Arm. [To Holofernes.] Monsieur, are you 48
not lettered?
Moth. Yes, yes; he teaches boys the horn-
book. What is a, b, spelt backward, with the
horn on his head? 52
Hol. Ba, pueritia, with a horn added.
Moth. Ba! most silly sheep with a horn. You
hear his learning.
Hol. Quis, quis, thou consonant? 56
Moth. The third of the five vowels, if you
repeat them; or the fifth, if I.
Hol. I will repeat them,—a, e, i,—
Moth. The sheep; the other two concludes 60
it,—o, u.
Arm. Now, by the salt wave of the Mediter-
raneum, a sweet touch, a quick venew of wit!
snip, snap, quick and home! it rejoiceth my 64
intellect: true wit!
Moth. Offered by a child to an old man;
which is wit-old.
Hol. What is the figure? what is the figure? 68
Moth. Horns.
Hol. Thou disputest like an infant; go, whip
thy gig.
Moth. Lend me your horn to make one, and 72
I will whip about your infamy circum circa. A
gig of a cuckold's horn.
Cost. An I had but one penny in the world,
thou shouldst have it to buy gingerbread. Hold, 76
there is the very remuneration I had of thy
master, thou halfpenny purse of wit, thou
50 horn-book: primer; cf. n.
53 pueritia: childishness, child
61 o, u: i.e. oh, you
63 venew: venue, sally
67 wit-old: i.e. wittol, cuckold
73 circum circa: round and round; cf. n.
