With that, all laugh'd and clapp'd him on the shoulder, Making the bold wag by their praises bolder:
One rubb'd his elbow thus, and fleer'd and swore A better speech was never spoke before;Another, with his finger and his thumb, Cried, 'Via! we will do't, come what will come;'
The third he caper'd, and cried, 'All goes well;'
The fourth turn'd on the toe, and down he fell.
With that, they all did tumble on the ground, With such a zealous laughter, so profound, That in this spleen ridiculous appears, To cheque their folly, passion's solemn tears. PRINCESS But what, but what, come they to visit us? BOYET They do, they do: and are apparell'd thus.
Like Muscovites or Russians, as I guess.
Their purpose is to parle, to court and dance;And every one his love-feat will advance Unto his several mistress, which they'll know By favours several which they did bestow. PRINCESS And will they so? the gallants shall be task'd;For, ladies, we shall every one be mask'd;And not a man of them shall have the grace, Despite of suit, to see a lady's face.
Hold, Rosaline, this favour thou shalt wear, And then the king will court thee for his dear;Hold, take thou this, my sweet, and give me thine, So shall Biron take me for Rosaline.
And change your favours too; so shall your loves Woo contrary, deceived by these removes. ROSALINE Come on, then; wear the favours most in sight. KATHARINE But in this changing what is your intent? PRINCESS The effect of my intent is to cross theirs:
They do it but in mocking merriment;And mock for mock is only my intent.
Their several counsels they unbosom shall To loves mistook, and so be mock'd withal Upon the next occasion that we meet, With visages displayed, to talk and greet. ROSALINE But shall we dance, if they desire to't? PRINCESS No, to the death, we will not move a foot;Nor to their penn'd speech render we no grace, But while 'tis spoke each turn away her face. BOYET Why, that contempt will kill the speaker's heart, And quite divorce his memory from his part. PRINCESS Therefore I do it; and I make no doubt The rest will ne'er come in, if he be out There's no such sport as sport by sport o'erthrown, To make theirs ours and ours none but our own:
So shall we stay, mocking intended game, And they, well mock'd, depart away with shame.
Trumpets sound within BOYET The trumpet sounds: be mask'd; the maskers come.
The Ladies mask Enter Blackamoors with music; MOTH; FERDINAND, BIRON, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAIN, in Russian habits, and masked MOTH All hail, the richest beauties on the earth!-- BOYET Beauties no richer than rich taffeta. MOTH A holy parcel of the fairest dames.
The Ladies turn their backs to him That ever turn'd their--backs--to mortal views! BIRON [Aside to MOTH] Their eyes, villain, their eyes! MOTH That ever turn'd their eyes to mortal views!--Out-- BOYET True; out indeed. MOTH Out of your favours, heavenly spirits, vouchsafe Not to behold-- BIRON [Aside to MOTH] Once to behold, rogue. MOTH Once to behold with your sun-beamed eyes, --with your sun-beamed eyes-- BOYET They will not answer to that epithet;You were best call it 'daughter-beamed eyes.' MOTH They do not mark me, and that brings me out. BIRON Is this your perfectness? be gone, you rogue!
Exit MOTH ROSALINE What would these strangers? know their minds, Boyet:
If they do speak our language, 'tis our will:
That some plain man recount their purposes Know what they would. BOYET What would you with the princess? BIRON Nothing but peace and gentle visitation. ROSALINE What would they, say they? BOYET Nothing but peace and gentle visitation. ROSALINE Why, that they have; and bid them so be gone. BOYET She says, you have it, and you may be gone. FERDINAND Say to her, we have measured many miles To tread a measure with her on this grass. BOYET They say, that they have measured many a mile To tread a measure with you on this grass. ROSALINE It is not so. Ask them how many inches Is in one mile: if they have measured many, The measure then of one is easily told. BOYET If to come hither you have measured miles, And many miles, the princess bids you tell How many inches doth fill up one mile. BIRON Tell her, we measure them by weary steps. BOYET She hears herself. ROSALINE How many weary steps, Of many weary miles you have o'ergone, Are number'd in the travel of one mile? BIRON We number nothing that we spend for you:
Our duty is so rich, so infinite, That we may do it still without accompt.
Vouchsafe to show the sunshine of your face, That we, like savages, may worship it. ROSALINE My face is but a moon, and clouded too. FERDINAND 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. ROSALINE O vain petitioner! beg a greater matter;Thou now request'st but moonshine in the water. FERDINAND Then, in our measure do but vouchsafe one change.
Thou bid'st me beg: this begging is not strange. ROSALINE Play, music, then! Nay, you must do it soon.
Music plays Not yet! no dance! Thus change I like the moon. FERDINAND Will you not dance? How come you thus estranged? ROSALINE You took the moon at full, but now she's changed. FERDINAND Yet still she is the moon, and I the man.
The music plays; vouchsafe some motion to it. ROSALINE Our ears vouchsafe it. FERDINAND But your legs should do it. ROSALINE Since you are strangers and come here by chance, We'll not be nice: take hands. We will not dance. FERDINAND Why take we hands, then? ROSALINE Only to part friends:
Curtsy, sweet hearts; and so the measure ends. FERDINAND More measure of this measure; be not nice. ROSALINE We can afford no more at such a price. FERDINAND Prize you yourselves: what buys your company? ROSALINE Your absence only. FERDINAND That can never be. ROSALINE Then cannot we be bought: and so, adieu;Twice to your visor, and half once to you. FERDINAND If you deny to dance, let's hold more chat. ROSALINE In private, then. FERDINAND I am best pleased with that.