The dibble in earth to fet one flip of them:
35 No more than, were I painted, I would wish
This youth fhould fay, 'twere well; and only
therefore

Defire to breed by me.-Here's flowers for you;
Hot lavender, mints, favory, marjoram ;

40 The marigold, that goes to bed with the fun,
And with him rifes weeping: these are flowers
Of middle fummer, and, I think, they are given
To men of middle age: You are very welcome.
Cam. I fhould leave grazing, were I of your flock,
And only live by gazing.

45

Per. Out, alas!

You'd be fo lean, that blasts of January

Would blow you through and through.-Now, my fairest friend,

With labour; and the thing, she took to quench it, 50I would, I had some flowers o' the spring, that might

She would to each one fip: You are retir`d,

bid

Become your time of day; and yours, and yours;
That wear upon your virgin branches yet
Your maidenheads growing:-0 Proferpina,
For the flowers now, that, frighted, thou let'st fall
55 From Dis's waggon! daffodils,

As if you were a feafted one, and not
The hoftefs of the meeting: Pray you,
Thefe unknown friends to us welcome; for it is
A way to make us better friends, more known.
Come, quench your blushes; and present yourself
That which you are, mistress o' the feaft: Come on,
And bid us welcome to your fheep-fhearing,
As your good flock shall profper.
Per. Sir, welcome!
[To Pol. and Cam. 60
It is my father's will, I fhould take on me
The hostessship o' the day :-You're welcome, fir!
Give me thofe flowers there, Dorcas.--Reverend firs,

That come before the swallow dares, and take
The winds of March with beauty, violets dim,
But fweeter than the lids of Juno's eyes,
Or Cytherea's breath; pale primroses,
That die unmarried, ere they can behold
Bright Phoebus in his ftrength, a malady
Moft incident to maids; bold oxlips, and
The crown-imperial; lilies of all kinds,

Rue was called herb of grace. Rosemary was anciently fuppofed to strengthen the memory, and is prefcribed for that purpofe in the books of ancient phyfick,

The

The flour-de-lis being one! O, these I lack,
To make you garlands of; and, my fweet friend,
To ftrow him o'er and o'er.

Fle. What? like a corfe?

Pol. She dances featly.

Shep. So fhe does any thing; though I report it, That fhould be filent: if young Doricles

Do light upon her, she shall bring him that

Per. No, like a bank, for love to lie and play on; 5 Which he not dreams of. Not like a corfe: or if,-not to be buried,

But quick, and in mine arms. Come, take your flowers:

Methinks, I play as I have feen them do

In Whitsun' paftorals: fure, this robe of mine
Does change my difpofition.

Flo. What you do,

Still betters what is done. When you speak, sweet,
I'd have you do it ever: when you fing,

I'd have you buy and fell fo; fo give alms;
Pray fo: and, for the ordering your affairs,
To fing them too: When you do dance, I wish you
A wave o' the sea, that you might ever do
Nothing but that; move ftill, ftill fo,

And own no other function: Each your doing,
So fingular in each particular,

Crowns what you are doing in the prefent deeds,
That all your acts are queens.

Per. O Doricles,

:

Your praifes are too large but that your youth,
And the true blood, which peeps fairly through it,|
Do plainly give you out an unstain'd shepherd;
With wifdom I might fear, my Doricles,
You woo'd me the false way.

Enter a Servant.

Ser. O mafter, if you did but hear the pedler at the door, you would never dance again after a tabor and pipe; no, the bag-pipe could not move you: 10 he fings feveral tunes, fafter than you'll tell money; he utters them as he had eaten ballads, and all men's ears grew to his tunes.

Clo. He could never come better; he shall come in: I love a ballad but even too well; if it be 15 doleful matter, merrily fet down, or a very pleasant thing indeed, and fung lamentably.

:

Ser. He hath fongs, for man, or woman, of all fizes; no milliner can fo fit his cuftomers with gloves he has the prettiest love fongs for maids; zo fo without bawdry, which is ftrange; with fuch delicate burdens of dil-do's and fadings: jump ber and thump ber; and where fome ftretch-mouth'd rafcal w. uld, as it were, mean mischief, and break a foul gap into the matter, he makes the maid to 25 anfwer, Whoop, do me no barm, good man; puts him off, flights him, with Whoop, do me no harm, good

30

man.

Pol. This is a brave fellow.

Clo. Believe me, thou talkeft of an admirableconceited fellow. Has he any unbraided 4 wares ?

Ser. He hath ribbons of all the colours i' the rainbow; points, more than all the lawyers in Bohemia can learnedly handle, though they come to him by the grofs; inkles, caddiffes 5, cambricks, lawns: 35 why, he fings them over, as they were gods or goddeffes: you would think, a fmock were a fheangel; he fo chants to the fleeve-hand, and the work about the square on't.

Clo. Pr'ythee, bring him in; and let him ap46 proach finging.

1451

50

Fair fwain is this,which dances with your daughter?

Shep. They call him Doricles; and he boasts him-
To have a worthy feeding 2: but I have it
Upon his own report, and I believe it;

[felf

He looks like footh 3. He fays he loves my daughter; 55

I think fo too; for never gaz'd the moon

Upon the water, as he'll stand, and read,

As 'twere, my daughter's eyes: and, to be plain,
I think, there is not half a kifs to chufe,

Who loves another best.

Per. Forewarn him, that he ufe no fcurrilous words in his tunes.

Clo. You have of these pedlers, that have more in 'em than you'd think, fifter.

Per. Ay, good brother, or go about to think.

Enter Autolycus, finging.

Lawn, as white as driven fnow;
Cyprus, black as e'er was crow ;
Gloves, as fweet as damask refes;
Mafks for faces, and for noses;
Bugle bracelet, neck-lace amber;
Perfume for a lady's chamber;
Golden quoifs, and stomachers,
For my lads to give their dears;
Pins, and poking-flicks of steel",
What maids lack from bead to heel:
Come, buy of me, come: come buy, come buy ;
Buy, lads, or elfe your laffes cry:

That is, reason. 2 i. e. a confiderable tract of pafturage.

5 Mr. Steevens conjectures caddis to mean ferret.

3 i. e. truth. 4 i. e. undamaged. The work about the square on't probably fignifies

the work or embroidery about the bofom part of a shift, which might then have been of a square form,

or might have a fquare tucker.

י.

7 Thefe poking-flicks were heated in the fire, and made use of to

adjust the plaits of ruffs.

Ch.

Clo. If I were not in love with Mopfa, thou fhould'ft take no money of me; but being enthrall'd as I am, it will alfo be the bondage of certain ribbons and gloves.

Mop. Let's have fome merry ones.

Aut. Why, this is a paffing merry one; and goes to the tune of, Two maids wooing a man: there's fcarce a maid weftward, but she fings it; 'tis in

Mop. I was promis'd them against the feaft; 5 request, I can tell you. but they come not too late now.

Dor. He hath promis'd you more than that, or there be liars.

Mop. He hath paid you all he promis'd you :

Mop. We can both fing it; if thou'lt bear at
part, thou shalt hear; 'tis in three parts.
Dor. We had the tune on't a month ago.
Aut. I can bear my part; you must know, 'tis

may be, he has paid you more; which will shame to my occupation: have at it with you.
you to give him again.

Clo. Is there no manners left among maids ? will they wear their plackets, where they should bear their faces? Is there not milking-time, when you are going to bed, or kill-hole, to whistle off these 15| fecrets; but you must be tittle-tattling before all our guests? 'Tis well they are whispering: Clamour your tongues, and not a word more.

Mop. I have done. Come, you promis'd me a tawdry lace, and a pair of fweet gloves 2.

Clo. Have I not told thee, how I was cozen'd by

the way, and loft all my money?

Aut. And, indeed, fir, there are cozeners abroad; therefore it behoves men to be wary.

20

SONG.

A. Get you bence, for I must go;
Where, it fits not you to know.

D. Whitber? M. O, Whither? Whither
M. It becomes thy oath full well,

Thou to me thy fecrets tell:

D. Me too, let me go thither.

M. Or thou got to the grange, or mill :

D. If to either, thou deft ill.

A. Neither. D. What, neither? A. Neither.

D. Thou baft fworn my love to be;

M. Thou baft fworn it more to me:
Then, whither goft? fay, whither ?

Clo. We'll have this fong out anon by ourselves:

Clu. Fear not thou, man, thou shalt lofe nothing 25 My father and the gentlemen are in sad 4 talk, and here.

we'll not trouble them: come, bring away thy pack after me. Wenches, I'll buy for you both; -Pedler, let's have the first choice.-Follow me, girls.

Will you buy any tape,

Or lace for your cape,

Mcp. Pray now, buy fome: I love a ballad in 30 Aut. And you fhall pay well for 'em. [Afide. print, a'-life 3; for then we are fure they are true. Aut. Here's one, to a very doleful tune, How an ufurer's wife was brought to bed with twenty money-bags at a burden; and how the long'd to eat adders' heads, and toads carbonado'd.

35

Aut. Here's the midwife's name to 't, one miftrefs Taleporter; and five or fix honeft wives' that 40 were prefent: Why should I carry lies abroad? Mop. Pray you now, buy it.

Clo. Come on, lay it by: And let's first fee more ballads; we'll buy the other things anon.

Aut. Here's another ballad, Of a fish, that ap-45 pear'd upon the coaft, on Wednesday the fourscore of April, forty thousand fathom above water, and fung this ballad against the hard hearts of maids: it was thought, she was a woman, and was turn'd into a cold fish, for she would not exchange flesh 50 with one that lov'd her: The ballad is very pitiful, and as true.

Dor. Is it true too, think you?

Aut. Five juftices' hands at it; and witneffes,

My dainty duck, my dear-a?
Any filk, any thread,

Any toys for your bead,

Of the new ft, and fin'
fi, fin'ft wear-a?
Come to the pedler;

Money's a medier,

That doch utter 5 all mens' ware-a.

[Exe. Clown, Autolycus, Dorcas, and Mopfa.

Enter a Servant.

Ser. Master, there are three carters, three shepherds, three neat-herds, three fwine herds, that have made themselves all men of hair? they call themfelves, faltiers: and they have a dance, which the wenches fay is a gallimaufry of gambols,becaufe they are not in't; but they themselves are o' the mind, (if it be not too rough for fome, that know little but bowling) it will pleafe plentifully.

Shep. Away! we'll none on't; here has been too much homely foolery already :-I know, fir, we

weary you.

Pol. You weary those that refresh us: Pray, let's fee thefe four threes of herdsmen.

Ser. One three of them, by their own report, fir, hath danc'd before the king; and not the worst of the three, but jumps twelve foot and a half by the fquare.

1 When bells are at the height, in order to cease them, the repetition of the ftrokes becomes much quicker than before; this is called clamouring them. 2 Sweet, or perfumed gloves, were very fashionable in the age of Elizabeth, and long afterwards. Tawdry laces were worn about the ladies heads, necks, and waifts. 4 i. e. ferious. 5 i. e. bring out, or produce. ef hair, are bairy men, or fatyrs. A dance of fatyrs was no unufual entertainment in thofe times.

3 i. e. at life.

6 Men

Shep.

Is, at the nuptial of his fon, a guest That beft becomes the table. Pray you, once more; 10 Is not your father grown incapable

20 You offer him, if this be fo, a wrong
Something unfilial: Reafon, my fon
Should chufe himself a wife; but as good reafon,
The father (all whofe joy is nothing else

251

Worthy enough a herdsman; yea, him too, 60 That makes himself, but for our honour therein, Unworthy thee,-if ever, henceforth, thou Thefe rural latches to his entrance open, Or hoop his body more with thy embraces, I will devife a death as cruel for thee, 165]As thou art tender to it.

1 Meaning, defend or take care of his own eftate.

[To Camille. Cam. [Afide.] He's irremoveable, 20 Refolv'd for flight: Now were I happy, if His going I could frame to serve my turn; Save him from danger, do him love and honour; Purchase the fight again of dear Sicilia,

And that unhappy king, my master, whom 251 fo much thirst to fee.

Flo. Now, good Camillo,

am fo fraught with curious business, that
leave out ceremony.

Have you deferv'd: it is my father's musick,
To fpeak your deeds; not little of his care
35 To have them recompens'd as thought on.
Cam. Well, my lord,

If you may please to think I love the king;
And, through him, what is nearest to him, which is
Your gracious felf; embrace but my direction,
40 (If your more ponderous and settled project

May fuffer alteration) on mine honour,

I'll point you where you fhall have fuch re

As fhall become your highness; where you may 45 Enjoy your mistress; from the whom, I fee, There's no disjunction to be made, but by (As heavens forefend !) your ruin: Marry her; And (with my best endeavours in your abfence) Your difcontenting father I'll ftrive to qualify, 5 And bring him up to liking.

551

But as the unthought-on accident is guilty
To what we wildly do; fo we profess

60 Ourfelves to be the flaves of chance, and flies
Of every wind that blows.

This part of the priff's office was not left off till the reign of Edward VI.