It shall not want an ear, Prue. Say, what is it?
Pru. A toy I have, to raise a little mirth
To the design in hand.

Lady F. Out with it, Prue,

If it but chime of mirth.

Pru. Mine host has, madam,

A pretty boy in the house, a dainty child,

His son, and is of your ladyship's name, too, Francis,
Whom if your ladyship would borrow of him,
And give me leave to dress him as I would,
Should make the finest lady and kinswoman,
To keep you company, and deceive my lords,
Upon the matter, with a fountain of sport.

Lady F. I apprehend thee, and the source of mirth
That it may breed; but is he bold enough,
The child, and well assured?

Pru. As I am, madam :

Have him in no suspicion, more than me.

Here comes mine host; will you but please to ask him, Or let me make the motion?

Lady F. Which thou wilt, Prue.

Enter Host.

Host. Your ladyship, and all your train are welcome. Lady F. I thank my hearty host.

Host. So is your sovereignty,*

So is your sovereignty.] In Horatio's adjuration to Hamlet not to follow the ghost, he urges, among other dissuasives,

"What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord,

Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff,

And then assume some other horrible form,
Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason,
And draw you into madness!"

This passage has proved a perpetual torment to the commentators. "Your sovereignty of reason," Steevens says, " is, your ruling power of reason!" And then he proceeds with matchless gravity: "When poets wish to invest any quality or virtue with uncommon splendor, they do it by some allusion to regal eminence."-War

Madam, I wish you joy of your new gown.

Lady F. It should have been, my host; but Stuff, our tailor,

Has broke with us; you shall be of the counsel. Pru. He will deserve it, madam. My lady has

heard

You have a pretty son, mine host, she'll see him. Lady F. Ay, very fain; I pray thee let me see him, host.

Host. Your ladyship shall presently.

[Goes to the door. Bid Frank come hither anon, unto my lady. It is a bashful child, homely brought up, In a rude hostelry: but the Light Heart Is now his father's, and it may be his. Here he comes.

Frank. I do

Enter FRANK.

Frank, salute my lady.

What, madam, I am design'd to do, by my birthright, As heir of the Light Heart, bid you most welcome. Lady F. And I believe your most, my pretty boy, Being so emphased by you.

If

Frank. Your ladyship, madam,

you believe it such, are sure to make it.

Lady F. Prettily answered! Is your name Francis?

burton would read, deprave your sovereignty of reason-but it would be idle to produce more of this nature. The critics have stumbled over a difficulty raised by themselves: sovereignty here, as in the text, is merely a title of respect; and to deprive your sovereignty of reason, means neither more nor less, than to deprive your lordship, or your honour, or your highness of reason. As if this was not enough, on a passage which it seems almost impossible to mistake, Dr. Johnson and Steevens disagree about the word deprive: the former "conceiving it to mean simply, take away," and the latter stoutly "affirming it to signify disinherit!" Is not this to turn criticism into the line of children !

Frank. Yes, madam.

Lady F. I love mine own the better.
Frank. If I knew yours,

I should make haste to do so too, good madam.
Lady F. It is the same with yours.
Frank. Mine then acknowledges

The lustre it receives, by being named after.
Lady F. You will win upon me in compliment.
Frank. By silence.

Lady F. A modest and a fair well-spoken child. Host. Her ladyship shall have him, sovereign Prue, Or what I have beside; divide my Heart

Between you and your lady; make your use of it:
My house is yours, my son is yours. Behold,
I tender him to your service; Frank, become
What these brave ladies would have you. Only this,
There is a chare-woman in the house, his nurse,
An Irish woman, I took in a beggar,
That waits upon him, a poor, silly fool,
But an impertinent and sedulous one
As ever was; will vex you on all occasions,
Never be off, or from you, but in her sleep;
Or drink which makes it; she doth love him so,
Or rather doat on him. Now, for her, a shape,
And we may dress her, and I'll help to fit her,
With a tuft-taffata cloke, an old French hood,
And other pieces, heterogene enough.

Pru. We have brought a standard of apparel down, Because this tailor fail'd us in the main.

Host. She shall advance the game.

Pru. About it then.

And send but Trundle hither, the coachman, to me. Host. I shall but, Prue, let Lovel have fair

quarter.

[Aside.

Now for her a shape,] i. e. as has been already observed, a suit by way of disguise. It is a theatrical term still in use, for a foreign dress.

Pru. The best.

[Exit Host.

Lady F. Our host, methinks, is very gamesome.

Pru. How like you the boy?

Lady F. A miracle!

Pru. Good madam,

But take him in, and sort a suit for him.

I'll give our Trundle his instructions;

And wait upon your ladyship in the instant.

Lady F. But, Prue, what shall we call him, when we have drest him?

Pru. My lady Nobody, any thing, what you will. Lady F. Call him Lætitia, by my sister's name, And so 'twill mend our mirth too we have in hand.

Enter TRUNDLE.

[Exit.

Pru. Good Trundle, you must straight make ready the coach,

And lead the horses out but half a mile,

Into the fields, whither you will, and then
Drive in again, with the coach-leaves put down,
At the back gate, and so to the back stairs,
As if you brought in some body to my lady,

A kinswoman that she sent for. Make that answer,
If you be ask'd; and give it out in the house so.
Trun. What trick is this, good mistress secretary,

You'd put upon us?

Pru. Us! do you speak plural?

Trun. Me and my mares are us.

Pru. If you so join them,

Elegant Trundle, you may use your figures:

I can but urge, it is my lady's service.

Trun. Good mistress Prudence, you can urge enough;

I know you are secretary to my lady,

And mistress steward.

Pru. You will still be trundling,

And have your wages stopt now at the audit.
Trun. 'Tis true, you are gentlewoman o' the horse

too;

Or what you will beside, Prue. I do think it

My best t'obey you.

Pru. And I think so too, Trundle.

[Exeunt.

?

SCENE II. Another Room in the Same.

Enter lord BEAUFORT and lord LATIMER.

Lord Beaufort.

HY, here's return enough of both our ventures,
If we do make no more discovery.

Lord L. What?

Than of this parasite?

Lord B. O, he's a dainty one,

The parasite of the house.

Lord L. Here comes mine host.

Enter Host.

Host. My lords, you both are welcome to the
Heart.

Lord B. To the Light Heart, we hope.

Lord L. And merry, I swear.

We never yet felt such a fit of laughter,

As your glad Heart hath offered us since we enter'd.
Lord B. How came you by this property?

Host. Who, my Fly?

Lord B. Your Fly, if you call him so.

Host. Nay, he is that,

And will be still.

Lord B. In every dish and pot?

Host. In every cup and company, my lords,

A creature of all liquors, all complexions,
Be the drink what it will, he'll have his sip.