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Hath not been used to fear.

Even now I tremble
To think, your father, by some accident,
Should pass this way, as you did: O, the fates!
How would he look, to see his work, so noble,
Vilely bound up?? What would he say? or how
Should I, in these my borrow'd flaunts, behold
The sternness of his presence?

Flo.

Apprehend
Nothing but jollity. The gods themselves,
Humbling their deities to love, have taken
The shapes of beasts upon them: Jupiter
Became a bull, and bellow'd; the green Neptune
A ram, and bleated: and the fire-rob'd god,
Golden Apollo, a poor humble swain,
As I seem now: Their transformations
Were never for a piece of beauty rarer;
Nor in a way so chaste: since my desires
Run not before mine honour; nor my lusts
Burn hotter than my faith.

Per.

O but, dear sirt,

Your resolution cannot hold, when 'tis

Oppos'd, as it must be, by the power o'the king:
One of these two must be necessities,

Which then will speak; that you must change this

purpose,

Or I my life.

Flo.

Thou dearest Perdita,

With these forc'd thoughts, I pr'ythee, darken not
The mirth o'the feast: Or I'll be thine, my fair,
Or not my father's: for I cannot be

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Vilely bound up?] It is impossible for any man to rid his mind of his profession. The authorship of Shakspeare has supplied him with a metaphor, which, rather than he would lose it, he has put with no great propriety into the mouth of a country maid. Thinking of his own works, his mind passed naturally to the binder. I am glad that he has no hint at an editor. JOHNSON.

"O but, sir,"-MALONE.

Mine own, nor any thing to any, if

I be not thine: to this I am most constant,

Though destiny say, no.
Strangle such thoughts as

Be merry, gentle;

these, with any thing

That you behold the while. Your guests are coming: Lift up your countenance; as it were the day

Of celebration of that nuptial, which

We two have sworn shall come.

Per.

Stand you auspicious!

O lady fortune,

Enter Shepherd, with POLIXENES and CAMILLO disguised; Clown, MOPSA, DORCAS, and Others.

Flo.

See, your guests approach:

Address yourself to entertain them sprightly,

And let's be red with mirth.

Shep. Fye, daughter! when my old wife liv'd, upon This day, she was both pantler, butler, cook;

Both dame and servant: welcom'd all: serv'd all:
Would sing her
and dance her turn: now here,
At upper end o'the table, now, i'the middle;

song,

On his shoulder, and his : her face o' fire

With labour; and the thing, she took to quench it,
She would to each one sip: You are retir'd,
As if you were a feasted one, and not
The hostess of the meeting: Pray you, bid
These unknown friends to us welcome: for it is
A way to make us better friends, more known.
Come, quench your blushes; and present yourself
That which you are, mistress o'the feast: Come on,
And bid us welcome to your sheep-shearing,

As your good flock shall prosper.

Per.

Welcome, sir! [To POL. It is my father's will, I should take on me

The hostess-ship o'the day: You're welcome, sir!

[To CAMILLO.

Give me those flowers there, Dorcas. ― Reverend sirs,

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London. Published by FC&J Rivington and Partners, Feb 1823.

For you there's rosemary, and rue; these keep
Seeming, and savour, all the winter long:
Grace, and remembrance, be to you both,
And welcome to our shearing!

Pol.

Shepherdess, (A fair one are you,) well you fit our ages

With flowers of winter.

Per.

Sir, the year growing ancient,—

Not yet on summer's death, nor on the birth

Of trembling winter, -the fairest flowers o' the season
Are our carnations, and streak'd gillyflowers,
Which some call nature's bastards: of that kind
Our rustick garden's barren; and I care not
To get slips of them.

Pol.

Wherefore, gentle maiden,

For I have1 heard it said,

Do you neglect them?

Per.

There is an art, which, in their piedness, shares

With great creating nature.

Pol.

Say, there be;

Yet nature is made better by no mean,

But nature makes that mean: so, o'er that art,

Which you say, adds to nature, is an art

That nature makes. You see, sweet maid, we marry

A gentler scion to the wildest stock;

And make conceive a bark of baser kind.

By bud of nobler race; This is an art

Which does mend nature, — change it rather: but
The art itself is nature.

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Pol. Then make your garden rich in gillyflowers, And do not call them bastards.

Per.

I'll not put

The dibble2 in earth to set one slip of them:

2 For I have-] For, in this place, signifies — because that.

2

dibble - An instrument used by gardeners to make holes

in the earth for the reception of young plants.

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