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

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' the dark.
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.

Ros. Great reason; for, past cure is still past care". Prin. Well bandied both; a set of wit well play'd. But Rosaline, you have a favour too:

Who sent it? and what is it?

I would

you knew:

Ros.
An if my face were but as fair as your's,
My favour were as great: be witness this.
Nay, I have verses too, I thank Biron.

The numbers true; and, were the numb'ring too,
I were the fairest goddess on the ground:
I am compar'd to twenty thousand fairs.

O! he hath drawn my picture in his letter.

Prin. Any thing like?

Ros. Much, in the letters, nothing in the praise.
Prin. Beauteous as ink: a good conclusion.
Kath. Fair as a text B in a copy-book.

Ros. 'Ware pencils! How? let me not die your debtor, My red dominical, my golden letter:

O, that your face were not so full of O's"!

Prin. A pox of that jest! and I beshrew all shrows! But, Katharine, what was sent to you from fair Dumaine?

5 mouse,] This was a term of endearment formerly; and is applied by Edward Alleyn to his wife in 1593. Vide his Memoirs, printed by the Shakespeare Society, 8vo, 1841, p. 25, 26.

6 for, past CURE is still past CARE.] The old editions read "past care is still past cure:" but the adage is, "things past cure are past care."

7

were NOT so full of O's! "Not so" omitted in the folio.

and I BESHREW all shrows!] The 4to, 1598, has "and I beshrow all

Kath. Madam, this glove.

Prin.

Did he not send you twain?

Kath. Yes, madam; and, moreover,

Some thousand verses of a faithful lover:

A huge translation of hypocrisy,

Vilely compil'd, profound simplicity.

Mar. This, and these pearls to me sent Longaville: The letter is too long by half a mile.

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.

Prin. We are wise girls to mock our lovers so.

Ros. They are worse fools to purchase mocking so. 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,
And shape his service wholly to my behests 1o,
And make him proud to make me proud that jests!
So portent-like would I o'ersway his state ",
That he should be my fool, and I his fate.

shrows;" but the folio has beshrew: formerly, shrew was often spelt "shrow," especially if the word were wanted for a rhyme. We may gather from what is said, that Katherine was marked with the small-pox; and the Princess, objecting to personalities, interposes. There is no sufficient ground whatever for taking this line from the Princess, as has been done by all the modern editors. 9 in by the week!] i. e. For a certainty, and for a fixed period. The expression was common. See Webster's Works, by Dyce, i. 54.

10 wholly to my BEHESTS,] This judicious alteration was made by the editor of the folio, 1632; in that of 1623, as well as in the 4to. of 1598, derice is printed for "behests," which last suits the sense, and is necessary for the rhyme prevailing in this part of the scene. In the next line, the folio, 1632, reads "with jests ;" but as the change is not required, it is not adopted.

11 SO PORTENT-like would I o'ersway his state,] The 4to, 1598, has "perttaunt like," and the folio, 1623, "pertaunt like," which is exactly followed by the folio, 1632, though the editor had made two changes in the two preceding lines. It may be questioned whether "portent-like" be the true reading. Capell prints pageant-like, which cannot well be right.

Prin. None are so surely caught, when they are

catch'd,

As wit turn'd fool: folly, in wisdom hatch'd,

Hath wisdom's warrant, and the help of school,
And wit's own grace to grace a learned fool.

Ros. The blood of youth burns not with such excess, As gravity's revolt to wantonness1.

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.

Enter BOYET.

Prin. Here comes Boyet, and mirth is in his face2. Boyet. O! I am stabb'd with laughter. Where's her

grace?

Prin. Thy news, Boyet?

Boyet.

Arm, wenches, arm!

Against your peace.

Prepare, madam, prepare!

encounters mounted are

Love doth approach disguis'd,

Armed in arguments: you'll be surpris'd.

Muster your wits; stand in your own defence,
Or hide your heads like cowards, and fly hence.
Prin. Saint Dennis to saint Cupid! What are they,
That charge their breath against us? say, scout, say.
Boyet. Under the cool shade of a sycamore,

I thought to close mine eyes some half an hour,
When, lo! to interrupt my purpos'd rest,
Toward that shade I might behold addrest
The king and his companions: warily

I stole into a neighbour thicket by,

1 As gravity's revolt to WANTONNESS.] The reading of the 4to. and of the first

folio here is wantons be: the emendation is that of the second folio.

2 - and mirth is in his face.] "Is," from the 4to: omitted in the folios.

3 STABB'D with laughter.] An awkward and unusual expression: the 4to. reads stable.

VOL. II.

A a

And overheard what you shall overhear;
That by and by disguis'd 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;
"Thus must thou speak, and thus thy body bear:"
And ever and anon they made a doubt
Presence majestical would put him out;
"For," quoth the king, "an angel shalt thou see;
Yet fear not thou, but speak audaciously."
The boy replied, "An angel is not evil;

I should have feared 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

A better speech was never spoke before:
Another, with his finger and his thumb,

Cry'd "Via! we will do't, come what will come :'
The third he caper'd, and cried, “ All
"All goes well:"
The fourth turn'd on the toe, and down he fell.
With that, they all did tumble on the ground,
With such a zealous laughter, so profound,
That in this spleen ridiculous appears,

To check their folly, passion's solemn tears.

Prin. But what, but what, come they to visit us? Boyet. They do, they do; and are apparel'd thus,—

Like Muscovites, or Russians: as I guess,

Their purpose is, to parle, to court, and dance;

And every one his love-feat will advance

Unto his several mistress; which they'll know
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.—

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.—

And change you favours, too; so shall your loves
Woo contrary, deceiv'd 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 :
They do it but in mockery, merriment;

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.

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, 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: So shall we stay, mocking intended game; And they, well mock'd, depart away with shame. [Trumpets sound within. Boyet. The trumpet sounds: be mask'd, the maskers

come.

[The Ladies mask.

And change you favours, too ;] So the 4to: the folio, your.

but in MOCKERY, merriment ;]

6

will kill the SPEAKER's heart,]

The folio reads "mocking merriment.” The first folio reads keepers for “speakers," as it correctly stands in the 4to, 1598. The blunder is not corrected in the second folio, which in the preceding line has "her," misprinted his in the previous editions. In the second line of the next speech of the princess, the second folio also properly corrects e'er into "ne'er."