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.
