LOVE'S LABOR'S LOST. ACT I. SCENE I. Navarre. A Park with a Palace in it. Enter the King, BIRON, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAIN. Therefore, brave conquerors!-for so you are, And the huge army of the world's desires,- Your oaths are past, and now subscribe your names; If you are armed to do, as sworn to do, Long. I am resolved. 'Tis but a three years' fast; The mind shall banquet. though the body pine. Fat paunches have lean pates; and dainty bits Biron. I can but say their protestation over, King. Your oath is passed to pass away from these. Biron. Let me say no, my liege, an if you please. I only swore, to study with your grace, And stay here in your court for three years' space. Long. You swore to that, Birón, and to the rest. Biron. By yea and nay, sir, then I swore in jest. What is the end of study? Let me know. King. Why, that to know, which else we should not know. Biron. Things hid and barred, you mean, from common sense? King. Ay, that is study's godlike recompense. To know the thing I am forbid to know. Or, study where to meet some mistress fine, King. These be the stops that hinder study quite, And train our intellects to vain delight. Biron. Why, all delights are vain; but that most vain, Which, with pain purchased, doth inherit pain. To seek the light of truth; while truth the while Doth falsely blind the eyesight of his look. Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile; Who dazzling so, that eye shall be his heed, Study is like the heaven's glorious sun, That will not be deep-searched with saucy looks. Small have continual plodders ever won, Save base authority from others' books. These earthly godfathers of heaven's lights, That give a name to every fixed star, Have no more profit of their shining nights, Than those that walk, and wot not what they are. Too much to know, is, to know nought but fame; And every godfather can give a name.3 King. How well he's read, to reason against reading! Dum. Proceeded well, to stop all good proceeding! 1 Dishonestly, treacherously. 2 The sense of this declamation is only this, that a man by too close study may read himself blind. 3 That is, too much knowledge gives no real solution of doubts, but merely fame, or a name, a thing which every godfather can give. Long. He weeds the corn, and still lets grow the weeding. Biron. The spring is near, when green geese are a-breeding. Dum. How follows that? Biron. Dum. In reason nothing. Fit in his place and time. Something then in rhyme. Long. Birón is like an envious sneaping1 frost, That bites the first-born infants of the spring.. Biron. Well, say I am; why should proud summer boast, Before the birds have any cause to sing? Why should I joy in an abortive birth? At Christmas I no more desire a rose, Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled shows; * So you to study now it is too late Climb o'er the house to unlock the little gate. King. Well, sit you out. Go home, Birón, adieu ! Biron. No, my good lord; I have sworn to stay with you: And, though I have for barbarism spoke more, And bide the penance of each three years' day. King. How well this yielding rescues thee from shame! Biron. [Reads.] Item, That no woman shall come within a mile of my court.-Hath this been proclaimed? Long. Four days ago. Biron. Let's see the penalty. [Reads.] On pain of losing her tongue.-Who devised this penalty? Long. Marry, that did I. Biron. Sweet lord, and why? 1 i. e. nipping. 2 By these shows the poet means May-games, at which a snow would be very unwelcome and unexpected. It is only a periphrasis for May. Long. To fright them hence with that dread penalty. Biron. A dangerous law against gentility.' [Reads.] Item, If any man be seen to talk with a woman within the term of three years, he shall endure such public shame as the rest of the court can possibly devise. This article, my liege, yourself must break. For, well you know, here comes in embassy The French king's daughter, with yourself to speak,A maid of grace, and cómplete majesty, About surrender-up of Aquitain To her decrepit, sick, and bed-rid father. Therefore this article is made in vain, Or vainly comes the admired princess hither. Biron. So study evermore is overshot : King. We must, of force, dispense with this decree; She must lie here on mere necessity. Biron. Necessity will make us all forsworn Three thousand times within this three years' space. For every man with his affects is born; Not by might mastered, but by special grace. If I break faith, this word shall speak for me, I am forsworn on mere necessity. So to the laws at large I write my name. [Subscribes. And he that breaks them in the least degree, Stands in attainder of eternal shame. Suggestions are to others as to me; But, I believe, although I seem so loath, 1 The word gentility here does not signify that rank of people called gentry; but what the French express by gentilesse, i. e. elegantia, urbanitas 2 That is, reside here. 3 Temptations. |