Читать книгу The Complete Works of Shakespeare онлайн

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Here comes a member of the commonwealth.

Cost.

God dig-you-den all! Pray you, which is the head lady?

Prin.

Thou shalt know her, fellow, by the rest that have no heads.

Cost.

Which is the greatest lady, the highest?

Prin.

The thickest and the tallest.

Cost.

The thickest and the tallest! it is so, truth is truth.

And your waist, mistress, were as slender as my wit,

One a’ these maids’ girdles for your waist should be fit.

Are not you the chief woman? You are the thickest here.

Prin.

What’s your will, sir? what’s your will?

Cost.

I have a letter from Monsieur Berowne to one Lady Rosaline.

Prin.

O, thy letter, thy letter! He’s a good friend of mine.

Stand aside, good bearer. Boyet, you can carve,

Break up this capon.

Boyet.

I am bound to serve.

This letter is mistook; it importeth none here.

It is writ to Jaquenetta.

Prin.

We will read it, I swear.

Break the neck of the wax, and every one give ear.

Boyet reads. “By heaven, that thou art fair, is most infallible; true, that thou art beauteous; truth itself, that thou art lovely. More fairer than fair, beautiful than beauteous, truer than truth itself, have commiseration on thy heroical vassal! The magnanimous and most illustrate King Cophetua set eye upon the pernicious and indubitate beggar Zenelophon; and he it was that might rightly say, Veni, vidi, vici; which to annothanize in the vulgar—O base and obscure vulgar!—videlicet, He came, [saw], and overcame: he came, one; [saw], two; [overcame], three. Who came? the king. Why did he come? to see. Why did he see? to overcome. To whom came he? to the beggar. What saw he? the beggar. Who overcame he? the beggar. The conclusion is victory; on whose side? the [king’s]. The captive is enrich’d; on whose side? the beggar’s. The catastrophe is a nuptial; on whose side? the king’s; no, on both in one, or one in both. I am the king, for so stands the comparison; thou the beggar, for so witnesseth thy lowliness. Shall I command thy love? I may. Shall I enforce thy love? I could. Shall I entreat thy love? I will. What shalt thou exchange for rags? robes; for tittles? titles; for thyself? me. Thus expecting thy reply, I profane my lips on thy foot, my eyes on thy picture, and my heart on thy every part. Thine, in the dearest design of industry,