Don Armado shall be your keeper.— My lord Biron, fee him deliver`d o'er.—

And go we, lords, to put in practice that

Which each to other hath fo ftrongly fworn.—

[Exeunt.

Biron. I'll lay my head to any good man's hat, These oaths and laws will prove an idle scorn.Sirrah, come on.

Coft. I fuffer for the truth, fir: for true it is, I was taken with Jaquenetta, and Jaquenetta is a true girl; and therefore, Welcome the four cup of prosperity! Affliction may one day fimile again, and till then, Sit thee down, forrow! [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Another part of the fame. Armado's House.

Enter ARMADO and MOTH.

Arm. Boy, what fign is it, when å man of great spirit grows melancholy?

Moth. A great fign, fir, that he will look fad.

Arm. Why, fadnefs is one and the felf-fame thing, dear imp.

Moth. No, no; O lord, fir, no.

Arm. How can't thou part fadnefs and melancholy, my tender juvenal?

Moth. By a familiar demonftration of the working, my tough fenior.

Arm. Why tough fenior? why tough fenior?
Moth. Why tender juvenal? why tender juvenal?
Arm. I spoke it, tender juvenal, as a congruent epi-

thefon,

theton, appertaining to thy young days, which we may nominate tender.

Moth. And I, tough fenior, as an appertinent title to your old time, which we may name tough.

Arm. Pretty, and apt.

Moth. How mean you, fir? I pretty, and my faying

apt? or I apt, and my faying pretty?

Arm. Thou pretty, because little.

Moth. Little pretty, because little: Wherefore apt?
Arm. And therefore apt, because quick.

Moth. Speak you this in my praise, master?

Arm. In thy condign praise.

Moth. I will praise an eel with the fame praise.

Arm. What? that an eel is ingenious?

Moth. That an eel is quick.

Arm. I do fay, thou art quick in anfwers: Thou heat'st my blood.

Moth. I am answer'd, fir.

Arm. I love not to be crofs'd.

Moth. He speaks the mere contrary, croffes love not him.

[Afide.

Arm. I have promised to study three years with the duke.

Moth. You may do it in an hour, fir.

Arm. Impoffible.

Moth. How many is one thrice told?

Arm. I am ill at reckoning, it fitteth the fpirit of a tapfter.

Moth. You are a gentleman, and a gamefter, fir.

Arm. I confefs both; they are both the varnish of a complete man.

Moth. Then, I am fure, you know how much the grofs fum of deuce ace amounts to.

Arm. It doth amount to one more than two.

3

Moth.

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