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The Illustrated Works of Shakespeare
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Illustrated Works of Shakespeare, The (1990)(Animated Pixels)[!][CDTV-PC].iso
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01_02
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1991-04-10
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259 lines
Another part of the Park.
Enter ARMADO and MOTH, his page.
Armado Boy, what sign is it when a man of great spirit grows
melancholy?
Moth A great sign, sir, that he will look sad.
Armado Why, sadness is one and the selfsame thing, dear imp.
Moth No, no; O Lord, sir, no!
Armado How canst thou part sadness and melancholy, my tender
juvenal?
Moth By a familiar demonstration of the working, my tough signor.
Armado Why tough signor? Why tough signor?
Moth Why tender juvenal? Why tender juvenal?
Armado I spoke it, tender juvenal, as a congruent epitheton
appertaining to thy young days, which we may nominate tender.
Moth And I, tough signor, as an appertinent title to your old
time, which we may name tough.
Armado Pretty and apt.
Moth How mean you, sir? I pretty, and my saying apt? Or I apt, and
my saying pretty?
Armado Thou pretty, because little.
Moth Little pretty, because little. Wherefore apt?
Armado And therefore apt, because quick.
Moth Speak you this in my praise, master?
Armado In thy condign praise.
Moth I will praise an eel with the same praise.
Armado What, that an eel is ingenious?
Moth That an eel is quick.
Armado I do say thou art quick in answers; thou heatest my blood.
Moth I am answered, sir.
Armado I love not to be crossed.
Moth [Aside.] He speaks the mere contrary - crosses love not him.
Armado I have promised to study three years with the duke.
Moth You may do it in an hour, sir.
Armado Impossible.
Moth How many is one thrice told?
Armado I am ill at reckoning; it fitteth the spirit of a tapster.
Moth You are a gentleman and a gamester, sir.
Armado I confess both: they are both the varnish of a complete man.
Moth Then I am sure you know how much the gross sum of deuce-ace
amounts to.
Armado It doth amount to one more than two.
Moth Which the base vulgar do call three.
Armado True.
Moth Why, sir, is this such a piece of study? Now here is three
studied ere ye'll thrice wink; and how easy it is to put
'years' to the word 'three', and study three years in two
words, the dancing horse will tell you.
Armado A most fine figure!
Moth [Aside.] To prove you a cipher.
Armado I will hereupon confess I am in love; and as it is base for a
soldier to love, so am I in love with a base wench. If
drawing my sword against the humour of affection would
deliver me from the reprobate thought of it, I would take
Desire prisoner, and ransom him to any French courtier for a
new-devised curtsy. I think scorn to sigh; methinks I should
outswear Cupid. Comfort me, boy - what great men have been in
love?
Moth Hercules, master.
Armado Most sweet Hercules! More authority, dear boy, name more;
and, sweet my child, let them be men of good repute and
carriage.
Moth Samson, master; he was a man of good carriage, great
carriage, for he carried the town-gates on his back like a
porter; and he was in love.
Armado O well-knit Samson! Strong-jointed Samson! I do excel thee in
my rapier as much as thou didst me in carrying gates. I am in
love too. Who was Samson's love, my dear Moth?
Moth A woman, master.
Armado Of what complexion?
Moth Of all the four, or the three, or the two, or one of the
four.
Armado Tell me precisely of what complexion.
Moth Of the sea-water green, sir.
Armado Is that one of the four complexions?
Moth As I have read, sir; and the best of them too.
Armado Green indeed is the colour of lovers; but to have a love of
that colour, methinks Samson had small reason for it. He
surely affected her for her wit.
Moth It was so, sir, for she had a green wit.
Armado My love is most immaculate white and red.
Moth Most maculate thoughts, master, are masked under such
colours.
Armado Define, define, well-educated infant.
Moth My father's wit and my mother's tongue assist me!
Armado Sweet invocation of a child - most pretty and pathetical!
Moth If she be made of white and red,
Her faults will ne'er be known;
For blushing cheeks by faults are bred,
And fears by pale white shown.
Then if she fear, or be to blame,
By this you shall not know;
For still her cheeks possess the same
Which native she doth owe.
A dangerous rhyme, master, against the reason of white and
red.
Armado Is there not a ballad, boy, of the King and the Beggar?
Moth The world was very guilty of such a ballad some three ages
since, but I think now 'tis not to be found; or, if it were,
it would neither serve for the writing nor the tune.
Armado I will have that subject newly writ o'er, that I may example
my digression by some mighty precedent. Boy, I do love that
country girl that I took in the park with the rational hind
Costard: she deserves well.
Moth [Aside.] To be whipped; and yet a better love than my master.
Armado Sing, boy; my spirit grows heavy in love.
Moth [Aside.] And that's great marvel, loving a light wench.
Armado I say, sing.
Moth Forbear till this company be past.
Enter DULL, COSTARD, and JAQUENETTA.
Dull Sir, the duke's pleasure is that you keep Costard safe; and
you must suffer him to take no delight, nor no penance, but
a' must fast three days a week. For this damsel, I must keep
her at the park; she is allowed for the dey-woman. Fare you
well.
Armado [Aside.] I do betray myself with blushing. - Maid!
Jaquenetta Man.
Armado I will visit thee at the lodge.
Jaquenetta That's hereby.
Armado I know where it is situate.
Jaquenetta Lord, how wise you are!
Armado I will tell thee wonders.
Jaquenetta With that face?
Armado I love thee.
Jaquenetta So I heard you say.
Armado And so farewell.
Jaquenetta Fair weather after you!
Dull Come, Jaquenetta, away!
[Exeunt DULL and JAQUENETTA.
Armado Villain, thou shalt fast for thy offences ere thou be
pardoned.
Costard Well, sir, I hope when I do it I shall do it on a full
stomach.
Armado Thou shalt be heavily punished.
Costard I am more bound to you than your fellows, for they are but
lightly rewarded.
Armado Take away this villain; shut him up.
Moth Come, you transgressing slave, away!
Costard Let me not be pent up, sir; I will fast, being loose.
Moth No, sir, that were fast and loose. Thou shalt to prison.
Costard Well, if ever I do see the merry days of desolation that I
have seen, some shall see-
Moth What shall some see?
Costard Nay, nothing, Master Moth, but what they look upon. It is not
for prisoners to be too silent in their words, and therefore
I will say nothing. I thank God I have as little patience as
another man, and therefore I can be quiet.
[Exeunt MOTH and COSTARD.
Armado I do affect the very ground, which is base, where her shoe,
which is baser, guided by her foot, which is basest, doth
tread. I shall be forsworn - which is a great argument of
falsehood - if I love. And how can that be true love which is
falsely attempted? Love is a familiar; Love is a devil: there
is no evil angel but Love. Yet was Samson so tempted, and he
had an excellent strength. Yet was Solomon so seduced, and he
had a very good wit. Cupid's butt-shaft is too hard for
Hercules' club, and therefore too much odds for a Spaniard's
rapier. The first and second cause will not serve my turn:
the passado he respects not, the duello he regards not. His
disgrace is to be called boy, but his glory is to subdue men.
Adieu, valour; rust, rapier; be still, drum; for your manager
is in love; yea, he loveth. Assist me, some extemporal god of
rhyme, for I am sure I shall turn sonnet. Devise, wit; write,
pen; for I am for whole volumes in folio.
[Exit.