king, let not us that are squires of the night's
body be called thieves of the day's beauty: let
us be Diana's foresters, gentlemen of the shade,
minions of the moon; and let men say, we be
men of good government, being governed as the
sea is, by our noble and chaste mistress the
moon, under whose countenance we steal, 33
Prince. Thou sayest well, and it holds well
too; for the fortune of us that are the moon's
men doth ebb and flow like the sea, being go-
verned as the sea is, by the moon. As for proof
now: a purse of gold most resolutely snatched
on Monday night and most dissolutely spent on
Tuesday morning; got with swearing 'Lay by;'
and spent with crying 'Bring in:' now in as
low an ebb as the foot of the ladder, and by and
by in as high a flow as the ridge of the gallows.
Fal. By the Lord, thou sayest true, lad. And
is not my hostess of the tavern a most sweet
wench? 46
Prince. As the honey of Hybla, my old lad of
the castle. And is not a buff jerkin a most sweet
robe of durance? 49
Fal. How now, how now, mad wag! what,
in thy quips and thy quiddities? what a plague
have I to do with a buff jerkin? 52
Prince. Why, what a pox have I to do with
my hostess of the tavern?
Fal. Well, thou hast called her to a reckon-
ing many a time and oft.
29 Diana's: the moon's
30 minions: servants
40 'Lay by': address of highwaymen to their victims
41 'Bring in': a call for wine
47 honey of Hybla: Sicilian honey
lad of the castle; cf. Appendix
48 buff jerkin: leather jacket worn by sheriff's officers; cf. n.
49 durance: a stuff noted for its durability
51 quips: jests
quiddities: subtleties, puns
