Cost. I Pompey am, With libbard's head on knee 47. Biron. Well said, old mocker; I must needs be friends with thee. Cost. I Pompey am, Pompey, surnam❜d the big,Dum. The great. Cost. It is great, sir;-Pompey surnam❜d the great; That oft in field, with targe and shield, did make my foe to sweat: And travelling along this coast, I here am come by chance; And lay my arms before the legs of this sweet lass of France. If your ladyship would say, Thanks, Pompey, I had done. Prin. Great thanks, great Pompey. Cost. "Tis not so much worth; but, I hope, I was perfect: I made a little fault in, great. Biron. My hat to a halfpenny, Pompey proves the best worthy. Enter NATHANIEL arm'd, for Alexander. Nath. When in the world I liv'd, I was the world's commander; By east, west, north, and south, I spread my conquering might: My 'scutcheon plain declares that I am Alisander. Boyet. Your nose says, no, you are not; for it stands too right 48. 47 This alludes to the old heroic habits, which, on the knees and shoulders, had sometimes by way of ornament the resemblance of a leopard's or lion's head. See Cotgrave's Dictionary. in v. Masquine. 48 It should be remembered, to relish this joke, that the head of Alexander was obliquely placed on his shoulders. Biron. Your nose smells, no, in this, most tendersmelling knight 49. Prin. The conqueror is dismay'd: Proceed, good Alexander. Nath. When in the world I liv'd, I was the world's commander ; Boyet. Most true, 'tis right; you were so, Ali sander. Biron. Pompey the great, Cost. Your servant, and Costárd. Biron. Take away the conqueror, take away Alisander. Cost. O, sir, [To NATH.] you have overthrown Alisander the conqueror! You will be scraped out of the painted cloth for this: your lion, that holds his poll-ax sitting on a close-stool 50, will be given to A-jax: he will be the ninth worthy. A conqueror, and afeard to speak! run away for shame, Alisander. [NATH. retires.] There, an't shall please you; a foolish mild man; an honest man, look you, and soon dash'd! He is a marvellous good neighbour, in sooth; and a very good bowler: but, for Alisander, alas, you see how 'tis ;-a little o'erparted:-But there are worthies a coming will speak their mind in some other sort. Prin. Stand aside, good Pompey. 49 His (Alexander's) body had so sweet a smell of itselfe that all the apparell he wore next unto his body, tooke thereof a passing delightful savour, as if it had been perfumed.' North's Plutarch. 50 This alludes to the arms given, in the old history of the Nine Worthies, to Alexander, the which did bear geules a lion or, seiante in a chayer, holding a battle-axe argent.' There is a conceit of Ajax and a jakes, by no means uncommon at the time; when Sir John Harington published his witty performance, 'A new Discourse of a Stale Subject, called The Metamorphosis of Ajax,' 1596, giving a humorous account of his invention of a water-closet. Enter HOLOFERNES arm'd, for Judas, and MOTH arm'd, for Hercules. Hol. Great Hercules is presented by this imp, Whose club kill'd Cerberus, that three-headed canus, And, when he was a babe, a child, a shrimp, Thus did he strangle serpents in his manus: Quoniam, he seemeth in minority; Ergo, I come with this apology.— Keep some state in thy exit, and vanish. Hol. Judas I am, [Exit MOTH. Dum. A Judas! Hol. Not Iscariot, sir.— Dum. Judas Machabæus clipt, is plain Judas. Hol. Judas I am,— Dum. The more shame for Hol. What mean you, sir? Boyet. To make Judas hang himself. Biron. Well follow'd: Judas was hang'd on an elder. Biron. Because thou hast no face. Hol. What is this? 51 Boyet. A cittern head 51. Dum. The head of a bodkin. Biron. A death's face in a ring. Long. The face of an old Roman coin, scarce seen. Boyet. The pummel of Cæsar's faulchion. Dum. The carv'd-bone face on a flask 52. 51 The cittern, a musical instrument like a guitar, had usually a head grotesquely carved at the extremity of the neck and inger-board: hence these jests. 62 i. e. a soldier's powder-horn. Biron. St. George's half-cheek in a brooch 55. Biron. Ay, and worn in the cap of a tooth-drawer: And now, forward; for we have put thee in coun tenance. Hol. You have put me out of countenance. Biron. False; we have given thee faces. Hol. But you have out-fac'd them all. Biron. An thou wert a lion, we would do so. Boyet. Therefore, as he is, an ass, let him go. And so adieu, sweet Jude! nay, why dost thou stay? Dum. For the latter end of his name. Biron. For the ass to the Jude; give it him :— Jud-as, away. Hol. This is not generous, not gentle, not humble. Boyet. A light for monsieur Judas: it grows dark, he may stumble. Prin. Alas, poor Machabæus, how hath he been baited! Enter ARMADO arm'd, for Hector. Biron. Hide thy head, Achilles; here comes Hector in arms. Dum. Though my mocks come home by me, I will now be merry. King. Hector was but a Trojan 54 in respect of this. Boyet. But is this Hector? Dum. I think, Hector was not so clean-timber'd. Long. His leg is too big for Hector. Dum. More calf, certain. Boyet. No; he is best indued in the small. Biron. This cannot be Hector. 53 A brooch was an ornamental clasp for fastening hat-bands, girdles, mantles, &c. a brooch of lead, because of his pale and wan complexion, his leaden hue. 54 Trojan is supposed to have been a cant term for a thief. It was, however, a familiar name for any equal or inferior. Dum. He's a god or a painter; for he makes faces. Arm. The armipotent Mars, of lances 55 the almighty, Gave Hector a gift,— Dum. A gilt nutmeg. Long. Stuck with cloves. Arm. Peace. The armipotent Mars, of lances the almighty, A man so breath'd, that certain he would fight, yea I am that flower, Dum. Long. That mint. That columbine. Arm. Sweet lord Longaville, rein thy tongue. Long. I must rather give it the rein; for it runs against Hector. Dum. Ay, and Hector's a greyhound. Arm. The sweet war-man is dead and rotten; sweet chucks, beat not the bones of the buried: when he breath'd, he was a man- -But I will forward with my device: Sweet royalty, [to the Princess.] bestow on me the sense of hearing. [BIRON whispers COSTARD. Prin. Speak, brave Hector; we are much delighted. Arm. I do adore thy sweet grace's slipper. Boyet. Loves her by the foot. Dum. He may not by the yard. Arm. This Hector far surmounted Hannibal,— Cost. The party is gone, fellow Hector, she is gone; she is two months on her way. Arm. What meanest thou? 55 i. e. lance-men. |