The Same. | |
| |
Enter ARMADO and MOTH. | |
| Arm. Boy, what sign is it when a man of great spirit grows melancholy? | |
| Moth. A great sign, sir, that he will look sad. | 4 |
| Arm. Why, sadness is one and the self-same thing, dear imp. | |
| Moth. No, no; O Lord, sir, no. | |
| Arm. How canst thou part sadness and melancholy, my tender juvenal? | |
| Moth. By a familiar demonstration of the working, my tough senior. | 8 |
| Arm. Why tough senior? why tough senior? | |
| Moth. Why tender juvenal? why tender juvenal? | |
| Arm. I spoke it, tender juvenal, as a congruent epitheton appertaining to thy young days, which we may nominate tender. | |
| Moth. And I, tough senior, as an appertinent title to your old time, which we may name tough. | 12 |
| Arm. Pretty, and apt. | |
| Moth. How mean you, sir? I pretty, and my saying apt? or I apt, and my saying pretty? | |
| Arm. Thou pretty, because little. | |
| Moth. Little pretty, because little. Wherefore apt? | 16 |
| 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 same praise. | 20 |
| Arm. What! that an eel is ingenious? | |
| Moth. That an eel is quick. | |
| Arm. I do say thou art quick in answers: thou heatest my blood. | |
| Moth. I am answered, sir. | 24 |
| Arm. I love not to be crossed. | |
| Moth. [Aside.] He speaks the mere contrary: crosses love not him. | |
| Arm. I have promised to study three years with the duke. | |
| Moth. You may do it in an hour, sir. | 28 |
| Arm. Impossible. | |
| Moth. How many is one thrice told? | |
| Arm. I am ill at reckoning; it fitteth the spirit of a tapster. | |
| Moth. You are a gentleman and a gamester, sir. | 32 |
| Arm. I confess both: they are both the varnish of a complete man. | |
| Moth. Then, I am sure 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 do call three. | 36 |
| Arm. True. | |
| Moth. Why, sir, is this such a piece of study? Now, here’s three studied, ere you’ll thrice wink; and how easy 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 cipher. | 40 |
| Arm. I will hereupon confess I am in love; and as it is base for a soldier to love, so am I 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 Desire prisoner, and ransom him to any French courtier for a new devised curtsy. I think scorn to sigh: methinks I should outswear Cupid. Comfort me, boy: what great men have been in love? | |
| Moth. Hercules, master. | |
| Arm. Most sweet Hercules! More authority, dear boy, name more; and, sweet my child, let them be men of good repute and carriage. | |
| Moth. Samson, master: he was a man of good carriage, great carriage, for he carried the town-gates on his back like a porter; and he was in love. | 44 |
| Arm. O well-knit Samson! strong-jointed Samson! I do excel thee in my rapier as much as thou didst me in carrying gates. I am in love too. Who was Samson’s love, my dear Moth? | |
| Moth. A woman, master. | |
| Arm. Of what complexion? | |
| Moth. Of all the four, or the three, or the two, or one of the four. | 48 |
| Arm. Tell me precisely of what complexion. | |
| Moth. Of the sea-water green, sir. | |
| Arm. Is that one of the four complexions? | |
| Moth. As I have read, sir; and the best of them too. | 52 |
| Arm. Green indeed is the colour of lovers; but to have a love of that colour, methinks Samson had small reason for it. He surely affected her for her wit. | |
| Moth. It was so, sir, for she had a green wit. | |
| Arm. My love is most immaculate white and red. | |
| Moth. Most maculate thoughts, master, are masked under such colours. | 56 |
| Arm. Define, define, well-educated infant. | |
| Moth. My father’s wit, and my mother’s tongue, assist me! | |
| Arm. Sweet invocation of a child; most pretty and pathetical! | |
Moth. If she be made of white and red,| | Her faults will ne’er be known, |
| For blushing cheeks by faults are bred, |
| And fears by pale white shown: |
| Then if she fear, or be to blame, |
| By this you shall not know, |
| For still her cheeks possess the same |
| Which native she doth owe. |
| 60 |
| A dangerous rime, master, against the reason of white and red. | |
| Arm. Is there not a ballad, boy, of the King and the Beggar? | |
| Moth. The world was very guilty of such a ballad some three ages since; but I think now ’tis not to be found; or, if it were, it would neither serve for the writing nor the tune. | |
| Arm. I will have that subject newly writ o’er, that I may example my digression by some mighty precedent. Boy, I do love that country girl that I took in the park with the rational hind Costard: she deserves well. | 64 |
| Moth. [Aside.] To be whipped; and yet a better love than my master. | |
| Arm. Sing, boy: my spirit grows heavy in love. | |
| Moth. And that’s great marvel, loving a light wench. | |
| Arm. I say, sing. | 68 |
| Moth. Forbear till this company be past. | |
| |
Enter DULL, COSTARD, and JAQUENETTA. | |
| Dull. Sir, the duke’s pleasure is, that you keep Costard safe: and you must let him take no delight nor no penance, but a’ must fast three days a week. For this damsel, I must keep her at the park; she is allowed for the day-woman. Fare you well. | |
| Arm. I do betray myself with blushing. Maid! | 72 |
| Jaq. Man? | |
| Arm. I will visit thee at the lodge. | |
| Jaq. That’s hereby. | |
| Arm. I know where it is situate. | 76 |
| Jaq. Lord, how wise you are! | |
| Arm. I will tell thee wonders. | |
| Jaq. With that face? | |
| Arm. I love thee. | 80 |
| Jaq. So I heard you say. | |
| Arm. And so farewell. | |
| Jaq. Fair weather after you! | |
| Dull. Come, Jaquenetta, away! [Exeunt DULL and JAQUENETTA. | 84 |
| Arm. Villain, thou shalt fast for thy offences ere thou be pardoned. | |
| Cost. Well, sir, I hope, when I do it, I shall do it on a full stomach. | |
| Arm. Thou shalt be heavily punished. | |
| Cost. I am more bound to you than your fellows, for they are but lightly rewarded. | 88 |
| Arm. Take away this villain: shut him up. | |
| Moth. Come, you transgressing slave: away! | |
| Cost. Let me not be pent up, sir: I will fast, being loose. | |
| Moth. No, sir; that were fast and loose: thou shalt to prison. | 92 |
| Cost. Well, if ever I do see the merry days of desolation that I have seen, some shall see— | |
| Moth. What shall some see? | |
| Cost. Nay, nothing, Master Moth, but what they look upon. It is not for prisoners to be too silent in their words; and therefore I will say nothing: I thank God I have as little patience as another man, and therefore I can be quiet. [Exeunt MOTH and COSTARD. | |
| Arm. I do affect the very ground, which is base, where her shoe, which is baser, guided by her foot, which is basest, doth tread. I shall be forsworn,—which is a great argument of falsehood,—if I love. And how can that be true love which is falsely attempted? Love is a familiar; Love is a devil: there is no evil angel but Love. Yet was Samson so tempted, and he had an excellent strength; yet was Solomon so seduced, and he had a very good wit. Cupid’s butt-shaft is too hard for Hercules’ club, and therefore too much odds for a Spaniard’s rapier. The first and second clause will not serve my turn; the passado he respects not, the duello he regards not: his disgrace is to be called boy, but his glory is, to subdue men. Adieu, valour! rust, rapier! be still, drum! for your manager is in love; yea, he loveth. Assist me some extemporal god of rime, for I am sure I shall turn sonneter. Devise, wit; write, pen; for I am for whole volumes in folio. [Exit. | 96 |
