Come, Phillida, fair Phillida, and I fear me too fair, being my Phillida: 109thou knowest the custom of this country, and I the greatness of thy beauty; we both the 110fierceness of the monster Agar. Everyone thinketh his own child fair, but I know that which I 111most desire and would least have, that thou art fairest. Thou shalt therefore disguise thyself in attire, 112lest I should disguise myself in affection, in suffering thee to perish by a fond desire whom 113I may preserve by a sure deceit.

Dear father, nature could not make me so fair as she hath made 115you kind, nor you more kind than me dutiful. Whatsoever you command I will not refuse, because 116you command nothing but my safety and your happiness. But how shall I be disguised?

In man's apparel.

It will neither become my body nor my mind.

Why, Phillida?

For then I must keep company with boys, and commit follies unseemly for 121my sex; or keep company with girls, and be thought more wanton than becometh. Besides, I shall 122be ashamed of my long hose and short coat, and so unwarily blab out something by blushing at everything.

Fear not, Phillida. Use will make it easy; fear must make it necessary.

I agree, since my father will have it so, and fortune must.

Come let us in, and, when thou art disguised, roam about these woods till the time be past and Neptune pleased.