Hol. Dictynna, good man Dull; Dictynna, good man Dull. Dull. What is Dictynna? Nath. A title to Phoebe, to Luna, to the moon. Hol. The moon was a month old, when Adam was no more;. And raught not to five weeks, when he came to fivescore. The allusion holds in the exchange. Dull. 'Tis true indeed; the collusion holds in the exchange. Holl. God comfort thy capacity! I say, the alusion holds in the exchange. Dull. 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 kill'd. Hol. Sir Nathaniel, will you hear an extemporal epitaph on the death of the deer? and, to humour the ignorant, I have called the deer the Princess kill'd, a pricket. Nath. Perge, good Master Holofernes, perge; so it shall please you to abrogate scurrility. Hol. I will something affect the letter; for it argues facility. The praiseful Princess pierc'd and prick'd a pretty pleasing pricket; Some say, a sore; but not a sore, till now The dogs did yell; Or pricket, sore, If sore be sore, made sore with shooting. or else sorel; the people fall a hooting. then L to sore makes fifty sores; O sore L! Of one sore I an hundred make, by adding Nath. A rare talent! but one more L. Dull. If a talent be a claw, look how he claws him with a talent. Hol. 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 deliver'd upon the mellowing of occasion: But the gift is good in those in whom it is acute, and 1 am thankful for it. Nath. Sir, I praise the Lord for you; and so may my parishioners; for their sons are well tutor'd by you, and their daughters profit very greatly under you: the commonwealth. you are a good member of Hol. Mehercle, if their sons be ingenions, they shall want no instruction: if their daughters be capable, I will put it to them: But, vir sapit, qui pauca loquitur: a soul feminine saluteth us. Enter JAQUENETTA, and COSTARD. Jaq. God give you good morrow, master person. Hol. Master person, quasi pers-on. And if one should be pierced, which is the one? Cost. Marry, master schoolmaster, he that is likest to a hogshead. Hol. Of piercing a hogshead! a good lustre of conceit in a turf of earth; fire enough for a flint, pearl enough for a swine: 'tis pretty; it is well. Jaq. Good master parson, be so good as read me this letter; it was given me by Costard, and` sent me from Don Armatho: I beseech you, read it. Hol. Fauste, precor gelida quando pecus omne sum umbrá Ruminat, and so forth. Ah, good old Man tuan! I may speak of thee as the traveller doth of Venice, Vinegia, Vinegia, Chi non te vede, ei non te pregia. 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? Nath. Ay, Sir, and very learned. Hol. Let me hear a staff, a stanza, a verse; Lege, domine. Nath. If love make me forsworn, how shall I swear to love? Ah, never faith could hold, if not to beauty vowed! Though to myself forsworn, to thee I'll faithful prove; Those thoughts to me were oaks, to thee like Study his bias leaves, osiers bowed. and makes his book thine eyes; Where all those pleasures live, that art would (Which is to me some praise, that I thy parts admire ;) Thy eye Jove's lightning bears, thy voice his dreadful thunder, Which, not to anger bent, is musick, and sweet fire. Celestial, as thou art, oh pardon, love, this wrong, That sings heaven's praise with such an earthly tongue! Hol. You' find not the apostrophes, and so miss the accent: let me supervize 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 odoriferous Rowers of fancy, the jerks of invention? Imitari, iš nothing so doth the hound his master, the ape his keeper, the tired horse his rider. But, damosella virgin, was this directed to you? Jaq. Ay, Sir, from one Monsieur Biron, one of the strange Queen's lords. Hol. 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 Ladyship's 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 Queen's, which, accidentally, or by the way of progression, hath miscarried Trip and go, my sweet; deliver this paper into the royal hand of the King; it may concern much: Stay not thy compliment; I forgive thy duty; adieu. Jaq. Good Costard, go with me. save your life! Cost. Have with thee, my girl. Sir, God Exeunt COST. and Ìsq. Nath. Sir, you have done this in the fear of God, very religiously; and, as a certain father saith Hol. Sir, tell not me of the father, I do fear colourable colours. But, to return to the verses; Did they please you, Sir Nathaniel? Nath. Marvellous well for the pen. Hol: I do dine today at the father's 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 beseech your society. Nath. And thank you too: for society, (saith the text,) is the happiness of life. Hol. And, certes, the text most infallibly concludes it Sir, [To Dull.] I do invite you too; you shall not say me, nay: `pauca verba. Away; the gentles are at their game, and we will to our recreation. [Exeunt. SCENE III. Another part of the same. Enter, BIRON, with a paper. Biron. The King he is hunting the deer; I am coursing myself; they have pitch'd a toil; I am toiling in a pitch; foul word. Well, pitch; that defiles; defile! a Set thee down, sorrow! for |