_Jaq_. Ay, Sir, from one Monsieur Biron, one of the strange queen's lords. _Hol_. I will _over-glance_ the _super-script_. 'To the snow white hand of the most beauteous lady _Rosaline_.' I will look again _on the intellect_ of the letter for the _nomination_ of the party writing, _to the person written unto_ (_Rosaline_).--[_Look again_.--That is the rule for the reading of letters issued from this Academy, whether they come in Don Armado's name or another's, when the point is _not_ to 'miss the _accent_.'] 'Your ladyship's, in all desired employment, BIRON.' Sir Nathaniel, this Biron is one of the votaries with the king, and here he hath framed a _letter_ to a _sequent_ of the stranger queen's, which, _accidentally or by way of progression_, hath miscarried. Trip and go, my sweet; deliver this paper into the _royal hand of the king. It may concern much_. Stay not thy compliment, I forgive thy duty. _Adieu_. _Nath_. Sir, you have done this in the fear of God, very religiously; and as a certain father saith-- _Hol_. Sir, tell me not of _the father_, I do fear colorable colors. But to return to _the verses_. Did they please you, Sir Nathaniel? _Nath_. Marvellous well _for the pen_. _Hol_. I _dine_ to-day at the _father's _of a certain pupil of _mine_, where, if before repast, it shall please you to gratify the table with a grace, I will, on my privilege I have with the parent of the foresaid child, or pupil, undertake your _ben venuto, where I will prove_ those _verses to be very unlearned_, neither savouring of poetry, wit, nor invention. I beseech _your society_. _Nath_. And thank you, too; for _society_ (saith the text) is _the happiness of_ LIFE. _Hol_. And, _certes_, the text _most infallibly concludes it_.--Sir, [to Dull] I do _invite you too_, [to hear the verses ex-criticised] you _shall not_ say me _nay: pauca verba. Away_; the _gentles are at their games_, and we will _to our recreation_. Another part of the _same_. After dinner. _Re-enter Holofernes, Sir Nathaniel, and Dull_. _Hol. Satis quod sufficit_. _Nath_. I praise God for you, Sir: your _reasons_ at dinner have been _sharp and sententious_; pleasant without scurrility, witty without affection, audacious without impudency, learned without opinion, and strange without heresy. I did converse this _quondam_ day with a companion of the king's, who is intituled, nominated, or called Don Adriano de Armado. _Hol_. _Novi hominem tanquam te_. His manner is lofty, his discourse peremptory, his tongue filed, his eye ambitious, and his general behaviour, vain, ridiculous and thrasonical. He is too picked, too spruce, too affected, too odd, and, as it were, too peregrinate, as I may call it. _Nath_. A most singular and choice epithet! [Takes out his table-book.]