William Shakespeare - Ultimate Collection: Complete Plays & Poetry in One Volume. William Shakespeare

But what, but what, come they to visit us?

       BOYET.

       They do, they do, and are apparell’d thus,

       Like Muscovites or Russians, as I guess.

       Their purpose is to parley, court, and dance;

       And every one his love-feat will advance

       Unto his several mistress; which they’ll know

       By favours several which they did bestow.

       PRINCESS.

       And will they so? The gallants shall be task’d:

       For, ladies, we will every one be mask’d;

       And not a man of them shall have the grace,

       Despite of suit, to see a lady’s face.

       Hold, Rosaline, this favour thou shalt wear,

       And then the king will court thee for his dear;

       Hold, take thou this, my sweet, and give me thine,

       So shall Berowne take me for Rosaline.

       And change you favours too; so shall your loves

       Woo contrary, deceiv’d by these removes.

       ROSALINE.

       Come on, then, wear the favours most in sight.

       KATHARINE.

       But, in this changing, what is your intent?

       PRINCESS.

       The effect of my intent is to cross theirs;

       They do it but in mocking merriment;

       And mock for mock is only my intent.

       Their several counsels they unbosom shall

       To loves mistook, and so be mock’d withal

       Upon the next occasion that we meet

       With visages display’d to talk and greet.

       ROSALINE.

       But shall we dance, if they desire us to’t?

       PRINCESS.

       No, to the death, we will not move a foot,

       Nor to their penn’d speech render we no grace;

       But while ‘tis spoke each turn away her face.

       BOYET.

       Why, that contempt will kill the speaker’s heart,

       And quite divorce his memory from his part.

       PRINCESS.

       Therefore I do it; and I make no doubt

       The rest will ne’er come in, if he be out.

       There’s no such sport as sport by sport o’erthrown,

       To make theirs ours, and ours none but our own:

       So shall we stay, mocking intended game,

       And they well mock’d, depart away with shame.

       [Trumpet sounds within.]

       BOYET.

       The trumpet sounds: be mask’d; the maskers come.

       [The LADIES mask.]

       [Enter BLACKAMOORS with music; MOTH, the KING, BEROWNE,

       LONGAVILLE, and DUMAINE in Russian habits, and masked.]

       MOTH.

       ‘All hail, the richest heauties on the earth!’

       BOYET.

       Beauties no richer than rich taffeta.

       MOTH.

       ‘A holy parcel of the fairest dames

       [The LADIES turn their backs to him.]

       That ever turn’d their—backs—to mortal views!

       BEROWNE.

       ‘Their eyes,’ villain, ‘their eyes.’

       MOTH.

       ‘That ever turn’d their eyes to mortal views!

       Out’—

       BOYET.

       True; ‘out,’ indeed.

       MOTH.

       ‘Out of your favours, heavenly spirits, vouchsafe

       Not to behold’—

       BEROWNE.

       ‘Once to behold,’ rogue.

       MOTH. ‘Once to behold with your sun-beamed eyes—with your sun-beamed eyes’—

       BOYET.

       They will not answer to that epithet;

       You were best call it ‘daughter-beamed eyes.’

       MOTH.

       They do not mark me, and that brings me out.

       BEROWNE.

       Is this your perfectness? be gone, you rogue.

       [Exit MOTH.]

       ROSALINE.

       What would these strangers? Know their minds, Boyet.

       If they do speak our language, ‘tis our will

       That some plain man recount their purposes:

       Know what they would.

       BOYET.

       What would you with the princess?

       BEROWNE.

       Nothing but peace and gentle visitation.

       ROSALINE.

       What would they, say they?

       BOYET.

       Nothing but peace and gentle visitation.

       ROSALINE.

       Why, that they have; and bid them so be gone.

       BOYET.

       She says you have it, and you may be gone.

       KING.

       Say to her we have measur’d many miles

       To tread a measure with her on this grass.

       BOYET.

       They say that they have measur’d many a mile

       To tread a measure with you on this grass.

       ROSALINE.

       It is not so. Ask them how many inches

       Is in one mile? If they have measured many,

       The measure then of one is easily told.

       BOYET.

       If to come hither you have measur’d miles,

       And many miles, the Princess bids you tell

       How many inches doth fill up one mile.

       BEROWNE.

       Tell her we measure them by weary steps.

       BOYET.

       She hears herself.

       ROSALINE.

       How many weary steps

       Of many weary miles you have o’ergone

       Are number’d in the travel of one mile?

       BEROWNE.

       We number nothing that we spend for you;

       Our duty is so rich, so infinite,

       That we may do it still without accompt.

       Vouchsafe to show the sunshine of your face,

       That we, like savages, may worship it.

       ROSALINE.

       My face is but a moon, and clouded too.

       KING.

       Blessed are clouds, to do as such clouds do!