1151Nat. Very reuerent sport truely, and done in the testi-

1152mony of a good conscience.

1153Ped. The Deare was (as you know) sanguis in blood,

1154ripe as a Pomwater, who now hangeth like a Iewell in

1155the eare of Celo the skie; the welken the heauen, and a-

1156non falleth like a Crab on the face of Terra, the soyle, the

1157land, the earth.

1158Curat. Nath. Truely M. Holofernes, the epythithes are

1159sweetly varied like a scholler at the least: but sir I assure

1160ye, it was a Bucke of the first head.

1161Hol. Sir Nathaniel, haud credo.

1162Dul. 'Twas not a haud credo, 'twas a Pricket.

1163Hol. Most barbarous intimation: yet a kinde of insi-

1164nuation, as it were in via, in way of explication facere: as

1165it were replication, or rather ostentare, to show as it were

1166his inclination after his vndressed, vnpolished, vneduca-

1167ted, vnpruned, vntrained, or rather vnlettered, or rathe-

1168rest vnconfirmed fashion, to insert againe my haud credo

1169for a Deare.

1170Dul. I said the Deare was not a haud credo, 'twas a

1171Pricket.

1172Hol. Twice sod simplicitie, bis coctus, O thou mon-

1173ster Ignorance, how deformed doost thou looke.

1174Nath. Sir hee hath neuer fed of the dainties that are

1175bred in a booke.

1176He hath not eate paper as it were:

1177He hath not drunke inke.

1178His intellect is not replenished, hee is onely an animall,

1179onely sensible in the duller parts: and such barren plants

1180are set before vs, that we thankfull should be: which we

1181taste and feeling, are for those parts that doe fructifie in

1182vs more then he.

1183For as it would ill become me to be vaine, indiscreet, or

1184a foole;

1185So were there a patch set on Learning, to see him in a

1186Schoole.

1187But omne bene say I, being of an old Fathers minde,

1188Many can brooke the weather, that loue not the winde.

1189Dul. You two are book-men: Can you tell by your

1190wit, What was a month old at Cains birth, that's not fiue

1191weekes old as yet?

1192Hol. Dictisima goodman Dull, dictisima goodman

1193Dull.

1194Dul. What is dictima?

1195Nath. A title to Phebe, to Luna, to the Moone.

1196Hol. The Moone was a month old when Adam was

1197no more.

1198And wrought not to fiue-weekes when he came to fiue-(score.

1199Th'allusion holds in the Exchange.

1200Dul. 'Tis true indeede, the Collusion holds in the

1201Exchange.

1202Hol. God comfort thy capacity, I say th'allusion holds

1203in the Exchange.

1204Dul. And I say the polusion holds in the Exchange:

1205for the Moone is neuer but a month old: and I say be-

1206side that, 'twas a Pricket that the Princesse kill'd.

1207Hol. Sir Nathaniel, will you heare an extemporall

1208Epytaph on the death of the Deare, and to humour

1209the ignorant call'd the Deare, the Princesse kill'd a

1210Pricket.

1211Nath. Perge, good M. Holofernes, perge, so it shall

1212please you to abrogate scurilitie.

1213Hol I will something affect a letter, for it argues

1214facilitie.

1215 The prayfull Princesse pearst and prickt

1216 a prettie pleasing Pricket,

1217 Some say a Sore, but not a sore,

1218 till now made sore with shooting.

1219 The Dogges did yell, put ell to Sore,

1220 then Sorell iumps from thicket:

1221 Or Pricket-sore, or else Sorell,

1222 the people fall a hooting.

1223 If Sore be sore, then ell to Sore,

1224 makes fiftie sores O sorell:

1225 Of one sore I an hundred make

1226 by adding but one more L.

1227Nath. A rare talent.

1228Dul. If a talent be a claw, looke how he clawes him

1229with a talent.

1230Nath. This is a gift that I haue simple: simple, a foo-

1231lish extrauagant spirit, full of formes, figures, shapes, ob-

1232iects, Ideas, apprehensions, motions, reuolutions. These

1233are begot in the ventricle of memorie, nourisht in the

1234wombe of primater, and deliuered vpon the mellowing

1235of occasion: but the gift is good in those in whom it is

1236acute, and I am thankfull for it.

1237Hol. Sir, I praise the Lord for you, and so may my

1238parishioners, for their Sonnes are well tutor'd by you,

1239and their Daughters profit very greatly vnder you: you

1240are a good member of the common-wealth.

1241Nath. Me hercle, If their Sonnes be ingennous, they

L6 shall

1242shall want no instruction: If their Daughters be capable,

1243I will put it to them. But Vir sapis qui pauca loquitur, a

1244soule Feminine saluteth vs.

1246Iaqu. God giue you good morrow M. Person.

1247Nath. Master Person, quasi Person? And if one should

1248be perst, Which is the one?

1249Clo. Marry M. Schoolemaster, hee that is likest to a

1250hogshead.

1251Nath. Of persing a Hogshead, a good luster of con-

1252ceit in a turph of Earth, Fire enough for a Flint, Pearle

1253enough for a Swine: 'tis prettie, it is well.

1254Iaqu. Good Master Parson be so good as reade mee

1255this Letter, it was giuen mee by Costard, and sent mee

1256from Don Armatho: I beseech you reade it.

, and so forth. Ah good old Mantuan, I

1259may speake of thee as the traueiler doth of Venice, vem-

1260chie, vencha, que non te vnde, que non te perreche. Old Man-

1261tuam, old Mantuan. Who vnderstandeth thee not, vt re

1262sol la mi fa: Vnder pardon sir, What are the contents? or

1263rather as Horrace sayes in his, What my soule verses.

1264Hol. I sir, and very learned.

1265Nath. Let me heare a staffe, a stanze, a verse, Lege do-

1266mine.

1284Ped. You finde not the apostraphas, and so misse the

1285accent. Let me superuise the cangenet.

1286Nath. Here are onely numbers ratified, but for the

1287elegancy, facility, & golden cadence of poesie caret: O-

1288uiddius Naso was the man. And why in deed Naso, but

1289for smelling out the odoriferous flowers of fancy? the

1290ierkes of inuention imitarie is nothing: So doth the

1291Hound his master, the Ape his keeper, the tyred Horse

1292his rider: But Damosella virgin, Was this directed to

1293you?

1294Iaq. I sir from one mounsier Berowne, one of the

1295strange Queenes Lords.

1296Nath. I will ouerglance the superscript.

1298I will looke againe on the intellect of the Letter, for

1299the nomination of the partie written to the person writ-

1300ten vnto.

1302Per. Sir Holofernes, this Berowne is one of the Votaries

1303with the King, and here he hath framed a Letter to a se-

1304quent of the stranger Queenes: which accidentally, or

1305by the way of progression, hath miscarried. Trip and

1306goe my sweete, deliuer this Paper into the hand of the

1307King, it may concerne much: stay not thy complement, I

1308forgiue thy duetie, adue.

1309Maid. Good Costard go with me:

1310Sir God saue your life.

1311Cost. Haue with thee my girle. Exit.

1312Hol. Sir you haue done this in the feare of God very

1313religiously: and as a certaine Father saith

1314Ped. Sir tell not me of the Father, I do feare coloura-

1315ble colours. But to returne to the Verses, Did they please

1316you sir Nathaniel?

1317Nath. Marueilous well for the pen.

1318Peda. I do dine to day at the fathers of a certaine Pu-

1319pill of mine, where if (being repast) it shall please you to

1320gratifie the table with a Grace, I will on my priuiledge I

1321haue with the parents of the foresaid Childe or Pupill,

1322vndertake your bien vonuto, where I will proue those

1323Verses to be very vnlearned, neither sauouring of

1324Poetrie, Wit, nor Inuention. I beseech your So-

1325cietie.

1326Nat. And thanke you to: for societie (saith the text)

1327is the happinesse of life.

1328Peda. And certes the text most infallibly concludes it.

1329Sir I do inuite you too, you shall not say me nay: pauca

1330verba.

1331Away, the gentles are at their game, and we will to our

1332recreation. Exeunt.