Here is the full passage for this question:
<span>There is likewise another diversion which is only shown before the emperor and the empress, and first minister, upon particular occasions. The emperor lays on the table three fine silken threads of six inches long; one is purple, the other yellow, and the third white. These threads are proposed as prizes for those persons whom the emperor has a mind to distinguish by a peculiar mark of his favor. . . . The emperor holds a stick in his hands, both ends parallel to the horizon, while the candidates advancing, one by one, sometimes leap over the stick, sometimes creep under it, backward and forward, several times, according as the stick is advanced or depressed.
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I think the answer would be: <span>The emperor rewards his subjects for jumping over and under a stick.
The full passage basically tell the readers about the strange contest that both the emperor and the empress like to conduct. We can see from the third sentence that those who are able to finish emperor's contest will be rewarded with a thread of silk.</span>
<span>with a nightingale in the trees of a dark, nighttime forest </span>
Here is Benvolio's lines from the scene of Romeo and Juliet Part 2: Benvolio: I do but keep the peace: put up thy sword, Or manage it to part these men with me.The best paraphrase of Benvolio's lines would be this: I want to keep the peace, so put your sword away or use it to help me break up this brawl.Hope this answers the question.
