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! (5)

Biren. To hear, or forbear hearing ?

Long. To hear meekly, Sir, to laugh moderately, or to forbear both.

Biron. Well, Sir, be it as the Stile shall give us cause to climb in the merriness.

Coft. The matter is to me, Sir, as concerning Jaquenetta.

The manner of it is, I was taken with the manner.
Biron. In what manner?

Coft. In manner and form, following, Sir; all those three. I was seen 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, Sir, for the manner: it is the manner of a man to speak to a woman; for the form, in some form.

Biron. For the following, Sir?

Coft. As it shall follow in my correction; and God defend the right!

King. Will you hear the letter with attention?
Biron. As we would hear an oracle.

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

(5) A high hope for a low heaven;] A low heaven, sure, is a very intricate Matter to conceive. But our accurate Editors feem to observe the Rule of Horace, whenever a moot Point staggers them, dignus vindice nodus; and where they cannot overcome a Difficulty, they bring in Heaven to untie the Knot. As God grant us Patience immediately follow'd, they thought, Heaven of Consequence must be coupled with it. But, I dare warrant, I have retriev'd the Poet's true Reading; and the Meaning is this. "Tho' you hope for high Words, and fhould " have them, it will be but a low Acquisition at best". This our Port calls a low Having and it is a Subftantive, which he nfes in several other Paffages.

KG

Reat deputy, the welkin's vice-gerent, and

reads. fole dominator of Navarre, my foul's earth's',

God, and body's foftring patron

Coft. Not a word of Coftard yet.

King. So it is

Coft. It may be fo; but if he say it is so, he is, ina

telling true, but fo.

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-coloured melancholy, I did commend the black oppressing humour to the most wholesome physick of thy health-giving air; and as I am a gentleman, betook my self to walk: The time, when? about the fixth hour, when beasts most graze, birds best peck, and men fit down to that nourishment which is call d Jupper: so much for the time, when. Now for bich the ground, which: which, I mean, I walkt upon; it is ycleped, thy park. Then for the place, where; where, I mean, I did encounter that obscene and most prepofterous event, that draweth from my snow-white pen the ebon-colour'd ink, which here thou viewest, beholdest, surveyest, or feest. But to the place, where; It ftandeth.north-north-east and by eaft from the west corner of thy curious-knotted garden. There did I fee that low-fpirited fwain, that base minow of thy mirth, (Coft. Me?) that unletter'd small-knowing foul, (Cost. Me?) that shallow vassal, (Cost. Still me?) which, as I remember, hight Costard; (Coft. O me!) forted and conforted, contrary to thy established proclaimed edict and continent canon, with, with, - Ο with, with this I passion to say wherewith ::

Coft. With a wench.

but

King. With a child of our grandmother Eve, a fe male; or for thy more understanding, a woman; him, I (as my ever-esteem'd duty pricks me on) have sent to thee, to receive the meed of punishment, by thy fweet Grace's officer, Anthony Dull, a man of good repute,

4

carriage, bearing and estimation...

Dull...

Dull. Me, an't shall please you: I am Anthony Dull. King. For Jaquenetta, (so is the weaker vessel calld) which I apprehended with the aforesaid fwain, I keep her as a vassal of thy law's fury, and shall at the least of thy fweet notice bring her to tryal. Thine in all complements of devoted and heart-burning heat of duty,

Don Adriano de Armado.

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

King. Ay; the best for the worst. But, sirrah, what say you to this ?

Coft. Sir, I confess the wench.

*King. Did you hear the proclamation ?

Coft. I do confess 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, Sir, I was taken with a damosel.

King. Well, it was proclaimed damosel.

Coft. This was no damosel neither, Sir, she 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 serve your turn, Sir.
Coft. This maid will serve my turn, Sir.

King. Sir, I will pronounce sentence; you shall fast a week with bran and water.

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

King. And Don Armado shall be your keeper. My lord Biron, see him deliver'd o'er. And go we, lords, to put in practice that,

Which each to other hath so strongly sworn. (Exe.

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, Sir: for true it is, I was taken

h

Love's Labour's loft.

181

ken with Jaquenetta, and Jaquenetta is a true girl; d therefore welcome the four cup of profperity: afction may one day smile again, and until then, fit Lee down, forrow. [Exeunt.

m.

SCENE changes to Armado's House..

B

Enter Armado, and Moth.

OY, what fign is it, when a man of great spirit grows melancholy ?

Moth. A great sign, Sir, that he will look fad. Arm. Why, fadness is one and the self-fame thing, ar imp.

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

Arm. How can'st thou part sadness and melancholy, y tender Juvenile ?

Moth. By a familiar demonstration of the working, y tough Signior.

Arm. Why, tough Signior? why, tough Signior ? Moth. Why, tender Juvenile? why, tender Juve

le?

Arm. I spoke it, tender Juvenile, as a congruent pitheton, appertaining to thy young days, which we Lay nominate tender.

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

Arm. Pretty and apt.

Moth. How mean you, Sir, I pretty, and my saying

ot? or I apt, and my saying 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 say, thou art quick in answers. Thou

eat'st my blood.

Moth. Moth. I am answer'd, Sir.

Arm. I love not to be croft..

Moth. He speaks the clean contrary, crosses love not

him.

Arm. I have promis'd to study three years with the

King.

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

Arm. Impossible.

Moth. How many is one thrice told?

Arm. I am ill at reckoning, it fits the spirit of 2 tapster.

Moth. You are a gentleman, and a gamester.

Arm. I confess both; they are both the varnish of a compleat man.

Moth. Then, I am fure, you know how much the gross sum of deuce-ace amounts to.

Arm. It doth amount to one more than two.
Moth. Which the base vulgar call, three.

Arm. True.

Moth. Why, Sir, is this such a piece of study? now here's three studied ere you'll thrice wink; and how easie it is to put years to the word three, and study three years in two words, the dancing-horse will tell you.

Arm. A most fine figure.
Moth. To prove you a cypher.

Arm. I will hereupon confess, I am in love; and, as it is base for a foldier to love, so I am in love with a base wench. If drawing my sword against the humour of affection would deliver me from the reprobate thought of it, I would take Defire prisoner; and ranfom him to any French courtier for a new devis'd curt'fie. I think it scorn to figh; methinks, I should out-swear Cupid. Comfort me, boy; what great men have been in love?

Moth. Hercules, master.

Arm. Moft sweet Hercules! More authority, dear boy, name more; and, sweet my child, let them be men of good repute and carriage.

Moth. Sampson, master; he was a man of good car