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Don Adriano de Armado.”

Ber. This is not so well as I look’d for, but the best that ever I heard.

King. Ay, the best for the worst. But, sirrah, what say you to this?

Cost. Sir, I confess the wench.

King. Did you hear the proclamation?

Cost. I do confess much of the hearing it, but little of the marking of it.

King. It was proclaim’d a year’s imprisonment to be taken with a wench.

Cost. I was taken with none, sir, I was taken with a damsel.

King. Well, it was proclaim’d damsel.

Cost. This was no damsel neither, sir, she was a virgin.

[King.] It is so varied too, for it was proclaim’d virgin.

Cost. If it were, I deny her virginity; I was taken with a maid.

King. This maid will not serve your turn, sir.

Cost. This maid will serve my turn, sir.

King. Sir, I will pronounce your sentence: you shall fast a week with bran and water.

Cost. I had rather pray a month with mutton and porridge.

King.

And Don Armado shall be your keeper.

My Lord Berowne, see him delivered o’er,

And go we, lords, to put in practice that