Scene
7: Love’s Labours’s Lost, Part 2
BOYET
Prepare, madam, prepare!
Arm, wenches, arm! encounters mounted are
Against your peace: Love doth approach disguised,
Armed in arguments; you'll be surprised:
Muster your wits; stand in your own defence;
Or hide your heads like cowards, and fly hence.
PRINCESS
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 parle, to 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 shall 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 Biron take me for Rosaline.
And change your favours too; so shall your loves
Woo contrary, deceived 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 displayed, to talk and greet.
ROSALINE
But shall we dance, if they desire 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.
Trumpets sound within BOYET
The trumpet sounds: be mask'd; the maskers come.
The Ladies mask. Music. "Manshaft
Pavan" -- trumpets. FERDINAND, BIRON, LONGAVILLE masked.
PRINCESS
What would they, say they?
FERDINAND
Say to her, we have measured many miles
To tread a measure with her on this grass.
BOYET
They say, that they have measured many a mile
To tread a measure with you on this grass.
PRINCESS
Play, music, then! Nay, you must do it soon.
Music. Opening chord of "Belle
qui tiens ma vie".
Not yet! no dance! Thus change I like the moon.
FERDINAND
Will you not dance? How come you thus estranged?
PRINCESS
You took the moon at full, but now she's changed.
FERDINAND
Yet still she is the moon, and I the man.
The music plays; vouchsafe some motion to it.
PRINCESS
Our ears vouchsafe it.
FERDINAND
But your legs should do it.
PRINCESS
Since you are strangers and come here by chance,
We'll not be nice: take hands. We will not dance.
FERDINAND
Why take we hands, then?
PRINCESS
Only to part friends:
Curtsy, sweet hearts; and so the measure ends.
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