Nath.

Vides ne quis venit?

Hol.

Video, & gaudeo.

Arm.

Chirra.

Hol.

Quare Chirra, not Sirra?

Arm.

Men of peace, well encountred.

Hol.

Most military Sir, salutation.

Moth.

They have been at a great feast of languages, and stole the the scraps.

Cost.

O they have liv'd long on the Alms-basket of words. I marvel thy master hath not eaten thee for a word, for thou art not so long by the head as honorificabilitudinitatibus: thou art easier swallow'd than a flap-dragon.

Moth.

Peace, the peal begins.

Arm.

Monsieur, are you not letter'd?

Moth.
Yes, yes, he teaches boys the horn-book:
What is A B spelt backward with the horn on his head?

Hol.

Ba, pueritia, with a horn added.

Moth.

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

Hol.

Quis, quis, thou consonant?

Moth.

The last of the five vowels, if you repeat them, or the fifth if I.

Hol.

I will repeat them, a e I—

Moth.

The sheep; the other two concludes it out.

Arm.

Now by the salt wave of the Mediteraneum, a sweet touch, a quick venew of wit; snip, snap, quick and home; it rejoiceth my intellect; true wit.

Moth.

Offer'd by a child to an old man: which is wit-old.

Hol.

What is the figure? what is the figure?

Moth.

Horns.

Hol.

Thou disputest like an infant; go, whip thy gigg.

Moth.

Lend me your horn to make one, and I will whip about your infamy unum cita, a gigg of a cuckold's horn.

Cost.

And I had but one penny in the world, thou should'st have it to buy ginger-bread; hold, there is the very remuneration I had of thy master, thou half-penny purse of wit, thou pidgeon-egg of discretion. O, and the heav'ns were so pleased that thou wert but my bastard! what a joyful father wouldst thou make me? go too, thou hast it ad dunghil, at the finger's ends, as they say.

Hol.

Oh, I smell false latin, dunghil for unguem.

Arm.

Arts-man preambula; we will be singled from the barbarous. Do you not educate youth at the charge-house on the top of the mountain?

Hol.

Or Mons the hill.

Arm.

At your sweet pleasure, for the mountain.

Hol.

I do sans question.

Arm.

Sir, it is the King's most sweet pleasure and affection, to congratulate the princess at her pavilion, in the posteriors of this day, which the rude multitude call the afternoon.

Hol.

The posterior of the day, most generous Sir, is liable, congruent, and measurable for the afternoon: the word is well cull'd, choice, sweet, and apt, I do assure you Sir, I do assure.

Arm.

Sir, the King is a noble gentleman, and my familiar, I do assure ye, my very good friend; for what is inward between us, let it pass—I do beseech thee, remember thy curtesie

—I beseech thee apparel thy head, and among other importunate 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 antick, or fire-work. 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 crave your assistance.

Hol.

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 rendred by our assistants at the king's command, and this most gallant, illustrate and learned gentleman, before the princess: I say none so fit as to present the nine worthies.

Nath.

Where will you find men worthy enough to present them?

Hol.

Joshua, your self, this gallant gentleman Judas Machabeus, this swain (because of his great limb or joint) shall pass Pompey the great, and the page Hercules.

Arm.

Pardon, Sir, error: he is not quantity enough for that worthy's thumb; he is not so big as the end of his club.

Hol.

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.

Moth.

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, tho' few have the grace to do it.

Arm.

For the rest of the worthies?

Hol.

I will play three my self.

Moth.

Thrice worthy gentleman.

Arm.

Shall I tell you a thing?

Hol.

We attend.

Arm.

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

Hol.

Via good-man Dull, thou hast spoken no word all this while.

Dull.

Nor understood none neither, Sir.

Hol.

Allons, we will employ thee.

Dull.

I'll make one in a dance, or so: or I will play on the taber to the worthies, and let them dance the hay.

Hol.

Most Dull, honest Dull, to our sport away.