SCENE I.-Navarre. A Park, with a Palace in it. Enter the KING, BIRON, LONGAVILLE, and DUMAIN. King. Let fame, that all hunt after in their lives, Your oaths are pass'd, and now subscribe your names; Long. I am resolved: 'tis but a three years' fast; Dum. My loving lord, Dumain is mortified; Biron. I can but say their protestation over, King. Your oath is pass'd to pass away from these What is the end of study? let me know. King. Why, that to know, which else we should not know. Biron. Things hid and barr'd, you mean, from common sense ? King. Ay, that is study's god-like recompense. Biron. Come on then, I will swear to study so To know the thing I am forbid to know: When I to feast expressly am forbid; Or, having sworn too hard-a-keeping oath, If study's gain be thus, and this be so, Study knows that, which yet it doth not know: Swear me to this, and I will ne'er say, no. } * I. e. the king, Biron, &c. 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, To seek the light of truth; while truth the while Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile : Who dazzling so, that eye shall be his heed,† That will not be deep-search'd with saucy looks; Small have continual plodders ever won, Than those that walk, and wot not what they are, King. How well he's read, to reason against reading! Biron. Fit in his place and time. Dum. In reason nothing. Biron. Something then in rhyme. Long. Biron is like an envious sneaping‡ 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 shows: Than wish a snow in May's new fangled shows;§ $} Climb o'er the house to unlock the little gate. Biron. No, my good lord; I have sworn to stay with you: Than for that angel knowledge you can say, And, though I have for barbarism spoke more, Yet, confident I'll keep what I have swore, And bide the penance of each three years' day, Give me the paper, let me read the same; And to the strict'st decrees I'll write my name. ,} King. How well this yielding rescues thee from shame ! * Dishonestly, treacherously. † Direction, aim. ‡ Nipping. Games, sports. | A term of the card-table: give up your place. Biron. [Reads.] Item, That no woman shall come within a mile of my court. And hath this been proclaim'd? Long. Four days ago. Biron. Let's see the penalty. [Reads]-On pain of losing her tongue. Who devised this? Long. Marry, that did I. Biron. Sweet lord, and why? 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,- 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. King. What say you, lords? why, this was quite forgot. King. We must, of force, dispense with this decree; Biron. Necessity will make us all forsworn Three thousand times within this three years' space : Not by might master'd, but by special grace: And he that breaks them in the least degree, Suggestions are to others, as to me; [Subscribes King. Ay, that there is: our court, you know, is haunted A man in all the world's new fashion planted, * Urbanity. + Temptations. + Reside. ◊ Lively. This child of fancy* that Armado hight,† For interim to our studies, shall relate, How you delight, my lords, I know not, I; } Biron. Armado is a most illustrious wight, Enter DULL, with a letter, and COSTARD. Dull. Which is the duke's own person ? Biron. This, fellow; What wouldst ? Dull. I myself reprehend his own person, for I am his grace's tharborough:|| but I would see his own person in flesh and blood. Biron. This is he. Dull. Signior Arme-Arme-commends you. There's villany abroad; this letter will tell you more. Cost. Sir, the contempts thereof are as touching me. Biron. How low soever the matter, I hope in God for high words. Long. A high hope for a low having: God grant us patience! Biron. To hear? or forbear hearing? Long. To hear meekly, Sir, and to laugh moderately; or to forbear both. Biron. Well, Sir, be it as the style shall give us cause to climb to the merriness. Cost. The matter is to me, Sir, as concerning Jaquenetta. The manner of it is, I was taken with the manner. Biron. In what manner? Cost. In manner and form following, Sir; all those three: I was seen with her in the manor-house, sitting with her upon the form, and taken following her into the park; which, put together, is, in manner and form following. Now, Sir, for the manner, it is the manner of a man to speak to a woman: for the form,in some form. Biron. For the following, Sir? Cost. As it shall follow in my correction: And God defend the right. King. Will you hear this letter with attention? Cost. Such is the simplicity of man to hearken after the flesh. King. [Reads.] "Great deputy, the welkin's vicegerent, and sole dominator of Navarre, my soul's earth's God, and body's fostering patron, در Cost. Not a word of Costard yet. * I. e. fanciful invention. + As my minstrel, or story-teller. II. e. Third-borough, a peace-officer. † Is called. Bran new. In the fact. |