Costard.
Jaq.
God give you good morrow, master Parson.
Hol.
Master Parson, quasi Person. And if one
should be pierc'd, which is the one?
Cost.
Marry, master school-master, 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.
2 noteFauste, precor, gelidâ quando pecus omne sub umbrâ.
-- 161 --
Ruminat, and so forth. Ah, good old Mantuan, I
may speak of thee as the traveller doth of Venice;
3 note
Vinegia, Vinegia! qui non te vedi, 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 vow'd;
Tho' to my self forsworn, to thee I'll faithful prove;
Those thoughts to me were oaks, to thee like osiers bow'd.
Study his biass leaves, and makes his book thine eyes;
Where all those pleasures live, that art would comprehend:
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 Jove's lightning bears, thy voice his dreadful thunder;
Which, not to anger bent, is musick, and sweet fire.
-- 162 --
Celestial as thou art, Oh pardon, love, this wrong,
That sings the heaven's praise with such an earthly tongue.
Hol.
You find not the Apostrophes, and so miss the
accent. Let me supervise the canzonet. Here are
only numbers ratify'd;4 note
but for the elegancy, facility,
and golden cadence of poesie, caret: 5 noteOvidius Naso
was the man. And why, indeed, Naso; but for
smelling out the odoriferous flowers of fancy? the
jerks of invention? imitari, is nothing: 6 note
so doth the
-- 163 --
hound his master, the ape his keeper, the try'd horse
his rider: But Damosella Virgin, was this directly to
you?
Jaq.
Ay, Sir, from one Monsieur Biron, to one of
the strange Queen's Ladies.
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 desir'd employment, Biron.
This Biron is one of the votaries with the King; and
here he hath fram'd a letter to a sequent of the stranger
Queen's, which accidentally, or by the way of progression,
hath miscarry'd. Trip and go, my sweet;
deliver this paper into the hand of the King; it may
concern much; stay not thy compliment; I forgive
thy duty: adieu.
Jaq.
Good Costard, go with me. Sir, God save
your life.
Cost.
Have with thee, my girl.
[Exeunt Cost. and Jaq.
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.7 note But, to return to the verses; did
they please you, Sir Nathaniel?
Nath.
Marvellous well for the pen.
Hol.
I do dine to day at the father's of a certain
-- 164 --
pupil of mine; where if (being repast) it shall please
you to gratifie the table with a grace, I will, on my
privilege I have with the parents of the aforesaid child
or pupil, undertake your ben venuto; where will I
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, I do invite you too; [To Dull.] you shall
not say me, nay: Pauca verba. Away, the gentles
are at their game, and we will to our recreation.
[Exeunt.
Samuel Johnson [1765], The plays of William Shakespeare, in eight volumes, with the corrections and illustrations of Various Commentators; To which are added notes by Sam. Johnson (Printed for J. and R. Tonson [and] C. Corbet [etc.], London) [word count] [S11001].
