Why, that to know, which else we should not know.


Things hid and barrd, you mean, from common sense?


Come on, then; I will swear to study so,


As thus,--to study where I well may dine,


Or study where to meet some mistress fine,


When mistresses from common sense are hid;


Or, having sworn too hard a keeping oath,


Study to break it and not break my troth.


Study knows that which yet it doth not know:


Swear me to this, and I will neer say no.


These be the stops that hinder study quite


And train our intellects to vain delight.


Why, all delights are vain; but that most vain,


Which with pain purchased doth inherit pain:


To seek the light of truth; while truth the while


Doth falsely blind the eyesight of his look:


Light seeking light doth light of light beguile:


So, ere you find where light in darkness lies,


Your light grows dark by losing of your eyes.


Who dazzling so, that eye shall be his heed


And give him light that it was blinded by.


That will not be deep-searchd with saucy looks:


These earthly godfathers of heavens lights


Have no more profit of their shining nights


Than those that walk and wot not what they are.


Too much to know is to know nought but fame;


How well hes read, to reason against reading!


Proceeded well, to stop all good proceeding!


He weeds the corn and still lets grow the weeding.


The spring is near when green geese are a-breeding.


Biron is like an envious sneaping frost,


That bites the first-born infants of the spring.


Well, say I am; why should proud summer boast


Before the birds have any cause to sing?


Than wish a snow in Mays new-fangled mirth;


But like of each thing that in season grows.


Climb oer the house to unlock the little gate.


Well, sit you out: go home, Biron: adieu.


No, my good lord; I have sworn to stay with you:


And though I have for barbarism spoke more


Than for that angel knowledge you can say,


Yet confident Ill keep what I have swore


And bide the penance of each three years day.


Give me the paper; let me read the same;


And to the strictst decrees Ill write my name.


How well this yielding rescues thee from shame!


[Reads]  Item, That no woman shall come within a


mile of my court: Hath this been proclaimed?


On pain of losing her tongue. Who devised this penalty?


To fright them hence with that dread penalty.


Item, If any man be seen to talk with a woman


within the term of three years, he shall endure such


public shame as the rest of the court can possibly devise.


This article, my liege, yourself must break;


The French kings daughter with yourself to speak--


To her decrepit, sick and bedrid father:


Or vainly comes the admired princess hither.


What say you, lords? Why, this was quite forgot.


While it doth study to have what it would


It doth forget to do the thing it should,


And when it hath the thing it hunteth most,


Tis won as towns with fire, so won, so lost.


We must of force dispense with this decree;


Three thousand times within this three years space;


Not by might masterd but by special grace:


If I break faith, this word shall speak for me;


So to the laws at large I write my name:


And he that breaks them in the least degree


But I believe, although I seem so loath,


I am the last that will last keep his oath.


But is there no quick recreation granted?


Ay, that there is. Our court, you know, is haunted


A man in all the worlds new fashion planted,


That hath a mint of phrases in his brain;


One whom the music of his own vain tongue


A man of complements, whom right and wrong


In high-born words the worth of many a knight


From tawny Spain lost in the worlds debate.


How you delight, my lords, I know not, I;


A man of fire-new words, fashions own knight.


Costard the swain and he shall be our sport;


And so to study, three years is but short.


I myself reprehend his own person, for I am his


graces tharborough: but I would see his own person


Signior Arme--Arme--commends you. Theres villany


Sir, the contempts thereof are as touching me.


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


A high hope for a low heaven: God grant us patience!


To hear meekly, sir, and to laugh moderately; or to


Well, sir, be it as the style shall give us cause to


The matter is to me, sir, as concerning Jaquenetta.


The manner of it is, I was taken with the manner.


In manner and form following, sir; all those three:


I was seen with her in the manor-house, sitting 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,--


As it shall follow in my correction: and God defend


Will you hear this letter with attention?


Such is the simplicity of man to hearken after the flesh.


[Reads]  Great deputy, the welkins vicegerent and


sole dominator of Navarre, my souls earths god,


It may be so: but if he say it is so, he is, in


Be to me and every man that dares not fight!


[Reads]  So it is, besieged with sable-coloured


melancholy, I did commend the black-oppressing humour


to the most wholesome physic of thy health-giving


air; and, as I am a gentleman, betook myself to


walk. The time when. About the sixth hour; when


beasts most graze, birds best peck, and men sit down


to that nourishment which is called supper: so much


for the time when. Now for the ground which; which,


I mean, I walked upon: it is y-cleped thy park. Then


for the place where; where, I mean, I did encounter


that obscene and preposterous event, that draweth


from my snow-white pen the ebon-coloured ink, which


here thou viewest, beholdest, surveyest, or seest;


but to the place where; it standeth north-north-east


and by east from the west corner of thy curious-


knotted garden: there did I see that low-spirited


[Reads]  that unlettered small-knowing soul,--


[Reads]  which, as I remember, hight Costard,--


[Reads]  sorted and consorted, contrary to thy


established proclaimed edict and continent canon,


which with,--O, with--but with this I passion to say


[Reads]  with a child of our grandmother Eve, a


female; or, for thy more sweet understanding, a


woman. Him I, as my ever-esteemed duty pricks me on,


have sent to thee, to receive the meed of


punishment, by thy sweet graces officer, Anthony


Dull; a man of good repute, carriage, bearing, and


Me, ant shall please you; I am Anthony Dull.


[Reads]  For Jaquenetta,--so is the weaker vessel


called which I apprehended with the aforesaid


swain,--I keep her as a vessel of the laws fury;


and shall, at the least of thy sweet notice, bring


her to trial. Thine, in all compliments of devoted


This is not so well as I looked for, but the best


Ay, the best for the worst. But, sirrah, what say


I do confess much of the hearing it but little of


It was proclaimed a years imprisonment, to be taken


I was taken with none, sir: I was taken with a damsel.


This was no damsel, neither, sir; she was a virgin.


It is so varied, too; for it was proclaimed virgin.


If it were, I deny her virginity: I was taken with a maid.


This maid will not serve your turn, sir.


Sir, I will pronounce your sentence: you shall fast


I had rather pray a month with mutton and porridge.


And go we, lords, to put in practise that


Which each to other hath so strongly sworn.


Exeunt FERDINAND, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAIN


These oaths and laws will prove an idle scorn.


I suffer for the truth, sir; for true it is, I was


taken with Jaquenetta, and Jaquenetta is a true


girl; and therefore welcome the sour cup of


prosperity! Affliction may one day smile again; and


Boy, what sign is it when a man of great spirit


A great sign, sir, that he will look sad.


Why, sadness is one and the self-same thing, dear imp.


How canst thou part sadness and melancholy, my


By a familiar demonstration of the working, my tough senior.


I spoke it, tender juvenal, as a congruent epitheton


appertaining to thy young days, which we may


And I, tough senior, as an appertinent title to your


How mean you, sir? I pretty, and my saying apt? or


Little pretty, because little. Wherefore apt?


I will praise an eel with the same praise.


I do say thou art quick in answers: thou heatest my blood.


[Aside]  He speaks the mere contrary; crosses love not him.


I have promised to study three years with the duke.


I am ill at reckoning; it fitteth the spirit of a tapster.


You are a gentleman and a gamester, sir.


I confess both: they are both the varnish of a


Then, I am sure, you know how much the gross sum of


Why, sir, is this such a piece of study? Now here


is three studied, ere yell thrice wink: and how


easy it is to put years to the word three, and


study three years in two words, the dancing horse


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


courtesy. I think scorn to sigh: methinks I should


outswear Cupid. Comfort, me, boy: what great men


Most sweet Hercules! More authority, dear boy, name


more; and, sweet my child, let them be men of good


Samson, master: he was a man of good carriage, great


carriage, for he carried the town-gates on his back


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 Samsons


Of all the four, or the three, or the two, or one of the four.


As I have read, sir; and the best of them too.


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.


It was so, sir; for she had a green wit.


My love is most immaculate white and red.


Most maculate thoughts, master, are masked under


My fathers wit and my mothers tongue, assist me!


Sweet invocation of a child; most pretty and


A dangerous rhyme, master, against the reason of


Is there not a ballad, boy, of the King and the Beggar?


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


I will have that subject newly writ oer, 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.


[Aside]  To be whipped; and yet a better love than


Sing, boy; my spirit grows heavy in love.


And thats great marvel, loving a light wench.


Sir, the dukes pleasure is, that you keep Costard


safe: and you must suffer him to 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.


Villain, thou shalt fast for thy offences ere thou


Well, sir, I hope, when I do it, I shall do it on a


I am more bound to you than your fellows, for they


Let me not be pent up, sir: I will fast, being loose.


No, sir; that were fast and loose: thou shalt to prison.


Well, if ever I do see the merry days of desolation


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


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.


Cupids butt-shaft is too hard for Hercules club;


and therefore too much odds for a Spaniards rapier.


The first and second cause 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 rhyme,


for I am sure I shall turn sonnet. Devise, wit;


write, pen; for I am for whole volumes in folio.


Enter the PRINCESS of France, ROSALINE, MARIA, KATHARINE, BOYET, Lords, and other Attendants


Now, madam, summon up your dearest spirits:


Consider who the king your father sends,


To whom he sends, and whats his embassy:


Yourself, held precious in the worlds esteem,


Matchless Navarre; the plea of no less weight


When she did starve the general world beside


Good Lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean,


Needs not the painted flourish of your praise:


Beauty is bought by judgement of the eye,


Not utterd by base sale of chapmens tongues:


I am less proud to hear you tell my worth


Than you much willing to be counted wise


In spending your wit in the praise of mine.


Doth noise abroad, Navarre hath made a vow,


Till painful study shall outwear three years,


Therefore tos seemeth it a needful course,


To know his pleasure; and in that behalf,


Tell him, the daughter of the King of France,


On serious business, craving quick dispatch,


Importunes personal conference with his grace:


Haste, signify so much; while we attend,


Like humble-visaged suitors, his high will.


All pride is willing pride, and yours is so.


That are vow-fellows with this virtuous duke?


Between Lord Perigort and the beauteous heir


Nothing becomes him ill that he would well.


The only soil of his fair virtues gloss,


If virtues gloss will stain with any soil,


Is a sharp wit matched with too blunt a will;


Whose edge hath power to cut, whose will still wills


It should none spare that come within his power.


Some merry mocking lord, belike; ist so?


They say so most that most his humours know.


Such short-lived wits do wither as they grow.


The young Dumain, a well-accomplished youth,


Of all that virtue love for virtue loved:


Most power to do most harm, least knowing ill;


For he hath wit to make an ill shape good,


And shape to win grace though he had no wit.


Was there with him, if I have heard a truth.


For every object that the one doth catch


Which his fair tongue, conceits expositor,


And younger hearings are quite ravished;


God bless my ladies! are they all in love,


With such bedecking ornaments of praise?


Navarre had notice of your fair approach;


Were all addressd to meet you, gentle lady,


Before I came. Marry, thus much I have learnt:


He rather means to lodge you in the field,


Like one that comes here to besiege his court,


Enter FERDINAND, LONGAVILLE, DUMAIN, BIRON, and Attendants


Fair princess, welcome to the court of Navarre.


Fair I give you back again; and welcome I have


not yet: the roof of this court is too high to be


yours; and welcome to the wide fields too base to be mine.


You shall be welcome, madam, to my court.


I will be welcome, then: conduct me thither.


Hear me, dear lady; I have sworn an oath.


Our Lady help my lord! hell be forsworn.


Not for the world, fair madam, by my will.


Why, will shall break it; will and nothing else.


Were my lord so, his ignorance were wise,


Where now his knowledge must prove ignorance.


I hear your grace hath sworn out house-keeping:


Tis deadly sin to keep that oath, my lord,


Vouchsafe to read the purpose of my coming,


For youll prove perjured if you make me stay.


Did not I dance with you in Brabant once?


How needless was it then to ask the question!


Tis long of you that spur me with such questions.


Your wits too hot, it speeds too fast, twill tire.


Not till it leave the rider in the mire.


The payment of a hundred thousand crowns;


Received that sum, yet there remains unpaid


A hundred thousand more; in surety of the which,


Although not valued to the moneys worth.


If then the king your father will restore


And hold fair friendship with his majesty.


But that, it seems, he little purposeth,


A hundred thousand crowns; and not demands,


On payment of a hundred thousand crowns,


Dear Princess, were not his requests so far


From reasons yielding, your fair self should make


A yielding gainst some reason in my breast


You do the king my father too much wrong


Of that which hath so faithfully been paid.


So please your grace, the packet is not come


Where that and other specialties are bound:


To-morrow you shall have a sight of them.


Meantime receive such welcome at my hand


You may not come, fair princess, in my gates;


But here without you shall be so received


As you shall deem yourself lodged in my heart,


Though so denied fair harbour in my house.


Your own good thoughts excuse me, and farewell:


Sweet health and fair desires consort your grace!


Thy own wish wish I thee in every place!


Lady, I will commend you to mine own heart.


Pray you, do my commendations; I would be glad to see it.


Sir, I pray you, a word: what lady is that same?


The heir of Alencon, Katharine her name.


A gallant lady. Monsieur, fare you well.


I beseech you a word: what is she in the white?


A woman sometimes, an you saw her in the light.


Perchance light in the light. I desire her name.


She hath but one for herself; to desire that were a shame.


Farewell to me, sir, and welcome to you.


That last is Biron, the merry madcap lord:


It was well done of you to take him at his word.


I was as willing to grapple as he was to board.


No sheep, sweet lamb, unless we feed on your lips.


You sheep, and I pasture: shall that finish the jest?


My lips are no common, though several they be.


Good wits will be jangling; but, gentles, agree:


This civil war of wits were much better used


On Navarre and his book-men; for here tis abused.


If my observation, which very seldom lies,


By the hearts still rhetoric disclosed with eyes,


Deceive me not now, Navarre is infected.


With that which we lovers entitle affected.


Why, all his behaviors did make their retire


To the court of his eye, peeping thorough desire:


His heart, like an agate, with your print impressd,


Proud with his form, in his eye pride expressd:


His tongue, all impatient to speak and not see,


Did stumble with haste in his eyesight to be;


All senses to that sense did make their repair,


To feel only looking on fairest of fair:


Methought all his senses were lockd in his eye,


As jewels in crystal for some prince to buy;


Who, tendering their own worth from where they were glassd,


Did point you to buy them, along as you passd:


His faces own margent did quote such amazes


That all eyes saw his eyes enchanted with gazes.


Ill give you Aquitaine and all that is his,


An you give him for my sake but one loving kiss.


Come to our pavilion: Boyet is disposed.


But to speak that in words which his eye hath


By adding a tongue which I know will not lie.


Thou art an old love-monger and speakest skilfully.


He is Cupids grandfather and learns news of him.


Then was Venus like her mother, for her father is but grim.


Warble, child; make passionate my sense of hearing.


Sweet air! Go, tenderness of years; take this key,


give enlargement to the swain, bring him festinately


hither: I must employ him in a letter to my love.


Master, will you win your love with a French brawl?


No, my complete master: but to jig off a tune at


the tongues end, canary to it with your feet, humour


it with turning up your eyelids, sigh a note and


sing a note, sometime through the throat, as if you


swallowed love with singing love, sometime through


the nose, as if you snuffed up love by smelling


love; with your hat penthouse-like oer the shop of


your eyes; with your arms crossed on your thin-belly


doublet like a rabbit on a spit; or your hands in


your pocket like a man after the old painting; and


keep not too long in one tune, but a snip and away.


These are complements, these are humours; these


betray nice wenches, that would be betrayed without


these; and make them men of note--do you note


How hast thou purchased this experience?


No, master; the hobby-horse is but a colt, and your


love perhaps a hackney. But have you forgot your love?


And out of heart, master: all those three I will prove.


A man, if I live; and this, by, in, and without, upon


the instant: by heart you love her, because your


heart cannot come by her; in heart you love her,


because your heart is in love with her; and out of


heart you love her, being out of heart that you


And three times as much more, and yet nothing at


Fetch hither the swain: he must carry me a letter.


A message well sympathized; a horse to be ambassador


Marry, sir, you must send the ass upon the horse,


Is not lead a metal heavy, dull, and slow?


Minime, honest master; or rather, master, no.


Is that lead slow which is fired from a gun?


He reputes me a cannon; and the bullet, thats he:


A most acute juvenal; voluble and free of grace!


By thy favour, sweet welkin, I must sigh in thy face:


Most rude melancholy, valour gives thee place.


A wonder, master! heres a costard broken in a shin.


Some enigma, some riddle: come, thy lenvoy; begin.


No enigma, no riddle, no lenvoy; no salve in the


mail, sir: O, sir, plantain, a plain plantain! no


lenvoy, no lenvoy; no salve, sir, but a plantain!


By virtue, thou enforcest laughter; thy silly


thought my spleen; the heaving of my lungs provokes


me to ridiculous smiling. O, pardon me, my stars!


Doth the inconsiderate take salve for lenvoy, and


Do the wise think them other? is not lenvoy a salve?


No, page: it is an epilogue or discourse, to make plain


Some obscure precedence that hath tofore been sain.


I will add the lenvoy. Say the moral again.


Now will I begin your moral, and do you follow with


A good lenvoy, ending in the goose: would you


The boy hath sold him a bargain, a goose, thats flat.


Sir, your pennyworth is good, an your goose be fat.


To sell a bargain well is as cunning as fast and loose:


Let me see; a fat lenvoy; ay, thats a fat goose.


Come hither, come hither. How did this argument begin?


By saying that a costard was broken in a shin.


True, and I for a plantain: thus came your


Then the boys fat lenvoy, the goose that you bought;


But tell me; how was there a costard broken in a shin?


Thou hast no feeling of it, Moth: I will speak that lenvoy:


I Costard, running out, that was safely within,


Fell over the threshold and broke my shin.


Sirrah Costard, I will enfranchise thee.


O, marry me to one Frances: I smell some lenvoy,


By my sweet soul, I mean setting thee at liberty,


enfreedoming thy person; thou wert immured,


True, true; and now you will be my purgation and let me loose.


I give thee thy liberty, set thee from durance; and,


in lieu thereof, impose on thee nothing but this:


there is remuneration; for the best ward of mine


honour is rewarding my dependents. Moth, follow.


Like the sequel, I. Signior Costard, adieu.


My sweet ounce of mans flesh! my incony Jew!


Now will I look to his remuneration. Remuneration!


O, thats the Latin word for three farthings: three


farthings--remuneration.--Whats the price of this


remuneration: why, it carries it. Remuneration!


why, it is a fairer name than French crown. I will


O, my good knave Costard! exceedingly well met.


Pray you, sir, how much carnation ribbon may a man


Why, then, three-farthing worth of silk.


As thou wilt win my favour, good my knave,


Do one thing for me that I shall entreat.


I will come to your worship to-morrow morning.


The princess comes to hunt here in the park,


And in her train there is a gentle lady;


When tongues speak sweetly, then they name her name,


And Rosaline they call her: ask for her;


And to her white hand see thou do commend


This seald-up counsel. Theres thy guerdon; go.


Gardon, O sweet gardon! better than remuneration,


aleven-pence farthing better: most sweet gardon! I


will do it sir, in print. Gardon! Remuneration!


And I, forsooth, in love! I, that have been loves whip;


This whimpled, whining, purblind, wayward boy;


This senior-junior, giant-dwarf, Dan Cupid;


Regent of love-rhymes, lord of folded arms,


The anointed sovereign of sighs and groans,


Dread prince of plackets, king of codpieces,


Of trotting paritors:--O my little heart:--


And wear his colours like a tumblers hoop!


But being watchd that it may still go right!


Nay, to be perjured, which is worst of all;


And, among three, to love the worst of all;


With two pitch-balls stuck in her face for eyes;


Ay, and by heaven, one that will do the deed


Though Argus were her eunuch and her guard:


And I to sigh for her! to watch for her!


Well, I will love, write, sigh, pray, sue and groan:


Some men must love my lady and some Joan.


Enter the PRINCESS, and her train, a Forester, BOYET, ROSALINE, MARIA, and KATHARINE


Was that the king, that spurred his horse so hard


Well, lords, to-day we shall have our dispatch:


Then, forester, my friend, where is the bush


That we must stand and play the murderer in?


Hereby, upon the edge of yonder coppice;


A stand where you may make the fairest shoot.


I thank my beauty, I am fair that shoot,


And thereupon thou speakst the fairest shoot.


What, what? first praise me and again say no?


O short-lived pride! Not fair? alack for woe!


Where fair is not, praise cannot mend the brow.


Here, good my glass, take this for telling true:


Fair payment for foul words is more than due.


Nothing but fair is that which you inherit.


See see, my beauty will be saved by merit!


A giving hand, though foul, shall have fair praise.


But come, the bow: now mercy goes to kill,


And shooting well is then accounted ill.


Thus will I save my credit in the shoot:


Not wounding, pity would not let me dot;


If wounding, then it was to show my skill,


That more for praise than purpose meant to kill.


When, for fames sake, for praise, an outward part,


We bend to that the working of the heart;


The poor deers blood, that my heart means no ill.


Do not curst wives hold that self-sovereignty


Only for praise sake, when they strive to be


Only for praise: and praise we may afford


Here comes a member of the commonwealth.


God dig-you-den all! Pray you, which is the head lady?


Thou shalt know her, fellow, by the rest that have no heads.


Which is the greatest lady, the highest?


The thickest and the tallest! it is so; truth is truth.


An your waist, mistress, were as slender as my wit,


One o these maids girdles for your waist should be fit.


Are not you the chief woman? you are the thickest here.


I have a letter from Monsieur Biron to one Lady Rosaline.


O, thy letter, thy letter! hes a good friend of mine:


Stand aside, good bearer. Boyet, you can carve;


This letter is mistook, it importeth none here;


Break the neck of the wax, and every one give ear.


By heaven, that thou art fair, is most infallible;


true, that thou art beauteous; truth itself, that


thou art lovely. More fairer than fair, beautiful


than beauteous, truer than truth itself, have


commiseration on thy heroical vassal! The


magnanimous and most illustrate king Cophetua set


eye upon the pernicious and indubitate beggar


Zenelophon; and he it was that might rightly say,


Veni, vidi, vici; which to annothanize in the


vulgar,--O base and obscure vulgar!--videlicet, He


came, saw, and overcame: he came, one; saw two;


overcame, three. Who came? the king: why did he


come? to see: why did he see? to overcome: to


whom came he? to the beggar: what saw he? the


beggar: who overcame he? the beggar. The


conclusion is victory: on whose side? the kings.


The captive is enriched: on whose side? the


beggars. The catastrophe is a nuptial: on whose


side? the kings: no, on both in one, or one in


both. I am the king; for so stands the comparison:


thou the beggar; for so witnesseth thy lowliness.


Shall I command thy love? I may: shall I enforce


thy love? I could: shall I entreat thy love? I


will. What shalt thou exchange for rags? robes;


for tittles? titles; for thyself? me. Thus,


expecting thy reply, I profane my lips on thy foot,


my eyes on thy picture. and my heart on thy every


part. Thine, in the dearest design of industry,


Thus dost thou hear the Nemean lion roar


Gainst thee, thou lamb, that standest as his prey.


Submissive fall his princely feet before,


And he from forage will incline to play:


But if thou strive, poor soul, what art thou then?


Food for his rage, repasture for his den.


What plume of feathers is he that indited this letter?


What vane? what weathercock? did you ever hear better?


I am much deceived but I remember the style.


Else your memory is bad, going oer it erewhile.


This Armado is a Spaniard, that keeps here in court;


A phantasime, a Monarcho, and one that makes sport


From my lord Biron, a good master of mine,


To a lady of France that he calld Rosaline.


Thou hast mistaken his letter. Come, lords, away.


Here, sweet, put up this: twill be thine another day.


My lady goes to kill horns; but, if thou marry,


Hang me by the neck, if horns that year miscarry.


If we choose by the horns, yourself come not near.


You still wrangle with her, Boyet, and she strikes


But she herself is hit lower: have I hit her now?


Shall I come upon thee with an old saying, that was


a man when King Pepin of France was a little boy, as


So I may answer thee with one as old, that was a


woman when Queen Guinover of Britain was a little


By my troth, most pleasant: how both did fit it!


A mark marvellous well shot, for they both did hit it.


A mark! O, mark but that mark! A mark, says my lady!


Let the mark have a prick int, to mete at, if it may be.


Wide o the bow hand! i faith, your hand is out.


Indeed, a must shoot nearer, or hell neer hit the clout.


An if my hand be out, then belike your hand is in.


Then will she get the upshoot by cleaving the pin.


Come, come, you talk greasily; your lips grow foul.


Shes too hard for you at pricks, sir: challenge her to bowl.


I fear too much rubbing. Good night, my good owl.


By my soul, a swain! a most simple clown!


Lord, Lord, how the ladies and I have put him down!


O my troth, most sweet jests! most incony


When it comes so smoothly off, so obscenely, as it


Armado o th one side,--O, a most dainty man!


To see him walk before a lady and to bear her fan!


To see him kiss his hand! and how most sweetly a


And his page o t other side, that handful of wit!


Ah, heavens, it is a most pathetical nit!


Enter HOLOFERNES, SIR NATHANIEL, and DULL


Very reverend sport, truly; and done in the testimony


The deer was, as you know, sanguis, in blood; ripe


as the pomewater, who now hangeth like a jewel in


the ear of caelo, the sky, the welkin, the heaven;


and anon falleth like a crab on the face of terra,


Truly, Master Holofernes, the epithets are sweetly


varied, like a scholar at the least: but, sir, I


assure ye, it was a buck of the first head.


Most barbarous intimation! yet a kind of


insinuation, as it were, in via, in way, of


explication; facere, as it were, replication, or


rather, ostentare, to show, as it were, his


inclination, after his undressed, unpolished,


uneducated, unpruned, untrained, or rather,


unlettered, or ratherest, unconfirmed fashion, to


I said the deer was not a haud credo; twas a pricket.


O thou monster Ignorance, how deformed dost thou look!


Sir, he hath never fed of the dainties that are bred


in a book; he hath not eat paper, as it were; he


hath not drunk ink: his intellect is not


replenished; he is only an animal, only sensible in


And such barren plants are set before us, that we


Which we of taste and feeling are, for those parts that


For as it would ill become me to be vain, indiscreet, or a fool,


So were there a patch set on learning, to see him in a school:


But omne bene, say I; being of an old fathers mind,


Many can brook the weather that love not the wind.


You two are book-men: can you tell me by your wit


What was a month old at Cains birth, thats not five


Dictynna, goodman Dull; Dictynna, goodman Dull.


A title to Phoebe, to Luna, to the moon.


The moon was a month old when Adam was no more,


And raught not to five weeks when he came to


Tis true indeed; the collusion holds in the exchange.


God comfort thy capacity! I say, the allusion holds


And I say, the pollusion holds in the exchange; for


the moon is never but a month old: and I say beside


that, twas a pricket that the princess killed.


Sir Nathaniel, will you hear an extemporal epitaph


on the death of the deer? And, to humour the


ignorant, call I the deer the princess killed a pricket.


Perge, good Master Holofernes, perge; so it shall


I will something affect the letter, for it argues facility.


The preyful princess pierced and prickd a pretty


Some say a sore; but not a sore, till now made


The dogs did yell: put L to sore, then sorel jumps


Or pricket sore, or else sorel; the people fall a-hooting.


If sore be sore, then L to sore makes fifty sores


Of one sore I an hundred make by adding but one more L.


[Aside]  If a talent be a claw, look how he claws


This is a gift that I have, simple, simple; a


foolish extravagant spirit, full of forms, figures,


shapes, objects, ideas, apprehensions, motions,


revolutions: these are begot in the ventricle of


memory, nourished in the womb of pia mater, and


delivered upon the mellowing of occasion. But the


gift is good in those in whom it is acute, and I am


Sir, I praise the Lord for you; and so may my


parishioners; for their sons are well tutored by


you, and their daughters profit very greatly under


you: you are a good member of the commonwealth.


Mehercle, if their sons be ingenuous, they shall


want no instruction; if their daughters be capable,


I will put it to them: but vir sapit qui pauca


God give you good morrow, master Parson.


Master Parson, quasi pers-on. An if one should be


Marry, master schoolmaster, he that is likest to a hogshead.


Piercing a hogshead! a good lustre of conceit in a


tuft of earth; fire enough for a flint, pearl enough


Good master Parson, be so good as read me this


letter: it was given me by Costard, and sent me


from Don Armado: I beseech you, read it.


Fauste, precor gelida quando pecus omne sub umbra


Ruminat,--and so forth. Ah, good old Mantuan! I


may speak of thee as the traveller doth of Venice;


Old Mantuan, old Mantuan! who understandeth thee


not, loves thee not. Ut, re, sol, la, mi, fa.


Under pardon, sir, what are the contents? or rather,


as Horace says in his--What, my soul, verses?


Let me hear a staff, a stanze, a verse; lege, domine.


If love make me forsworn, how shall I swear to love?


Ah, never faith could hold, if not to beauty vowd!


Though to myself forsworn, to thee Ill faithful prove:


Those thoughts to me were oaks, to thee like


Study his bias leaves and makes his book thine eyes,


Where all those pleasures live that art would


If knowledge be the mark, to know thee shall suffice;


Well learned is that tongue that well can thee commend,


All ignorant that soul that sees thee without wonder;


Which is to me some praise that I thy parts admire:


Thy eye Joves lightning bears, thy voice his dreadful thunder,


Which not to anger bent, is music and sweet fire.


Celestial as thou art, O, pardon, love, this wrong,


That sings heavens praise with such an earthly tongue.


You find not the apostraphas, and so miss the


accent: let me supervise the canzonet. Here are


only numbers ratified; but, for the elegancy,


facility, and golden cadence of poesy, caret.


Ovidius Naso was the man: and why, indeed, Naso,


but for smelling out the odouriferous flowers of


fancy, the jerks of invention? Imitari is nothing:


so doth the hound his master, the ape his keeper,


the tired horse his rider. But, damosella virgin,


Ay, sir, from one Monsieur Biron, one of the strange


I will overglance the superscript: To the


snow-white hand of the most beauteous Lady


Rosaline. I will look again on the intellect of


the letter, for the nomination of the party writing


to the person written unto: Your ladyships in all


desired employment, BIRON. Sir Nathaniel, this


Biron is one of the votaries with the king; and here


he hath framed a letter to a sequent of the stranger


queens, which accidentally, or by the way of


progression, hath miscarried. Trip and go, my


sweet; deliver this paper into the royal hand of the


Good Costard, go with me. Sir, God save your life!


Sir, you have done this in the fear of God, very


religiously; and, as a certain father saith,--


Sir tell me not of the father; I do fear colourable


colours. But to return to the verses: did they


I do dine to-day at the fathers of a certain pupil


of mine; where, if, before repast, it shall please


you to gratify the table with a grace, I will, on my


privilege I have with the parents of the foresaid


child or pupil, undertake your ben venuto; where I


will prove those verses to be very unlearned,


neither savouring of poetry, wit, nor invention: I


And thank you too; for society, saith the text, is


And, certes, the text most infallibly concludes it.


say me nay: pauca verba. Away! the gentles are at


their game, and we will to our recreation.


The king he is hunting the deer; I am coursing


myself: they have pitched a toil; I am toiling in


a pitch,--pitch that defiles: defile! a foul


word. Well, set thee down, sorrow! for so they say


the fool said, and so say I, and I the fool: well


proved, wit! By the Lord, this love is as mad as


Ajax: it kills sheep; it kills me, I a sheep:


well proved again o my side! I will not love: if


I do, hang me; i faith, I will not. O, but her


eye,--by this light, but for her eye, I would not


love her; yes, for her two eyes. Well, I do nothing


in the world but lie, and lie in my throat. By


heaven, I do love: and it hath taught me to rhyme


and to be melancholy; and here is part of my rhyme,


and here my melancholy. Well, she hath one o my


sonnets already: the clown bore it, the fool sent


it, and the lady hath it: sweet clown, sweeter


fool, sweetest lady! By the world, I would not care


a pin, if the other three were in. Here comes one


with a paper: God give him grace to groan!


[Aside]  Shot, by heaven! Proceed, sweet Cupid:


thou hast thumped him with thy bird-bolt under the


So sweet a kiss the golden sun gives not


To those fresh morning drops upon the rose,


As thy eye-beams, when their fresh rays have smote


The night of dew that on my cheeks down flows:


Nor shines the silver moon one half so bright


Through the transparent bosom of the deep,


As doth thy face through tears of mine give light;


Thou shinest in every tear that I do weep:


Do but behold the tears that swell in me,


And they thy glory through my grief will show:


But do not love thyself; then thou wilt keep


My tears for glasses, and still make me weep.


O queen of queens! how far dost thou excel,


No thought can think, nor tongue of mortal tell.


How shall she know my griefs? Ill drop the paper:


Sweet leaves, shade folly. Who is he comes here?


What, Longaville! and reading! listen, ear.


Now, in thy likeness, one more fool appear!


Why, he comes in like a perjure, wearing papers.


In love, I hope: sweet fellowship in shame!


Am I the first that have been perjured so?


I could put thee in comfort. Not by two that I know:


Thou makest the triumviry, the corner-cap of society,


The shape of Loves Tyburn that hangs up simplicity.


I fear these stubborn lines lack power to move:


These numbers will I tear, and write in prose.


O, rhymes are guards on wanton Cupids hose:


Did not the heavenly rhetoric of thine eye,


Gainst whom the world cannot hold argument,


Persuade my heart to this false perjury?


Vows for thee broke deserve not punishment.


Thou being a goddess, I forswore not thee:


My vow was earthly, thou a heavenly love;


Thy grace being gaind cures all disgrace in me.


Vows are but breath, and breath a vapour is:


Then thou, fair sun, which on my earth dost shine,


Exhalest this vapour-vow; in thee it is:


If by me broke, what fool is not so wise


This is the liver-vein, which makes flesh a deity,


A green goose a goddess: pure, pure idolatry.


God amend us, God amend! we are much out o the way.


By whom shall I send this?--Company! stay.


And wretched fools secrets heedfully oereye.


More sacks to the mill! O heavens, I have my wish!


Dumain transformd! four woodcocks in a dish!


By earth, she is not, corporal, there you lie.


Her amber hair for foul hath amber quoted.


Ay, as some days; but then no sun must shine.


Amen, so I had mine: is not that a good word?


Reigns in my blood and will rememberd be.


A fever in your blood! why, then incision


Would let her out in saucers: sweet misprision!


Once more Ill read the ode that I have writ.


Once more Ill mark how love can vary wit.


This will I send, and something else more plain,


That shall express my true loves fasting pain.


O, would the king, Biron, and Longaville,


Would from my forehead wipe a perjured note;


For none offend where all alike do dote.


[Advancing]  Dumain, thy love is far from charity.


You may look pale, but I should blush, I know,


[Advancing]  Come, sir, you blush; as his your case is such;


You chide at him, offending twice as much;


His loving bosom to keep down his heart.


I have been closely shrouded in this bush


And markd you both and for you both did blush:


I heard your guilty rhymes, observed your fashion,


Saw sighs reek from you, noted well your passion:


Ay me! says one; O Jove! the other cries;


One, her hairs were gold, crystal the others eyes:


You would for paradise break faith, and troth;


And Jove, for your love, would infringe an oath.


What will Biron say when that he shall hear


Faith so infringed, which such zeal did swear?


How will he scorn! how will he spend his wit!


How will he triumph, leap and laugh at it!


I would not have him know so much by me.


Ah, good my liege, I pray thee, pardon me!


Good heart, what grace hast thou, thus to reprove


These worms for loving, that art most in love?


Your eyes do make no coaches; in your tears


There is no certain princess that appears;


Youll not be perjured, tis a hateful thing;


Tush, none but minstrels like of sonneting!


But are you not ashamed? nay, are you not,


All three of you, to be thus much oershot?


You found his mote; the king your mote did see;


Of sighs, of groans, of sorrow and of teen!


O me, with what strict patience have I sat,


And Nestor play at push-pin with the boys,


Where lies thy grief, O, tell me, good Dumain?


And gentle Longaville, where lies thy pain?


And where my lieges? all about the breast:


When shall you see me write a thing in rhyme?


Or groan for love? or spend a minutes time


In pruning me? When shall you hear that I


Will praise a hand, a foot, a face, an eye,


A gait, a state, a brow, a breast, a waist,


I post from love: good lover, let me go.


The treason and you go in peace away together.


I beseech your grace, let this letter be read:


Our parson misdoubts it; twas treason, he said.


How now! what is in you? why dost thou tear it?


A toy, my liege, a toy: your grace needs not fear it.


It did move him to passion, and therefore lets hear it.


It is Birons writing, and here is his name.


[To COSTARD]  Ah, you whoreson loggerhead! you were


Guilty, my lord, guilty! I confess, I confess.


That you three fools lackd me fool to make up the mess:


He, he, and you, and you, my liege, and I,


Are pick-purses in love, and we deserve to die.


O, dismiss this audience, and I shall tell you more.


Walk aside the true folk, and let the traitors stay.


Sweet lords, sweet lovers, O, let us embrace!


As true we are as flesh and blood can be:


The sea will ebb and flow, heaven show his face;


Young blood doth not obey an old decree:


We cannot cross the cause why we were born;


Therefore of all hands must we be forsworn.


What, did these rent lines show some love of thine?


Did they, quoth you? Who sees the heavenly Rosaline,


That, like a rude and savage man of Inde,


At the first opening of the gorgeous east,


Bows not his vassal head and strucken blind


Kisses the base ground with obedient breast?


What zeal, what fury hath inspired thee now?


My love, her mistress, is a gracious moon;


She an attending star, scarce seen a light.


O, but for my love, day would turn to night!


Of all complexions the culld sovereignty


Do meet, as at a fair, in her fair cheek,


Where several worthies make one dignity,


Where nothing wants that want itself doth seek.


Lend me the flourish of all gentle tongues,--


Fie, painted rhetoric! O, she needs it not:


To things of sale a sellers praise belongs,


She passes praise; then praise too short doth blot.


A witherd hermit, five-score winters worn,


Might shake off fifty, looking in her eye:


Beauty doth varnish age, as if new-born,


And gives the crutch the cradles infancy:


O, tis the sun that maketh all things shine.


O, who can give an oath? where is a book?


That I may swear beauty doth beauty lack,


If that she learn not of her eye to look:


No face is fair that is not full so black.


The hue of dungeons and the suit of night;


And beautys crest becomes the heavens well.


Devils soonest tempt, resembling spirits of light.


It mourns that painting and usurping hair


Should ravish doters with a false aspect;


And therefore is she born to make black fair.


Her favour turns the fashion of the days,


For native blood is counted painting now;


And therefore red, that would avoid dispraise,


Paints itself black, to imitate her brow.


To look like her are chimney-sweepers black.


And since her time are colliers counted bright.


And Ethiopes of their sweet complexion crack.


Dark needs no candles now, for dark is light.


Your mistresses dare never come in rain,


For fear their colours should be washd away.


Twere good, yours did; for, sir, to tell you plain,


Ill find a fairer face not washd to-day.


Ill prove her fair, or talk till doomsday here.


No devil will fright thee then so much as she.


I never knew man hold vile stuff so dear.


Look, heres thy love: my foot and her face see.


O, if the streets were paved with thine eyes,


Her feet were much too dainty for such tread!


O, vile! then, as she goes, what upward lies


The street should see as she walkd overhead.


But what of this? are we not all in love?


Nothing so sure; and thereby all forsworn.


Then leave this chat; and, good Biron, now prove


Our loving lawful, and our faith not torn.


Ay, marry, there; some flattery for this evil.


Some tricks, some quillets, how to cheat the devil.


Have at you, then, affections men at arms.


Flat treason gainst the kingly state of youth.


Say, can you fast? your stomachs are too young;


And where that you have vowd to study, lords,


In that each of you have forsworn his book,


Can you still dream and pore and thereon look?


For when would you, my lord, or you, or you,


Have found the ground of studys excellence


From womens eyes this doctrine I derive;  They are the ground, the books, the academes From whence doth spring the true Promethean fire


You have in that forsworn the use of eyes


And where we are our learning likewise is:


Then when ourselves we see in ladies eyes,


Do we not likewise see our learning there?


And in that vow we have forsworn our books.


For when would you, my liege, or you, or you,


Such fiery numbers as the prompting eyes


Of beautys tutors have enrichd you with?


Other slow arts entirely keep the brain;


And therefore, finding barren practisers,


Scarce show a harvest of their heavy toil:


But love, first learned in a ladys eyes,


Courses as swift as thought in every power,


And gives to every power a double power,


Above their functions and their offices.


A lovers ear will hear the lowest sound,


When the suspicious head of theft is stoppd:


Than are the tender horns of cockld snails;


Loves tongue proves dainty Bacchus gross in taste:


As bright Apollos lute, strung with his hair:


And when Love speaks, the voice of all the gods


Until his ink were temperd with Loves sighs;


O, then his lines would ravish savage ears


From womens eyes this doctrine I derive:


They sparkle still the right Promethean fire;


They are the books, the arts, the academes,


That show, contain and nourish all the world:


Else none at all in ought proves excellent.


Then fools you were these women to forswear,


Or keeping what is sworn, you will prove fools.


For wisdoms sake, a word that all men love,


Or for loves sake, a word that loves all men,


Or for mens sake, the authors of these women,


Let us once lose our oaths to find ourselves,


Or else we lose ourselves to keep our oaths.


Saint Cupid, then! and, soldiers, to the field!


Advance your standards, and upon them, lords;


Pell-mell, down with them! but be first advised,


In conflict that you get the sun of them.


Now to plain-dealing; lay these glozes by:


Shall we resolve to woo these girls of France?


And win them too: therefore let us devise


Some entertainment for them in their tents.


First, from the park let us conduct them thither;


We will with some strange pastime solace them,


Such as the shortness of the time can shape;


For revels, dances, masks and merry hours


Forerun fair Love, strewing her way with flowers.


That will betime, and may by us be fitted.


Allons! allons! Sowd cockle reapd no corn;


And justice always whirls in equal measure:


Light wenches may prove plagues to men forsworn;


If so, our copper buys no better treasure.


Enter HOLOFERNES, SIR NATHANIEL, and DULL


I praise God for you, sir: your reasons at dinner


have been sharp and sententious; pleasant without


scurrility, witty without affection, audacious without


impudency, learned without opinion, and strange with-


out heresy. I did converse this quondam day with


a companion of the kings, who is intituled, nomi-


nated, or called, Don Adriano de Armado.


Novi hominem tanquam te: his humour is lofty, his


discourse peremptory, his tongue filed, his eye


ambitious, his gait majestical, and his general


behavior vain, ridiculous, and thrasonical. He is


too picked, too spruce, too affected, too odd, as it


were, too peregrinate, as I may call it.


He draweth out the thread of his verbosity finer


than the staple of his argument. I abhor such


fanatical phantasimes, such insociable and


point-devise companions; such rackers of


orthography, as to speak dout, fine, when he should


say doubt; det, when he should pronounce debt,--d,


e, b, t, not d, e, t: he clepeth a calf, cauf;


half, hauf; neighbour vocatur nebor; neigh


abbreviated ne. This is abhominable,--which he


would call abbominable: it insinuateth me of


insanie: anne intelligis, domine? to make frantic, lunatic.


Bon, bon, fort bon, Priscian! a little scratchd,


Enter DON ADRIANO DE ARMADO, MOTH, and COSTARD


[Aside to COSTARD]  They have been at a great feast


O, they have lived long on the alms-basket of words.


I marvel thy master hath not eaten thee for a word;


honorificabilitudinitatibus: thou art easier


[To HOLOFERNES]  Monsieur, are you not lettered?


Yes, yes; he teaches boys the hornbook. What is a,


b, spelt backward, with the horn on his head?


Ba, most silly sheep with a horn. You hear his learning.


The third of the five vowels, if you repeat them; or


The sheep: the other two concludes it,--o, u.


Now, by the salt wave of the Mediterraneum, a sweet


touch, a quick venue of wit! snip, snap, quick and


home! it rejoiceth my intellect: true wit!


Offered by a child to an old man; which is wit-old.


Thou disputest like an infant: go, whip thy gig.


Lend me your horn to make one, and I will whip about


your infamy circum circa,--a gig of a cuckolds horn.


An I had but one penny in the world, thou shouldst


have it to buy gingerbread: hold, there is the very


remuneration I had of thy master, thou halfpenny


purse of wit, thou pigeon-egg of discretion. O, an


the heavens were so pleased that thou wert but my


bastard, what a joyful father wouldst thou make me!


Go to; thou hast it ad dunghill, at the fingers


O, I smell false Latin; dunghill for unguem.


Arts-man, preambulate, we will be singled from the


barbarous. Do you not educate youth at the


charge-house on the top of the mountain?


At your sweet pleasure, for the mountain.


Sir, it is the kings most sweet pleasure and


affection to congratulate the princess at her


pavilion in the posteriors of this day, which the


The posterior of the day, most generous sir, is


liable, congruent and measurable for the afternoon:


the word is well culled, chose, sweet and apt, I do


Sir, the king is a noble gentleman, and my familiar,


I do assure ye, very good friend: for what is


inward between us, let it pass. I do beseech thee,


remember thy courtesy; I beseech thee, apparel thy


head: and among other important and most serious


designs, and of great import indeed, too, but let


that pass: for I must tell thee, it will please his


grace, by the world, sometime to lean upon my poor


shoulder, and with his royal finger, thus, dally


with my excrement, with my mustachio; but, sweet


heart, let that pass. By the world, I recount no


fable: some certain special honours it pleaseth his


greatness to impart to Armado, a soldier, a man of


travel, that hath seen the world; but let that pass.


The very all of all is,--but, sweet heart, I do


implore secrecy,--that the king would have me


present the princess, sweet chuck, with some


delightful ostentation, or show, or pageant, or


antique, or firework. Now, understanding that the


curate and your sweet self are good at such


eruptions and sudden breaking out of mirth, as it


were, I have acquainted you withal, to the end to


Sir, you shall present before her the Nine Worthies.


Sir, as concerning some entertainment of time, some


show in the posterior of this day, to be rendered by


our assistants, at the kings command, and this most


gallant, illustrate, and learned gentleman, before


the princess; I say none so fit as to present the


Where will you find men worthy enough to present them?


Joshua, yourself; myself and this gallant gentleman,


Judas Maccabaeus; this swain, because of his great


limb or joint, shall pass Pompey the Great; the


Pardon, sir; error: he is not quantity enough for


that Worthys thumb: he is not so big as the end of his club.


Shall I have audience? he shall present Hercules in


minority: his enter and exit shall be strangling a


snake; and I will have an apology for that purpose.


An excellent device! so, if any of the audience


hiss, you may cry Well done, Hercules! now thou


crushest the snake! that is the way to make an


offence gracious, though few have the grace to do it.


We will have, if this fadge not, an antique. I


Via, goodman Dull! thou hast spoken no word all this while.


Ill make one in a dance, or so; or I will play


On the tabour to the Worthies, and let them dance the hay.


Most dull, honest Dull! To our sport, away!


Enter the PRINCESS, KATHARINE, ROSALINE, and MARIA


Sweet hearts, we shall be rich ere we depart,


Look you what I have from the loving king.


Madame, came nothing else along with that?


Nothing but this! yes, as much love in rhyme


As would be crammd up in a sheet of paper,


Writ o both sides the leaf, margent and all,


That he was fain to seal on Cupids name.


That was the way to make his godhead wax,


For he hath been five thousand years a boy.


Youll neer be friends with him; a killd your sister.


And so she died: had she been light, like you,


Of such a merry, nimble, stirring spirit,


She might ha been a grandam ere she died:


And so may you; for a light heart lives long.


Whats your dark meaning, mouse, of this light word?


We need more light to find your meaning out.


Youll mar the light by taking it in snuff;


Look what you do, you do it still i the dark.


So do not you, for you are a light wench.


Indeed I weigh not you, and therefore light.


You weigh me not? O, thats you care not for me.


Great reason; for past cure is still past care.


Well bandied both; a set of wit well playd.


An if my face were but as fair as yours,


My favour were as great; be witness this.


The numbers true; and, were the numbering too,


I were the fairest goddess on the ground:


O, he hath drawn my picture in his letter!


Much in the letters; nothing in the praise.


Ware pencils, ho! let me not die your debtor,


O, that your face were not so full of Os!


A pox of that jest! and I beshrew all shrows.


But, Katharine, what was sent to you from fair Dumain?


Some thousand verses of a faithful lover,


This and these pearls to me sent Longaville:


I think no less. Dost thou not wish in heart


The chain were longer and the letter short?


Ay, or I would these hands might never part.


We are wise girls to mock our lovers so.


They are worse fools to purchase mocking so.


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 hests


And make him proud to make me proud that jests!


So perttaunt-like would I oersway his state


That he should be my fool and I his fate.


None are so surely caught, when they are catchd,


As wit turnd fool: folly, in wisdom hatchd,


Hath wisdoms warrant and the help of school


And wits own grace to grace a learned fool.


The blood of youth burns not with such excess


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


Here comes Boyet, and mirth is in his face.


O, I am stabbd with laughter! Wheres her grace?


Arm, wenches, arm! encounters mounted are


Against your peace: Love doth approach disguised,


Muster your wits; stand in your own defence;


Or hide your heads like cowards, and fly hence.


Saint Denis to Saint Cupid! What are they


That charge their breath against us? say, scout, say.


I thought to close mine eyes some half an hour;


When, lo! to interrupt my purposed rest,


Toward that shade I might behold addrest


That, by and by, disguised they will be here.


That well by heart hath connd his embassage:


Action and accent did they teach him there;


Thus must thou speak, and thus thy body bear:


For, quoth the king, an angel shalt thou see;


Yet fear not thou, but speak audaciously.


I should have feard her had she been a devil.


With that, all laughd and clappd him on the shoulder,


Making the bold wag by their praises bolder:


One rubbd his elbow thus, and fleerd and swore


Cried, Via! we will dot, come what will come;


The third he caperd, and cried, All goes well;


The fourth turnd on the toe, and down he fell.


With that, they all did tumble on the ground,


With such a zealous laughter, so profound,


To cheque their folly, passions solemn tears.


But what, but what, come they to visit us?


They do, they do: and are apparelld 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 theyll know


By favours several which they did bestow.


And will they so? the gallants shall be taskd;


For, ladies, we shall every one be maskd;


And not a man of them shall have the grace,


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,


And change your favours too; so shall your loves


Woo contrary, deceived by these removes.


Come on, then; wear the favours most in sight.


But in this changing what is your intent?


The effect of my intent is to cross theirs:


Their several counsels they unbosom shall


To loves mistook, and so be mockd withal


With visages displayed, to talk and greet.


No, to the death, we will not move a foot;


Nor to their pennd speech render we no grace,


But while tis spoke each turn away her face.


Why, that contempt will kill the speakers heart,


And quite divorce his memory from his part.


The rest will neer come in, if he be out


Theres no such sport as sport by sport oerthrown,


To make theirs ours and ours none but our own:


So shall we stay, mocking intended game,


And they, well mockd, depart away with shame.


The trumpet sounds: be maskd; the maskers come.


Enter Blackamoors with music; MOTH; FERDINAND,  BIRON, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAIN, in Russian habits, and masked


All hail, the richest beauties on the earth!--


That ever turnd their--backs--to mortal views!


[Aside to MOTH]  Their eyes, villain, their eyes!


That ever turnd their eyes to mortal views!--Out--


Out of your favours, heavenly spirits, vouchsafe


Once to behold with your sun-beamed eyes,


You were best call it daughter-beamed eyes.


They do not mark me, and that brings me out.


Is this your perfectness? be gone, you rogue!


What would these strangers? know their minds, Boyet:


If they do speak our language, tis our will:


That some plain man recount their purposes


Nothing but peace and gentle visitation.


Why, that they have; and bid them so be gone.


She says, you have it, and you may be gone.


To tread a measure with her on this grass.


They say, that they have measured many a mile


To tread a measure with you on this grass.


Is in one mile: if they have measured many,


If to come hither you have measured miles,


And many miles, the princess bids you tell


Tell her, we measure them by weary steps.


We number nothing that we spend for you:


That we may do it still without accompt.


Vouchsafe to show the sunshine of your face,


Blessed are clouds, to do as such clouds do!


Vouchsafe, bright moon, and these thy stars, to shine,


Those clouds removed, upon our watery eyne.


O vain petitioner! beg a greater matter;


Thou now requestst but moonshine in the water.


Then, in our measure do but vouchsafe one change.


Thou bidst me beg: this begging is not strange.


Play, music, then! Nay, you must do it soon.


Not yet! no dance! Thus change I like the moon.


Will you not dance? How come you thus estranged?


You took the moon at full, but now shes changed.


Yet still she is the moon, and I the man.


The music plays; vouchsafe some motion to it.


Since you are strangers and come here by chance,


Well not be nice: take hands. We will not dance.


Curtsy, sweet hearts; and so the measure ends.


More measure of this measure; be not nice.


Prize you yourselves: what buys your company?


Then cannot we be bought: and so, adieu;


Twice to your visor, and half once to you.


If you deny to dance, lets hold more chat.


White-handed mistress, one sweet word with thee.


Honey, and milk, and sugar; there is three.


Nay then, two treys, and if you grow so nice,


Metheglin, wort, and malmsey: well run, dice!


Since you can cog, Ill play no more with you.


Will you vouchsafe with me to change a word?


What, was your vizard made without a tongue?


O for your reason! quickly, sir; I long.


You have a double tongue within your mask,


And would afford my speechless vizard half.


Veal, quoth the Dutchman. Is not veal a calf?


Take all, and wean it; it may prove an ox.


Look, how you butt yourself in these sharp mocks!


Will you give horns, chaste lady? do not so.


Then die a calf, before your horns do grow.


One word in private with you, ere I die.


Bleat softly then; the butcher hears you cry.


The tongues of mocking wenches are as keen


Cutting a smaller hair than may be seen,


Seemeth their conference; their conceits have wings


Fleeter than arrows, bullets, wind, thought, swifter things.


Not one word more, my maids; break off, break off.


By heaven, all dry-beaten with pure scoff!


Farewell, mad wenches; you have simple wits.


Exeunt FERDINAND, Lords, and Blackamoors


Are these the breed of wits so wonderd at?


Tapers they are, with your sweet breaths puffd out.


Well-liking wits they have; gross, gross; fat, fat.


Will they not, think you, hang themselves tonight?


Or ever, but in vizards, show their faces?


This pert Biron was out of countenance quite.


The king was weeping-ripe for a good word.


Biron did swear himself out of all suit.


Dumain was at my service, and his sword:


No point, quoth I; my servant straight was mute.


Lord Longaville said, I came oer his heart;


Well, better wits have worn plain statute-caps.


But will you hear? the king is my love sworn.


And quick Biron hath plighted faith to me.


Dumain is mine, as sure as bark on tree.


In their own shapes; for it can never be


And leap for joy, though they are lame with blows:


Therefore change favours; and, when they repair,


Blow like sweet roses in this summer air.


How blow? how blow? speak to be understood.


Fair ladies maskd are roses in their bud;


Dismaskd, their damask sweet commixture shown,


Are angels vailing clouds, or roses blown.


If they return in their own shapes to woo?


Lets, mock them still, as well known as disguised:


Let us complain to them what fools were here,


Disguised like Muscovites, in shapeless gear;


And wonder what they were and to what end


Their shallow shows and prologue vilely pennd


Ladies, withdraw: the gallants are at hand.


Whip to our tents, as roes run oer land.


Exeunt PRINCESS, ROSALINE, KATHARINE, and MARIA


Re-enter FERDINAND, BIRON, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAIN, in their proper habits


Fair sir, God save you! Wheres the princess?


Gone to her tent. Please it your majesty


That she vouchsafe me audience for one word.


I will; and so will she, I know, my lord.


This fellow pecks up wit as pigeons pease,


And utters it again when God doth please:


He is wits pedler, and retails his wares


At wakes and wassails, meetings, markets, fairs;


And we that sell by gross, the Lord doth know,


Have not the grace to grace it with such show.


This gallant pins the wenches on his sleeve;


A can carve too, and lisp: why, this is he


This is the ape of form, monsieur the nice,


That, when he plays at tables, chides the dice


Mend him who can: the ladies call him sweet;


The stairs, as he treads on them, kiss his feet:


This is the flower that smiles on every one,


To show his teeth as white as whales bone;


And consciences, that will not die in debt,


A blister on his sweet tongue, with my heart,


See where it comes! Behavior, what wert thou


Till this madman showd thee? and what art thou now?


Re-enter the PRINCESS, ushered by BOYET, ROSALINE, MARIA, and KATHARINE


All hail, sweet madam, and fair time of day!


Fair in all hail is foul, as I conceive.


Construe my speeches better, if you may.


Then wish me better; I will give you leave.


To lead you to our court; vouchsafe it then.


This field shall hold me; and so hold your vow:


Nor God, nor I, delights in perjured men.


Rebuke me not for that which you provoke:


The virtue of your eye must break my oath.


You nickname virtue; vice you should have spoke;


For virtues office never breaks mens troth.


A world of torments though I should endure,


I would not yield to be your houses guest;


We have had pastimes here and pleasant game:


Trim gallants, full of courtship and of state.


Madam, speak true. It is not so, my lord:


We four indeed confronted were with four


In Russian habit: here they stayd an hour,


And talkd apace; and in that hour, my lord,


They did not bless us with one happy word.


I dare not call them fools; but this I think,


When they are thirsty, fools would fain have drink.


This jest is dry to me. Fair gentle sweet,


Your wit makes wise things foolish: when we greet,


With eyes best seeing, heavens fiery eye,


Is of that nature that to your huge store


Wise things seem foolish and rich things but poor.


This proves you wise and rich, for in my eye,--


But that you take what doth to you belong,


It were a fault to snatch words from my tongue.


Which of the vizards was it that you wore?


Where? when? what vizard? why demand you this?


There, then, that vizard; that superfluous case


That hid the worse and showd the better face.


We are descried; theyll mock us now downright.


Amazed, my lord? why looks your highness sad?


Help, hold his brows! hell swoon! Why look you pale?


Thus pour the stars down plagues for perjury.


Bruise me with scorn, confound me with a flout;


Thrust thy sharp wit quite through my ignorance;


And I will wish thee never more to dance,


O, never will I trust to speeches pennd,


Nor to the motion of a schoolboys tongue,


Nor woo in rhyme, like a blind harpers song!


Three-piled hyperboles, spruce affectation,


Have blown me full of maggot ostentation:


By this white glove;--how white the hand, God knows!--


Henceforth my wooing mind shall be expressd


And, to begin, wench,--so God help me, la!--


My love to thee is sound, sans crack or flaw.


Of the old rage: bear with me, I am sick;


Ill leave it by degrees. Soft, let us see:


Write, Lord have mercy on us on those three;


They are infected; in their hearts it lies;


They have the plague, and caught it of your eyes;


These lords are visited; you are not free,


No, they are free that gave these tokens to us.


Our states are forfeit: seek not to undo us.


That you stand forfeit, being those that sue?


Peace! for I will not have to do with you.


Speak for yourselves; my wit is at an end.


Teach us, sweet madam, for our rude transgression


Were not you here but even now disguised?


That more than all the world I did respect her.


When she shall challenge this, you will reject her.


Your oath once broke, you force not to forswear.


Despise me, when I break this oath of mine.


I will: and therefore keep it. Rosaline,


What did the Russian whisper in your ear?


Madam, he swore that he did hold me dear


Above this world; adding thereto moreover


That he would wed me, or else die my lover.


God give thee joy of him! the noble lord


What mean you, madam? by my life, my troth,


By heaven, you did; and to confirm it plain,


You gave me this: but take it, sir, again.


My faith and this the princess I did give:


Pardon me, sir, this jewel did she wear;


And Lord Biron, I thank him, is my dear.


What, will you have me, or your pearl again?


I see the trick ont: here was a consent,


Some carry-tale, some please-man, some slight zany,


Some mumble-news, some trencher-knight, some Dick,


That smiles his cheek in years and knows the trick


To make my lady laugh when shes disposed,


Told our intents before; which once disclosed,


The ladies did change favours: and then we,


Following the signs, wood but the sign of she.


We are again forsworn, in will and error.


Forestall our sport, to make us thus untrue?


Do not you know my ladys foot by the squier,


And stand between her back, sir, and the fire,


You put our page out: go, you are allowd;


Die when you will, a smock shall be your shroud.


Hath this brave manage, this career, been run.


Lo, he is tilting straight! Peace! I have done.


Welcome, pure wit! thou partest a fair fray.


Whether the three Worthies shall come in or no.


Not so, sir; under correction, sir; I hope it is not so.


You cannot beg us, sir, I can assure you, sir we know


Under correction, sir, we know whereuntil it doth amount.


By Jove, I always took three threes for nine.


O Lord, sir, it were pity you should get your living


O Lord, sir, the parties themselves, the actors,


sir, will show whereuntil it doth amount: for mine


own part, I am, as they say, but to parfect one man


in one poor man, Pompion the Great, sir.


It pleased them to think me worthy of Pompion the


Great: for mine own part, I know not the degree of


We will turn it finely off, sir; we will take


Biron, they will shame us: let them not approach.


We are shame-proof, my lord: and tis some policy


To have one show worse than the kings and his company.


Nay, my good lord, let me oerrule you now:


That sport best pleases that doth least know how:


Where zeal strives to content, and the contents


Dies in the zeal of that which it presents:


Their form confounded makes most form in mirth,


When great things labouring perish in their birth.


A right description of our sport, my lord.


Anointed, I implore so much expense of thy royal


sweet breath as will utter a brace of words.


Converses apart with FERDINAND, and delivers him a paper


He speaks not like a man of Gods making.


That is all one, my fair, sweet, honey monarch; for,


I protest, the schoolmaster is exceeding


fantastical; too, too vain, too too vain: but we


will put it, as they say, to fortuna de la guerra.


I wish you the peace of mind, most royal couplement!


Here is like to be a good presence of Worthies. He


presents Hector of Troy; the swain, Pompey the


Great; the parish curate, Alexander; Armados page,


Hercules; the pedant, Judas Maccabaeus: And if


these four Worthies in their first show thrive,


These four will change habits, and present the other five.


The pedant, the braggart, the hedge-priest, the fool


Abate throw at novum, and the whole world again


Cannot pick out five such, take each one in his vein.


The ship is under sail, and here she comes amain.


Well said, old mocker: I must needs be friends


That oft in field, with targe and shield, did make


And travelling along this coast, I here am come by chance,


And lay my arms before the legs of this sweet lass of France,


If your ladyship would say, Thanks, Pompey, I had done.


Tis not so much worth; but I hope I was perfect: I


My hat to a halfpenny, Pompey proves the best Worthy.


When in the world I lived, I was the worlds


By east, west, north, and south, I spread my


My scutcheon plain declares that I am Alisander,--


Your nose says, no, you are not for it stands too right.


Your nose smells no in this, most tender-smelling knight.


The conqueror is dismayd. Proceed, good Alexander.


Most true, tis right; you were so, Alisander.


Take away the conqueror, take away Alisander.


[To SIR NATHANIEL]  O, sir, you have overthrown


Alisander the conqueror! You will be scraped out of


the painted cloth for this: your lion, that holds


his poll-axe sitting on a close-stool, will be given


to Ajax: he will be the ninth Worthy. A conqueror,


and afeard to speak! run away for shame, Alisander.


There, ant shall please you; a foolish mild man; an


honest man, look you, and soon dashed. He is a


marvellous good neighbour, faith, and a very good


bowler: but, for Alisander,--alas, you see how


tis,--a little oerparted. But there are Worthies


a-coming will speak their mind in some other sort.


Enter HOLOFERNES, for Judas; and MOTH, for Hercules


Great Hercules is presented by this imp,


Whose club killd Cerberus, that three-headed canis;


And when he was a babe, a child, a shrimp,


Thus did he strangle serpents in his manus.


Keep some state in thy exit, and vanish.


A kissing traitor. How art thou proved Judas?


Well followed: Judas was hanged on an elder.


The face of an old Roman coin, scarce seen.


Ay, and worn in the cap of a tooth-drawer.


And now forward; for we have put thee in countenance.


And so adieu, sweet Jude! nay, why dost thou stay?


For the ass to the Jude; give it him:--Jud-as, away!


This is not generous, not gentle, not humble.


A light for Monsieur Judas! it grows dark, he may stumble.


Alas, poor Maccabaeus, how hath he been baited!


Hide thy head, Achilles: here comes Hector in arms.


Though my mocks come home by me, I will now be merry.


Hector was but a Troyan in respect of this.


I think Hector was not so clean-timbered.


Hes a god or a painter; for he makes faces.


The armipotent Mars, of lances the almighty,


The armipotent Mars, of lances the almighty


A man so breathed, that certain he would fight; yea


From morn till night, out of his pavilion.


I must rather give it the rein, for it runs against Hector.


The sweet war-man is dead and rotten; sweet chucks,


beat not the bones of the buried: when he breathed,


he was a man. But I will forward with my device.


Sweet royalty, bestow on me the sense of hearing.


Speak, brave Hector: we are much delighted.


[Aside to DUMAIN]  Loves her by the foot,--


[Aside to BOYET]  He may not by the yard.


The party is gone, fellow Hector, she is gone; she


Faith, unless you play the honest Troyan, the poor


wench is cast away: shes quick; the child brags in


Dost thou infamonize me among potentates? thou shalt


Then shall Hector be whipped for Jaquenetta that is


quick by him and hanged for Pompey that is dead by


Greater than great, great, great, great Pompey!


Pompey is moved. More Ates, more Ates! stir them


Ay, if a have no mans blood ins belly than will


I will not fight with a pole, like a northern man:


Ill slash; Ill do it by the sword. I bepray you,


Master, let me take you a buttonhole lower. Do you


not see Pompey is uncasing for the combat? What mean


Gentlemen and soldiers, pardon me; I will not combat


You may not deny it: Pompey hath made the challenge.


The naked truth of it is, I have no shirt; I go


True, and it was enjoined him in Rome for want of


linen: since when, Ill be sworn, he wore none but


a dishclout of Jaquenettas, and that a wears next


But that thou interruptst our merriment.


Is heavy in my tongue. The king your father--


Worthies, away! the scene begins to cloud.


For mine own part, I breathe free breath. I have


seen the day of wrong through the little hole of


discretion, and I will right myself like a soldier.


Prepare, I say. I thank you, gracious lords,


For all your fair endeavors; and entreat,


Out of a new-sad soul, that you vouchsafe


In the converse of breath: your gentleness


A heavy heart bears not a nimble tongue:


Excuse me so, coming too short of thanks


The extreme parts of time extremely forms


That which long process could not arbitrate:


The holy suit which fain it would convince,


Yet, since loves argument was first on foot,


From what it purposed; since, to wail friends lost


As to rejoice at friends but newly found.


I understand you not: my griefs are double.


Honest plain words best pierce the ear of grief;


And by these badges understand the king.


For your fair sakes have we neglected time,


Playd foul play with our oaths: your beauty, ladies,


Hath much deformd us, fashioning our humours


All wanton as a child, skipping and vain,


Formd by the eye and therefore, like the eye,


Full of strange shapes, of habits and of forms,


Varying in subjects as the eye doth roll


Which parti-coated presence of loose love


Put on by us, if, in your heavenly eyes,


Have misbecomed our oaths and gravities,


Those heavenly eyes, that look into these faults,


Suggested us to make. Therefore, ladies,


Our love being yours, the error that love makes


Is likewise yours: we to ourselves prove false,


To those that make us both,--fair ladies, you:


And even that falsehood, in itself a sin,


Thus purifies itself and turns to grace.


We have received your letters full of love;


At courtship, pleasant jest and courtesy,


But more devout than this in our respects


Have we not been; and therefore met your loves


Our letters, madam, showd much more than jest.


No, no, my lord, your grace is perjured much,


Full of dear guiltiness; and therefore this:


If for my love, as there is no such cause,


You will do aught, this shall you do for me:


Your oath I will not trust; but go with speed


Remote from all the pleasures of the world;


There stay until the twelve celestial signs


Have brought about the annual reckoning.


Change not your offer made in heat of blood;


If frosts and fasts, hard lodging and thin weeds


Nip not the gaudy blossoms of your love,


But that it bear this trial and last love;


Come challenge me, challenge me by these deserts,


And, by this virgin palm now kissing thine


I will be thine; and till that instant shut


For the remembrance of my fathers death.


If this thou do deny, let our hands part,


If this, or more than this, I would deny,


To flatter up these powers of mine with rest,


The sudden hand of death close up mine eye!


Hence ever then my heart is in thy breast.


But what to me, my love? but what to me? A wife?


With three-fold love I wish you all these three.


O, shall I say, I thank you, gentle wife?


Not so, my lord; a twelvemonth and a day


Ill mark no words that smooth-faced wooers say:


Come when the king doth to my lady come;


Then, if I have much love, Ill give you some.


Ill serve thee true and faithfully till then.


Yet swear not, lest ye be forsworn again.


Ill change my black gown for a faithful friend.


Ill stay with patience; but the time is long.


Behold the window of my heart, mine eye,


What humble suit attends thy answer there:


Before I saw you; and the worlds large tongue


Proclaims you for a man replete with mocks,


Full of comparisons and wounding flouts,


To weed this wormwood from your fruitful brain,


And therewithal to win me, if you please,


You shall this twelvemonth term from day to day


Visit the speechless sick and still converse


With groaning wretches; and your task shall be,


With all the fierce endeavor of your wit


To enforce the pained impotent to smile.


To move wild laughter in the throat of death?


Why, thats the way to choke a gibing spirit,


Whose influence is begot of that loose grace


Which shallow laughing hearers give to fools:


Of him that hears it, never in the tongue


Of him that makes it: then, if sickly ears,


Deafd with the clamours of their own dear groans,


Will hear your idle scorns, continue then,


And I will have you and that fault withal;


But if they will not, throw away that spirit,


And I shall find you empty of that fault,


A twelvemonth! well; befall what will befall,


[To FERDINAND]  Ay, sweet my lord; and so I take my leave.


No, madam; we will bring you on your way.


Our wooing doth not end like an old play;


Jack hath not Jill: these ladies courtesy


Might well have made our sport a comedy.


Come, sir, it wants a twelvemonth and a day,


I will kiss thy royal finger, and take leave. I am


a votary; I have vowed to Jaquenetta to hold the


plough for her sweet love three years. But, most


esteemed greatness, will you hear the dialogue that


the two learned men have compiled in praise of the


owl and the cuckoo? It should have followed in the


Re-enter HOLOFERNES, SIR NATHANIEL, MOTH, COSTARD, and others


This side is Hiems, Winter, this Ver, the Spring;


the one maintained by the owl, the other by the


Mocks married men; for thus sings he, Cuckoo;


When turtles tread, and rooks, and daws,


Then nightly sings the staring owl, Tu-whit;


The words of Mercury are harsh after the songs of


Thunder and lightning. Enter three Witches


Alarum within. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, LENNOX, with Attendants, meeting a bleeding Sergeant


Who like a good and hardy soldier fought


Gainst my captivity. Hail, brave friend!


Say to the king the knowledge of the broil


As two spent swimmers, that do cling together


And choke their art. The merciless Macdonwald--


Do swarm upon him--from the western isles


And fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling,


Showd like a rebels whore: but alls too weak:


For brave Macbeth--well he deserves that name--


Disdaining fortune, with his brandishd steel,


Like valours minion carved out his passage


Which neer shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,


Till he unseamd him from the nave to the chaps,


Shipwrecking storms and direful thunders break,


So from that spring whence comfort seemd to come


Discomfort swells. Mark, king of Scotland, mark:


Compelld these skipping kerns to trust their heels,


But the Norweyan lord surveying vantage,


With furbishd arms and new supplies of men


As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion.


As cannons overcharged with double cracks, so they


Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds,


So well thy words become thee as thy wounds;


They smack of honour both. Go get him surgeons.


What a haste looks through his eyes! So should he look


Where the Norweyan banners flout the sky


And fan our people cold. Norway himself,


The thane of Cawdor, began a dismal conflict;


Till that Bellonas bridegroom, lappd in proof,


Point against point rebellious, arm gainst arm.


Curbing his lavish spirit: and, to conclude,


Sweno, the Norways king, craves composition:


Nor would we deign him burial of his men


Ten thousand dollars to our general use.


No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive


Our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death,


And with his former title greet Macbeth.


What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won.


A sailors wife had chestnuts in her lap,


Aroint thee, witch! the rump-fed ronyon cries.


Her husbands to Aleppo gone, master o the Tiger:


How far ist calld to Forres? What are these


That look not like the inhabitants o the earth,


And yet are ont? Live you? or are you aught


That man may question? You seem to understand me,


By each at once her chappy finger laying


Upon her skinny lips: you should be women,


And yet your beards forbid me to interpret


All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis!


All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!


All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!


Good sir, why do you start; and seem to fear


Things that do sound so fair? I the name of truth,


Which outwardly ye show? My noble partner


You greet with present grace and great prediction


That he seems rapt withal: to me you speak not.


And say which grain will grow and which will not,


Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear


Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none:


Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more:


By Sinels death I know I am thane of Glamis;


But how of Cawdor? the thane of Cawdor lives,


Stands not within the prospect of belief,


No more than to be Cawdor. Say from whence


You owe this strange intelligence? or why


Upon this blasted heath you stop our way


With such prophetic greeting? Speak, I charge you.


The earth hath bubbles, as the water has,


And these are of them. Whither are they vanishd?


Into the air; and what seemd corporal melted


As breath into the wind. Would they had stayd!


Were such things here as we do speak about?


And thane of Cawdor too: went it not so?


To the selfsame tune and words. Whos here?


The king hath happily received, Macbeth,


The news of thy success; and when he reads


Thy personal venture in the rebels fight,


Which should be thine or his: silenced with that,


In viewing oer the rest o the selfsame day,


He finds thee in the stout Norweyan ranks,


Nothing afeard of what thyself didst make,


Strange images of death. As thick as hail


Came post with post; and every one did bear


Thy praises in his kingdoms great defence,


To give thee from our royal master thanks;


And, for an earnest of a greater honour,


He bade me, from him, call thee thane of Cawdor:


In which addition, hail, most worthy thane!


The thane of Cawdor lives: why do you dress me


But under heavy judgment bears that life


Which he deserves to lose. Whether he was combined


With those of Norway, or did line the rebel


With hidden help and vantage, or that with both


He labourd in his countrys wreck, I know not;


But treasons capital, confessd and proved,


Do you not hope your children shall be kings,


When those that gave the thane of Cawdor to me


Besides the thane of Cawdor. But tis strange:


The instruments of darkness tell us truths,


Of the imperial theme.--I thank you, gentlemen.


Why hath it given me earnest of success,


Commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor:


If good, why do I yield to that suggestion


And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,


Against the use of nature? Present fears


My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,


Shakes so my single state of man that function


[Aside]  If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me,


Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mould


[Aside]                Come what come may,


Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.


Worthy Macbeth, we stay upon your leisure.


Give me your favour: my dull brain was wrought


With things forgotten. Kind gentlemen, your pains


The leaf to read them. Let us toward the king.


Think upon what hath chanced, and, at more time,


The interim having weighd it, let us speak


Flourish. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, LENNOX, and Attendants


They are not yet come back. But I have spoke


With one that saw him die: who did report


That very frankly he confessd his treasons,


Implored your highness pardon and set forth


As one that had been studied in his death


To throw away the dearest thing he owed,


To find the minds construction in the face:


That swiftest wing of recompense is slow


To overtake thee. Would thou hadst less deserved,


That the proportion both of thanks and payment


Might have been mine! only I have left to say,


More is thy due than more than all can pay.


In doing it, pays itself. Your highness part


Is to receive our duties; and our duties


Are to your throne and state children and servants,


Which do but what they should, by doing every thing


I have begun to plant thee, and will labour


To make thee full of growing. Noble Banquo,


That hast no less deserved, nor must be known


No less to have done so, let me enfold thee


Wanton in fulness, seek to hide themselves


In drops of sorrow. Sons, kinsmen, thanes,


And you whose places are the nearest, know


Our eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter


The Prince of Cumberland; which honour must


But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine


On all deservers. From hence to Inverness,


The rest is labour, which is not used for you:


Ill be myself the harbinger and make joyful


The hearing of my wife with your approach;


[Aside]  The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step


On which I must fall down, or else oerleap,


For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;


Let not light see my black and deep desires:


The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be,


Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.


True, worthy Banquo; he is full so valiant,


Whose care is gone before to bid us welcome:


They met me in the day of success: and I have


learned by the perfectest report, they have more in


them than mortal knowledge. When I burned in desire


to question them further, they made themselves air,


into which they vanished. Whiles I stood rapt in


the wonder of it, came missives from the king, who


all-hailed me Thane of Cawdor; by which title,


before, these weird sisters saluted me, and referred


me to the coming on of time, with Hail, king that


shalt be! This have I thought good to deliver


thee, my dearest partner of greatness, that thou


mightst not lose the dues of rejoicing, by being


ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. Lay it


Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be


What thou art promised: yet do I fear thy nature;


It is too full o the milk of human kindness


To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great;


The illness should attend it: what thou wouldst highly,


That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false,


And yet wouldst wrongly win: thouldst have, great Glamis,


That which cries Thus thou must do, if thou have it;


And that which rather thou dost fear to do


Than wishest should be undone. Hie thee hither,


That I may pour my spirits in thine ear;


And chastise with the valour of my tongue


All that impedes thee from the golden round,


Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem


Is not thy master with him? who, weret so,


So please you, it is true: our thane is coming:


Who, almost dead for breath, had scarcely more


That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan


That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,


And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full


Stop up the access and passage to remorse,


That no compunctious visitings of nature


Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between


The effect and it! Come to my womans breasts,


And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers,


You wait on natures mischief! Come, thick night,


And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,


That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,


Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,


Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter!


Your face, my thane, is as a book where men


May read strange matters. To beguile the time,


Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye,


Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower,


But be the serpent undert. He thats coming


This nights great business into my dispatch;


Which shall to all our nights and days to come


Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom.


Hautboys and torches. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM,  DONALBAIN, BANQUO, LENNOX, MACDUFF, ROSS, ANGUS, and Attendants


This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air


The temple-haunting martlet, does approve,


By his loved mansionry, that the heavens breath


Buttress, nor coign of vantage, but this bird


Hath made his pendent bed and procreant cradle:


Where they most breed and haunt, I have observed,


The love that follows us sometime is our trouble,


Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you


How you shall bid God ild us for your pains,


In every point twice done and then done double


Were poor and single business to contend


Against those honours deep and broad wherewith


Your majesty loads our house: for those of old,


And the late dignities heapd up to them,


We coursed him at the heels, and had a purpose


And his great love, sharp as his spur, hath holp him


To his home before us. Fair and noble hostess,


Have theirs, themselves and what is theirs, in compt,


To make their audit at your highness pleasure,


Conduct me to mine host: we love him highly,


And shall continue our graces towards him.


Hautboys and torches. Enter a Sewer, and divers  Servants with dishes and service, and pass over the stage. Then enter MACBETH


If it were done when tis done, then twere well


It were done quickly: if the assassination


Could trammel up the consequence, and catch


With his surcease success; that but this blow


Might be the be-all and the end-all here,


But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,


Weld jump the life to come. But in these cases


We still have judgment here; that we but teach


Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return


To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice


Commends the ingredients of our poisond chalice


To our own lips. Hes here in double trust;


First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,


Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,


Who should against his murderer shut the door,


Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan


Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been


So clear in his great office, that his virtues


Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against


Striding the blast, or heavens cherubim, horsed


Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,


That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur


To prick the sides of my intent, but only


Vaulting ambition, which oerleaps itself


He has almost suppd: why have you left the chamber?


We will proceed no further in this business:


He hath honourd me of late; and I have bought


Golden opinions from all sorts of people,


Which would be worn now in their newest gloss,


Wherein you dressd yourself? hath it slept since?


And wakes it now, to look so green and pale


At what it did so freely? From this time


Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard


To be the same in thine own act and valour


As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that


Which thou esteemst the ornament of life,


That made you break this enterprise to me?


When you durst do it, then you were a man;


And, to be more than what you were, you would


Be so much more the man. Nor time nor place


Did then adhere, and yet you would make both:


They have made themselves, and that their fitness now


Does unmake you. I have given suck, and know


How tender tis to love the babe that milks me:


I would, while it was smiling in my face,


Have pluckd my nipple from his boneless gums,


And dashd the brains out, had I so sworn as you


But screw your courage to the sticking-place,


And well not fail. When Duncan is asleep--


Whereto the rather shall his days hard journey


Soundly invite him--his two chamberlains


Will I with wine and wassail so convince


Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason


Their drenched natures lie as in a death,


His spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt


Nothing but males. Will it not be received,


When we have markd with blood those sleepy two


Of his own chamber and used their very daggers,


As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar


Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.


Away, and mock the time with fairest show:


False face must hide what the false heart doth know.


Enter BANQUO, and FLEANCE bearing a torch before him


The moon is down; I have not heard the clock.


Hold, take my sword. Theres husbandry in heaven;


Their candles are all out. Take thee that too.


And yet I would not sleep: merciful powers,


Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature


Enter MACBETH, and a Servant with a torch


What, sir, not yet at rest? The kings a-bed:


Sent forth great largess to your offices.


This diamond he greets your wife withal,


By the name of most kind hostess; and shut up


I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters:


Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve,


We would spend it in some words upon that business,


If you shall cleave to my consent, when tis,


In seeking to augment it, but still keep


My bosom franchised and allegiance clear,


Go bid thy mistress, when my drink is ready,


She strike upon the bell. Get thee to bed.


The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.


I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.


Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?


Thou marshallst me the way that I was going;


Mine eyes are made the fools o the other senses,


Or else worth all the rest; I see thee still,


And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood,


Which was not so before. Theres no such thing:


Thus to mine eyes. Now oer the one halfworld


Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse


The curtaind sleep; witchcraft celebrates


Pale Hecates offerings, and witherd murder,


Whose howls his watch, thus with his stealthy pace.


With Tarquins ravishing strides, towards his design