Page:Love's Labour's Lost (1925) Yale.djvu/81

Love's Labour's Lost, V. i

tell thee, it will please his Grace, by the world,

sometime to lean upon my poor shoulder, and

with his royal finger, thus dally with my excre-

ment, with my mustachio: but, sweet heart, let

that pass. By the world, I recount no fable:

some certain special honours it pleaseth his

greatness to impart to Armado, a soldier, a man

of travel, that hath seen the world: but let that

pass. The very all of all is, but, sweet heart, I do

implore secrecy, that the king would have me

present the princess, sweet chuck, with some

delightful ostentation, or show, or pageant, or

antick, or fire-work. Now, understanding that

the curate and your sweet self are good at such

eruptions and sudden breaking out of mirth, as

it were, I have acquainted you withal, to the end

to crave your assistance.

Hol. Sir, you shall present before her the

Nine Worthies. Sir Nathaniel, as concerning

some entertainment of time, some show in the

posterior of this day, to be rendered by our

assistants, the king's command, and this

most gallant, illustrate, and learned gentleman,

before the princess; I say, none so fit as to pre-

sent the Nine Worthies.

Nath. Where will you find men worthy

enough to present them?

Hol. Joshua, yourself; myself, or this gallant

gentleman, Judas Maccabæus; this swain, be-

cause of his great limb, or joint, shall pass

Pompey the Great; the page, Hercules,—

Arm. Pardon, sir; error: he is not quantity

 112 excrement: excrescence, hair on lip

120 chuck: a pet name

128 Nine Worthies; cf. n.

139 pass: pass for (?), surpass (?)

